The Divine Hand of God

A miracle is a life-changing event that occurs against all odds. The Will of God is the source of the miracle and it is performed to show God's power and nature and to teach a lesson needed by His people. Miracles are performed by people who are servants of God, or are caused by interventions from God himself.

One study divides the miracles of the Bible into three eras: the Exodus, the Ministry of Elijah and Elisha, and the time of Christ and His disciples. During the Exodus, the people of God had forgotten His name. During Elisha and Elijah's time, they had added Baal to God's name, and in the time of Christ, the religious leaders were full of self-righteousness and hypocritical pride. God used miracles to re-instate the people's faith in Him. Almost forty miracles are listed in the New Testament, but many others were not recorded. Thus, they are a significant part of early Christianity. With the calling of Paul, another miracle began the spread of Christianity throughout the known world.

During the lifetime of Jesus, He performed many miracles, beginning with the changing of water into wine at the wedding in Cana. He used these miracles to prove that He was the Son of God. Later, He gave His disciples the power to heal and drive out evil spirits as He sent them out to minister and preach. Perhaps the most authoritative miracle was the raising of Lazarus from the dead, proving His power over life and death. His miracles had a purpose in teaching and proving who He was and is.