I. Are You Waiting for a Miracle?

Do miracles really happen today, or are they wishful thinking?

Have you ever prayed, “God, if You’re real, just give me a sign”?

Perhaps you’ve asked him to heal someone you love, fix a broken relationship, or show up in some unmistakable way.

If so, you’re not alone. Many Christians, whether new in their faith or even mature believers, can wrestle with questions like:

• Are miracles still happening?
• Why do they seem rare?
• Has God stopped working supernaturally?

In this blog series, we’ll explore what the Bible says about miracles, what they are, why they happened, and whether they happen today.

Spoiler alert: Miracles really happen, both in the past and present!

So, let’s begin by building a biblical foundation.

II. What Is a Miracle?

A. Definition

According to Norman Geisler, “A miracle is a special act of God in the natural world, something nature would not have done on its own (Geisler 1992, 98)

Likewise, a second definition of a miracle is an extraordinary act of God that overrides the normal laws of nature. It’s not just a rare event, it’s something only God can do (Matt. 19:26; Luke 1:37).

Additionally, in his Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Antony Flew defined miracles as “Something which would never have happened had nature, as it were, been left to its own devices.” (Flew 1967, 346).

In other words, biblical miracles were:

• Extraordinary – not ordinary or everyday
• Purposeful – never random
• Concentrated – not constant, but occurring at significant times

Altogether, miracles revealed God’s glory and confirmed his truth.

B. Purpose of Miracles

Contrary to popular belief, miracles are not for entertainment. Rather, they serve a divine purpose:

• To authenticate God’s messengers (Ex. 4:1–9; Heb. 2:3–4)
• To show God’s compassion and power (Matt. 14:14)
• To point to Jesus and lead to faith (John 20:30-31)
• To confirm a new revelation from God
• To advance the gospel of Christ
• To glorify God and inspire humility (Andrews 2018, 21)

Therefore, miracles really happen when God wants to make a point. In other words, God is in control, and we are not.

C. Why Miracles Matter

Significantly, miracles are essential to the Christian faith. If miracles didn’t happen:

• Christianity would be false.
• The Bible wouldn’t be trustworthy.
• Jesus wouldn’t have risen from the dead, and our faith would be meaningless (1 Cor. 15:14–19).

D. Misconceptions About Miracles

Understandably, many people wonder, “If God’s miracles really happen today, why don’t we see the same dramatic signs we read about in the Bible?”

Here’s the truth. Even in Scripture, miracles were rare.

They didn’t happen all the time. Instead, they occurred during three critical turning points in God’s redemptive plan.

Three such periods included:

1. Moses and Joshua

• To deliver Israel and confirm God’s law.
• For example:
  • Moses’ staff turning into a snake (Exod. 4:2–9)
  • Plagues against Egypt proving God’s authority (Exod. 7:1-11:10) (Kennedy 2016)
  • Parting the “Sea of Reeds” (mistranslated “Red Sea”) (Exod. 14:15-22) (Losch 2008, 308)
  • Water from a rock (Exod. 16-17)

Each miracle, consequently, confirmed Moses’ divine authority (Geisler 1999, 454; Kennedy 2016; Losch 2008, 308).

2. Elijah and Elisha (Prophets)

During a national rebellion, God used these prophets to call Israel back to himself, with powerful signs (Balogh 2016; Kissling 1996, 191).

• Elijah’s miracles (1 Ki. 17-2 Ki. 2)
• Elisha’s miracles (2 Ki. 2-13)

3. Jesus and the Apostles

• Above all, miracles during this time revealed Jesus’ identity and launched the Church.
• They were also used to confirm the gospel’s truth (John 20:31).

So while miracles really happen in Scripture, they were often concentrated, not constant. Even then, most believers lived by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7; John 20:29).

III. What Were Miracles for in the Bible?

A. The Real Question

Of course, the question isn’t whether God can do miracles today. He absolutely can, and does.

However, the deeper question is, “Does the gift of miracles, as seen in the early Church, still function in the same way today?”

The gift of miracles served these purposes:

• To confirm the authority of the messenger and his message (Heb. 2:3–4).
• To prove Jesus’ identity (John 10:37–38).
• To show that God’s kingdom had come (Matt. 12:28) (Geisler 2005, 675-678).

IV. Miracles in the Old Testament

A. Powerful Examples

Miracles really happen throughout the Old Testament. They demonstrated God’s power, faithfulness, and ability to rescue his people.

Consider these highlights:

• Creation itself (Gen. 1)
• Isaac’s birth to parents beyond child-bearing age (Gen. 21)
• Parting the Red Sea (Exod. 14)
• Sun standing still (Joshua 10:12–14)
• Elijah vs. the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18)
• Daniel’s deliverance from the lions’ den (Dan. 6)
• Fiery furnace rescue of the three young men (Dan. 3)

These events were signs of God’s power, protection, and promises. And they helped prepare the way for Jesus.

B. Is There Evidence?

Absolutely. The Bible’s miracles are supported by historical and archaeological evidence. For instance:

• Excavations at Jericho show collapsed walls consistent with Joshua 6.
• The Dead Sea Scrolls confirm the accuracy of the Old Testament miracle accounts.

These findings, in effect, strengthen our confidence in God’s Word and the truth that miracles really happen.

V. Jesus’ Miracles: Signs of the Kingdom

A. Why Did Jesus Do Miracles?

Jesus didn’t perform miracles just to impress people. He did them to prove who he was and point to the arrival of God’s kingdom.

“Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs…” (Acts 2:22, ESV)

Clearly, his miracles validated his divine identity as the promised Messiah.

B. Jesus’ Authority Over All

Jesus demonstrated divine powers over every area of life:

• Disease – Healing all kinds of sickness (Matt. 9:35; Luke 5:12–13)
• Demons – Casting them out (Mark 9:38)
• Nature – Calming storms, walking on water (Matt. 8:23–27)
• Death – Raising the dead (John 11:38–44; Luke 7:14–15)

Evidently, no area was beyond his control.

C. Why John Called Them “Signs”

John’s Gospel refers to Jesus’ miracles as “signs” because they pointed to more profound spiritual truths than the miracle itself.

As a result, these signs give us a foretaste of heaven. They revealed that our eternal life under Jesus’ rule will be a place of:

• No sickness
• No sorrow
• No death

As Tim Keller put it, “We modern people think of miracles as the suspension of the natural order, but Jesus meant them to be the restoration of the natural order” (Keller 2009, 95-96)

D. The Ultimate Miracle: Jesus’ Resurrection

Finally, the most crucial miracle in history is Jesus’ resurrection. Through his death and resurrection:

• Our sins are forgiven
• We receive new life
• Eternal life is guaranteed

Accordingly, the resurrection proves:

• He is God
• His teachings are true
• Salvation is real

Through the resurrection, God declares that sin and death are defeated (Rom. 4:25; 1 Cor. 15:3–4).

The resurrection is the foundation of Christianity (1 Cor. 15:14, 17), and, without a doubt, it changes everything.

Conclusion

Here’s what we’ve learned so far:

• Miracles really happen.
• They were concentrated during key biblical eras.
• Jesus’ miracles show us a preview of the restoration of all things.

Coming in Part 2…

In the next part of this blog series, we’ll explore:

• Whether the apostolic gift of miracles still exists today.
• How today’s miracles are different from biblical times.
• What the Bible says about God still working in the world.

We’ll also see why the greatest miracle happening today is salvation through Jesus Christ.

References

1. Admin. “Can Miracles Still Happen Today?” Biblical Christianity. September 18, 2021. https://biblical-christianity.com/can-miracles-still-happen-today.

2. Balogh, Amy. “Elijah the Prophet.” In The Lexham Bible Dictionary, edited by John D. Barry et al. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.

3. Bible Hub. “Does God Still Perform Miracles Today?” Accessed May 9, 2025. https://biblehub.com/q/does_god_still_perform_miracles_today.htm.

4. Geisler, Norman L. Miracles and the Modern Mind: A Defense of Biblical Miracles. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1992. 98.

5. —. “Miracles, Apologetic Value Of.” In Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Baker Reference Library. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999.

6. —. Systematic Theology, Volume Four: Church, Last Things. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2005.

7. GotQuestions.org. “Does God Still Perform Miracles?” Last updated July 5, 2023. https://www.gotquestions.org/miracles-Bible.html.

8. Holcomb, Justin. “Why Don’t We See Miracles Like the Apostles Did?” The Gospel Coalition. May 27, 2014. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-dont-we-see-miracles/.

9. Jarrett, Ed. “Does God Perform Miracles Now as He Did in the Bible?” Christianity.com. March 27, 2020. https://www.christianity.com/wiki/god/does-god-perform-miracles-now-as-he-did-in-the-bible.html.

10. Keller, Timothy. The Reason for God: Belief in God in an Age of Skepticism. New York: Penguin, 2008

11. Kennedy, T. Michael. “Egypt, Plagues of.” In The Lexham Bible Dictionary, edited by John D. Barry et al. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.

12. Kissling, Paul J. Reliable Characters in the Primary History: Profiles of Moses, Joshua, Elijah, and Elisha. Vol. 224 of Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1996.

13. Losch, Richard R. All the People in the Bible: An A–Z Guide to the Saints, Scoundrels, and Other Characters in Scripture. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2008.