National television audiences are held spellbound as they watch people lie trembling on the stage after an encounter with a faith healer. The holy man rushes around shouting Bible verses and casting bolts of healing lightning, all in the name of Jesus.

Drawing crowds as large as rock concerts, these religious superstars hold huge public spectacles in our cities. People shout and cheer as the healer performs his spectacular acts. But sometimes the healer fails.

In California several years ago a couple made what they called a "tragic error." They withheld insulin from their diabetic son because they believed he had been healed through prayer. Their 11-year old son died three days after a traveling evangelist had prayed for their boy's healing. The parents even held a resurrection service after their boy had been buried, still hoping for a miracle. None happened, the child remains in the grave and the sad parents still grieve over their tragic error.

However, hope always springs back. Today there are religious groups that teach healing through prayer as a major part of their religion. However, when their healing methods fail, they face civil responsibility for their actions. Recently several couples have been convicted of the wrongful deaths of their children.

More often than not, human healers fail. Perhaps that's why they don't visit children's hospitals and heal every child there. Maybe that's why they don't go to nursing homes and make eveyone well and able to return home. The fact is, human healers fail.

Jesus was a healer and miracle worker like no other before or after. He made the blind to see, the deaf to hear and the lame to walk. He healed the sick, cured diseases, fed the hungry, cast out devils and raised the dead to life. St. John says, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written." John 21:25.

In the 35 recorded miracles Jesus performed, 23 were physical healings; in three the dead were raised; in another three, food and drink were provided; two were large catches of fish, and the four remaining ones included: calming a storm, walking on the water, withering a fig tree, and providing tax money in a fishes' mouth. Each of Jesus' miracles met a specific material or physical necessity. There is no record of Jesus exercising divine power merely to satisfy idle curiosity.

Miracles didn't always impress people in the same way. John 12:37, "But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:" But others were convinced, John 2:23, "Many believed on his name, beholding the signs which he did."

In describing the miracles of Jesus there is a common theme, like a golden thread, that comes up time after time. It is the word compassion. Notice when Jesus raised the widow's son to life (Luke 7:11-17) that verse 13 states, "...he had compassion on her..." Likewise in Matthew 14:14, "And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick." When two blind men cried out so loudly that the multitude told them to hold their peace,(Matthew 20:29-34), Jesus had compassion on them.

Whether healing leprosy, raising the dead to life or even healing Peter's mother-in-law, it was all done out of a compassion for the needs of the common man. Large public rallies to show off healing powers are unheard of in the ministry of Jesus. Often to avoid a public spectacle, Jesus said, "...See thou tell no man; but go thy way," Matthew 8:4.

Jesus not only did miracles, Jesus is the miracle of miracles. The Christian church is founded on the basis of the belief in a stupendous miracle, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. But, at first, even his disciples didn't, wouldn't or couldn't believe that Jesus was actually alive again after being dead.

Even though the disciples had been eyewitnesses to the wonders Jesus had done, they obviously didn't believe he had actually risen from the dead. For a time, the words of John were also appropriate in describing Christ's followers, John 12:37, "But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:"

Jesus prophesied in John 2:19-22, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Today, we know that He meant that the temple would be his physical body, but his followers missed the point. Because of this, following his death, gloom set in as his followers mourned. We read in Mark 16:9-14 that when told of Jesus' resurrection they simply didn't believe it. John's description of them paints the group as a cowardly company hiding out in a little room, John 20:19, "...when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews," John 20:19.

It took another miracle to awaken the disciples to what had really happened. Jesus personally came into the disciples hide-out and spoke to the cowering men. Even then, the one named Thomas said, "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." Mark 20:25. It was after this that we see a radical change in the attitude of the disciples. They become bold and begin to preach without fear and with power of conviction.

The convincing evidence that Jesus Christ was actually resurrected from the dead is heard in their public speeches, " Acts 3:12-18, "And killed the prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses." vs 15. In Acts 5:29-32 we find a man full of courage saying, "We ought to obey God rather than men."

A miracle had taken place and the public speaking of the disciples showed they finally believed it. Because of the miracle of the resurrection of Christ, these men went on to become miracle workers in their own right. The Book of Acts is a partial record of what they did.

Ordinary human faith healers come and ordinary faith healers go. They grow old and die just like the rest of us. Whether or not these people are lightning rods for God or modern day electronic con-artists, at best, any healing is only a temporary fix. Eventually, everyone dies. However, because of the greatest miracle of all time, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave, there is hope for all of us to live again, and be permanently healed. "Jesus then said, 'I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die." John 11:25. CEV.

The second step to having a wonderful life is accepting the life changing miracle offered to you by Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "If you are tired of carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light." Matthew 11:28 CEV.

Will you accept the miracle of a new life that Jesus offers you today?

Click here to go to Lesson #3 "An Old Testament Mystery"

Lesson term definition:

Miracle---an event that is not explained by scientific laws or something that could be expected in the natural course of events. It is therefore considered a miracle or a special act of God.