| One of the most important parts of | | | | through him through their own faith rather |
| Christianity lies in recognizing the fact | | | | than through his compulsion. Miracles of |
| that Jesus Christ was divine, himself an | | | | Nature Jesus' miracles sometimes did not |
| extension of the Jewish God. One of the ways | | | | involve people, although they usually served |
| in which his divinity is proved by Biblical | | | | an illustrative purpose (the main one being |
| scholars is to point out the many miracles | | | | to demonstrate his divinity). These miracles |
| that Jesus was recorded performing during his | | | | are known as miracles of nature. Jesus' first |
| time on Earth. In academic circles, Jesus' | | | | miracle of nature recorded in the Biblical |
| miracles are often categorized according to | | | | canon is turning water into wine at a |
| the act that was carried out. Thus, miracles | | | | wedding. His mother Mary was a guest at the |
| that involved healing are cures, those that | | | | wedding, and he and his followers also came. |
| involved overcoming physical barriers are | | | | When the wine ran out, Jesus' mother |
| considered miracles of nature, and those | | | | approached him, and he told her that his time |
| wherein Jesus cast out demons are known as | | | | had not yet come. However, he proceeded to |
| exorcisms. Healing Miracles Jesus' miracles | | | | turn the water that was to be used for |
| of healing are the most well documented in | | | | cleansing into wine, which the master of |
| the Bible, perhaps because so many of the | | | | ceremonies declared to be the best wine he |
| diseases he encountered and cured were | | | | had ever tasted, in stark contrast to normal |
| considered a death sentence by the cultures | | | | conventions which had the host brining out |
| of the time. Jesus' healing miracles also | | | | the inferior wine second. This miracle can be |
| tended to have a second dimension which | | | | interpreted to demonstrate Jesus making the |
| offered some insight into his character and | | | | unclean clean, of using all things to his |
| his mission as a whole. For example, lepers | | | | ends, and of being straightforward in the |
| were the outcasts of society. Everyone lived | | | | presentation of his message. Miracles of |
| in deadly fear of catching the disease which | | | | nature also included feeding large crowds |
| caused digits and limbs to rot and then fall | | | | with relatively little food, walking on |
| off in a painful and incurable manner. When | | | | water, and causing his disciples to catch |
| diagnosed with leprosy, a person was sent | | | | many fish though they had been failing all |
| away from the rest of society to live out | | | | night. (He also walked through a crowd that |
| their remaining days in colonies consisting | | | | wanted to hurl him off of a cliff, and |
| of similarly struck people. They had to carry | | | | several times raised people from the dead). |
| bells and cry "unclean" whenever they | | | | Miracles of Exorcism The last category of |
| approached other people. In order to cure | | | | miracles that Jesus performed involved |
| lepers, Jesus would often touch them, to the | | | | casting demons out of afflicted individuals. |
| dismay of his followers. The examples of the | | | | These differ from the miracles of healing in |
| lepers offer several insights into Jesus' | | | | that they clearly portray a struggle of good |
| character. First of all, he was determined to | | | | versus evil instead of conquest over the |
| overcome social barriers. He would approach | | | | natural. He is recorded as having cast demons |
| even the most avoided people in society. He | | | | out singly and in large groups, after having |
| also demonstrated his storied mission of | | | | them name themselves and recognize his |
| loving the unlovable, all the while of course | | | | authority. All of Jesus' miracles were |
| demonstrating his divinity. Jesus also made | | | | enacted on different individuals, and many |
| it clear through his healing that it was the | | | | served several purposes. All, however, had |
| faith of the people that he healed that | | | | the ultimate point of pointing to himself as |
| caused the cure. His words after healing | | | | a divine being, sent by God. |
| several people are the same; "through your | | | | |
| faith, you are healed" (Matt 9:22). Through | | | | Wine Gift, Riedel wine glasses, Rabbit |
| this, Jesus demonstrated that people come | | | | corkscrews, wine decanters. |