4) Evidence that Miracles Occurred.
Since we cannot personally see Jesus and the Bible writers, how can we reach a verdict whether or not miracles really occurred? Again, we must examine the testimony of witnesses.
A) Writers who recorded Bible miracles.
Some say that the gospel accounts were simply altered to make it look like Jesus was performing miracles which never happened. However, it is not very probable; the eyewitnesses of Jesus' miracles were still around when the gospels were written and could have easily refuted such claims. Yet, we have no record of any such refutations. The disciples died for what they believed. It was not simply dying for principles or a philosophy like Buddhism. They died for their belief in the risen Lord Jesus who claimed to be God and performed miracles in front of their very eyes. This is far different than believing in something that wasn't tangible or a belief for the sake of believing and being good.
i) Miracles Jesus performed.
The time and place in which Jesus lived was not characterized by superstition and gullibility, but by learning and skepticism. This means that the miracles recorded in the Bible (witnessed by thousands of people) should be considered true. It is said that when Jesus came, "His fame spread all throughout Syria; they brought unto Him all sick people taken with diseases, and all that were possessed with devils and He healed them." (Matt. 4:24)
-Here are a few of the writers who described Biblical miracles:
-Moses: Exodus 7-12: Moses described in detail how God brought the plagues on Egypt to give evidence that He is God.
-Exodus 14: Moses recorded the parting of the Red Sea, so Israel passed through on dry ground.
-Exodus 16: God provided Manna as food for Israel for forty years as they traveled to Canaan. To confirm the manna, God had Moses put a pot of it in the ark, so Israel could carry it with them into Canaan. *Note that Moses was a first-hand eyewitness of the miracles he records.
-Joshua: Joshua 24: Joshua confirmed the crossing of the Red Sea. Remember, he would have been an eyewitness, so his testimony confirms that of Moses.
-Joshua 3-4: He also wrote as an eyewitness that God stopped the flow of the Jordan so that Israel crossed it on dry ground.
-Joshua 5: As an eyewitness, Joshua confirmed Moses' record regarding the manna.
-Joshua 6: Joshua recorded the fall of the walls of Jericho by miraculous means.
-Matthew: Matt 9-10: Like the other original apostles, Matthew personally accompanied Jesus for three years; so his record constitutes eyewitness testimony of Jesus' miracles. Furthermore, he himself did miracles by the power Jesus gave the apostles.
-Matt 14: Every time the account says the apostles (or twelve disciples) were present, Matthew would have been included. In this case, he joined the other apostles in confessing Jesus to be the Son of God, because they witnessed his walking on the water.
-Like Moses and Joshua, etc., Matthew was an inspired man who wrote part of the Bible, who was a personal eyewitness to miracles done by other inspired men, and whose work as a prophet was confirmed by miracles he himself was empowered by God to do.
-Luke: Luke 1: Luke wrote a history of the life of Christ and a history of the early church in the book of Acts (Acts 1:1-3). Regarding Jesus' life, Luke himself was not an eyewitness, but he served as an historian to record the eyewitness testimony given him by other regarding the miracles of Jesus. He himself was an eyewitness of many of Paul's miracles. As a historian, his reputation is well established.
-John: John 20: John recorded the signs Jesus did so we can believe Jesus is the Son of God and we can have life in His name. Like Matthew, John was one of the original apostles. Having accompanied Jesus for three years, he testified regarding miracles he personally saw. And like the other apostles, he himself did miracles to confirm his own record.
-John 21: John wrote his testimony of these events and testified that it was true.
-1 John 1: He bore witness about what he and others heard, saw with their eyes, and handled with their hands.
-Peter: 2 Peter 1: Peter claimed he (and others) were eyewitnesses of the majesty of Jesus, having heard the voice of God who spoke at the Transfiguration. Peter was also one of the original apostles. His record of Jesus' miracles constitutes eyewitness testimony. And he himself did miracles to confirm that God guided him in his writing.
-Paul: 2 Corinthians 12: Paul claimed that the signs, wonders, and miracles he did confirmed his apostleship. Note that he claimed these miracles were done in the presence of the people to whom he wrote, so they would have known whether or not he did these miracles.
-1 Corinthians 15: Paul specifically listed himself as an eyewitness of Jesus' resurrection. Note that Paul's claim to do miracles and be an eyewitness was confirmed by Luke, who recorded many of Paul's miracles.
All these men recorded in writing their eyewitness testimony of miracles that confirm Jesus' claims and the claims of Bible writers. As discussed earlier, these men fully meet the qualifications of valid eyewitnesses. Specifically, all of them suffered greatly for the faith they upheld, and many died at the hands of persecutors. Yet they never denied or compromised their testimony.