Miracles of Jesus

Jesus Exorcises Legion

Mark 5: 1-20

This exorcism story is more amazing than any depicted in modern day movies. When Jesus confronted a demon-possessed man, and asked him what his name was so that he would reveal his true identity; he replied “Legion…for we are many.” The many demons had combined as one force to possess the man and had taken over his body with Hulk-like force. Jesus commanded the demons to come out of him and the demon pleaded with Him, asking to not be tormented. In line with the belief that spirits belonged to specific geographical areas, he requested to not be sent out of the country, being that their spirits would depart into the abyss with other fallen angels if they couldn’t remain in that location, where they could resist God. The demons requested the option of entering the bodies of 2,000 pigs feeding nearby. Jesus granted this request and once exorcised from the man, they ran into their own destruction. The Gerasene Demoniac story from Mark is a powerful display of the confrontation between the powers of heaven and hell and God’s ultimate dominion over the powers of evil.

Jesus Heals a Man with Dropsy on the Sabbath

Luke 14: 1-6

This story describes an amazing miracle performed by Jesus on the Sabbath, a healing of a man who suffered from a condition known as Dropsy, which causes an abnormal amount of swellings in the body. When Jesus was eating in the house of a prominent Pharisee, a man was in front of him suffering from this disease. He asked the Pharisees who were the experts of the law if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath and they said nothing. Jesus then took hold of the man and healed him. After sending him away, he asked them "If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?" and they again, said nothing.

Jesus Pays a Temple Tax with a Coin from a Fish’s Mouth

Matthew 17:24-27

Several tax collectors approached Jesus’ disciple, Peter and asked if Jesus had endorsed and personally paid the temple tax, one all Jews were required to pay each year. Peter told them he had; assuming Jesus had already paid it before asking Jesus about it. When Peter entered the house Jesus was in, before he could ask about the tax, Jesus questioned Peter about who was exempt from paying the tax. Peter let him know king’s sons and their subjects were exempt. While Jesus in theory was not obligated to pay the tax being that it was a tax on His Father’s house, and he was the Son of God, He still wanted to pay His tax and Peter’s.

So, Jesus gave him instructions to walk to the shore of the Sea of Galilee, throw in a line and the first fish caught would have a coin in its mouth that would pay for the tax. This was a major test for Peter who was fisherman, and knew the waters well, but he let faith take the lead. Peter asked the tax collectors to follow him to shore and casts a line in the water. After reeling it in, he opened the fish’s mouth and the money was there! Not only does Jesus know the fish would have the necessary money but the particular fish Peter picked up contained the exact amount required. There is more to this story than paying a taxing bill. While the miracle of the coin in the fish’s mouth is one of the less dramatic miracle stories, it teaches a valuable lesson about faith and Christ’s omniscience.