Why Believe in a God that You can't See

The Bible encourages us to seek God and promises us that if we do, he will let us find him (1 Chron 28:9, Jer 29:13, Proverbs 8:17, Acts 17:26–27, Heb 11:6).

Here are some common but incorrect statements:

There is no objective truth.

Truth is what is consistent with reality, that is, with facts. We have laws of nature that are valid at all times throughout the universe. 

The Bible declares that its God who is the only true God (Psalm 117:2, 119:30, 43, 160). Jesus proclaims that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and that he is the only way to the Father (John 14:6), see Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.

This means that if Christianity is correct, all other religions must be wrong.
The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17, 15:26, 16:13,
1 John 4:6, Eph 1:13). What truth is, affects our eternal life.

God doesn't exist.

Monotheism means that there is one eternal God (see The Trinity) who has created the entire universe. Life including humans is created by God. God is still active in creation. We can ask him for help and guidance. God isn't a human, and the humans aren't part of the essence of God. We aren't God, and we never will be.

1. The universe has a beginning according to science. That means someone must have initiated it, see The Kalam Cosmological Argument (animated).
2. There is much scientific evidence that the universe is carefully designed for life on Earth. That means someone must have done it, see
   The Fine-Tuning of the Universe (animated).
3. There is evidence for universal moral laws. The same basic moral rules exist in all cultures. They are imprinted in our conscience. See:
• Can you be good without God? (animated) 
• Atheists Trying to Have Their Cake and Eat It Too on Morality
  (not animated)

The laws of nature require a law maker. These laws contain information, that is, evidence of intelligence, see What is Information?

If God exist, he doesn't have to be the God of the Bible.

God in the Bible fulfills the following:

• God can't have a cause, because he is eternal (Gen (1 Mos) 21:33,
  Psalm 90:2, 93:2, Isaiah 26:4, Jer 10:10, 1 Cor 2:7). 
• God is the source behind all living things (Acts 17:25, Rom 11:36,
  Col 1:16). 
• God must know and understand all things (omniscient) because he designed all things (Psalm 44:21b (22b in some translations), 147:5,
  Mat 6:8, Acts 1:24a, Rom 11:33, Heb 4:13, 1 John 3:20b), 
  see God is omniscient in God's Attributes.
• God must be all powerful (omnipotent) to be able to create the entire universe (Isaiah 40:26, Jer 27:5, 32:17, 27, Mat 19:26),
  see God is omnipotent in God's Attributes.
• Universal moral laws must have a judge. God is such judge 
  (Psalm 7:12, 9:9, Rom 2:16) because he is holy and can't accept sin,
  see God is holy in God's Attributes. God will punish law breakers 
  (Exo (2 Mos) 32:34, Isaiah 13:11, Hos 9:9, 2 Pet 2:9), see
  Jesus and the Law. Jesus will judge all men (John 5:22–29, Acts 10:42,
  2 Tim 4:1), see The Sheep and the Goats and The Great White Throne Judgement. God rewards people who follow his laws
  (Psalm 62:12 (13 in some translations), Jer 17:10, Mat 6:4, Rev 22:12). 
• Because God is love, he has prepared a way for us to be reconciled to him and to be forgiven, see The Atonement.

Miracles don't happen.

Jesus performed several miracles, see Miracles of Jesus, where the last chapter 

"Why Miracles" describes why Jesus performed them. The main reason was to
get people to believe in him (John 20:30–31). 

The miracles that Moses performed were signs that he was sent by God 

(Exo (2 Mos) 4:1–9), see Moses; Part 4: God Calling Moses. 

Paul had been given the power to perform miracles as proof that he was
an apostle from God (2 Cor 12:12). 

When Peter raised a woman from the dead, many came to believe in Jesus
(Acts 9:40–42).

Jesus didn't claim to be God.

Watch the animated video: Who did Jesus think he was?

Jesus claimed to be God, see Jesus is God.

Only God has the authority to forgive sins, judge people, and determine
a person's final destiny. Jesus claimed that he has that authority:

• Forgive sins: Mark 2:3–12, Mat 9:2–8, Luk 5:18–26.
• Judge: Mat 25:31–32.
• Save persons: John 5:24. 

By doing this he claimed to be God. 

Jesus fulfilled all the prophesies in the Old Testament about the first coming
of Messiah, see Prophecies that Jesus Fulfilled.

Jesus did not rise from the dead.

See the following animated videos:

• Did Jesus rise from the dead? - Part one: The facts 
• Did Jesus rise from the dead? - Part two: The explanation

Jesus foresaw his own death and resurrection on numerous occasions 

(Mat 17:22–23, 12:40, John 2:19–21).

There are many ways to God besides Jesus.

The Bible teaches that Jesus is the only way to God the Father 

(John 14:6, 10:1, 9, Acts 4:12, 1 John 5:12, 1 Tim 2:5).

Jesus lived a life on Earth without sin, and was born without sin, see The Virgin Birth.
He took the penalty for our sin and physically died for us on the cross
(John 1:29, 10:11, Rom 5:8, 1 Cor 15:3–5, 1 John 2:2, 1 Pet 2:24). 

Jesus is the only one who can save us (Rom 3:23–25, Eph 2:8–9, Tit 3:4–7). He is the only one who can give us eternal life with God (John 3:16, 6:40, Rom 6:23).

Jesus wants us to put all our trust and hope in him (John 3:36, 8:24).

We can perceive his invisible qualities through his creation of the world
(Rom 1:20, Psalm 19:1–6, 50:6, 89:6, Isaiah 40:26, Jer 32:17, Heb 1:10).

Summary.

It's logical to be a Christian. You make an intellectual decision to believe this,
to base your faith on the Bible. The next step is to invite Jesus into your heart,
to be your Lord and Savior, see Salvation.

It's important not to base faith on feelings, but instead base them on
the Word of God, the Bible. Emotions go up and down, and it's therefore
important not to base the belief on that emotions remain.

See also Scientific Proofs of the Bible.

The Danger with Gnosticism

The word Gnosticism comes from the Greek word gnosis which means knowledge.
Gnosticism is a collection of ancient religious ideas and systems that originated in the first century AD among early Christian and Jewish communities. They thought they had a special knowledge, that they had the inside track of truth. It's reminiscent of today's New Age teachings. 

There are three foundations found in most Gnostic movements:

1. The material world isn't real.
2. Hatred of the material world.
3. Elitist or secret knowledge.

Most of them don't believe in the deity of Jesus, but some do. Some don't believe that Jesus came in a physical form, that he had a human body. They see Jesus more as a spiritual being than a human, see it explained in The Book of John. 

Some of them claim that Jesus was born only as a man and not as a deity. On
his water baptism, the spirit of Christ (Messiah) descended upon him, and he then became deity and humanity, and lived his life as deity and humanity. They believe he rejected the spirit of Christ and then died just as a man, just before he died on the cross when he rejected his spirit, see Jesus 7th words on the cross in
The Crucifixion of Jesus. Apostle John refutes this Gnostic idea. He wrote that Jesus came to Earth by water and blood (1 John 5:6–9), and declares that
Jesus came to Earth when he was born, as God in human flesh (John 1:14),
and that he died physically on the cross for us, as God in human flesh.

We have a snapshot of The Trinity when Jesus was baptized: Jesus as the Son of God rising out out of the water, the Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove, and the voice of God the Father speaking: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." (Mat 3:16–17, Mark 1:10–11,  Luk 3:21–22, John 1:32–34).
See also the voice of God the Father in Listen to Jesus.

The reason for their believe is that they think that everything physical and material is evil. The human body is evil. The chair we sit on is evil. The only thing that is good is that which is made of spirit. It's therefore difficult for them to believe in a physical resurrection (1 Cor 15:12–24, Acts 17:32), see The Rapture.

The Gospel of Thomas is an example of Gnostic teaching and not part of the Bible.

There are two camps among the Gnostics: 

1. Ascetics:
   Those who practices self-denial as a spiritual discipline. Note that self-denial
   isn't the same as the Biblical expression "denying self", see 1. Deny yourself and 2. Take up his cross in The Apostle Peter. 
2. Libertines:
   Those who are morally unrestrained. They believe that the body has no meaning in the life of the spirit, they can do whatever they want, it's OK to sin. This camp can be seen even in today's Christian church. It's an effective lie from the enemy.

Examples of Gnostic teaching:
You don't have a soul, you are a soul, and have a body that is corrupted. Kenneth Hagin learned: Man is a spirit, has a soul, and lives in a body. He is seen as the father of the Word of Faith movement, see Word of Faith Movement in the U.S.

Gnosticism is a heresy in the Christian faith. It's a purposeful and deliberate attempt to change the interpretation of scripture. The Bible clearly teaches:

1. God created the world, and it's real (Gen (1 Mos) 1:1).
2. Creation was from the beginning very good (Gen (1 Mos) 1:31).
3. The teaching of the Bible is important for everyone (2 Tim 3:16).

Body, Soul, and Spirit 

We are created by God (Gen (1 Mos) 2:7). We consist of three parts: a body, a soul, and a spirit (1 Thess 5:23), which together form a human being, see time 26:46–28:30 in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul │December 2023. They can be seen as a sort of triunity of a human, although they are not three persons forming a human being as compared to The Trinity of God. It's all these parts that are sanctified, see Sanctification. The body is the only thing that can die, and is therefore the only thing that can be resurrected. When I die I loose my body which isn't eternal. See what it means to die in The Book of Thessalonians. My soul and spirit which are eternal leave the body when I die. As Christians, we will receive our new immortal bodies only at the resurrection (1 Cor 15:35–44), see The Rapture. These immortal bodies will then appear as described in The Resurrection of Jesus. 

Animals don't have spirits and won't be given immortal bodies. They don't go to God's Heaven (Psalm 49:20 (21 in some translations)). They disappear when they die. There may be animals in Heaven, but then created by God to be there. Only
mankind (not the animals) is made in the image of God (Gen (1 Mos) 1:26–27).

A "soul" without spirit (in animal) isn't eternal. A soul with a spirit (in man) is eternal. This means that a "soul" in an animal is something different from a soul in man. This means that there is a close connection between soul and spirit in man.

 

But there is a difference between soul and spirit; they are divided by the Word of God, which judges the thoughts and attitudes of my soul (Heb 4:12), see Psalm 131: I have quieted my soul. It's God's Word, not emotions, that feeds the spirit. Through the soul (my earthly senses, emotions, intellect, and will) I have contact with people. Through my spirit (intuition) I have contact with God 
(1 Cor 2:9–11). It's the source of life (Gen (1 Mos) 2:7). Jesus said: "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24).
"The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts." (Proverbs 20:27).

Before we are saved, we are spiritual dead, see The Book of Ephesians. What remains is the body, soul, and spirit disconnected from God. Before we are saved,
we are ruled by the body and the soul, see The Book of John, and are a reason why the world looks the way it does. We also have an unholy triunity: the world (culture in opposition to Jesus), people who reject Jesus, and the Devil (Satan), who only deserves God's wrath, see God has wrath in God's Attributes. Also, Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet will together form a false trinity, see
Who is the End Time Antichrist?, which is an attempt to counterfeit the true Trinity.

My spirit begins to work when I become a believer and receive Jesus in my life, see Salvation. When I am saved, I become a temple of the Holy Spirit who indwells in me (1 Cor 3:16–17, 6:19, 2 Cor 6:16, Eph 2:19–22), see 
Jesus the Light of the World. When I come to Christ, my spirit literally merges with God's spirit, the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:17), see time 16:18–25:56 in 
1 Peter 1 (Part 3) :8–9 • The internal evidence of the Spirit. I am made spiritually alive and is "born again". See the description of "born again" in The Book of Peter.

For us as Christians, however, our soul and spirit are almost indiscernible in our daily lives. Our soul can easily take over (Psalm 46:10a (11a in some translations)).
That's one of the reasons why God has given us the Word of God, the Bible, to guide us (Heb 4:12). How do I know if it's God speaking to me or if it's just my own thoughts, my soul? King David, who was a prophet, had calmed and quieted his soul not to take over his spirit (Psalm 131:2, Isaiah 30:15), see 
Psalm 131: I have quieted my soul. We should hope in God (Psalm 42:5 (6 in some translations)). David understood that his own emotional voice was so strong (he was a very passionate man), that if he didn't take steps to silence it, he wouldn't be able to hear God's voice. David listened to his feelings and intellect a few times which got him into very serious trouble. We can act like an unruly child who won't be controlled. Our souls can become unmanageable. God wants to communicate with his people (Psalm 32:8), and does so alongside the Word of God through our spirit.

See also Some stories close related to the gospels at the end of 

The Four Gospels.

To Heal on the Sabbath

For background, see the following videos in these times: 

• 11:59–17:59 in John 5 (Part 1) 1–18 • The Heart of Legalism.
• 25:21–39:37 in John 9 • “I was blind, now I see.”.

Jesus did several healings on the Sabbath, see Miracles of Jesus. The scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus if it was permissible to heal a person on the Sabbath
(Mat 12:9–10, Mark 3:1–2, Luke 6:6–7). Jesus answered them: 

• "I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?" (Luke 6:9, Mark 3:4).
• "Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." (Mat 12:11–12).

Jesus also said on another occasion:

•  "Which of you, having a son (a donkey in some manuscripts) or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?" (Luke 14:5).

And Jesus said on another occasion:

• "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years,
  be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" (Luke 13:15-16).

Jesus said on another occasion:

• "And if you had known what this means: 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice' (Hosea 6:6 (LXX)), you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."
  (Mat 12:7–8, Luke 6:5).
• "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
  So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27–28).

And Jesus said on another occasion:

• "Go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice' (Hosea 6:6 (LXX)). For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
  (Mat 9:13). 

What Jesus means is that mercy is more important than sacrifice. Mercy triumphs over following rules and regulations, see the end of The Book of Ruth. 
See also what the 4th commandment in The Ten Commandments means to us.

Jesus had a close relationship to God the Father, and did the will of the Father 
all the time (John 5:20, 6:38, 8:28–29, 12:49–50, 14:31a). See it explained in 
The Order between Jesus and the Father in the Trinity. This is exemplified when Jesus was persecuted for healing people on the Sabbath. Jesus then said: 

• "My Father is working until now, and I am working." (John 5:17).
• "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does,
  that the Son does likewise." (John 5:19).

Jesus did no work whatsoever when he healed them. Yet these religious leaders hated him for doing this on the Sabbath, and even wanted to kill Jesus for doing these miracles (Mat 12:14, Mark 3:6, Luke 6:11, John 5:18). It's very possible for religious people to get the perspective grossly wrong. They probably thought they were doing the right thing by wanting to destroy Jesus for healing people on the Sabbath. But it was a great violation of the Sabbath by these religious men when they planned to murder a godly man who had never sinned against anyone.

Jesus fulfilled the Law (Mat 5:17–20), but was confronted with empty religion and man-made rules, see Confronting Meaningless Religion. Jesus kept the Law perfectly (including keeping the Sabbath) as a man but also as the Son of God (Heb 4:15).
Keeping them perfect gave Jesus the ability to pay the debt we owe to the Law. Through his physical death on the cross, he payed the price and fulfilled the requirements of the Law for us all (Heb 9:15), see The Crucifixion of Jesus. Whoever who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse (Gal 3:13, Deu (5 Mos) 21:23). Jesus took the curse for us. By doing so, he satisfied the requirements of the Law. Our part is to admit it, believe and trust Jesus, and invite him into our heart
(John 1:12), see Salvation. See this further explained in Jesus and the Law.

See also Some stories in the gospels at the end of The Four Gospels.

Miracles of Jesus

Content:

• Miracle
• Healing
• General
• Blind People
• Lepers
• Paralytics
• Women
• Other Healing
• Resurrections
• Control over Nature
• Miracle with Positive Reactions
• Miracle with Negative Reaction
• Exorcism
• Background
• Examples of Exorcism
• Why Miracle

Miracle

Jesus' miracles were supernatural acts. The majority were healing, resurrections, nature control, and exorcism. They are prophesied in the
Old Testament, see Messiah's Ministry on Earth in The Prophecies of Isaiah.
They are described in The Four Gospels and are actual historical events. See time 6:02–7:20 in Matthew 9: The Opposition Begins, the Ministry Continues.

Healing

Healing the sick was one of the dominant factors in Jesus' ministry (Mat 4:23).

Jesus healed all kinds of diseases and afflictions (Mat 9:35).  

General

Many people at that time believed that their diseases were punishments from God because of their sins. It was therefore difficult for many of them to accept
a suffering Messiah. Even Jesus' disciples believed that this might be the case. Jesus denied it (John 9:2–3), see Blind People below. Job's three friends made the same mistake. They pointed to Job's circumstances as an expression of God's disfavor and punishment. They falsely told Job that he had messed up and sinned and therefore had to suffer, see The Book of Job. Even the religious leaders despised these people because they considered them under God's curse, see Jesus Denouncement of the Jewish Religious Leaders.

There are people even in our time who believe that people's tragic and painful situations are due to some specific act of sin in their lives or in the lives of their relatives. Even many Christians believe that the difficulties they experience are punishments from God. That it's God's wrath that causes them to suffer. It's not biblical, and according to Jesus, completely wrong. Jesus was punished for our sins. When Jesus said on the cross: "It is finished" (John 19:30, Mark 15:37), he had paid the price for our sins, see The Crucifixion of Jesus. 

That's not why we sometimes suffer. The reason may be to train us and to give us discipline, see the first part of The Book of James. God disciplines those he loves (Heb 12:6a). The purpose is to shape us to become more like Jesus Christ through these difficulties. Another reason is that we live in a fallen world, see The Biblical Creation and the Fall of Man.

See also:

• Suffering and evil: The logical problem
• Suffering and evil: The probability version

Blind People

Jesus heals a blind man from Bethsaida. Jesus takes the man by the hand and leads him out of the city, puts some spit on his eyes and lays his hands on him. Since the man doesn't see perfectly afterwards, Jesus repeats the procedure, resulting in clear and perfect eyesight. (Mark 8:22–26). See the repetition explained at time 14:44–17:48 in Mark 8:11-33 – Coming to See.

Jesus heals two blind men near Jericho. Jesus touches their eyes and immediately they can see. One of them is the blind beggar named Bartimaeus near Jericho. He is one of the few recipients of healing whose name is mentioned. One reason could be that he was definitely saved and served the Christian Church during his lifetime. Jesus tells him that his faith had healed him. He then immediately regains his sight and follows Jesus. See time 21:36–22:44 in Math And The Bible. (Mat 20:29–34, Mark 10:46–52, Luke 18:35–43).

Jesus heals two blind men when Jesus preaches in Galilee. At this point, Jesus asks the blind men if they believe that he can heal them. When they assure Jesus they do, he commends their faith and touches their eyes and restores
their sight. (Mat 9:27–31). 

Jesus heals a man blind from birth. Jesus mixes spit with dirt to make a mud mixture, which he then puts on the man's eyes. He instructs the man to wash his eyes in the pool of Siloam. When the man does this, he can see. 
See time 21:06–24:42 in John 9 • “I was blind, now I see.”. 

When Jesus is asked by his disciples whether the cause of the blindness is the sin of the man's father or mother, Jesus states that it's neither. The reason was that God's work would be shown on him. (John 9:1–11); see:

• Time 6:59–19:06 in John 9 • “I was blind, now I see.”.
• Time 26:10–28:10 in John 9:17-41 - Opposite of ignorance.

The Pharisees didn't understand this. They just criticized Jesus for doing this on a Sabbath (John 9:12–41), see the 4th commandment in 
The Ten Commandments.

The man's blindness was permitted by God so that the works of God would be displayed in him (John 9:3). This man is a picture for all of us, see Laodicea in The Seven Churches in the Book of Revelation. It shows how God works in people who come to him, how he brings their lives from blindness to a place of spiritual sight (Col 1:13–14), see Typology and The Book of Colossians. Jesus said: "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind" (John 9:39–41):

1. We are all born spiritually blind and can't "see" (Psalm 51:5 (7 in some translations), John 3:19, 9:39–41, Mat 6:22–23),
   see The Fall of Man in The Biblical Creation and the Fall of Man.
2. It's possible for someone who is spiritually blind to turn to the Lord and have that blindness removed. "When one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed." (2 Cor 3:16).
3. Jesus is the one who opens blind eyes (Psalm 146:8a).
   He gives us spiritual light and sight (John 8:12, 9:4–5), see Salvation.
4. We must respond by faith (John 9:6–7). Salvation is a free gift
   (Eph 2:8–9), but we must respond to it, receive Jesus in our heart
   (John 1:12).
5. We are made a new creation (2 Cor 5:17, John 9:8–9). But because of
   our old nature, we sometimes mess things up and make mistakes
   (1 John 8, 10, Rom 7:15–20), see The Book of John.
6. We are given spiritual insight (John 9:25b, 30–33, 2 Cor 4:6, 1 Pet 2:9).
7. We will be persecuted by those who refuse to believe in Christ
   (John 9:22b, 34, 15:18–20a, 1 Pet 4:12–16, Acts 5:40–41).
   There will be a reward in Heaven for those who suffer for Jesus
   (Mat 5:10–12, 1 Pet 4:13, Rom 8:16–18, Col 1:24).
8. We understand that Jesus is worthy of our worship (John 9:35–38,
   Col 1:13–14, 1 Pet 2:9), see How should we worship God? in 
   The Woman's Place in the Congregation.

Lepers

Jesus heals a leper. He reaches out his hand and touches him and says to him: "be clean", see time 24:39–28:40 in Luke 5 (Part 1) • A Lesson, a Leper and Jesus proves He is God. After healing the man, he instructs him to appear before the priest and make an offering of his purification as a proof to them.
(Mark 1:40–44, Mat 8:1–4, Luke 5:12–14, Lev (3 Mos) 14:2f). 

Jesus heals ten lepers. Jesus sends them directly to the priests. They are healed when they obey Jesus and go. (Luke 17:11–19, Lev (3 Mos) 14:2f). 

Paralytics

Jesus heals a paralyzed man at Capernaum. The paralyzed man is brought to Jesus on a bed (probably a sleeping mat). Jesus is in a house at the time, and the man has to be lowered through the roof by his friends because of the crowds blocking the door. Jesus says to him: "Rise, take up your bed and go home", and the man did so, and he was healed. (Mark 2:1–12, Mat 9:1–8, Luke 5:17–26). See also Whose Sin can We Forgive?

Jesus heals a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years at the Pool of Bethesda. Jesus says to him: "Get up, take your bed and walk". The man is instantly healed and able to do so. (John 5:2–9). Jesus was then criticized by the Jews for doing this on the Sabbath (John 5:10–18). 
Jesus' answer was: "My Father is working until now, and I work."

Women

Jesus heals a bleeding woman. Jesus was approached by a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. When she touched Jesus' cloak, she was immediately healed. Jesus felt that power had gone out of him and said to her: "Daughter, your faith has made you well, go in peace and be healed of your disease". (Mark 5:25–34, Mat 9:20–22, Luke 8:43–48).

Jesus heals the mother of Peter's wife when he visits Peter's and Andrew's house in Capernaum. He stood over her and rebuked the fever, took her by the hand and lifted her up. The fewer left her and she was healed. 
(Mark 1:29–31, Mat 8:14–15, Luke 4:38–39).

Other Healing

Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on a Sabbath. Jesus first asks the scribes and Pharisees: "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" Jesus then answers his own question: "Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Jesus then says to the man: "Stretch out your hand." And the man stretches it out, and it's restored, healthy like the other. 
(Mark 3:1–6, Mat 12:9–14, Luke 6:6–11).

Jesus heals a man with dropsy on a Sabbath. Jesus first asks the lawyers and Pharisees: "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?" Jesus then takes hold of the man, heals him, sends him on his way, and says: "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?" (Luke 14:1–6).

Showing mercy triumphs over following rules and regulations 
(Mat 9:13, 12:3–8).

Jesus heals a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment. Jesus first touched the man's ears and touched his tongue after spitting, and then said 
"Be opened". (Mark 7:31–35).

Jesus heals the High Priest's servant Malchus, in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:47, Mat 26:51–54, Luke 22:50–51, John 18:10–11).

Jesus heals a Centurion's servant in Capernaum. Jesus said to the man:
"Go; let it be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed
at that very moment. (Mat 8:5–13, Luke 7:1–10).
See this miracle further described in Faith, Hope, and Agape Love. 

Jesus heals the son of a nobleman in Cana of Galilee. Jesus said to him: "Go; your son will live." The man believed the Word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. When he went down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. When he asked them the hour when he began to get better, they told him that it was at the hour when Jesus had said to him: "Your son will live." And he himself believed, and all his household. (John 4:46–54).

Jesus heals in the land of Gennesaret. All who touched his garment were healed. (Mark 6:53–56, Mat 14:34–36).

Jesus heals lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others (Mat 15:30–31).

Resurrections

Jesus resurrects the only daughter of Jairus who was twelve years old.
He took her by the hand and told  her: "Little girl, I say to you arise".
The girl immediately got up and started walking. 

(Mark 5:22–24, 35–42, Mat 9:18–19, 23–25, Luke 8:41–42, 49–55).

Jesus resurrects the only son of the widow of Nain. He said to the young man: "Young man, I say to you, arise". And the dead man sat up and began to speak. (Luke 7:11–15).

Jesus resurrects Lazarus of Bethany four days after his burial. He cries out with a loud voice: "Lazarus, come out". Lazarus comes out with his hands and feet bound with linen strips and his face wrapped with a close. Jesus says to them: "Unbind him, and let him go". (John 11:17–44).
For detailed information, see The Death of Lazarus.

Control over Nature

Miracle with Positive Reactions

Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding. When the host runs out of wine, Jesus tells the host's servants to fill six vessels with water. A sample is then taken out and taken to the master of the banquet, who pronounces the contents of the vessels to be the best wine of the banquet. (John 2:1–10). This was the first of his signs (John 2:11a). It strengthened the faith of his disciples (John 2:11b).

A miraculous catch of fish takes place early in Jesus' ministry, see
Jesus Calling of His Twelve Apostles. It results in Peter, Andrew, John,
and James join Jesus as his disciples. (Luke 5:4–11).

Jesus calms a storm. The disciples wake Jesus during a storm. He rebukes the wind and says to the sea: "Peace! Be still!", and the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Jesus then rebukes the disciples for their lack of faith.
(Mark 4:35–41, Mat 8:23–27, Luke 8:22–25).

Jesus feeding the multitude. Jesus uses just a few bread and a few fish to feed thousands of men, along with an unspecified number of women and children. There are several baskets of leftovers afterwards:  

1. 5000 men, besides women and children, are fed with five loaves and two fish (Mark 6:35–44, Mat 14:15–21, Luke 9:12–17, John 6:5–13). 
2. 4000 men, besides women and children, are fed with seven loaves and some small fish (Mark 8:4–9, Mat 15:33–38).

Jesus walks on water, see Jesus Walks on Water. 
(Mark 6:47–52, Mat 14:24–33, John 6:16–21).

Finding a four-drachma coin in a fish mouth to be able to pay the two-drachma temple tax for him and for Peter (Mat 17:24–27). Jesus could have said that he didn't have to pay this tax because it's not mentioned in the Mosaic Laws, it was a made-man rule, and also because he is the Son of God (Mat 17:25b–26). The reason he still did it was so as not to cause offense that might prevent them from believing in him and being saved (Mat 17:27a), see Disputable Matters
in The Book of Romans. As Christians we should pay our taxes (Rom 13:6–7), see This World is Not Our Home in The Book of Romans.

The catch of 153 fish (John 21:4–13), see The Resurrection of Jesus.

Miracle with Negative Reaction

Jesus cursed a fig tree because it had no fruit, and it immediately withered
(Mark 11:12–14, 20–21, Mat 21:18–19). This is the only miracle that Jesus did that has a negative reaction. One message with this event is to be aware of false prophets, see Beware of false prophets in The Sermon on the Mount.
By the fruits of their lives we will recognize them (Mat 7:15–16). To be able to do that, we need to be a fruit inspector. Another message is that he wants to see good fruit in our lives, see Sanctification. 

The fig tree is also a picture of the nation of Israel, see
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree in Jesus' Last Days before his Crucifixion.

Exorcism

Background

Demons (also called evil spirits) are actually fallen angels. They are spiritual beings created by God. Satan rebelled in the beginning and then influenced a third of the angels in Heaven to follow him (Rev 12:4). Having lost their ability to transform into a human body on Earth, they need a host body to live out their sin nature. See Tartarus in What Does the Bible Say about Hell?
and Explanation to Satan's Attack on the Woman in the Book of Revelation. 

Demon possession means that one or more demons have direct/complete control over a person's thoughts and/or actions. Demonization is virtually identical to the description of demon possession. However, to enter someone requires some kind of open door or invitation. Demons do not have the freedom to just possess a person whenever they want to. Judas’ heart wasn't right with God, he was a thief, he criticized people who showed their love for Jesus. He chose that path, see Why Judas betrayed Jesus. By choosing that path, he opened himself up to Satan’s possession, to be controlled by him (Luke 22:3, John 13:27a, 30). Judas didn't have to be the betrayer. He chose that path.

Born again believers in Christ can't be possessed by demons or be demonized, because they already have the Holy Spirit and then there is no room for demon (1 John 5:18b, Mat 12:43–45). There is no example in the Bible of a Christian believer being possessed by a demon. Demon oppression or influence means that a demon or demons attack a person spiritually and/or encourage him/her to sinful behavior. Christians can be oppressed or influenced by demons, but then we must resist them (James 4:7, 1 Pet 5:8–9, Eph 6:12). The answer to a Christian believer struggling with sin is repentance and resistance (James 4:7). See more about this in these videos: 

• Time 45:23–50:11 in October 2024 Bible Q&A.
• Derek Prince Says He Was a Demon Possessed Christian.

It's extremely important that we don't allow personal experience to influence our interpretation of Scripture. Rather, we must filter our personal experiences through the truth of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Seeing someone we thought was a Christian exhibiting the behavior of being demonized should make us question the authenticity of his/her faith, see time 32:43–34:06 in Bible Q&A with Pastor Paul │ October 2023. It shouldn't make us to alter our view of whether a Christian can be demon possessed/demonized. It may also be the case that the person is really a Christian but is severely demon-oppressed and/or suffers from severe psychological problems. But again, our experiences must pass the test of Scripture, not the other way around. See what's behind pagan gods at time 7:05–8:34 in Bible Q&A with Pastor Paul │February 2024.

See the meaning of spiritual warfare (Mat 12:29, Mark 3:27, Luke 11:22) at
time 11:58–17:49 in Matthew 12:22-50: The Great Danger of Opposing Jesus.

See why there were so many demon possessions in Israel at the time of Jesus:

• Time 10:31–11:28 in Acts 19 (Part 2) :8-41 • Ministering in Ephesus.
• Time 2:52–4:35 in December 2024 Bible Q&A.

There are basically three main reasons why we see less demon possession in
the western world today, compared to Israel at the time of Jesus:

1. There are more demon possessions in the western world than we think.
2. It makes a difference that the western world has been influenced by the Gospel for so many hundreds of years.
3. It's part of Satan's strategy to keep himself and demons more invisible to prevent people from believing in spirit beings, and by doing so prevent people from coming to faith in Jesus Christ as their Saviour.
   
   

Examples of Exorcism

Jesus casts out an evil spirit in the synagogue in Capernaum. It cries out,
"What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?

I know who you are—the Holy One of God!" Jesus says sternly to the
evil spirit: "Be quiet! Come out of him!" The evil spirit shook the man violently and comes out of him with a shriek. (Mark 1:23–26, Luke 4:33–35).

Jesus casts demons out of two men at the country of the Gerasenes. 
When Jesus asks the demon's name, he receives the answer Legion, because they were many demons. The demons ask to be cast out into a nearby group of pigs instead of being sent out of the area and not to be sent to the Abyss (Luke 8:31) (also called Tartarus (2 Pet 2:4 (YLT), Jude 1:6). Jesus obliges, but the pigs then run into the lake and drown. 
(Mark 5:1–13, Mat 8:28–32, Luke 8:26–33).

Jesus exorcises a woman's daughter while travelling in the region of Tyre and Sidon, because of the woman's faith. A Gentile woman asks Jesus to heal her daughter, but Jesus refuses, saying that he has only been sent to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel". The woman persists and says that "dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table". Jesus answers her: "For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter." 
(Mark 7:24–30, Mat 15:21–28).

There was a woman who had been crippled by a spirit for 18 years. She was bent over and couldn't straighten up at all. When Jesus sees her, he calls out to her and says to her: "Woman, you are freed from your disability." And he lays his hands on her, and immediately she became straight, and she glorifies God. Jesus was then criticized by the ruler of the synagogue for doing this on the Sabbath. Then Jesus answered him: "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for 18 years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" (Luke 13:10–17).

Jesus exorcises a blind and mute man (Mat 12:22, Luke 11:14). 

Jesus exorcises a boy possessed by a demon. A boy is said to have foamed at the mouth, gnashed his teeth, became rigid, and had involuntarily fallen into both water and fire. Jesus' followers couldn't cast out the demon, and Jesus condemns the people as unbelieving. When the boy's father questions whether Jesus could heal the boy, Jesus replies "everything is possible for those who believe". The father says he believes. Jesus then rebukes the unclean spirit, saying to it: "You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." The spirit comes out. Jesus then takes the boy's hand and lifts him up, and the boy is healed. (Mark 9:17–29, Mat 17:14–21, Luke 9:37–43). See this explained at time 1:50–21:29 in
Mark 9:14-37 – Who is the Greatest?

Jesus casts out many demons in the evening after he had healed the mother of Peter's wife (Mark 1:32–34, Mat 8:16–17, Luke 4:40–41). 

Jesus exorcises a mute man immediately after healing two blind men
(Mat 9:32–33). A man possessed by demons and unable to speak is
brought to Jesus, who casts out the demon, and the man is able to speak. 

Jesus casts seven devils out of Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9, Luke 8:2). 

Jesus continues to cast out devils even though Herod Antipas wants to kill him (Luke 13:31–32).

Why Miracle

Jesus performed all these miracles in just 3.5 years. There are several reasons why he performed them:

• God the Father sent Jesus into the world so that we would be saved through him (John 3:17). He is Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus voluntarily gave his life on the cross as payment for our sin. When
  John the Baptist asked Jesus if he was the one who would come, that is Messiah, Jesus answered by referring to his miracles (Mat 11:2–6, Luke 7:18–23). The main reason for the miracles is to confirm
  who he is (John 10:24–25, Acts 2:22), to make us to believe in him, see time 6:57–9:06 in John 10:22-42 – Opposed by Stoning. The Pharisee Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, understood that Jesus is from God because of his miracles (John 3:1–2). It was a sign ministry, he is Messiah, the Son of God, Salvation comes through him (John 20:30–31). The Atonement explains why Jesus had to die physically on a cross.
• The supernatural power that flowed out of Jesus gave evidence that he was Israel's prophesied Messiah prophesied by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 35:5–6, 42:6–7, 53:4, Mat 8:16–17), see
  Prophecies that Jesus Fulfilled.
• Jesus did his Father's will (John 5:19–21). God the Father wanted Jesus to perform these miracles, even on the Sabbath. But Jesus also says that he is in the Father and that the Father is in him, and
  if you have seen Jesus, you have seen the Father (John 14:9–11).
  This means that Jesus also wanted to perform these miracles.
• Jesus had compassion and empathy with the people in his presence, with the pain and and suffering they were going through
  (Mat 14:14). This wasn't the case for the Pharisees who refused to believe that Jesus was anything but a sinner because he violated their interpretation of what it means to keep the Sabbath. And as a Sabbath breaker he was a sinner to them. Jesus healed people on the Sabbath, see To Heal on The Sabbath.
• The miracles that Jesus performed weren't a sideshow or entertainment, they demonstrate the grace and mercy of God.
• When Jesus healed unclean people (see Lepers above), he showed that the things that made them unclean and unacceptable under the Law, those were the things that he came to change, things that the Law couldn't accomplish, see Jesus and the Law.
  Jesus offered mercy, acceptance, and grace that triumphs over following rules and regulations even in the Law (Mat 12:3–8).
  Examples where mercy triumphs over following rules and regulations are shown at the end of The Book of Ruth.
• Jesus said that as believers we can perform the same kind of miracles and even greater ones (John 14:12–14). It probably means more in magnitude. Personally, I think this is something to see more of in the end time, see The Two Witnesses. 

Even though Jesus performed all these miracles, they didn't believe in him, see time 32:16–38:00 in John 12 (Part 3) 27-43 • "I will draw all People to Myself".

We aren't promised physical healing in this life, although we should pray for it. God wants us to love him, even if we aren't physical healed in this life. He looks at our hearts. We need to be aware of deceivers and false healing. It's therefore important that miracles are well documented before they are announced publicly. See Teaching on Healing in Word of Faith Movement in the U.S. 

See also Ask, and it will be given to you in The Sermon on the Mount.

See also Some stories in the gospels at the bottom of The Four Gospels.