Overview and Objectives

Jesus’ miracles recorded in the New Testament were more than wonders. They were signs. He did them to encourage men and women to believe in Him for everlasting life. He healed a crippled man to affirm His right to forgive sins. He fed thousands of people with a little boy’s lunch, setting the stage for His claim to be the “bread of life.” He walked on water, stilled angry seas, healed the sick, restored paralyzed limbs, gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, and even raised from the dead a man by the name of Lazarus. One reason Jesus performed miracles was to support His claim to be God. The apostle John wrote, “Truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:30-31).

When you complete this lesson, you should be able to do the following:

As you proceed through this lesson have the following question in mind.
The apostle John wrote: “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31). Why would miracles (signs) be necessary to authenticate Jesus’ claim to be God?