One thing to consider when contemplating the miracles of Jesus is whether or not you have a God concept to begin with. If God exists then it isn’t too hard to bridge the gap between nature and super nature. So to begin with if you have questions related to agnosticism and atheism I have written some posts about this subject at
Anyway when contemplating this question perhaps a person should first consider their own preconceptions and biases before delving into the objections regarding the idea of the miraculous. I think the best approach is to be open to the possibilities and even see the supernatural as a plausible explanation to what may be classified as mysterious or unidentifiable phenomena.
Skepticism as related to this matter is built into the framework of our society as we at times have been deceived by impostors but just because we have had some bad experiences doesn’t necessitate us taking a position where we throw out the baby with the bath water.
Also as finite creatures we have only just begun to discover the tip of the iceberg when it comes to obtaining phenomenal knowledge as none of us are either omniscient or omnipresent. That’s why science uses such loose words as theory because there is always the element of unknown factors that arise to be discovered. Sometimes these ideas have to be retheorized as they may either be wrong or insufficient. However some in the scientific field would rather look the other way and provide ad hoc arguments rather than violate their limited vocabulary by allowing the term God or miracles to be mentioned. Many in the scientific community may argue that they can not study these entities or ideals and therefore they would categorize them as being mythological in nature and yet they are inconsistent in their position by making certain a priori assertions by pursuing such unknown things as quarks, strings, gravitons and black holes. They can even speak dogmatically about these things to the point that it is believable and use their authority of academia and education to swoon you to believe. On the positive side of scientific inquiry it may be surprising for you to know that there have been notable contributors and prominent scientists that do not always have a faith system of naturalism when it comes to the cosmos. Here is a list of scientists who were recognized and accomplished in their fields and still held on to a theistic worldview which would include the storyline of the bible along with miracles.
www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-scientists.html
It is also interesting to note that there is an audience that is enamored with all of these paranormal reality shows and maybe this is because 8 out of 10 Americans believe in miracles which includes a third of the American public who have claimed to of experienced them.
We live in a sophisticated and technological world and these belief systems aren’t just limited to tribal groups but these are people who are educated in modern society and therefore not everybody believes the press about atheism and anti-supernaturalism. Also most of the world has a religious position and some of those who subscribe to atheism are individuals who have been suppressed by a Godless system. For instance we are seeing the resurgence of religion in Russia after the fall of Communism in the Soviet Union and this is a sign that religion cannot be effectively exterminated by an anti-God philosophy.
In moving on to the evidence for the miracles of Jesus it may seem minute from a historical vantage point yet there are still miracles happening today as there was then. I am including some links about people who from a world wide audience have experienced the miracles of Jesus and even though I can’t verify each of these cases perhaps you could at least give them some consideration by listening to their testimonies and then you can judge accordingly.
www1.cbn.com/videos/more/miracles
www.bibleprobe.com/miracles.htm
So from an ancient perspective the discussion of miracles is more difficult to substantiate apart from the bible as there are only a few external resources which make reference to Jesus.
Of these limited sources that are available there are not enough documents during this particular era of history regarding this specific region that would allow us to peer objectively into the life and miracles of Christ. In spite of this Jesus has been mentioned in both Jewish and Roman resources which gives credence to Him as being a historical character even though it does not confirm nor deny His miracles. Perhaps the lack of material was due to an inadequate knowledge which at times may have been second hand and minimal as Christianity was initially localized and was more of Jewish movement which was primarily maintained in the Jewish sector as an in house matter. Nevertheless as this movement began to grow Rome began to take notice of them as well and from here some of these reports were being generated.
The fact that these letters did not contain information about the miracles of Jesus may be because they were only dealing with the matter at hand versus writing an autobiography on the person and works of Christ.
It’s really speculation why this information is not found and from an opponents view this may seem like an argument for the latter addition of mythological components into the text since there is no mention of miracles from this correspondence and yet these biblical documents were developed quite early enough that it is unlikely that these myths could of been fabricated as a apart of the storyline which usually takes place over a period of two generations. However, there is a reference that is recorded in the Jewish Talmud which is unsympathetic towards Jesus and which mentions these miracles and healings but gives credit to Him as a sorceress. It is understandable how the Jewish sector would know more about this since they were Jesus’ primary audience and mission. So I believe that it is a credible source document because it is hostile to Christ and therefore his enemies have countered these suppositions by giving some verifiable evidence concerning His miracles even though the source or nature of these events is misdirected. So anyway in light of the testimony of this Jewish resource we really don’t have any good reason not to believe in the miracles of Christ.
In addition to this there is some internal evidence which I believe gives credence to these miracle stories when using the Bible as a primary source document and therefore I have written a post about the reliability of the bible which adds to the authenticity of these miraculous accounts.
jesusandjews.com/wordpress/2010/02/03/is-the-bible-reliable/
Also the New Testament letters and documents were written from either the primary witnesses or interviewers of such witnesses to these Christ events.
This is important because as Christians they held to a strict moral code that if they were to tamper with these texts in a fraudulent matter this would have been considered damnable based on the New Testament teaching about liars. So it is inconsistent to see a conspiracy theory as based upon this criterion.
Additionally many of these eyewitnesses were persecuted and condemned to death and so to perish for a cause that you have been far removed from in time and space is one thing but its quite another to knowingly die for a lie.
Moreover when considering the miracles of Jesus they are relatively demythologized compared to the Nag Hammadi gnostic gospels which show more of a mythical portrayal of Christ by eradicating his humanity. At least from a New Testament perspective the miracles of Jesus are referred to in real life variables not as unicorns, tooth fairies, Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny.
When Jesus turned the water into wine we understand all of the components that surround the miracle as being materially real and identifiable unless you are one of those who think everything is an illusion.
Lastly it would be difficult for this early community of believers to thrive an multiply since these claims of resurrection and miracles could of been easily challenged or refuted since Jesus went public with many of these signs and wonders.
In regards to Jesus’ miracles some have responded in promoting a gratuitous position to these events by assigning them to the realm of the allegorical as a figure of speech but this approach is contrary to the scholarly approach of sound hermeneutics and exegesis which strives to get at the true intent or meaning of these miracle stories.
Finally you may be one of those who believe in the supernatural but deny God and yet by taking such a position does nothing to disprove that God exists as a part of this realm and if anything it helps to open the door in allowing the possibility of God to waltz right on in.
In dealing with the supernatural this should beg the question for a deeper reality of importance in going beyond the sensationalism of the unknown as in being confronted with the matter of ontology as it relates to a conjunction between the material and non-material world. It should cause us to think beyond the peripheries of life to that of a more significant existence and to perhaps contemplate a personal association or responsibility towards a reality which could bring the potential for there being a God kind.
You may say well if God exists then he would miraculously show himself to me and yet the Psalmist says that he already displays His work in creation and in the book of Romans the scripture reads that we are given the moral capacity to understand God so that through this general revelation we are without excuse. Yet you may be saying I need the special revelation of God and perhaps you will receive it but does seeing necessitate believing? Is that really the only thing that is coming between you and God is some mysterious manifestation or is this just a red herring for you to claim a state of ignorance and innocence to your unbelief?
Again you may see the paranormal as something fascinating and entertaining but I believe it overlooks the more relevant questions or conclusions to the message of the supernatural such as the existence of God and who am I and what is my purpose in relationship to this God or Jesus.
If this kind of logic or reasoning makes you feel uncomfortable, resistant, and hostile by rejecting the idea of God then perhaps you need to ask yourself what is the true motivation for your feelings.
The bible states that the human heart is deceitful above all things and therefore if you fail to identify the true reason to this dilemma then I would encourage you to seek God on this matter as a starting point.
If you are sincere in resolving this tension but are unsure then it would behoove you to approach God with a simple and genuine prayer in asking Him to open up your heart to understand what can’t always be readily embraced. In so doing I pray that God would make Himself known to you in a fuller way so as to entrust your life to Him and then see what He will do.
In conclusion I know I didn’t answer every question or address every issue to the miracles of Jesus but I hope it got you to think about what you may have considered unthinkable before or maybe at least it left you with a reasonable doubt to a anti-miracle position.
In the final analysis taking a position on this matter is not like frivolously choosing a favorite ball team but rather this is about facing the reality of the most important aspect of living which is a relationship to this God of miracles. In the end it doesn’t matter what I want to believe nor does it matter in what you want to avoid but rather we should seek after truth and allow the evidence to direct us through the bases of life with the goal of reaching home plate having been declared safe by this umpire called truth.
In closing I will leave you with my personal testimony.
jesusandjews.com/wordpress/my-personal-testimony-with-jesus/
Atheist and Agnostic Resources
English Articles on Atheism and Agnosticism
“Beyond Opinion” Copyright 2007 by Ravi Zacharias and fellow author Alister McGrath Ch. 2, published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee
“Jesus Under Fire” Copyright 1995 by Michael J. Wilkins, J.P. Moreland, Craig Blomberg, Darrell Bock, William Lane Craig, Craig A. Evans, Douglas Geivett, Gary Habermas, Scot McKnight, and Edwin Yamauchi
Used by Permission from Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530