What of Miracles?
A Sermon on John 5:36
Originally preached April 20, 1958
Scripture
36¶ But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
Sermon Description
Who was Jesus of Nazareth? This question, according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, is the central question of Christianity. The answer to this question becomes the filter for all other questions that surround Jesus. “What do we make of his miracles?” is one such question. In this sermon on John 5:36 titled “What of Miracles?” Dr. Lloyd-Jones continues his series on John 5:36. According to the Old Testament, Jesus’s testimony alone was not enough to verify His claims to His identity. Knowing this, Jesus offers multiple testimonies to His identity as being fully God, the Son of God. One such testimony is that of His works. What does Jesus refer to by claiming that His works testify of Him? Certainly the entire corpus of His work is in view, but in the context of John 5 and the healing He performed at the Pool of Bethesda, the works that He refers to were His miracles. When John the Baptist questioned Jesus’s identity, Jesus answered Him by pointing to His miracles. The miracles testify of His divine nature, but His miracles have been and continue to be a stumbling block to belief in Him.
Sermon Breakdown
- Jesus claims that the works he does bear witness of him and that he is sent by the Father.
- The question of who Jesus is, is the central question of Christianity. Christianity is not just a philosophy or teaching, it depends on Jesus's identity.
- Before considering Jesus's teachings, we must know who he is. He is not just one teacher among many.
- Jesus is referring to his miracles when he talks about "the works". His words, sinless life, death, and resurrection are also "works" that testify to his identity. But primarily he means his miracles.
- The miracles proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah. Jesus himself, the apostles, and the author of Hebrews point to the miracles as evidence for Jesus's identity.
- A miracle is an act of God that transcends the ordinary course of nature. It shows God acting directly rather than through secondary causes and natural laws. Miracles imply an extraordinary act of God's power.
- We must be careful not to call things miracles that can be explained naturally. But we also cannot deny the possibility of miracles. Those who deny miracles are behind the times scientifically.
- The Jews refused to believe in Jesus despite seeing his miracles. Much of the church has also denied or explained away miracles to appease science. But the gospels present Jesus as a miracle worker, so we cannot pick and choose what to believe.
- The right response is to see, as Nicodemus did, that Jesus's miracles show he is from God. The miracles fulfill prophecy and testify to Jesus's power and identity in themselves.
- The miracles show that Jesus is the Son of God who came to save us from our sins by dying in our place. This is the work the Father gave him to accomplish.
- We should not stumble at the miracles but see that they show Jesus is the Son of God and Savior. God is not limited by the laws of nature he established. The miracles call us to believe in Jesus as the Christ and Son of God who died for our sins.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon Questions & Answers - The Evidence of Christ's Works
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the central question of Christianity?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the central question of Christianity is "who was Jesus of Nazareth?" He emphasizes this when he says, "The whole of Christianity, as we must never forget, ultimately depends upon the one question as to who was Jesus of Nazareth. That is the central question, the central matter." He stresses that Christianity is not primarily a teaching or philosophy, but rather depends entirely on the identity of Jesus Christ.
How does Jesus use miracles as evidence according to John 5:36?
According to the sermon based on John 5:36, Jesus points to His miracles as greater evidence than even John the Baptist's testimony. Dr. Lloyd-Jones quotes Jesus saying, "I have greater witness than that of John. For the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me." Jesus uses His miracles as clear, tangible evidence of His divine identity and mission - they authenticate His claims to be the Son of God.
What definition of a miracle does Dr. Lloyd-Jones provide?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones defines a miracle as "an effect which is produced above or beside the ordinary course of nature." He explains that it is "an effect which is produced apart from the operation of those secondary causes by which God is pleased, in the ordinary course of providence, to govern the physical world." He distinguishes between God's normal operation through "secondary causes" (natural laws) and miracles where God acts immediately and directly, above those ordinary processes.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones address the common 19th-century objection that miracles cannot happen?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones addresses the 19th-century objection (exemplified by Matthew Arnold who said "miracles have never happened because miracles cannot happen") by showing how this view was based on an outdated scientific understanding of matter as inert. He argues that modern nuclear physics reveals matter is "brim full of life" and "tremendous energy," making the old objections obsolete. He states that people who still hold these objections are "not up to date in your scientific reading" and are "still living in the 19th century instead of the 20th."
What example does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give of someone with the right attitude toward Jesus' miracles?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones points to Nicodemus as having the right attitude toward Jesus' miracles. He quotes Nicodemus saying to Jesus, "Rabbi, thou must be a teacher sent from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." He commends Nicodemus as "an honest man" who risked his reputation to seek Jesus because he accepted the evidence of the miracles and recognized they pointed to Jesus' divine authority.
What is the ultimate purpose of Jesus' miracles according to the sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the ultimate purpose of Jesus' miracles was not merely to display power but to reveal His identity as the Son of God and point to His saving mission. He states: "I'm only interested in these miracles for one reason...Do you see through these miracles that this is the Son of God?" He emphasizes that Jesus "worked His miracles in order to call attention to Himself and to who He was" and to authenticate His role as Savior who came "to seek and to save that which is lost."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones argue that you cannot separate Jesus the teacher from Jesus the miracle worker?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that you cannot separate Jesus the teacher from Jesus the miracle worker because our entire knowledge of Jesus comes from the Gospels, which present both aspects as integral to His identity. He challenges those who would accept Jesus but reject His miracles: "If you are dependent upon these gospels for your knowledge of him, how can you honestly say that you'll accept some of it and reject the rest? It's all here. Jesus as he is, the teacher and the miracle worker." He states that "you either take these gospels as they are or you reject them in total."
How were Christ's miracles different from those performed by others according to the sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Christ's miracles were unique because He performed them in His own name and by His own authority. He explains: "Some men in the Old Testament had been given power to work miracles, but they did it in the name of God and not in their own name. The apostles were given power, but they did it in the name of Jesus." In contrast, Jesus performed miracles "in his own name" without "invoking the name of God" - He simply "speaks, he commands. And it was done."
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.