Jesus performed many miracles during his ministry on earth and the Gospels tell us about some of them. These miracles were intended to glorify God and show that Jesus was really the Son of God. Jesus touched the lives of many people with the manifestation of his power and his miraculous works. His miracles also showed God’s great love and compassion for mankind.
In the Bible, 36 miracles performed by Jesus have been recorded. However, as John explained in his Gospel, Jesus performed many other miracles and signs.
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing in his name you may have life.
(John 20:30-31)
The 36 miracles of Jesus recorded in the Bible:
- He healed a woman who had suffered from hemorrhage for twelve years – Matthew 9:20-21
- Healing of two blind men – Matthew 9:27-31
- Healed the demon-possessed daughter of a Canaanite woman – Matthew 15:21-28
- He fed a multitude with 7 loaves and some fish – Matthew 15:32-38
- He took a coin out of the mouth of a fish to pay taxes – Matthew 17:24-27
- He withered a fig tree – Matthew 21:18-22
- Healing of another blind man in Bethsaida – Mark 8:22-26
- Healed a deaf and stuttering man – Mark 7:31-37
- He cast a demon out of a man – Luke 4:33-35
- A miraculous and bountiful catch that filled two boats – Luke 5:1-11
- Healed Peter’s mother-in-law – Luke 4:38-39
- The healing of a leper – Luke 5:12-13
- Raised the daughter of Jairus – Luke 8:41-56
- Healed another paralytic – Luke 5:17-25
- Calmed the storm – Luke 8:22-25
- Healing a man with a paralyzed hand – Luke 6:6-10
- Healing of a man possessed by many demons – Luke 8:27-35
- Healing of a possessed boy – Luke 9:38-43
- Healing of a centurion’s servant – Luke 7:1-10
- He cast out a demon from a man that had rendered him mute – Luke 11:14
- Raised a widow’s son – Luke 7:11-15
- He restored the severed ear of a high priest’s servant – Luke 22:50-51
- Healed a man with dropsy (accumulation of fluid) – Luke 14:1-6
- He knew in advance and prophesied that Peter would deny him – Luke 22:31-34
- Healed a bent over woman – Luke 13:11-13
- The healing of 10 lepers – Luke 17:11-19
- Healing of a blind beggar in Jericho – Luke 18:35-43
- Miraculous and abundant catch – John 21:1-11
- The raising of Lazarus – John 11:1-44
- Healing of a paralytic – John 5:1-9
- Feeding a multitude with 5 loaves and 2 fish – John 6:5-13
- Healing of the son of a royal official – John 4:46-54
- He walked on the sea – John 6:19-21
- The healing of a man born blind – John 9:1-41
- Changed water into wine – John 2:1-11
- His resurrection! – John 20:1-7
The miracle of the resurrection
After being crucified, Jesus was resurrected. He did not stay dead, but rose again on the third day. We can read the account of Jesus’ resurrection in Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:17, Luke 24:1-11, and John 20:1-7.
The Bible also tells us that, after his resurrection, Jesus appeared to Mary (John 20:15-17), Peter (Luke 24:33-34), his disciples (Luke 24:36-48) and many other people (1 Corinthians 15:6). Jesus lives and one day he will return! (Acts 1:10-11).
What the Resurrection of Jesus Means for Christians
Explanation of 7 well-known miracles of Jesus
1. Change water into wine
Biblical text: John 2:1-11
This was Jesus’ first miracle. He, his mother, and his disciples had been invited to a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Suddenly, the wine ran out which presented an awkward and embarrassing situation for the bride and groom.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, went to him and simply said, “They no longer have wine” (John 2:3). Jesús answered something that sounds a bit curt in Spanish, but in her language he showed respect. He said to Maria: «Woman, what does that have to do with me? Jesus answered. It has not come my time yet.” (John 2:4). However, just as she expected, Jesus acted.
His mother said to the servants: Do as he tells you.
There were six stone jars there, the kind used by the Jews in their purification ceremonies. Each one held about a hundred liters.
Jesus said to the servants: Fill the jars with water.
And the servants filled them to the brim.
“Now take some out and take it to the man in charge of the banquet,” Jesus told them.
So they did. The man in charge of the banquet tasted the water turned into wine without knowing where it had come from, although the servants who had drawn the water did. Then he called the groom aside and told him: Everyone serves the best wine first, and when the guests have already drunk a lot, then they serve the cheapest; but you have kept the best wine so far.
(John 2:5-10)
Jesus transformed the water into a wine of the highest possible quality and the groom received praise. His wedding was not remembered as the wedding where the wine ran out early. Nope! It is remembered as the wedding in which the best wine was served at the end. Thanks to Jesus’ intervention, what could have been a source of great shame became a source of joy and pride.
Why did Jesus perform that miracle? It could be said that perhaps it was to please his mother or to avoid embarrassment for the couple. The reality is that the Bible says that it was to reveal the glory of him: the power of God was manifested through him.
This, the first of his signs, was done by Jesus in Cana of Galilee. Thus he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
(John 2:11)
2. Feeding of the 5000
Biblical text: Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:31-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:5-14
Jesus had just received the news of the death of John the Baptist, his cousin. He had gone away in a boat to be quieter, but the crowds found out where he was going and followed him.
When Jesus landed and saw so many people, he had compassion on them and healed those who were sick.
(Matthew 14:14)
The heart of Jesus was a very compassionate one. He put aside his own pain to immediately begin ministering to the people who had come this far. At sunset, his disciples suggested that he let the people go so they could eat and go to his house. Jesus answered them, “You don’t have to go,” Jesus replied. Feed them yourselves.” (Matthew 14:16). But feeding five thousand men (plus women and children) was no easy task.
The disciples told Jesus that they only had five loaves and two fish, perhaps to try to reason with him. Jesus’ response? “Bring them here to me” (Matthew 14:18). Jesus didn’t even flinch. He trusted in the immense power of God, he knew that there would be more than enough and it was.
And he commanded the people to sit on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish and, looking up to heaven, blessed them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, who distributed them to the people. Everyone ate to their satisfaction, and the disciples collected twelve baskets full of leftover pieces. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting the women and children.
(Matthew 14:19-21)
Everyone ate and there were even 12 baskets full of food left over! On that day, Jesus fed both the body and the spirit of all those people. They all witnessed God’s compassion and power in action through his Son Jesus.
3. Walk on water
Biblical text: Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52; John 6:15-21
After feeding the more than 5,000 people, Jesus left to see the crowd off and sent his disciples in a boat to the other shore. When the people had left, Jesus went up the mountain to have a time of prayer alone. Jesus prayed until dawn when he decided to meet in the boat with his disciples. The boat was already quite far away, but that presented no problem for Jesus. He was walking on the water until he reached the boat.
When the disciples saw him they were frightened and began to shout:
It is a ghost! They screamed in fear.
But Jesus immediately told them: Calm down! It’s me. Do not be afraid.
(Matthew 14:26-27)
Pedro, with his reckless temperament, said to him: “Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.” (Matthew 14:28). And so Jesus did. He told her, “Come.” All was good at first. Peter got out of the boat and walked towards Jesus. But the wind got stronger and Peter was afraid so he began to sink.
Then he cried out: Lord, save me!
Immediately Jesus held out his hand and, holding him, rebuked him: Man of little faith! Why did you hesitate?
When they got into the boat, the wind died down. And those who were in the boat worshiped him saying: Truly you are the Son of God.
(Matthew 14:30b-33)
As we see, this miracle led the people who witnessed it to worship Jesus and to recognize that he was really the Son of God.
4. Healing of 10 lepers
Biblical text: Luke 17:11-19
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem passing through Samaria and Galilee. Along the way, ten lepers met him. They shouted to Jesus from a distance (because they were forbidden by law to approach healthy people):
Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!
(Luke 17:13)
They knew who Jesus was and took the opportunity to present their request to him. Jesus only told them: “Go present yourself to the priests.” (Luke 17:14). He didn’t promise them anything or tell them anything else, but they obeyed. As they went along the way, the ten lepers received healing. Their bodies were completely cleansed without a trace of leprosy.
One of them, seeing himself healed, came back praising God with loud voices. He fell facedown at Jesus’ feet and thanked him, even though he was a Samaritan.
“Didn’t all ten get clean?” Jesus asked. Where are the nine others? Was there no one who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner? Get up and go,” he said to the man; Your faith has healed you.
(Luke 17:15-19)
Although 10 men were healed, only one returned praising God and giving thanks. That gesture of adoration and recognition of the power of God in Jesus was enough for him to receive a greater gift: salvation. He, a Samaritan, also obtained the healing of his soul that day because he recognized the lordship of Jesus.
5. Resurrection of Lazarus
Biblical text: John 11:1-46
Martha, Mary and Lazarus were three brothers, very dear friends of Jesus. When he went to Betania, the town where they lived, he visited them and sometimes he stayed with them. One day, the sisters sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was very sick. When Jesus received the message, he said:
This disease will not end in death, but it is for the glory of God, so that through it the Son of God may be glorified.
(John 11:4)
Jesus stayed another two days where he was with the disciples before going to Bethany to see Lazarus. The disciples did not want to go there because they feared that they would be harmed if they returned to Judea, since the Jews had tried to stone Jesus. Anyway, they went with…