“Christ’s Ministry and Miracles,” Ensign, Jan. 2007, 40–45
Christ’s Ministry and Miracles
Miracles were an important element in the ministry of Jesus Christ. They are not only divine acts, but they are also a form of teaching. Through miracles we can learn divine truths such as the result of sin and the cure of sin, the value of faith, the curse of impurity, and the law of love. Miracles occur in response to faith. They are never wrought without prayer, felt need, and deep faith in the power of God. (See Bible Dictionary, “Miracles,” 732–33.) As it says in Ether 12:12: “For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them.”
Christ’s miracles offered proof that He is the Messiah, the Son of God. He said: “The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me” (John 10:25). Through miracles mankind “might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing … might have life through his name” (John 20:31).
The following artwork depicts some of the miracles that Christ performed during his ministry.
Christ and The Rich Young Ruler, by Heinrich Hofmann. (Courtesy C. Harrison Conroy Co., Inc.)
“And a certain ruler asked [Christ], saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
“And Jesus said unto him, …
“Thou knowest the commandments. …
“And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
“Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
“And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich” (Luke 18:18–23).
The Marriage at Cana, by Carl Heinrich Bloch. (Used by permission of the National Historic Museum at Frederiksborg in Hillerød, Denmark.)
“And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. …
“And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. …
“His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
“And there were set there six waterpots of stone. …
“Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
“And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
“When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
“And saith unto him, … thou hast kept the good wine until now.
“This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him” (John 2:1, 3, 5–11).
Christ Cleansing the Temple, by Carl Heinrich Bloch. (Used by permission of the National Historic Museum at Frederiksborg in Hillerød, Denmark.)
“And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
“And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
“And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
“And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased” (Matthew 21:12–15).
Living Water, by Simon Dewey. (Used by permission of Altus Fine Arts.)
“There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. …
“Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? …
“Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. …
“… Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst” (John 4:7, 9–10, 13–14).
Christ Calling Two Disciples, by Gary E. Smith
“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
“And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
“And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
“And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him” (Matthew 4:18–22).
Christ and the Palsied Man, by J. Kirk Richards
“And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before [Christ].
“And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.
“And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee” (Luke 5:18–20).
From Darkness into Light, by Simon Dewey. (Used by permission of Altus Fine Arts.)
“And Jesus … said … , What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
“And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole” (Mark 10:51–52).
The Woman Taken in Adultery, by Harry Anderson. (© Seventh-day Adventist Church, may not be copied.)
“The scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
“They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
“Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
“This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
“So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
“And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
“And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one” (John 8:3–9).
Trust in the Lord, by Liz Lemon Swindle. (Courtesy of Foundation Arts, American Fork, Utah, may not be copied.)
“And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years …
“Came behind [Christ], and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. …
“And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
“And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
“And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace” (Luke 8:43–44, 46–48).
And He Healed Them All Every One, by Gary Kapp
When Christ appeared to the Nephites at the temple in Bountiful in the Americas, he said: “Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you. …
“… For I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you.
“And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him” (3 Nephi 17:7–9).
Pool of Bethesda, by Carl Heinrich Bloch. (Courtesy of BYU Museum of Art.)
“Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
“In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
“For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
“And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
“When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
“The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
“Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
“And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed” (John 5:2–9).
The Miraculous Draught of Fishes, by Paul Gustave Doré
“But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
“Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
“And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes” (John 21:4–6).
Background photograph by Jed Clark