Signs or Miracles

John 6:16-21 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Caperna-um. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea rose because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat. They were frightened, but he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.


Many things that Jesus did to show who he was were in the area I would call signs. The signs might not be easily explainable or normally seen, but they fall into a certain type of experience. Healings occur in the national order of things, although Jesus had huge success with physical healing. Many times he just kept healing everyone who came. Casting out demons fits into a similar package. Those acts may be extraordinary but they are still signs.


Miracles on the other hand overcome the laws of the natural order. Changing water into wine is a physical change that defies the rules of physics. Walking on stormy water is also an accomplishment that defies the laws of physics. Feeding five thousand with a few loaves is creating matter from nothing and also defies the laws of physics. That is what makes a miracle more than just a sign. They may be extraordinary but they also overcome the laws of the natural order. Miracles seem harder to me than signs.


I find it hard to understand how people who have no real clue how the whole universe came into being other than some wild scientific speculation (not easy to fill God's shoes), can doubt that the God who did all that would have trouble with a virgin birth, or walking on water. Those seem so much less difficult, you know what I'm saying. How hard can it be to create one special child, when you warmed up creating the Milky Way.