Miracles

Described in the NT as powers, signs, portents, and strange things. A miracle is an event in time that is perceived by the senses of those who witness it. Miracles reflect the direct activity of God which transcends the usual order of nature for a religious purpose. In NT times, miracles were not considered to be breaches of the natural law. Jesus' miracles were “deed events” of the coming Kingdom of God. The NT includes accounts of Jesus' healing miracles, nature miracles in which he exercises power over the forces of nature, exorcisms, and occasions in which a miracle illustrates an important saying or pronouncement by Jesus. The Sunday gospels of the BCP lectionary use miracle stories from Jesus' ministry to proclaim the saving message of the gospel made present in word and sacrament. They are especially featured in the Sundays after Epiphany in Year B. In this context the miracles are understood as epiphanies or manifestations of the divine Christ.