The Miracles in the Gospels: What Do They Teach Us About Jesus?

Reading the Gospels as “sermons in their own right,” Warrington (The Message of the Holy Spirit), director of theological studies at Regents Theological College, dedicates this extensively researched, heavily annotated study to “readers who believe that the Gospels are accurate records and that the miracles therein are historical acts that were achieved by Jesus.” From this literalist perspective, he offers an exhaustive analysis of the Gospel miracle stories, examining their historical and literary context (even looking at the miracle’s relative location in each Gospel). Separate chapters address healings and resurrections, exorcisms, and nature miracles, as well as those depictions that are unique to John’s Gospel. Warrington explores the role miracles played in Jesus’s ministry and the writers’ particular messages for their intended audiences. For example, his analysis of Jesus healing a leper reveals that Matthew upholds Jesus’s authority, Mark emphasizes obedience, and Luke focuses on Jesus as healer. Some conclusions may appear obvious and repetitive (“Each of the writers, in different ways, reveals the authority of Jesus to restore a woman to health and service”), but readers interested in researching particular miracles may find this a useful resource. (June)