The Theology of Jesus and His Mighty Deeds
What are we to make of the accounts of Jesus’ mighty deeds?
What is Jesus intention(s) in his Mighty acts?
It may be short-sighted to look at mighty deeds of Jesus and deal with them individually; since we are dealing with the Gospels as a whole; a solid approach will be to connect them into a holistic “revelation” of the Mighty Acts of Jesus.
Another vital question to ask is why, if the miracles were to declare that Jesus=God; or in the least to declare He was the Messiah, why did almost no one recognized Jesus for who He was? Why was He missed?
Matthew 11
John the Baptist- Isaiah 43:8-113; 29:18-21; 61:1. Eschatological signs of the coming of the Kingdom of God as Brake comes out of evil.
Targums and Dead Sea Scrolls.take this language symbolically and metaphorically so people do not recognize what Jesus was doing ultimately.
Casting out of Demons- Isaiah 49 ; binding of strong man.
What happens when God brings His people out of evil? Passion prediction Isaiah 53
Matt 7-8 = Isaiah 53
30-40 years after death of Jesus there is almost unanimous testimony that if you want explain miracles of Jesus:
1) Pattern of Isaiah
2) Anything that has to do with the work of Yahweh
Signs point (almost parabolically) to something beyond themselves
Indications:
Blindness and deciphers language
What does Mark say about His deeds?
Mark 4
Jesus explains that his parabolic instruction is on the same par with Isaiah’s preaching;
to blind people so they do not understand
-Isaiah 6- Blindness-seeing- understanding
-What do you put in temple (pagan) idol/image?
-Psalm 115, 135 esp. v 15-18
Those who worship idols;
have eyes they do not see, ears they do not hear, mouths…
-In Isaiah’s day people are worshipping idols- you become what you worship
“I’ll create you in their image”
That’s why they go into exile and became dead just like their idols
-“All of creation is a temple” Jews Ps 2-
-Restore his image of God in us! Not metaphorical but literal!
- Holiness; Recreation in God’s image
- Israelite view of creation is in fate that all of creation is a temple “Heaven is my throne, Earth is my footstool”
- Palace of God- temple last thing this god made in creation is man in his image- image of God
- New creation language- new exodus language
Last thing of creation is making of man/ woman in God’s image
Last thing to put in temple is the image of God
-On return from exile they will throw away their idols and be remade/ recreated in God’s image
-Also healing of bodies- for bodies matter to God
New Exodus/ New Creation
- Behind idols stand demons
- OT=IdolsNT= Demons
- Mighty deeds = parables - why they are selective
- Lepers- judgment upon people who transgress God’s natural law: stay put outside of community
Feeding- Seas
- Take whole story- inauguration of a new creation, a new exodus
- Restoration of people in god’s image
Luke 4
What Yahweh does—Jesus does
Have origins in Old Testament narratives
Conclusion:
- best pattern is that mighty deed inauguration of a new creation, a new exodus
- to restore image of God in His people
- Hills will flow with new wine
-Multiplication Of fish that Ezekiel talks about
Most Traditions:
- Healing= atonement
- yet is impossible to be in ancient Israel and not see that having sin forgiven could not affect our body (Jim Houston)- life is not thinking- its more!
- Descartes – I think; I am; we have reducedbeing Christian to thinking correctly
- Romans 8: if Jesus is concerned about fully restoring creation; why is he so involved with people
- makes sense if we take seriously “ temple- Image - paradigm”
- If man is restored; he will have domain and came for creation
- Restoring humanity is actual to restoration of creation
Asian country- when miracles are occurring on a regular basis
- exorcisms, healing, etc. even in what we would call sin
- How do you explain that?
- These things are for baby Christians. What God really wants is for his people to live together in unity.