1. The miracles of Jesus Key Words Learning objective:
To understand different interpretations of the accounts of Jesus’ miracles
Key Words

2. Guess the miracle

3. Guess the miracle

4. Guess the miracle

5. Guess the miracle

6. Guess the miracle

7. Guess the miracle

8. The Gospel writers record about 35 miracles that Jesus performed
The Gospel writers record about 35 miracles that Jesus performed. Jesus' miracles can be divided into three types:
Nature miracles: Break the laws of nature. Jesus shows God's_____ over nature. An example of a nature miracle is ______
Exorcisms: Jesus cast ____ ____ out of people.
Healing miracles: Jesus raised people from the ____ and restored the sight of the _____, cured people of leprosy etc.

9. Which definition of ‘miracle’ do you agree with the most?
“A miracle is an event which is astonishing, unusual, shaking” Paul Tillich
Miracles are “Those things…which are done by divine power apart from the order generally followed in things” Saint Thomas Aquinas
A miracle is “The unexpected and unusual manifestations of the presence and power of God” M. Cook
Miracles are “unexpected and fortuitous events in the light of which we are disposed to give thanks to God”. Brian Davies
“If a god intervened in the natural order to make a feather land here rather than there for no deep ultimate purpose…this event would not naturally be described as a miracle.” Richard Swinburne
“A transgression of a law of nature by a particular volition of a deity”. David Hume

10. Why are the miracles stories of Jesus controversial?

11. Mark 2:1-12
Read the story and summarise it in no more than 5 short bullet points
Why does Jesus forgive the man’s sins as part of the healing process?
Why are the religious leaders angry at this?
What is the purpose of Mark recording this particular miracle story?

12. Read p blue book
What would David Hume argue about the miracles of Jesus?
How does Schillebeeckx think they could be interpreted?
How does N. T. Wright think they should be interpreted?
How convincing do you find these different views? Who do you agree with most?