Imagine there were massive revivals all around the world, and 99.999% of all living human beings came to Christ. Yet some small number remained lost; would the Son still peek around the corner and search for them every morning? Does God give up on people easily? Suppose there are fifty still estranged from God? How about forty-five? Perhaps only forty? Maybe thirty were still lost? Would God withdraw His Spirit and call it quits? What about twenty? Ten?

 

The answer is, God: “…desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4)

 

The fact that the sun is shining on our planet, broken or not, sin-filled or not, indicates how much love God has for His creation. Love is what draws us to Christ, motivates us believe, gives us hope that living is worthwhile. These three: love, belief and hope, when combined, are a massive force toward redemption, even in a world destroyed by sin and rebellion. 

 

While the Bible tells us that the ratio of those who will be redeemed compared to those who will be lost forever is nowhere near 99%, it isn’t because God gives up – it’s because people don’t want to be told what to do (free will), don’t want to admit they are going the wrong direction (repentance), and don’t want to consider they have been lied to (deception). This is our sin nature, alive and well, continuing to wreak havoc and ignore God’s boundaries since the Garden of Eden.

 

Therefore, anytime a person repents and places their faith and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, we would have to say something miraculous has occurred. The Bible tells us that heaven rejoices when even one person comes to Christ.

 

Someone might be tempted to say that miracles today are nothing like miracles in Jesus’ day. In the Bible we read of Jesus performing somewhere around forty or so miracles. In addition to miracles, there were signs and wonders, perhaps a couple dozen. Since that time, however, tens of thousands have turned to Christ, each and every one a miracle. Thousands have been healed, hundreds have had demons cast out, some have been revived after being declared medically dead. Further, God has always provided for His people, sent His angels to protect and even rescue His children, made physical disabilities easier to live with (or even removed them all together), and granted forgiveness and restoration to tens of millions. 

 

During His earthly ministry, Jesus performed miracles, signs, and wonders to reveal God’s power and purpose. Sometimes these Bible terms were used interchangeably, but each carries a slightly different nuance or emphasis. However, all three were used to describe divine acts performed by Jesus. Understanding their differences can shed light on the deeper meaning of Jesus’ works and the way they were perceived.

 

What then is a miracle? A miracle is a demonstration of God’s “power” or “might.” It emphasizes the power behind the event, indicating that a miracle is a demonstration of God’s supernatural power. Miracles often involve a physical or spiritual intervention by God that defies the usual laws of nature.

 

The primary focus of a miracle is on the supernatural act itself. It is a display of God’s power and authority, demonstrating that Jesus had control over the physical and spiritual realms. For example, Jesus healing the blind man (John 9:1-12) is a miracle. It is a demonstration of divine power over sickness and physical blindness. 

 

The purpose of a miracle is often to show God’s ability to intervene in the world, overriding natural laws to achieve a specific outcome, such as healing, provision, or deliverance.

 

What about a sign? A sign is simply a mark, token, or indication. A sign is an event that points to a deeper meaning or reality. In the Bible, a “sign” often refers to a divine act that carries symbolic significance and points to a greater truth, typically about the nature and mission of Jesus.

 

The focus of a sign is not just the act itself, but what the act represents. Signs are intended to communicate something deeper—a revelation about God’s kingdom, Jesus’ identity, or the fulfillment of prophecy. For example, Jesus’ turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11) is described as a sign (John 2:11). It wasn’t just a miraculous act of turning water into wine; it pointed to Jesus as the Messiah, the one who brings joy and abundant life (symbolized by the wine).

 

The purpose of a sign is to reveal divine truth. It functions as a pointer to the coming Kingdom of God, confirming the truth of Jesus’ message and identity. In John’s Gospel, miracles are often specifically called signs because they point to the greater truth of who Jesus is (e.g., the Bread of Life, the Light of the World).

 

Lastly, we come to a wonder. A wonder is something that causes astonishment, amazement, or marvel. A wonder emphasizes the emotional response of awe and bewilderment that people experience when they witness something extraordinary or supernatural.

 

The focus of a wonder is on the reaction it provokes in the witnesses—an experience of something unexplainable. A wonder is often a miraculous event that astonishes people, prompting them to marvel at the power or authority displayed.

 

For example, in Matthew 9:33-34, when Jesus casts out a demon from a mute man and he begins to speak, the crowd is filled with awe and marvels at the miracle, saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” The focus is on their astonishment—it is a wonder.

 

The purpose of a wonder is not only to provoke awe, but to inspire faith in the observers. It leads them to marvel at the power of God and causes them to question their understanding of reality and recognize that something divine has happened. It is meant to elicit a response of wonder, leading to belief or deeper understanding.

 

During His ministry, Jesus performed miracles as clear demonstrations of YHWH’s power—healing the sick, raising the dead, controlling nature, casting out demons, etc. These acts were undeniable displays of divine authority and were meant to corroborate that He was Who He said He was.

 

In addition, the miracles that Jesus performed were also signs—they carried deeper meanings that revealed the nature of the Kingdom of God. For instance, when Jesus healed a blind man, it wasn’t just a physical healing; it also symbolized the spiritual blindness of the people and how Jesus came to give spiritual sight.

 

Finally, Jesus’ miracles were also wonders in that they caused people to react with surprise and incredulity. For many, witnessing these wonders caused them to question their understanding of God’s power, leading them to faith. In some cases, they were so astonished that they either followed Him, or simply could not believe what they saw and heard, and walked away. This might be equivalent to someone in our day saying, “That’s just not possible.”

 

How many people today believe the stories of miracles, signs and wonders of the Bible? Certainly, the followers of Jesus, right? Sadly, some will argue they are not literal, but only symbolic representing some deeper truth or narrative. How about you; what do you believe?

 

Since my childhood, I have believed the miracles and supernatural stories throughout the Bible. I hope that after reading this book, you also will believe. If you’ve never made the conscious decision to repent of your sin (and sin nature), and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, I hope you will consider taking that step. The Bible talks about the many and the few repeatedly; many are headed for destruction by rejecting Christ, and few are headed for eternal life by believing and trusting Christ, and Christ alone for salvation. 

 

May our Lord Jesus Christ be praised and honored and glorified by all that we say, all that we think, and all that we do.

 

H.K. Holevinsky