Jesus of Nazareth: What He Wanted, Who He Was

All these considerations extend well beyond purely historical questions. They touch a nerve center of theology, but they could not be avoided here because, as I have said, the question whether or not particular miracles (including the so-called nature miracles) took place is not usually determined by historical means but by prior decisions that are located in an entirely different sphere. When Rudolf Bultmann repeatedly dismissed the biblical wonders as “Mirakel,”²⁶ his estimation was not the result of historical insight but, as harsh as this may sound, rested on a bad dogmatics and an unenlightened theology.

Now we must address the theology of Jesus’ miracles. It is essential, because only through it can we clearly see how Jesus’ miracles differ from all the extrabiblical miracles.

The Specific Character of Jesus’ Miracles

Something about this has already been said: namely, that Jesus did not work with magical arts as did the exorcist Eleazar whom Josephus writes about. He did not use amulets, magical roots, or abracadabra. In driving out demons he did not call upon powerful “names.” Even his “commands” to the demons had nothing to do with magic. Jesus rules the demons in the same way that, according to the psalms, God rules the forces opposed to God. Even when he stuck his fingers into the ears of a deaf man or used saliva to heal the blind he was not employing magical practices; he was simply making use of the therapeutic means common in his time. Incidentally, these cases show very clearly that he counted on nature to help him.

We have also touched on another point that is important for the theology of Jesus’ miracles, namely, the faith Jesus requires in each instance. Such demands for faith do not appear in miracle stories outside the Bible. The ancient world did not even have a concept of faith, at any rate not faith as the Bible understands it.

But there is another characteristic that is important for Jesus’ miracles, one we have not yet addressed: his miracles are always for other people, never for himself. Jesus’ miracles are pure acts of concern for people in need. This applies not only to the healing miracles and exorcisms but also to the raising of the dead, the stilling of the storm, and the multiplication of the loaves. Jesus never did anything to help himself.²⁷

It is very revealing that later, in the apocryphal Infancy Gospels and novelistic Acts of apostles people, even Christians, had no hesitation in relating self-help miracles performed by Jesus and the apostles.²⁸ The fact that the canonical gospels are altogether devoid of these shows that they retain something specific to Jesus. In antiquity, and even in Judaism, it was apparently a matter of course that one should expect a great miracle worker to perform miracles on his or her own behalf. According to Mark, the spectators at Jesus’ execution mocked him by saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe” (Mark 15:31-32).

Of course, we must see that this mockery is not only suggesting a miracle in aid of Jesus. It is also, and even primarily, about a demonstration. The idea that the Messiah or the bringer of salvation must prove himself to be such, and by means of a specific miracle that reveals his power and legitimacy, was widely accepted. Josephus reports that before the Jewish war messianic pretenders and pseudo-prophets appeared and aroused the people against the Romans. As legitimation for their actions they promised spectacular miracles:

These works, that were done by the robbers [= Zealots], filled the city [Jerusalem] with all sorts of impiety. And now these impostors and deceivers persuaded the multitude to follow them into the wilderness, and pretended that they would exhibit manifest wonders and signs, that would be performed by the providence of God.

…Moreover, there came out of Egypt about this time to Jerusalem, one that said he was a prophet, and advised the multitude of the common people to go along with him to the Mount of Olives, as it was called, which lay over against the city, and at the distance of five furlongs. He said farther, that he would show them from hence, how, at his command, the walls of Jerusalem would fall down; and he promised that he would procure them an entrance into the city through those walls, when they were fallen down.

²⁹

Apparently these pseudo-prophets found many followers. They promised the people kinds of miraculous events they called “signs of redemption” but all of which had something excessive and bombastic about them. Similar demands for signs were directed at Jesus. According to Mark 8:11-13, this happened one day: