He told Peter to go catch a fish, knowing that the fish would have a coin in its mouth to pay their taxes. Instead of saying, “Let’s all go down to the lake and see what Peter catches at my word”, he sent Peter by himself (Matthew 17:24-27). His miracles were not about being “showy”.

Jesus’ miracles were practical and helpful. How many heart-broken, crippled, blind, deaf, mute, demon-possessed and otherwise burdened, oppressed, suffering people did he minister to giving them more comfort and life-changing relief than they ever believed possible?

Amazingly, no miracle was ever vengeful. What well-deserved miseries Jesus could have brought to his enemies had he wished to do so? What might you and I have done to those arrogant, self-righteous, unjust and uncompassionate scoundrels we read about on so many pages of the gospels? Even when his apostles asked to use this power to punish others, he refused (Luke 9:51-56). He even stated that if he desired, he could have called on twelve legions of angels to prevent the crucifixion. He did not.

While Jesus’ miracles led people, including me, to faith, he never used them to change anyone’s character. No one was healed from lust, greed, avarice, arrogance, cowardice, pettiness, dishonesty, vulgarity or any other character flaw by a miracle.

Herod hoped for a miracle apparently for the entertainment value. He was one of the authorities before whom Jesus was brought after being arrested in the garden. Luke records that Herod was very glad about this because he was hoping to see some sign performed by him (Luke 23:6-8). People still miss the point of the signs Jesus did and which were recorded for us to learn from until he returns.

Having the power of the miraculous, a mere man would have done what men would have applauded. But Jesus was no mere man, and had an infinitely higher purpose than human praise.

Had the Holy Spirit not guided the recording of the miracles of Jesus, men surely would have invented a more “entertaining” than enlightening version of the events surrounding Jesus supernatural works.