BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT! CASE FILE 003: MIRACLES: IMPOSSIBLE OR EVIDENCE?

BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT! CASE FILE 003: MIRACLES: IMPOSSIBLE OR EVIDENCE? Today we’re opening CASE FILE 003, and this case may be one of the biggest challenges yet. What about miracles? Can miracles actually happen, or are they simply impossible events that people misunderstood, exaggerated, or invented? If miracles are impossible, then every miracle in the Bible has to be explained some other way. But if miracles are possible, then we can’t simply dismiss the biblical accounts because they sound extraordinary. We have to investigate them. DOUBT ISN'T AN ENEMY OF FAITH, DISHONESTY IS. EXHIBIT A: THE EVIDENCE SCRIPTURE EVIDENCE: THE RECORD “Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.” Acts 2:22 EVIDENCE BREAK #1 WHAT COUNTS AS A MIRACLE? A miracle claim deserves investigation. Who made the claim, when did the testimony appear, do we have multiple sources, are there any eyewitness claims, and do we have alternative explanations? We don't have to automatically believe a miracle happened. But we also shouldn't automatically reject it simply because it is extraordinary. EXHIBIT B: THE DISCOVERY A MIRACLE WOULD BE EXTRAORDINARY, BUT EXTRAORDINARY DOESN'T MEAN IMPOSSIBLE. SCRIPTURE EVIDENCE: THE RECORD “Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.” John 11:45 EVIDENCE BREAK #2 THE MIRACLE CLAIM The Bible gives specifics: names, locations, people, circumstances, and witnesses. That's important because we're not investigating vague legends with no connection to history. We're investigating specific claims about specific events involving specific people. EXHIBIT C: THE CORROBORATION SCRIPTURE EVIDENCE: THE RECORD “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.” John 20:30–31 EXHIBIT D: THE VERDICT SCRIPTURE EVIDENCE: THE RECORD “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.” John 14:11 JESUS HIMSELF POINTS PEOPLE TOWARD THE EVIDENCE. CASE ASSIGNMENT: INVESTIGATE A MIRACLE FOR YOURSELF Read John 11, The Raising of Lazarus. As we read, investigate the account the same way we did today. Notice the people, place, circumstances, timing, witnesses, and details John gives us. Then ask: What is the text actually claiming happened? What evidence does the account provide? And what would we have to believe to dismiss the event? Then there's one final question to consider: If this really happened… what does it tell us about Jesus? That last question is important because John 11 doesn't present Lazarus' resurrection as merely an amazing event. The miracle points directly to Jesus. NEXT CASE… CASE FILE 004: WHY DOES GOD ALLOW?