Could the Miracles Really Happen?
Month 7: The Miracle Worker · Why We Believe
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 20:30-31 & Acts 2:22
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. — John 20:30-31
22 Men of Israel, listen to this message: Jesus of Nazareth was a man certified by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. — Acts 2:22
Memory Verse
“This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.””— Matthew 8:17 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Psalms 116-118
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Psalm 118:22 — "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone" — quoted by Jesus about Himself.)The Heart of It
A lot of people today say miracles are impossible. They say the laws of nature can never be broken, so the stories about Jesus must be made up. But think carefully about that. The laws of nature simply describe what usually happens when nature is left to itself. They don't tell us what happens when the Maker of nature steps in. If there is a God who created the sea, then stilling a storm is no harder for Him than calming a bowl of water you're carrying. So the real question is not "Can miracles happen?" The real question is "Is there a God?" If God exists, miracles are not a problem at all. They're exactly what we'd expect when He draws near.
John tells us he wrote down the "signs" Jesus did on purpose, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God." And in Acts, Peter preaches to a crowd in Jerusalem. He speaks about "miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know." Did you catch that? Peter looked a hostile crowd in the eye. He told them, in effect, "You watched this happen. You can't deny it." He wasn't telling a fairy tale to people far away and long ago. He was reminding eyewitnesses of things they had seen with their own eyes. The miracles of Jesus were public. They could be checked. They could not be denied. That's exactly why even His enemies never claimed He didn't do them. They only argued about how He did them.
Around the Table
Jesus did amazing things that only God can do. And lots and lots of people saw it happen!
Let's do it: Name a miracle Jesus did. Maybe a healing, calming a storm, or feeding a crowd. Then cheer, "Only God could do that!"
Peter told a big crowd, "You yourselves know" about Jesus' miracles. Why would Peter say that if it weren't true?
Let's talk: Why is it stronger to remind people of what they saw with their own eyes than to tell a story they can't check?
The deeper question isn't "Can miracles happen?" It's "Is there a God?" If there is, the Maker of nature can act inside the world He made.
Let's go deeper: How would you respond to a friend who says, "Science proves miracles are impossible"? Here's a hint. Science describes how nature normally works. It can't tell us what nature's Maker is able to do.
💬 Conversation Starter
If you built a giant marble track, could you reach in and stop a marble anytime you wanted? Of course you could. You made it. That's how God relates to the world He made.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says: "Miracles can't happen. They break the laws of nature, so the Bible can't be true." Kindly answer like this: "The laws of nature describe what normally happens when nature runs on its own. They don't rule out what happens when the One who made nature acts inside it. Think of it this way. Dropped objects fall. But that 'law' isn't broken when you reach out and catch a ball. The real question underneath is whether God exists. If He does, a miracle isn't impossible. It's just the Maker stepping in. And the Gospel miracles weren't done in secret. Peter told a crowd in Jerusalem, 'You yourselves know' (). Even Jesus' enemies admitted He did wonders. They only argued about where the power came from ()." Always give the answer "with gentleness and respect" (). Be confident, but never speak just to win a fight.
For Dad · Go Deeper
The eighteenth-century skeptic David Hume argued that no testimony could ever prove a miracle. He said a miracle is, by definition, the least likely thing that could ever happen. But Hume hid his conclusion inside his starting point. He assumed miracles are about as unlikely as anything can be. That's only true if you have already assumed God doesn't act. So it's circular reasoning dressed up as science. As C.S. Lewis put it, the question of miracles can never be settled by experience alone. Your worldview decides in advance what you'll allow the evidence to mean. Teach your older kids this skill. When someone makes a confident-sounding claim, gently ask, "What are you assuming before you even look at the evidence?" Most objections to Christianity aren't conclusions drawn from facts. They're conclusions baked in before the facts are even examined.
Draws on: C.S. Lewis, Miracles; Craig Keener, Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, You made the whole world, so nothing is too hard for You. Thank You for the real things people saw Jesus do. Help us truly believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And help us find life in His name. In Jesus' name, amen."
If God made the world, a miracle is no problem at all. It's simply the Maker stepping in.