I’m no expert. I haven’t studied miracles in depth. I don’t claim to know all the answers when it comes to the power of God to act in real time. I’ve never witnessed something I could truly call a “miracle.” But there are a couple of things that have helped me get a better grasp on the idea of miracles, and I hope it helps you, too.

1) The two most important miraculous events to believe in would be the creation of the universe and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Consequently, these are the two most hotly debated miracles.

There is more evidence for these two miracles than any other. Just look around you. There are signs of created order all over the place! Scientists try and debunk the idea that the universe was designed by a Creator, but they do and always will fail to answer the question, “Why is there something rather than nothing?”

As for the resurrection, there is more historical and logical evidence for its occurrence than you may think. Most obviously is the fact that we don’t know where his tomb is! No other religion can say that about its founder. He’s not there! How else do you explain the complete 180 the disciples took from fear and disbelief to boldness which led to their deaths (see Luke 22:54-62 and Acts 5:41-42)? When Paul was writing to the church in Corinth, he mentioned there were over 500 witnesses to the resurrected Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Don’t believe me? Ask one of them! 500+ witnesses can make a pretty good case.

I could go on about that one, but that will come later.

My point is that if you can believe that God created the world and that God raised Jesus from the dead, then why would you doubt that he could heal someone’s disease? If you believe in the creation and the resurrection, all other miracles pale in comparison. The two biggest are also the two with the most evidence. If God created the world and Jesus was raised from the dead, what else could be possible?

2) It is important to understand what a miracle is. Unlike the common understanding, Jesus did not break the Laws of nature – he was simply restoring them. We know that Jesus was with God in the beginning and that he was part of the creation process himself (John 1:1-5). So when he came to earth performing signs, wonders, and miracles, he was simply ushering in the restoration of the created order.

Blindness, disease, hunger, pain, demons, and natural disasters were not a part of the original design. Sin came into the world through man and we took the whole creation down with us (see Romans 5:12ff). But when Jesus came, one of his jobs was to bring about the Kingdom of God – showing people that God is indeed in control of things and is working around the clock to put things right.

So a miracle is not anything unnatural at all. In fact a miracle is restoring creation back to its original natural state as God intended things to be!

Do you believe in miracles?