Miracles: God works in mysterious ways?

I had a conversation with a friend recently and she was like

“You guys sound like you’ve got God completely figured out,

you guys failed to realise that the finite mortal man

could never comprehend the infinite immortal God”

“But you guys want to explain everything from Scriptures

but don’t you know that God works in mysterious ways?“

“Okay since you guys want to explain everything,

can you also do Exegesis of Miracles?”

#1 I wouldn’t say I have gotten God completely figured out,

I’m still a learner but All that God wants you to know about Him is

Already REVEALED IN CHRIST JESUS.

The invisible God was manifested in the Flesh and

became naked [completely exposed] to man

John 1:14,18

[14] And THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH Word, and dwelt among us,

(and we BEHELD HIS GLORY, the glory as of the only begotten of

the Father,) full of grace and truth.

[18] No man hath seen God at any time; THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON,

which is in the bosom of the Father, HE HATH DECLARED HIM

Declared [exēgeomai] in the Greek means to reveal, to unfold (a loud),

to explain, to expose

The Son has fully explained Him [God]

1 Timothy 3:16

[16] And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: GOD WAS

MANIFEST IN THE FLESH, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached

unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

The Incarnation is a fact of the Gospel of Christ in which the righteousness

of God is revealed according to Romans 1:1-4,16-17

#2 Can the finite mortal man comprehend the

Immortal, Invisible infinite God?

The answer is a resounding yes why?

God Himself had always wanted to be known and He demonstrated

this in all of ages

There is no word like “Mysterious” in the context of English language as

we have it today, and there’s no word like “mysterious” in the KJV rendition

of the Originals [Greek and Hebrew]

Mysterious would imply something unfathomable, could never be known

or comprehend etc.

But we have the word “Mystery” repeated severally especially by Paul in

all his Epistles [13 Letters]

The word mystery in the context of the Bible doesn’t mean something

mysterious,

IT simply means “Something hidden, a secret, more like that which is

covered or require explanation to be understood in Bible term

It’s the word “mustērion” in the Greek. It’s the opposite of the Word

“Revelation” [apokalupsis] in the Greek. Revelation means the uncovering,

the revealing more like the explanation in Bible term

Let’s see a context of usage by The Message of the Bible [The Christ]

Mark 4:11
[11] And he said unto them, Unto you it is given TO KNOW THE MYSTERY

OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD: but unto them that are without, all these things

are done in parables:

He told a parable, The Parable of the Sower [theologically called The

Parable of ALL Parable]

They all heard the parable, they all enjoyed the story but there’s a hidden

Truth/Message in the story that was not known to them and that was the

very purpose for the story in the first place

So the disciples came to Jesus for the REVELATION [Explanation] of the

Parable [Mystery: that which is to be explained] about the Kingdom of God

Jesus gave them THE REVELATION OF THE PARABLE [Mystery] BY HIS

EXPLANATION of the same and they understood

Why was this called the parable of ALL parables?

As in the Interpreter of ALL Parables really?

Mark 4:13
[13] And he said unto them, KNOW YE NOT THIS PARABLE? and

HOW THEN WILL YE KNOW ALL PARABLES?

This means an understanding of the parable of the sower is the key to

unlocking 🔓 other Parables of Jesus

Now let’s read a very popular text of Scriptures in context

1 Corinthians 2:7-10,12,14,16

[7] But we speak the wisdom of God in a MYSTERY, even the HIDDEN

[wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

[8] Which none of the princes of this world KNEW: for HAD THEY KNOWN

IT, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

[9] But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have

entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for

them that love him.

The verse 9 as been erroneously misconstrued as “your miracles, financial

breakthrough, private jet, your marital destiny etc eyes have not seen…”

Anyways there had been miracles, wealthy people, having good life etc

before Christ came hence it couldn’t be that which has never been seen

before so let’s see verse 10

[10] But GOD HATH REVEALED THEM UNTO US BY HIS SPIRIT: for the

Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

Notice the word REVEALED [apokaluptō] in the Greek, the verbiage form of

Revelation earlier which is important to know it’s in the Past tense (that is),

It’s no longer something in the future but already exposed meaning that it’s

no longer a secret, hidden or a mystery

[12] Now WE HAVE RECEIVED, not the spirit of the world, but THE SPIRIT

WHICH IS OF GOD; THAT WE MIGHT KNOW the things that are freely given

to us of God.

[14] But the natural man receiveth not the THINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD:

for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they

are SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED.

[16] For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?

BUT WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST.

Paul concluded saying WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST after quoting a

Scripture from Isaiah, meaning we have the reasoning, thinking pattern or

better still the Explanation of Christ

So God is fully revealed in Christ and we now have the Mind of Christ

Clear?

#3 Zedditicus 3:11“God works in mysterious ways” huh?

The above statement could have been true supposing the Invisible God

never became naked in Christ. But there’s no Scripture to corroborate that

statement hence the statement in itself is Antichrist

God was fully unveiled in Christ and for one to still say otherwise is nothing

but Antichrist

Psalm 103:7 KJV
He MADE KNOWN HIS WAYS unto Moses, his acts unto

the children of Israel.

If God made known His Ways to Moses, It would mean God really wanted

to be known even under the Old Covenant but only a few

[The Heroes/Patriarchs of Faith in the Hall of fame of faith (Hebrews 11)]

eventually got to Know God

Now the charter of the New Convenant is the Knowledge of God

as revealed in the Son

Jeremiah 31:31-34
[31]Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make

a NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

[32]Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day

that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which

my covenant they brake,

although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:

[33] But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel;

After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts,

and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

[34]And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man

his brother, saying, KNOW THE LORD: for THEY SHALL ALL KNOW ME,

FROM THE LEAST of them UNTO THE GREATEST OF THEM,

saith the LORD: for I WILL FORGIVE THEIR INIQUITY, and I WILL

REMEMBER THEIR SIN NO MORE.

Why will they all Know me?

I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquity will I

remember no more [Hebrews 8:11-12, 10:16-17]

So God is no longer like an unstable nuclear material, unpredictable like

the heart of man… No! God is highly stable, reliable, dependable,

predictable etc we can say for certain what God can do and what

He could never had done

This is why we speak with so much gusto Gutsy whenever

the Character of God is in question

Clear?

#4 Do Miracles also have Exegesis?

All miracles of Jesus and that of the Scriptures all have their Exegesis!

From creation to Moses to Jesus and that of the

Apostles in the Book of Acts

God’s hidden glory was in Creation now revealed in

Our Christ and in the New Creation

Moses’ miracles all have their messages too

Miracles are refered to as SIGNS which are Wonders

Signs would mean a POINTER

Pointers are never about the object pointing but

the substance being pointed at

For instance a signpost “RCCG 10KM AHEAD” this exactly is not RCCG,

it’s only telling you that you are 10km on the right path to RCCG

You continued and you saw the actual RCCG signpost, now the importance

of the sign post is to give you specific information…

You are now very close to RCCG, also you’d pay attention to

what is WRITTEN on the signpost than the signpost itself

You want to pay attention to the exact location, name of the street or area,

name of parish, order of services and time of worship etc…

You wouldn’t get to the signpost and say

“Yes I’ve arrived at RCCG”

The signpost is not and can never be RCCG but a pointer to it

This is true for miracles, they are signs hence the attention should be

placed on the message being conveyed in the senario

Miracle is theologically defined or described as

“when the Power that be of God interrupt the natural order of things such

that natural laws are _temporarily_ suspended

to effect a desired specific OUTCOME“

Now there are many miracles in Scriptures but I’d just pick one from

Moses, one from Jesus and one from the Apostles

Moses and the miraculous provision of Manna in the desert

Deuteronomy 8:3
[3 ] And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and

FED THEE WITH MANNA, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers

know; THAT HE MIGHT MAKE THEE KNOW THAT MAN DOTH NOT LIVE

BY BREAD ONLY,

BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF

THE LORD doth man live.

The Israelites just like us today stayed with the miracle and neglected

the Message [The Exegesis] in the Miracles

Recall Jesus quoted the above in the temptation

The purpose of the manna was to teach them man’s dependence

on God’s WORD for survival but they just thought it’s one of those random

things that just happens and stayed with it

So the more miracle they saw, the more hardened the Israelites were

because their attention was never on the Word

so Moses said they had no faith in his last words

Deuteronomy 32:20
[20]And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end

shall be:for they are a very froward generation,

CHILDREN IN WHOM IS NO FAITH.

The writer of Hebrews called it “evil heart of unbelief”

or “hardness of heart” by Jesus

Second of interest is Jesus’s first miracle

Jesus’ miracles was generally based on this Scripture

from Isaiah He quoted here.

Luke 4:17-19
[17]And there was delivered unto him the book of the PROPHET ESAIAS.

And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

[18] THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, because HE HATH ANOINTED

ME to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the

brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of

sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

[19] To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

So in Jesus’ miracles, we see the Consistently constantly constant

character of the Father from the foundation of the world

revealed and DEMONSTRATED Acts 10:38

Jesus said all that I see my father do I also do,

“I must work the works of Him that sent me while it is day…” etc John 9

Jesus explanation [Exegesis] of the miraculous feeding of the 5,000

in John 6 led to a number of his Church members deserting him.

“Your father ate manna in the wilderness (a miracle) yet they perished”

because that’s all they got. They didn’t get the real substance—The

Word [Deuteronomy 8:3] which is Spirit and Life John 6:63

Jesus said He’s that true living bread that came from Heaven

that once eaten, it makes the recipient to live forever [Eternal Life]

That man would never hunger nor thirst again.

Jesus’ congregation were offended with the Exegesis of the Miracles

Now many of these audience were part of the miraculous provision in

the feeding of at least 5,000 men and they even came looking for him

because of the Miracle but…

John 6:60-61,66-68
[60]Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said,

This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

[61]When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said

unto them, Doth this offend you?

[66] From that time many of his disciples went back,

and walked no more with him.

[67]Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

[68]Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go?

thou hast THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE.

Thank God Peter understood and they stayed while others angrily left

the service and Jesus didn’t even beg them to come back

with more miracles.

Now Jesus’ first miracle at the Wedding at Cana of Galilee

The Wine which was of utmost significance in a typical Jewish wedding

ran out and Mary told Jesus… see Jesus’ response to her

John 2:4

[4]Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee?

MINE HOUR IS NOT YET COME.

This expression was used repeatedly in the Synoptic four Gospels

especially in John’s commentary and it’s always in reference to

the sufferings of Christ [Crucifixion and death and Burial] and

the Glory that should follow [The resurrection, Ascension ie Him seated

at the right hand of the Father]

To keep it simple, let’s just say “It’s reference to His death”

John 7:6 KJV

Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come:

but your time is alway ready.

John 7:8 KJV

Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast;

for my time is not yet full come.

John 7:30 KJV

Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him,

because his hour was not yet come.

John 8:20 KJV
These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple:

and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.

They ran out of wine and needed wine but Jesus said

“Mine hour has not yet come“. This means there’s something about

the wine that it wasn’t just about the literal wine needed at that moment

but futuristic about Jesus’ sacrifice

What exactly is Jesus’ wine?

Don’t forget Jesus’ Exegesis in John 6 perhaps you should read the whole

chapter again

Eat my flesh and drink my blood

John 6:53-56 KJV

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the

flesh of the Son of man, and DRINK HIS BLOOD, ye have no life in you.

[54] Whoso eateth my flesh, and DRINKETH MY BLOOD,

HATH ETERNAL LIFE; and I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY.

[55] For my flesh is meat indeed, and MY BLOOD IS DRINK INDEED.

[56] He that eateth my flesh, and DRINKETH MY BLOOD,

dwelleth in me, and I in him.

Also see Jesus’ last teaching about it

Matthew 26:27-29 KJV
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,

DRINK YE ALL OF IT;

[28] For this is my blood of the new testament, which is SHED for many

FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS.

[29] But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of

this FRUIT OF THE VINE, until that day when I DRINK IT NEW WITH YOU

IN MY FATHER’S KINGDOM.

It is evident Jesus’ wine was His Blood

shed for many for the remission of sins

This is the Exegesis of the Miracle but many (including myself prior to now)

missed it and got something else “saving the best for the last” kinda

sermons

I’ve earlier taught some powerful unscrupulous revs from this

story but… Thank God for Revelation knowledge, I know better now

Lastly, Peter and John at the Gate called beautiful (Acts 3 and 4)

Jesus has earlier said it would be a sign that accompanies

them that believe

Mark 16:15-18,20 KJV

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world,

and preach the gospel to every creature.

[16] He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;

but he that believeth not shall be damned.

[17] And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall

they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

[18] They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing,

it shall not hurt them;

they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

[20] And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with

[them], and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Verse 20 was like a summary of the Book of Acts…

They went forth everywhere preaching the Gospel of Christ

[His Incarnation and His Resurrection plus Ascension] and

God was working with and confirming the Word with signs following

So after the crowd got Marvelled because Working of Miracles is indeed

a sign which is a wonder, they were so focus on the Miracle and

the Miracle Worker but Thanks be to God,

Peter showed them the right focus, the Exegesis of the Miracle

Acts 3:12-16 KJV

And when Peter saw it , he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel,

why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our

own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

Peter Preached the Gospel of Christ to them

[13] The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob,

the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up,

and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

[14] But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer

to be granted unto you;

[15] And KILLED THE PRINCE OF LIFE, whom

GOD HATH RAISED FROM THE DEAD; whereof WE ARE WITNESSES.

Then told them the reason for the Miracle after

preaching the Gospel of Christ to them

[16] And HIS NAME through FAITH IN HIS NAME HATH MADE

THIS MAN STRONG, whom ye see and know: yea,

THE FAITH WHICH IS BY HIM HATH GIVEN HIM

THIS PERFECT SOUNDNESS IN THE PRESENCE OF YOU ALL.

So the miracle was a sign [a pointer] to the goodnews of Christ not just

a display of power or showmanship

This is a ramdom 3 out of all the several miracles in Scriptures

for which time would fail me to EXPOUND.

Is it clear?

Did I clear your doubts?

Let me know

For questions, kindly comment and please share if it blessed you

©Victor Oluwatobi Fabuluje

19th July, 2019