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Describe, in your own words, the miracles involving Gentiles discussed in this lesson. Why were these miracles important? What implications might there have been if Jesus had not performed any miracles among the Gentiles?
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These miracles among the Gentiles are important because they are part of how Jesus reveals that he has come to meet the needs of all people. If Jesus had not performed any miracles among the Gentiles, the Jews may not have understood their humble place in the Gospel story, and the church may not have grown so rapidly in Gentile cities after the death and resurrection of Jesus.
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The miracles are being performed because God is revealing Himself with a statement; “Fear not! Here I Am, It is I”. The purpose of these miracles give evidential purpose to point out who Jesus is, also the evangelistic purpose which calls people to explicit faith and discipleship, the empathetic purpose, the single compassion for human need, and the eschatological purpose that the miracle is done by the finger of God and we cannot assume on consistency of patterns or we compromise His sovereignty.
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These miracles were important to show that Jesus came to bring salvation to all people, Jew and Gentile. If Jesus had only performed miracles among the Jews, people might have thought He only came to save the Jews as God’s chosen people. One miracle was when Jesus healed the man who was deaf and had a speech impediment.
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The miracles with the gentiles were done to inspire or pass on faith in God. They are important in that God was showing how he was bringing the gift of salvation for everyone and not just the Jews. So the miracles showed the gentiles that there was a one true God to believe in and that God was for everyone.
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The miracles involving the Gentiles were critical to God displaying his power to an unbelieving world. These miracles displayed His Glory. Had he only performed miracles for the Jews, there may have been a sense of arrogance and importance amongst the Jews. This also could have portrayed Jesus similarly to the religious leaders of the time as elitist and disassociated with people they considered lower than themselves.