Miracles in the Gospels (1)
In terms of the historical authenticity of the New Testament, miracles present the primary difficulty. The credibility of these stories is a matter for historical proof.
The miracle accounts are reported by authors who have already proven trustworthy in recounting other important events. The New Testament authors do not seek to convince us of fantastical things; rather, the miracles align with the entirety of Jesus' mission. We can accept these miracles with faith from such an extraordinary person as Jesus. The Scriptures attribute supernatural power to Jesus. If we were to deny the idea of the supernatural in Jesus, we would also have to reject His miracles. However, if we accept the Jesus of the Gospels by faith, we will no longer doubt the truth of the miracles.
If the testimony of the sources is satisfactory to the historian, they will not resort to denial. In discussing miracles, our first task is not to defend them, but to understand them. The center of the Gospel is Christ, and the miracles can only be examined in the light of His extraordinary personality. The greatest miracle of the Gospel is the resurrection of Jesus. From the very beginning, attempts were made to make the resurrection story intellectually acceptable. These included theories such as the theft of Jesus' body or the claim that He did not actually die. The historical reality is that the tomb was truly empty, Jesus appeared to various people, and the Jewish authorities could not refute the disciples' testimony about the resurrection. Fifty days after the crucifixion, the disciples began to publicly proclaim the Gospel, and their strongest argument was the resurrection of Jesus. They testified that they had seen Him alive. The public testimony of the resurrected Christ, which undeniably showed the world that Christ was the promised Messiah, made a deep impression on the population of Jerusalem. The impact was so great that the religious leaders had to take action to prevent the spread of the new movement.
If Jesus had not truly risen, they would certainly have been able to provide satisfactory evidence to prove it. It would not have been difficult to find and display Jesus' body. However, the council did not know what had happened to Jesus' body, which is why they invented the story that it had been stolen. The fact of the resurrection was a powerful demonstration of Jesus' messianic identity. It was a revelation of God's power, not just the greatest event in history; it also has personal significance for every Christian: this power is present in believers, and with it, evil can be overcome within ourselves. We can only truly appreciate God's power as revealed in Christ's resurrection when we personally experience this power at work within us. If Christ is the power of God, then miracles appear natural and justified. From the one in whom God's power was embodied, we naturally expect the manifestation of divine power. The miracles in the Gospels are there to illustrate the divine power revealed in the resurrection. Therefore, the miracles are infused with the joyful mystery of the Good News.
In response to the question of whether the miracles are true, we cannot answer purely through historical research methods. Historical research cannot be excluded because the essence of the Gospel is that in Christ, God's power and grace entered human history to bring salvation to the world. The final answer to the truth of the miracles can only be given through personal experience of faith. We must believe in Christ, who performed these miracles. This belief must be one that personally experiences the power that accomplished these mighty works.
F. F. Bruce "Az Újszövetség megbízhatósága, Evangéliumi kiadó, Budapest, 1993