What Became of John’s Miracles?

“At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

Herod and John the Baptist were real historic people. Herod wonders if Jesus is John the Baptist raised from the dead when he hears of the miracles Jesus is performing. John was performing miracles?

If Herod, a real person, is correct, then here is a real account of miracles being performed by a modern day man who Jesus and others claim was Elijah – who performed miracles! Why not John – the embodiment of Elijah – who spoke when eight days of age!

In 1987 I had a epiphany over this alleged statement of Jesus.

MAT 1:11) “VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, AMONG THEM THAT ARE BORN OF WOMEN THERE HATH NOT RISEN A GREATER THAN JOHN THE BAPTIST: NOTWITHSTANDING HE THAT IS LEAST IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS GREATER THAN HE.”

I asked; “What became of John’s prophetic words so that we can compare them to the Old Testament prophets?”

What does “born of woman” mean? I suspect Paul or Timothy are up to their evil tricks – with quill – as they rob the Nazarite Church of God, and make Jesus God, after he was just a miracle worker.

I suspect Paul-Tim put John’s miracles in their false Jesus’ pile just after Herod wonders if John-Elijah was resurrected from the dead. Why would not this learned Jew wonder if Jesus was Elisha – or Elijah?

It is John who walks on water and feeds the multitude. It is John who raises Lazarus from the dead, this miracle most perplexing to scholars as to why Jesus would do such a thing.

Did Herod believe in the ressurection of the dead?

Yes! Or………….someone is lying! Why?

Why didn’t Jesus raise John – a real person – from the dead? That would have made Jesus real popular with the Jews, because John had thousands of followers who loved him.

Jon Presco ‘The Nazarite’

Copyright 2012

2and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
      3For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. 4For John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded John as a prophet.
      6But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, 7so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8Having been prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9Although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths, and because of his dinner guests. 10He sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 11And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12His disciples came and took away the body and buried it; and they went and reported to Jesus.
Five Thousand Fed
      13Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the people heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.
      15When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and the hour is already late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!” 17They said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” 18And He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, 20and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets. 21There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children.
Jesus Walks on the Water
      22Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 24But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. 25And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
      28Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”
      34When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick; 36and they implored Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were cured.

A Ministry Without Miracles
John 10:39-42
There is a great deal of attention given to ministries of miracles in this age. Some folks believe if a church or a preacher is not constantly and consistently performing miracles he is either an apostate, or at least serving the Lord in an unacceptable fashion.

That which a church or pastor teaches or preaches must line up with Scripture or it is marked as being apostasy according to the Bible.

Definition: a miracle is a supernatural intrusion into the natural law that can have no other explanation other than that God is acting. Anything that carries the label of miracles must be authenticated by the Word of God or it is not of God.

I want you to see a very interesting phrase in Vs. 41 concerning the ministry of John the Baptist. “John did no miracle.” If there ever was a man of God who would have been qualified to perform great and many miracles it would have been John the Baptist, yet the Holy Spirit recorded, “John did no miracle.”

We do not see anywhere that John fell into sin. He did not go astray and betray the Lord. He did not deny the Lord. He did not run off with another man’s wife. He did not have an affair with the secretary. He did not do anything that would damage his testimony for the Lord. John was a pretty straight man, yet he did no miracles.

(LUKE 1:17) “AND HE SHALL GO BEFORE HIM IN THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF ELIAS, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS TO THE CHILDREN, AND THE DISOBEDIENT TO THE WISDOM OF THE JUST; TO MAKE READY A PEOPLE PREPARED FOR THE LORD.”

This verse is speaking of John the Baptist. Elijah was a miracle worker. John the Baptist had the spirit and power of Elijah; therefore, he could have worked miracles had it been the will of God, but he didn’t. Therefore, the working of miracles does not constitute the power of God on the ministry of a man of God. Neither does it prove the favor of God on that ministry. We see much of miracle working on the religious TV today. If the truth was known to mankind, we would see that none of it is of the spirit and power that Elijah had; it is not of God. If a ministry is not of God, where does it come from? Hell, or at least of the flesh.

(MAT 1:11) “VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, AMONG THEM THAT ARE BORN OF WOMEN THERE HATH NOT RISEN A GREATER THAN JOHN THE BAPTIST: NOTWITHSTANDING HE THAT IS LEAST IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS GREATER THAN HE.”

John got the highest marks of all men of past and present. There has never been one greater, yet he did no miracles. Maybe miracles don’t mean as much as some would have us to think they do.

I. He Was A Man Sent From God

Note: John 1:6-8

A. God Is More Interested In Our Witness Than Our Miracles.

1. John came to be a witness.

2. (John 3:30) “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

3. There is not mention of a title of “John the Baptist Ministries.”

4. You know why? Because it wasn’t his ministry; it was the Lord’s.

5. When we see “John Doe Ministries”, I wonder where the Lord fits into that thing. I sometimes doubt that He does.

6. John said, “It doesn’t even matter if anyone knows who I am, my purpose is to make the Light of Christ shine brighter.”

B. John Was More Interested In His Calling Than His Lifestyle. Cf Mt. 3:1-6

1. Notice in Vs. 4, “And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.”

2. Where is that type of lifestyle today?

3. You don’t see it in any of the miracle workers on TV. They all wear white suits, 500 dollar shoes, and drive Cadillacs, or maybe Rolls Royce.

4. Not John, yet he was sent from God.

5. We see the spirit of materialism everywhere.

6. Not only in the Charismatic ranks, but more and more in the Independent movement.

7. We do not need the best of everything in order to be approved of God.

8. Camel’s hair clothing is sufficient for God.

II. He Was Filled With The Holy Ghost

(LUKE 1:15) “FOR HE SHALL BE GREAT IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND SHALL DRINK NEITHER WINE NOR STRONG DRINK; AND HE SHALL BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST, EVEN FROM HIS MOTHER’S WOMB.”

He did no miracle, yet he was filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.
Therefore, we must admit that the filling of the Holy Ghost does not constitute the working of miracles.
A. What is the purpose of the Holy Spirit filling?

(ACTS 1:8) “BUT YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER, AFTER THAT THE HOLY GHOST IS COME UPON YOU: AND YE SHALL BE WITNESSES UNTO ME BOTH IN JERUSALEM, AND IN ALL JUDAEA, AND IN SAMARIA, AND UNTO THE UTTERMOST PART OF THE EARTH.”

1. The evidence of the fullness of the Spirit is not the working of miracles, but the witnessing of the believer to the lost.

2. The Charismatics can make all the claim they want to concerning the filling of the Holy Ghost and the speaking of tongues, but the Bible says that those who have the fullness of the Spirit of God will be witness for Christ.

3. To attempt to make the filling of the Holy Ghost any other response is to intentionally misconstrue the Scriptures.

4. If the Bible doesn’t teach it, then it is not to be taught.

B. The Filling Of The Holy Ghost Is Necessary To Fulfill The Purpose Of The Christian.

1. To successfully live the Christian life you must be filled with the Holy Ghost of God.

2. In Ephesians we find the responsibility of a Christian husband, wife, family, and servant.

3. None of this will be accomplished without the command of Eph 5:18.

4. John did no miracle, but he was filled with the Holy Ghost.

III. He Had The Approval Of Jesus On His Ministry cf Mt. 11:7-11

A. Jesus gave John the Baptist the greatest of efficiency reports. “There is not greater than John the Baptist.”

1. What a blessing to have the approval of Jesus on our ministry and work.

2. Do we have that approval on our ministries?

3. Would Jesus say that about us?

B. His Message was from God.

1. Repentance. Cf Mt. 3:1-6

2. He Preached Against Sin.

(MAT 14:3-4) “FOR HEROD HAD LAID HOLD ON JOHN, AND BOUND HIM, AND PUT HIM IN PRISON FOR HERODIAS’ SAKE, HIS BROTHER PHILIP’S WIFE. {4} FOR JOHN SAID UNTO HIM, IT IS NOT LAWFUL FOR THEE TO HAVE HER.”

3. He Pointed Men To Christ.

(LUKE 1:16) “AND MANY OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SHALL HE TURN TO THE LORD THEIR GOD.” [8]