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So why the copycat miracle?

The Dead Sea Scrolls can provide true meaning of the miracles of Jesus. First century Jews believed they were in the middle of a ‘Holy War’,  between Good and Evil, with Rome being evil. The Roman occupation was brutal; there is one report of a thousand Jewish rebels being crucified at the same time. Roman rule also expressed itself with idols and loose morals; distractions from worshipping God.

And yet the scrolls show that the Jews hoped for the return of the rule of God. It was their belief that a great prophet would come and reproach the religious authorities, just as Elijah had done centuries earlier. In this context, this miracle takes on a whole different meaning. The Jews believed that Elijah had never died, but had been taken to heaven in a chariot of fire. Some believed that Elijah would return to herald a new period of peace. And from this background, the crowd believed that Jesus was taking on the mantle of Elijah and announcing the return of the Rule of God. This made Jesus’ actions highly political and extremely dangerous. Prophets were critics of the establishment were treated mercilessly and many were flogged, tortured or stoned to death.

Right from the very outset, the miracles reveal a very different picture of Jesus. Not the meek and mild teacher dispensing acts of kindness, but a prophet who uses the miracles to rebuke his people for their sins. So, is this the key to the miracles? Are they designed to show Jesus as some kind of prophet from the old testament? Well, it's not that simple. Other miracles would paint him in an altogether different light. There is one miracle that hints at an even more dangerous possibility.

Miracles of Jesus

Part 1   Jesus, the Political Threat  3

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