Sharon:
When I read about miracles in the Bible, I believe they really happened. Jesus walked on water, fed thousands with just a few loaves, and raised the dead. Those weren’t just stories or lessons—they were real.
Mike:
I believe in miracles too. I believe Jesus had real power from God. But sometimes I wonder if some of the miracles were also signs, not just acts of power. Maybe they were meant to teach us something more than just what happened.
Sharon:
But the Bible tells the miracles like they’re actual events. The blind man could see. The leper was healed. The storm stopped when Jesus said, “Peace, be still.” It’s written like a news report, not a poem or parable.
Mike:
I agree, many miracles are told like events. And I do think a lot of them really happened. I’m not saying they’re fake. I just think they also point to something bigger. Like when Jesus fed the five thousand, He wasn’t just giving food. He was showing that He’s the Bread of Life.
Sharon:
Sure, miracles can have a message. But they’re not just messages—they’re acts of God. If we say they’re mostly symbolic, people will stop believing in the power of God today.
Mike:
I don’t want that. I still believe God heals, moves, and does amazing things. But I also believe the miracles in the Bible had more than one purpose. They weren’t just to help people in the moment. They were showing who Jesus really was.
Sharon:
Yes, but the help was real. The people were really sick. The dead were really dead. And Jesus brought them back. That’s what made people follow Him—He did things no one else could do.
Mike:
That’s true. But think about the water turning to wine. That miracle wasn’t about survival. It was a sign that something new had come. A new kind of joy, a new kind of kingdom.
Sharon:
But it was still a real miracle. He really turned water into wine. If we start saying, “Maybe He didn’t,” then what do we believe anymore?
Mike:
I’m not saying He didn’t. I think He did. I just think the deeper message is just as important as the act. That’s all. I want to know what the miracle is showing us about God.
Sharon:
I can agree with that. But the act still has to be real. Jesus really healed the lame man. If it’s just a story to teach us God heals hearts, that’s not the same. The man got up and walked.
Mike:
Yes, and that changed everything. People were amazed. But then Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven,” and they were shocked by that too. The physical healing pointed to spiritual healing.
Sharon:
So you believe the miracles happened, but you think they’re more about meaning?
Mike:
Exactly. I believe in the miracles. I just think their purpose was bigger than the moment. Jesus didn’t do miracles to show off. He did them to reveal who He was—and what His kingdom is like.
Sharon:
Okay, I can understand that. But some people today say miracles are just myths. They say science explains everything now, so those stories were just ancient ways of explaining things they didn’t understand.
Mike:
I’ve heard that too. And I don’t agree with it. I think God really did things science can’t explain. Miracles go beyond science. That’s why they’re miracles. But I also think we need to understand why each one happened.
Sharon:
Well, they happened because people needed help. And Jesus was showing love. That’s a good enough reason for me.
Mike:
That’s true. But even in the Old Testament, miracles meant more. Like when God parted the Red Sea—it wasn’t just to escape Pharaoh. It showed that God was leading His people and could defeat any enemy.
Sharon:
And that really happened. The sea split in two. They walked across on dry ground. That’s not a symbol. That’s a rescue.
Mike:
Yes, and I believe it happened. But I also think God wanted the people—and us—to remember it as a sign. A sign that when things look impossible, He makes a way.
Sharon:
You keep going back to signs and meaning. I get it. But I don’t want to lose the power of the event. God did amazing things. He still does. I’ve seen answers to prayer that no one could explain.
Mike:
Me too. I’ve seen people healed when doctors gave up. I’ve felt peace when everything around me was falling apart. Those are miracles too. Maybe smaller, but still powerful.
Sharon:
And those things remind me that the Bible is true. The same God who did miracles back then still moves now.
Mike:
Amen to that. I just hope we don’t read the Bible like a magic book or a science textbook. It’s more than that. It’s a story about God’s love, and miracles are part of that story.
Sharon:
I can agree with that. But I’ll still stand strong on believing the miracles happened just the way the Bible says.
Mike:
And I respect that. You have strong faith. I just try to see both the action and the message. God meets needs—and also shows His nature.
Sharon:
Maybe that’s the balance. The miracles were real, and they meant something too. We don’t have to choose between the two.
Mike:
Exactly. And when Jesus raised Lazarus, it wasn’t just to bring him back to life. It was to show that He is the resurrection and the life.
Sharon:
That’s powerful. I’ve always loved that story. “Lazarus, come out!” And he did. What a moment.
Mike:
It still gives me chills. That’s why I read the miracles both with my heart and my head. I want to see what God is doing and also what He’s teaching.
Sharon:
That’s fair. As long as we don’t water them down. These miracles are part of our faith. Without them, we lose the power of the gospel.
Mike:
We agree on that. The gospel is full of miracles—Jesus’s birth, His life, His death, and most of all, His resurrection.
Sharon:
And that one has to be real. If Jesus didn’t really rise from the dead, then our faith is empty.
Mike:
Yes, Paul even said that in the Bible. That one isn’t just symbolic. That one changes everything.
Sharon:
So we both believe in miracles, we just see some of them a little differently?
Mike:
Yes. I think we meet in the middle. You focus on the power. I focus on the meaning. And together, we get a fuller picture of God.
Sharon:
I like that. Maybe miracles are both—real events and real messages. Not just one or the other.
Mike:
That sounds right to me. And when I pray, I still believe God can do the impossible. I just also ask what He wants me to learn through it.
Sharon:
Same here. I pray for healing, but I also pray for peace and wisdom. Sometimes the miracle is in the answer, and sometimes it’s in the waiting.
Mike:
That’s true. And the Bible shows us both kinds—sudden miracles and slow, quiet ones.
Sharon:
Like when the woman touched Jesus’s robe and was healed. That was instant. But some people waited, like the man by the pool for thirty-eight years.
Mike:
Exactly. And in both cases, Jesus saw them. That’s the heart of every miracle—God sees us.
Sharon:
Yes. And He cares. Whether He moves fast or slow, His love doesn’t change.
Mike:
Amen to that.