From the Pulpit...

Miracles authenticate Jesus as a messenger of God, and more than that, as the Son of God. How can we be sure? Look at John 5:18-46. The Lord claims equality with the Father, is able to give life, is responsible for all judgment (Acts 17:30-31), and will raise the dead. These are functions of God, not man. Beyond that, Jesus calls them to hear the testimony of witnesses to his claims: John the Baptist, the greater witness of His miraculous works; the Father who testified of Jesus (remember His voice from heaven?), and the Scriptures of Moses and the prophets of old. We could also add the angels from Luke 2:11, and the New Testament Scriptures. Their cumulative testimony of these witnesses make it clear Who we are reading about here: the Son of God.