Admirable and Amazing Works

• Public miracles were a noted aspect of Jesus’ ministries.

• The Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, writes in The Antiquities of the Jews, “…he performed admirable and amazing works.”

• It is reasonable to assume that this reference and the numerous references in the New Testament have some basis in human events.

• Few consortiums in the region had the means and ability to orchestrate the documented miracles.

• Probably only one consortium had the means and ability to feed four and five thousand people[1] in remote areas.

• Rome was well versed at feeding legions in the field.

• One miracle directly involves and was initiated by a Roman centurion.[2]

• Could one man alone pull off numerous and sometimes complicated miracles? – Highly doubtful.

• Could such miracles be orchestrated with the backing of a powerful organization? – Yes.  Some may not like this answer, but with Rome’s power and human ingenuity, such feats could have been possible.  There are countless modern-day examples where thousands of people fall for orchestrated miracles.

• Were the people of Judea hungry for miraculous works from God (i.e. vulnerable to believing godly explanations)? – Yes.  They were an oppressed people searching for deliverance from Roman occupation.  It is well documented that numerous messiahs came and went during that time period.

• Was Rome shrewd enough to take advantage of such vulnerability? – Unmistakably, yes.