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Most Bible readers are aware of the tempestuous sea upon which the Gospels have been cast in the past. However, under the “new quest” for­ the historical Jesus we now have even more reason for a deeper appreciation of Scripture.  Unfortunately, it is still true that many who follow the higher critical methodologies of biblical studies continue to underestimate the historical value of the Gospels and discount the miraculous events found in them.

Let us continue with Jesus to observe His humanity and His humanitarianism.  This is precisely what His early followers did.  They saw His humanity and His humanitarianism; also, they eventually believed Him to be deity.  Many things in the life of Jesus helped His followers to make that marvelous transition from sight to faith (Luke 24:7-8; John 2:22).

Let us take note of the miracles of Jesus.  They were perceived to be the stupendous work of a man. The following examples illustrate this fact.  When Jesus stilled the storm on Lake Galilee , His frightened disciples were reprimanded by Jesus for their “little faith.”  “The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him’” (Matthew 8:27, NIV; emphasis added).  When He enabled the mute man to speak, “the crowd was amazed and said, ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel .’  But the Pharisees said, ‘It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons’” (Matthew 9:33b-34).  The overwhelming testimony of Scripture is that the miracles performed by Jesus after His baptism until His death convinced the people not that He was God, but that He was an extraordinary man of God.

Thirty-five different miracles performed by Jesus between His baptism and His crucifixion are recorded in the four Gospels.  There is no record that any of these miracles caused anybody to confess forthrightly that Jesus was God.  In fact, Jesus’ miraculous power caused the Pharisees to say He was a partner of Beelzebub worthy of death and a blasphemer (Matthew 12:14, 24; Mark 2:3-7).

However, many others did look to Jesus for help.  They were aware of His reputation and power.  They pleaded for healing: “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” (Matthew 9:27; 20:31; NIV).  “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Matthew 15:22, NIV).  “People . . . begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed” (Matthew 14:34-36, NIV).  Others were astounded at His power just as they were astounded at His teaching (Matthew 7:28).  “All the people were amazed and said to each other, ‘What is this teaching?  With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!’” (Luke 4:36, NIV).

It is amazing that the accounts of so many of the miracles Jesus performed leave no recorded response of gratitude or praise by beneficiaries or observers.  Note some examples. After Jesus healed the centurion’s servant at Capernaum , the episode closes with the terse statement: “And his servant was healed at that very hour” (Matthew 8:5‑13, NIV).  When He cured Peter's mother‑in‑law of a fever, the record simply says: “. . . she got up and began to wait on him” (Matthew 8:15, NIV).  On the same day of this cure, He exorcised many demons from people who were brought to Him and healed all the sick who were present.  Nothing follows except Matthew's statement that this activity fulfilled a Messianic prophecy of Isaiah (Matthew 8:16-17).  Jesus opened the eyes of a blind man who lived in Bethsaida .  All that follows is Jesus' instruction to the man to go home (Mark 8:22‑26). Jesus restored the shriveled hand of a man in a synagogue on a Sabbath day.  The Pharisees and teachers of the Law were so furious that they began to plot against Him (Luke 6:6-11).  When Jesus healed a man in Jerusalem who had been an invalid for thirty‑eight years, he “went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well” (John 5:1‑15).

What we have here is a litany of events that bring us to a startling realization.  The people we have mentioned who received the healing benefits of Jesus' power offered no words of praise or thanksgiving.  Neither did those who saw these miracles give any thanks or praise.  Many actually became hostile and angry.  What may we logically deduct from this response to the healing ministry of Jesus?  These people who either saw the work of Jesus or were benefited by it believed He was a man.

Would it be possible to believe we were literally in the presence of God in person without being filled with awe and reverence?  Is it conceivable to receive actual healing from God in person without expressing thanks, praise, gratitude, and adoration?  No!  Neither would we walk away silently, betray His trust, become angry and resentful, or ascribe His work to the devil if we were certain it was God with Whom we were dealing.  The miracles we have been discussing were not proof beyond a reasonable doubt to the people who saw them performed, or benefited from them, that Jesus was God.

Many beneficiaries did have a very high opinion of Jesus as a man of God, a doer of wonderful deeds.  Note, however, that their high estimation of Jesus often was expressed before they were healed.  Examples of this may be found in their terms of address such as kurie (“Lord” or “Sir”).  This was a common expression of respect (John 5:7).  He was often called the Son of David (Luke 18:38-39).  Jesus specifically commended some for their faith in coming to Him for healing (Luke 7:9; Mark 5:34; Matthew 15:28).  In a few instances it is even recorded that the miracles observed, or the benefits received, did produce faith in Him (John 4:53; 11:45).

However, what that faith consisted of is at the heart of our inquiry.  It is at this place in the investigation that we come face to face with a striking paradox.  Jesus used the phrase “Son of Man” to speak not of His humanity but of His divinity; now, we see Jesus performing miracles that resulted in establishing not His divinity, but a very high regard for His humanity!  This explains why there were no shouts from the crowds: “Jesus is God!”  This explains why, in many instances, there was no reaction whatsoever.

On the other hand, many people saw in Jesus' mighty works a reason for praising God.  “This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’” (Mark 2:12b).  Many Jews believed Him to be Elijah (Mark 8:28) returned as a fulfillment of a prophecy found in Malachi 4:5. This put Jesus in the revered company of Israel 's great oral prophets, Elijah and Elisha.  Others were more specific: “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee ” (Matthew 21:11).  Apparently, some were even willing to identify Him as “the Prophet” like Moses (John 7:40; Deuteronomy 18:15-19).

Others were awed by Jesus’ miraculous power and “praised God, who had given such authority to men” (Matthew 9:8; 15:31).  The miraculous power of Jesus with which Nicodemus, a Sanhedrin Pharisee, was familiar, led him to say to Jesus, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God.  For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him” (John 3:1-2).

All of the admirations, adulation, awe, praise, and respect for Jesus noted in the preceding examples is nowhere more vividly seen than when Jesus demonstrated His power over death by bringing the widow of Nain's son back to life.  The large crowd praised God. “‘A great prophet has appeared among us,’ they said.  God has come to help his people’” (Luke 7:11-16).  Since many of the Jews saw Jesus as Elijah, perhaps this spectacular revival of life reminded them of others who were called back to life by Elijah and Elisha! 

This remarkably lofty view of Jesus as a man of God certainly had a legitimate base in His deeds of power.  His works of ministry did not leave the impression that He was an ordinary man.  On the contrary!  He was addressed as Teacher, Lord (Sir), Master, Rabbi, Messiah, Son of David, King of the Jews, and even Son of God, the latter phrase also having been applied to another great king (2 Samuel 7:14).

In their totality, these exalted terms from the lips of Jesus’ Jewish contemporaries place Him at the very pinnacle of Jewish expectations.  How they yearned to crown Him king by force! (John 6:15).  For many followers He was indeed the man of the hour.  Even the children were echoing the sentiments of the crowd: “Hosanna to the Son of David” (Matthew 21:9, 15).

We have looked through the eyes of Jesus' contemporaries and have seen the humanity and the humanitarianism of Jesus.  We have found that the miracles He performed convinced large numbers of people that He was a great man of God in the long history of God's kings and prophets.  He was seen as God's king, prophet, and Messiah. He was the one chosen by God (anointed) to lead His people to freedom and glory.  His miracles were evidence that He had the power to accomplish that for which they had yearned so long.  Therefore, in the next segment of our study, we will find what we expect to find.

Many Worshiped Jesus

In view of the high esteem in which Jesus was held by many, it is not surprising to find people “worshiping” Him.  However, much caution must be exercised in evaluating this feature in the personal ministry of Jesus. When we read that many were “worshiping” Jesus that does not necessarily indicate their conviction that He was God. As we shall see, their “worship” may indicate no more than their conception of Him as an extraordinary man of God.

There is a facet of “worship” that we need to explore in greater detail.  The major effect of Jesus’ miracles was the establishment of a high view of His humanity.  The “worship” of Jesus, from the beginning of His ministry to His crucifixion, was an expression of the high honor and respect with which the people regarded Him.

A verb translated “worship” some sixty times in the KJV of the New Testament is proskuneo. This verb has a variety of meanings such as “to kiss the hand toward, to do homage, to show respect or reverence by prostration, to adore, to worship, to bow down.”  These acts include those directed to one individual by another or they may signify a human being's worship of Deity.

In this century, Bible translators have become more cautious in translating the various forms of proskuneo. This has helped the English language reader to understand more clearly what the original language means in any given context.  The following comparisons between the King James Version and the New International Version, showing how the verb proskuneo is translated, illustrate this point.

In these three examples of proskuneo we see a leper, ruler, and Canaanite woman coming to Jesus with petitions for help.  We see two things as they prostrate themselves, or kneel, before Him.  We see their desperation and their conviction that He can help them.  We do not see any indication of their conviction that He is God. Therefore, we appreciate the NIV translators’ caution in using those valid meanings of proskuneo that indicate actions in a specific way.

The behavior of the leper, ruler, and Canaanite woman was the usual way in Eastern culture for showing deference, respect, homage, etc.  This is not to suggest that such actions were always examples of proskuneo. Once, Simon Peter “fell [prosepesen] down at Jesus’ feet, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, 0 Lord!’” (Luke 5:8).  Although the word used to describe Peter's use of proskuneo as a synonym for closely related words is seen clearly action is not proskuneo, he did show respect for and deference to Jesus.

The when we examine some parallel passages in Matthew and Mark.  Note the three passages we have just examined from Matthew and compare the parallel passages from Mark.

Each passage from Matthew and Mark spoke of the same person and the same incident. However, Matthew used the common term for worship (proskuneo) while Mark used a variety of words to describe the actions, words, and attitudes of the leper, ruler, and Canaanite woman. Did Matthew disregard Mark's descriptions? Did Mark dismiss Matthew's use of proskuneo? Of course not! Matthew simply identified what these three individuals were doing; Mark described what they were doing. The synonyms show the harmony of the accounts. They are not contradictory. The examples we have in Scripture of various ones “worshiping” Jesus, from the time of His baptism until His crucifixion, are expressions of homage, respect, adoration, deference, etc., that one would naturally show to another person held in high esteem.

Note the following examples:

Jesus taught that it was possible for one person to show deference, homage, submission, and respect to another person by use of proskuneo.  This was called worship in Matthew 18:26 (KJV).  The NIV called it falling on one's knees and begging.  By either translation, this example from Jesus showed proskuneo being used to describe one person's actions toward another person.  Worship to God was not involved.

An examination of the miraculous work of Jesus has shown that this aspect of His personal ministry had the prime effect of convincing multitudes of people that He was truly a great man of God.  The worshipers of Jesus were convinced of His God‑assigned role as prophet, King of Israel, Master, Rabbi, Messiah, Son of God.  Their worship expressed their high regard for this Great One Who had emerged in Israel .  They believed He would restore them to their proper place.

They could hardly have expressed a more exalted view of His humanity.

There is only one time between the baptism and crucifixion of Jesus that one finds homage paid to Him by some of His chosen disciples described as proskuneo (worship).  The disciples were attempting to make a crossing of stormy Lake Galilee when they saw Jesus coming near to them, walking on the water.  They were terrified.  They thought He was a ghost.  When Jesus identified Himself, Peter wanted more assurance, saying, “Lord, if it's You, tell me to come to You on the water.”  Jesus said, “Come.”  Peter failed. Jesus rescued him.  Mark recorded: “They were completely amazed … their hearts were hardened.”  Matthew wrote, “Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’”

Their “hearts were hardened.”  They were “terrified” and “amazed.”  However, the circumstances led them to “worship” Him, confessing He was the Son of God.  In the emotion of the moment, it seems they were “especially motivated by dawning recognition of the divine Sonship.”  If so, it was embryonic and halting.  It was never repeated before Jesus' death. Neither did any of them proclaim His deity until after His resurrection.

Jesus and Demons

We close with a word about an uncomfortable, embarrassing, and awesome dimension of Jesus' ministry.  It is uncomfortable because it spoke forthrightly of the demon world.  It is embarrassing because it showed that demons were fully aware of Jesus’ power over them—even though, at the time, the human race was not aware of Jesus' omnipotence.  It is awesome because it pulled the veil aside and showed us a rare peek at larger realms of reality, over which Jesus had unquestioned power and sovereignty.

Demons cried out to Jesus, “What do you want with us, Son of God…?  Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” (Matthew 8:29).  “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  Swear to God that you won't torture me!” (Mark 5:7).  “And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss” (Luke 8:31).  “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are—the Holy One of God!" (Mark 1:24).

The demons fully confessed Jesus' power to torture, banish, and destroy them. They also confessed that He was the Christ, the Holy One of God.  This was exceptional.  According to the Synoptic Gospel writers, the only time Jesus was ever called Holy during His personal ministry was by a demon.  Holiness is the chief attribute of God! The demons knew that Jesus was not only the Son of God; they knew He was the Holy One of the Most High God.

What was Jesus' reaction to this “other‑worldly” awareness?  “He gave them strict orders not to tell who he was” (Mark 3:12).  “‘Be quiet!’ said Jesus sternly” (Mark 1:25).  “Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’  But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak because they knew he was the Christ” (Luke 4:41).

Jesus did not perform miracles to solicit the testimony of demons.  He forbade their confessions as corroborating evidence of His uniqueness.  As truly God and truly man, Jesus came to save mankind—not demons!