The Greatest Miracle that can happen to a person
Luke 19:1-9
What is the greatest miracle that can happen to a person?
The Bible mentions 7 miracles that can happen to a person.
1. The blind receiving their sight? That's a miracle. Someone who is blind receiving their sight.
2. The paralyzed walking again? One who was once immobile can now get around on their own. Wow.
3. The dead raised to life? What greater miracle is there that this? The dead living again?
4. The deaf hearing again? The gift of sound to one who was once deaf. Awesome.
5. The dumb being able to speak? To be able to express ones self with word and thought. That's a great miracle.
6. The leper cleansed? The once social outcast being reunited back into society to parities, and public gatherings, worship. Miracle.
7. The demon possessed delivered? The once raging mad lunatic now is his right mind reunited with family and friends.
Those are all great miracles right? Anyone afflicted with any of these issues would consider it a great miracle to be cured. Right?
But none of those are the greatest miracle that can happen to a person. The greatest miracle that can happen to a person is found in Luke 19
Read text.
The greatest miracle that can happen to a person is found in vs9 “salvation”
Salvation, being born again, is the single greatest miracle that a person can ever experience.
Why do we not see salvation as a miracle? It is the greatest miracle. It is the miracle of all miracles that can happen to a person. If you are born again you are a walking miracle. Think about it. Salvation makes a person right with God. It gives them new life in Christ. They are born again, born from above, born of the Spirit. They become children of God. Jesus becomes their savior, heaven become their eternal home, God becomes their Father. They become new creatures in Christ. Enemies of God become friends with God. Children of the devil become children of God. What a miracle.
In fact every other miracle that a person can experience points to this miracle. I want to show you this. Let's consider the 7 miracles I mentioned earlier.
1. Take the miracle of being cured of Leprosy. [Lk 5.12-13]
Leprosy is a very serious, contagious skin disease that kept the person with from making contact with others in society.
They were the social outcast. They were unclean, contagious.
Leprosy represents sin in a person's life. Sin defiles a person and seperates a person from God.
To be healed of leprosy represents salvation. Salvation cleanses a person of sin and makes them acceptable to God.
What's another miracle that a person can experience?
2. Some one who is paralyzed being able to walk. [Lk 5.18-19]
Here is a man who was paralyzed. He couldn't walk. His friends bring him to Jesus to be healed.
Paraylsis keeps a person from being able to walk and from doing the things they want to do.
Paralysis represents sin. Sin paralyzes a person and keeps them from being able to walk with God.
Being healed of paralysis represents salvation. A person who is saved can walk with God and can get around able to do for themselves and others as God pleases.
Being healed of paralysis represents salvation doesn't it?
What's another miracle that a person can experience?
3. Being raised from the dead. [Lk 7.11-15]
Here we have the story of widow whose only son has passed and Jesus raises him from the dead. You talking about a miracle.
This miracle like no other represents the salvation of a sinner.
The Bible says we are dead in trespasses and sins. We are dead to God and the things of God. We were dead to spiritual things.
But now God through Christ has made us alive spiritually. We are alive to God.
We have been born again of the spirit, from above. Whereas we were once dead to God and the tihings of God we have now been made alive.
We have now received new life in Christ.
There is another miracle that points to and illustrateds the greater miracle of salvation.
4. The miracle of the blind receiving sight. Lk 18:35,40-43
Here is the story of a man who was blind. All his life he stumbled around in darkness not being able to see where he was going.
Blindness represents sin. Sin blinds a person to God and the things of God.
The lost are blind to God, the Bible, Christ. Paul says concerning the lost “...the god of this world [satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, ... should shine unto them." - 2Co 4:4
As wonderful as it is to be able to see, being able to see God is much better. Salvation opens the eyes of the lost to see God.
There is another miracle that points to and illustrates the greater miracle of salvation.
5. The deaf receiving their hearing.
In Mt. 7 Jesus heals a man who was deaf. Deafness represents a greater spritual sickness. Sin deafens a person from hearing God.
The spiriaully deaf don't want to hear about God. They don't want you quoting the Bible to them. They're spiritually deaf and don't hear it anyway.
Salvation opens the ears to God. A saved person longs to hear the word of God. They love for you to tell them the story of Jesus.
There is another miracle a peprson can experience that points to and illustrates the greatest miracle of salvation.
6. The dumb being able to speak. Lk 11.14
The Bible refers to the dumb as someone who can't speak.
Because the can't speak, they can't speak and sing of the goodness and greatness of God.
They can't sing oh how I love Jesus. The can't sing Amazing Grace how sweet the sound. They can't sing surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. They can't sing O happy day when Jesus washed my sins away.
Jesus comes along, Jesus, no one but Jesus can do this.
Jesus comes along and releases their tongue in order that they may speak again. In salvation, a person's tongue is loosed to sing and to speak forth the praises of Jesus Christ, our wonderful, awesome Lord and Savior.
The spiritually dumb can now sing O how I love Jesus. They can now sing Amazing Grace how sweet the sound. They can now sing surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
They can now sing O happy day when Jesus washed my sins away.
There is one last miracle a peprson can experience that points to and illustrates the greatest miracle of salvation.
7. Demon possessed being delivered. Lk 11.14
Here is a man who was demon possessed. Jesus delivered many who were demon possessed.
Another man Jesus delieved of demons had legions, many demons in him. Many demons had come in and taken over his body, mind and soul.
Demon possession is another picture of the spiritually lost.
Jesus referred to the spiritually lost of his day as children of the Devil. He said to them, “You are of your father the Devil.”
Paul says in Eph. says of the spiritually lost, "they live for this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:" - Eph 2:2
who is the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that lives in the children of obedience? Satan. Lost people aren't filled and led by the Spirit of God, they are led and by the spirit of this fallen world.
Jesus, and only Jesus can do this. He comes along and delievers a person of the evil spirit that's controllling their lives.
He sets them free. He delivers them. Now they are filled and led by the Spirit of God.
All of these miracles a person can experience point to the greatest miracle of salvation.
Salvation is a miracle because it is compared to 1. being cured of Leprosy. 2. healed of paralysis and being able to walk, 3. dead being and raised to life. 4. the blind receiving sight, 5. The deaf receiving their hearing., 6. The dumb being able to speak. 7. Demon possessed being delivered.
Salvation is the greatest of all miracles a person can experience because it is greater than all those put together.
Anyone experiencing any of these would consider it a great miracle. However, a person can experience any of these and still die and go to hell. The blind can receive their sight and still die and go to hell. The dead can be raised to life only to die again and go to hell.
Only the miracle of salvation can save a person from hell which is why it is the greatest of all miracles. Why do we not see salvation as a miracle? It is the greatest miracle. It is the miracle of all miracles that can happen to a person. If you are born again you are a walking miracle. Salvation makes a person right with God. It gives them new life in Christ. They are born again, born from above, born of the Spirit. They become children of God. Jesus becomes their savior, heaven become their eternal home, God becomes their Father. They become new creatures in Christ. Enemies of God become friends with God. Children of the devil become children of God. What a miracle.
Have you ever experienced this miracle? If not, you can today. How? Call on the name of Jesus Romans 10:13
