[H]ere another important lesson is implied in regard to the miraculous in the Gospels. The history shows how little spiritual value or efficacy they attach to miracles, and how essentially different in this respect their tendency is from all legendary stories. The lesson conveyed in this case, is, that we may expect, and even experience, miracles, without any real faith in the Christ; with belief, indeed, in his power, but without surrender to his rule. According to the Gospels, a man might either seek benefit from Christ, or else receive Christ through such benefit. In the one case, the benefit sought was the object, in the other the means; in the one, it was the goal, in the other, the road to it; in the one, it gave healing, in the other, brought salvation; in the one, it ultimately led away from, in the other, it led to Christ and to discipleship.
—Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah
Skeptics and critics going back several hundred years decided that miracles can’t happen, and so ever after declared that the miracle stories we read in the gospels never happened. Because of this, the stories had to be made up. The problem for the critics is that the miracle stories that we read the gospels don’t read at all like they were made up, not in the least. That is Edersheim’s point, that they are “essentially different” from the way legendary, or made up, stories would be told. This seems like a subtle point given the context, until the force of it hits you like a Mac truck. What are for some people the most difficult parts of the gospels to believe, all of a sudden becomes the easiest. Also remember, if the critics are right, then the gospels are figments of human imagination, especially so the miraculous. If this is so, then they will read that way, as legend or made-up stories, but they don’t.
Edersheim (1825-1889) was a Jewish-Christian scholar who knew more about the Jewish nature of the gospel world than anybody at the time, and probably since. Critics tend to think that the miraculous is common in biblical history, but it isn’t. In fact, when you take into account that the biblical account covers some 1500 years, and you see how rare the miraculous is, you’ll understand why those Jews who encountered Jesus found his miracles so amazing, and also unbelievable. When you read each miracle account, they seem almost muted. No embellishment. No histrionics. And those who witness his miracles are just as incredulous as you or I would be. Edersheim is exactly right, they don’t read like legends, made up stories of the human imagination. Which is why, and one of the many reasons, we can trust the accounts as true history.
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