Mercy Revealed: A Cross-Centered Look at Christ's Miracles

by Gerald M. Bilkes

The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are filled with well-known accounts of the miracles Christ performed. Christians love to reflect on Christ's healing of the Gadarene demoniac, His raising to life Jairus's daughter, and His bountifully providing food for five thousand hungry listeners. But author Gerald M. Bilkes doesn't want us to study these miracles just because they are loved or well known. He wants us to value them for what they teach us about Christ. He writes, 'When we study the miracles, we should never lose sight of the glorious and magnificent Christ who performed them. He still performs miracles in hearts and lives...These things should astound us no less than the miracles He did when He was on earth.' This heart-warming, experiential look at twenty-two of Christ's miracles, with questions following each chapter, is an excellent tool for personal or group Bible study and will lead you to the cross, the empty tomb, and the God who purposed and performed these important events of Scripture. Table of
1. Introduction
2. The Great Catch of Fish
3. The Sabbath in Capernaum
4. The Cleansing of the Leper
5. The Healing of the Paralytic
6. The Healing of the Centurion's Servant
7. The Miracle at the Gate of Nain
8. Silencing the Storm at Sea
9. The Healing of the Gadarene Demoniac
10. The Woman with the Issue of Blood
11. The Raising of the Daughter of Jairus
12. The Feeding of the Five Thousand
13. Walking on the Water
14. The Healing of the Daughter of a Canaanite Woman
15. The Healing of the Deaf and Mute Man Healing in Stages
16. The Healing of the Boy at the Foot of the Mountain
17. The Woman with the Bent Back
18. The Healing of Bartimaeus
19. The Healing of Malchus's Ear
20. The Coin in the Fish's Mouth
21. The Withered Fig Tree
22. The Resurrection

179 pages, Paperback

First published July 23, 2015

About the author

Gerald M. Bilkes is professor of New Testament and biblical theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids.

Reviews

[Alyssa Bohon · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I ordered this book, I didn't know this would be in a study/devotional format - short chapters with questions at the end. It wasn't what I wanted for just regular reading, so I was originally a little disappointed and set it aside, but when I was looking for something new for my morning Bible reading, I picked it up and it was perfect. It helped me to meditate on the Scriptures as I read, and most of all, to focus on the person of Jesus Christ. The author looks at each miracle as a many-faceted gem, drawing out meditations from each aspect, all of which point to the glory and beauty of Jesus Christ, and the last of which is the greatest miracle - His own resurrection. The use of the original King James Version for Scripture references seemed slightly awkward at times (although it is a beautiful translation) as I was reading the listed passages from my ESV Bible, but that was of course, a minor issue.

[Zacarias Rivera, Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bilkes, in 168 pages, addresses twenty-two miracles performed by our Lord and Savior. Bilkes interprets each miracle by unpacking the context and specific words that help clarify them. He also addresses not just the historical event, but his understanding of spiritual lessons we can glean from them, especially when referring to the ones where Jesus healed the blind. Overall, it is an informative and faith-building book. The only negative I found is that the author didn't focus on the miracles performed by Jesus in the gospel according to St. John.

[Amelia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected to get more out of this book, since the discussion of Jesus' miracles is something with which I want to be more acquainted. However this book remained on a devotional level with WAY too many application points for my brain to handle (possibly some that seemed a little far fetched, considering the contexts). It was short, though, so not much time gone.