What would you pick as Jesus’ greatest miracle?

Feeding the 5,000 with just five loaves and two fish?

Yes, that definitely rates as one of Jesus’ greatest hits.

Calming a storm with only His words?

That one would make the top ten as well.

How about walking on water?

Oh, now we’re getting somewhere! That miracle surely places in the top three.

Wait a second….we haven’t mentioned Jesus’ raising of the dead. He did that several times: the widow of Nain’s son, Jairus’ daughter, and Lazarus.

That has to be Jesus’ greatest miracle!

Doesn’t it?

Perhaps not. Perhaps none of these is Jesus’ greatest miracle.

But if that’s true, then what would qualify?

Let’s consider this for a bit. The greatest miracle that Jesus performed would have to be astonishing, impossible for humans to achieve, and would endure forever.

By those standards, the miracles above might not qualify.

Feeding thousands of people with only the contents of a boy’s lunch pail is impressive, certainly. But those people would be hungry a few hours later.

Stilling a raging storm at sea solely through His spoken words is awe-inspiring, to be sure. But the disciples would encounter other storms at sea, and be in peril once again.

Walking on water is more spectacular still. But Jesus’ path across the water disappeared within seconds: it left no permanent evidence.

What about raising the dead? While we might consider that the most dazzling miracle imaginable, the individuals Jesus raised would one day die again.

So what miracle meets the criteria we’ve set out? What is Jesus’ greatest work?

I’d suggest that it’s the forgiveness of our sins that Jesus bought for us at the Cross.

Sins that are forgiven are forgiven permanently. The remission of our sins is something that lasts forever, unlike the miracles we explored above.

How do we know this? Let’s look at some Scriptures:

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12)

As the old saying goes, east is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet!

“…you have cast all my sins behind your back.” (Isaiah 38:17).

Things that are tossed over one’s shoulder are things that are forgotten.

“I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.” (Isaiah 43:25)

God promises to forget our sins, no longer holding them against us.

As if all this couldn’t be clear enough, listen to this:

“You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!” (Micah 7:19)

Good luck finding something that’s been cast to the bottom of the sea!

So I would submit that the forgiveness of our sins through Jesus’ atoning work on the Cross ranks as His greatest miracle. It’s astonishing, it’s impossible for humans to achieve on our own, and it endures forever.

As the lyrics from “My Testimony” by Elevation Worship go:

“But the miracle that I just can’t get over
My name is registered in heaven.”

Is your name registered in Heaven? Would you like it to be?

Take advantage of Jesus’ offer of forgiveness by putting your faith in Him and accepting Him as your Lord and Saviour.

It’ll be the greatest miracle in your life!

“He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us
and condemned us;
he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”

colossians 2:13-14

© 2024 Lori J. Cartmell. All rights reserved.