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Public miracles were a
noted aspect of Jesus’ ministries.
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The Jewish historian,
Flavius Josephus, writes in The Antiquities of the Jews, “…he
performed admirable and amazing works.”
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It is reasonable to
assume that this reference and the numerous references in the New
Testament have some basis in human events.
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Few consortiums in the
region had the means and ability to orchestrate the documented miracles.
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Probably only one
consortium had the means and ability to feed four and five thousand people
in remote areas.
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Rome was well versed at
feeding legions in the field.
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One miracle directly
involves and was initiated by a Roman centurion.
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Could one man alone pull
off numerous and sometimes complicated miracles? – Highly doubtful.
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Could such miracles be
orchestrated with the backing of a powerful organization? – Yes. Some may
not like this answer, but with Rome’s power and human ingenuity, such feats
could have been possible. There are countless modern-day examples where
thousands of people fall for orchestrated miracles.
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Were the people of Judea
hungry for miraculous works from God (i.e. vulnerable to believing godly
explanations)? – Yes. They were an oppressed people searching for
deliverance from Roman occupation. It is well documented that numerous
messiahs came and went during that time period.
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Was Rome shrewd enough to
take advantage of such vulnerability? – Unmistakably, yes.
