The Bible contains many miraculous events and stories that reveal God’s power and divine intervention in human affairs. Here are some of the greatest miracles described in the Bible:
The Creation
The creation of the heavens and the earth is perhaps the greatest miracle of all. Genesis 1 describes how God spoke the universe into being out of nothing in six days. On each day, He created something new – light, sky, land, seas, plants, sun, moon, stars, fish, birds, animals, and finally human beings. The creation reveals God’s immense power and divine nature as the Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1-31).
The Parting of the Red Sea
One of the most dramatic miracles in the Old Testament is the parting of the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to escape from the pursuing Egyptian army. When the Israelites reached the sea, with no way to cross over, God told Moses to raise his staff over the water. A strong east wind blew all night and parted the waters, so the Israelites could walk through on dry ground with walls of water on both sides. When the Egyptians tried to follow them, the water came crashing back down, drowning the entire Egyptian army (Exodus 14:13-31).
The Ten Plagues of Egypt
The Ten Plagues were a series of miracles God used to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave Egypt. God sent ten catastrophic judgments upon Egypt – water turned to blood, frogs, gnats, flies, death of livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and killing of firstborn sons. Each plague targeted one of the Egyptian gods, displaying the Lord’s power over the gods of Egypt. The miracles freed the Israelites from slavery and showed that the Lord is above all other gods (Exodus 7:14-12:36).
The Fall of Jericho
The city of Jericho presented a major obstacle for Joshua and the Israelites as they began to conquer the Promised Land. But God gave Joshua detailed military instructions on how to conquer the city. The Israelites marched silently around the city walls once a day for six days, led by priests blowing trumpets. Then on the seventh day they circled the city seven times, gave a loud shout, and the walls miraculously collapsed inward, allowing the Israelites to charge straight into the city (Joshua 6:1-27).
Elijah and the Prophets of Baal
The prophet Elijah performed a powerful miracle in front of King Ahab and the prophets of Baal to prove that the Lord is the one true God. Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to summon fire on their altar from their gods. They tried all day long with no result. Then Elijah soaked his altar and sacrifice with water three times and called upon the Lord. Immediately fire fell from heaven, consuming the altar, sacrifice, and water. The people fell on their faces and declared “The Lord, he is God!” (1 Kings 18:16-40).
Jonah and the Big Fish
Jonah’s survival for three days inside the belly of a “great fish” appointed by God is one of the most famous miracles in the Bible. God sent Jonah to preach to the wicked city of Nineveh, but he fled instead. God sent a storm, so the sailors threw Jonah overboard to calm it. After he admitted it was his fault, the sea grew calm. Then God appointed the fish to swallow Jonah whole for three days until it vomited him onto dry land (Jonah 1:17).
Healing of Naaman
Naaman was the commander of the Syrian army but suffered from leprosy. The prophet Elisha told him to dip seven times in the Jordan River to be healed. Naaman was angry at first because he expected some elaborate ritual, not something as simple as washing in a river. But his servants convinced him to try it, and miraculously his leprosy was completely cured after dipping in the Jordan (2 Kings 5:1-14).
Jesus’ Resurrection
The central miracle of the Christian faith is Jesus’ resurrection from the dead after his crucifixion. It proved that He was the Son of God and provided redemption for sins and victory over death. Despite being crucified and buried, on the third day Jesus’ tomb was found empty and He began appearing to His disciples. His resurrection is proclaimed throughout the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament (Matthew 28:1-20, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-53, John 20:1-31).
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
One of Jesus’ most famous miracles was feeding a crowd of five thousand men plus women and children, starting with only five loaves of bread and two fish. He gave thanks, broke the bread, and the disciples distributed it to the people. They ended up collecting twelve baskets full of leftovers afterwards. The massive crowd had eaten as much as they wanted, revealing Jesus’ divine ability to multiply food (Matthew 14:13-21).
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
Jesus healed many people during His ministry, including giving sight to the blind. In John 9 He encounters a man blind from birth, spits on the ground to make mud, spreads it on the man’s eyes, and tells him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. The man does so and comes back seeing – a miracle that caused much controversy at the time regarding Jesus’ authority and position (John 9:1-41).
Jesus Calms the Storm
Jesus’ disciples were terrified when a severe storm arose while they were sailing across the Sea of Galilee at night. Jesus was sleeping soundly when they woke Him and pleaded to save them. He rebuked the wind and waves saying “Peace! Be still!” Immediately the storm ceased, and there was a great calm, revealing Jesus’ power over the forces of nature (Mark 4:35-41).
Pentecost and the Holy Spirit
On the day of Pentecost, Jesus fulfilled His promise to send the Holy Spirit to indwell His followers. As the believers prayed together, the Holy Spirit descended on them like tongues of fire over each person, and all were filled with the Spirit. They immediately began praising God in many languages they didn’t know before. Peter preached, and 3,000 people believed and were baptized (Acts 2:1-41).
Throughout the Bible, we see God performing supernatural feats that transcend the laws of nature, demonstrating His love and divine power to accomplish His will on earth. The miracles serve to inspire greater faith in God and provide a glimpse of His majesty and the wonders of His eternal kingdom.