Miracle Stories in the New Testament
by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.

Introduction and Classifications:
The miracle stories of the New Testament can be separated into several different categories, each of which is significantly different from the others. Within each category, however, most of the stories have certain formal similarities:

See also Form Criticism of Healing Miracle Narratives  and  NT Miracles: Jesus Gives Sight to the Blind


Comparative Tables of the Gospel Miracle Stories

Exorcisms:  (please go to my separate web page on Demons and Exorcisms)
 

Healings:  

Pericope Mark Matthew Luke John
Healing Simon Peter's Mother-in-law 1:29-31 8:14-15 4:38-39 --
Cleansing a Leper 1:40-45 8:1-4 5:12-16 --
Healing a Centurion's Servant -- 8:5-13 7:1-10 --
Healing a Paralytic 2:1-12 9:1-8 5:17-26 [cf. 5:1-18]
Restoring a Man's Withered Hand 3:1-6 12:9-14 6:6-11 --
Healing a Woman's Hemorrhage 5:25-34 9:19-22 8:43-48 --
Restoring Sight to Two Blind Men -- 9:27-31 -- --
Healing a Syro-Phoenician Woman's Daughter 7:24-30 15:21-28 -- --
Healing a Deaf Mute 7:31-37 -- -- --
Giving Sight to a Blind Man at Bethsaida 8:22-26 -- -- --
Restoring a Woman Crippled for Eighteen Years -- -- 13:10-17 --
Healing a Man with Dropsy -- -- 14:1-6 --
Cleansing Ten Men of Leprosy -- -- 17:11-19 --
Giving Sight to a Blind Man (or 2 Men) at Jericho 10:46-52 20:29-34 18:35-43 [cf. 9:1-41]
Healing a Royal Official's Son at Cana -- -- -- 4:46-54
Healing a Man at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem -- -- -- 5:2-47
Giving Sight to a Man Blind since Birth -- -- -- 9:1-41
Healing a Slave's Severed Ear [14:47] [26:51-54] 22:49-51 [18:10]
(click here for an explanation of the Synoptic Color Analysis used in these tables)

Restoration Miracles:

Pericope Mark Matthew Luke John
Raising from the Dead a Widow's Son at Nain -- -- 7:11-17 --
Raising from the Dead the Daughter of Jairus 5:21-24,35-43 9:18-19,23-26 8:40-42,49-56 --
Raising Lazarus of Bethany from the Dead -- -- -- 11:1-44

Nature Miracles:

Pericope Mark Matthew Luke John
Catching Unusually Many Fish in the Sea of Galilee -- -- 5:1-11 [cf. 21:1]
Stilling a Storm on the Sea of Galilee 4:35-41 8:23-27 8:22-25 --
Feeding Five Thousand People 6:32-44 14:13-21 9:10b-17 6:1-15
Walking on the Water 6:45-52 14:22-33 -- 6:16-21
Feeding Four Thousand People 8:1-10 15:32-39 -- --
Finding a Coin in the Mouth of a Fish -- 17:24-27 -- --
Cursing a Fig Tree near Bethany 11:12-14 21:18-19 -- --
Turning Water into Wine at a Wedding in Cana -- -- -- 2:1-11
Catching Numerous Fish at the Sea of Tiberias -- -- [cf. 5:1] 21:1-14

Evangelists' Summaries of Jesus Ministry:

Pericope Mark Matthew Luke John
Jesus Proclaims a "Jubilee Year" (cf. Isa 61:1-2) -- -- 4:16-21 --
"Physician, Heal Yourself" Proverb -- -- 4:23 --
Many Healed/Exorcized One Evening 1:32-34 8:16-17 4:40-41 --
Brief Summary 1:39 4:23 [cf. 5:15] --
Jesus Heals Many by the Sea of Galilee 3:10-12 4:24-25 [cf. 12:15-16] 6:17-19 --
Response to the Baptist's Question -- 11:2-6 7:18-23 --
The Beelzebul Controversy 3:22-30 12:24-29 [cf. 9:32-34] 11:15-22 [cf. 8:37-59]
Jesus Preaches and Heals [cf. 6:6] 9:35 [cf. 8:1] --
Healings at Gennesaret 6:53-56 14:34-36 -- [cf. 6:22-25]
Jesus Heals Many People [cf. 7:31-37] 15:29-31 -- --
Jesus Heals the Blind and Lame in the Temple -- 21:14 -- --

Evangelists' Summaries of the Ministry of Jesus' Disciples and Others:

Pericope Mark Matthew Luke John
Jesus Chooses 12 Apostles to Preach and Heal 3:15 -- -- --
Jesus Sends the Twelve Out on Mission 6:7, 13 10:1, 8 9:1-2, 6 --
Why the Disciples Could Not Heal/Exorcize 9:18, 28 17:16, 19 9:40 --
Another Exorcist, not Jesus' Disciple 9:38-41 10:42 9:49-50 --
Jesus Sends 70 (or 72) More Disciples out on Mission [cf. 16:17-18] -- 10:9, 17-20 --
False Prophets Will Show "Signs and Wonders" 13:21-22 24:24 -- --
Herod Hears of Jesus' Exorcisms and Healings -- -- 13:32 --
[Believers Will Perform "Signs"] [16:17-18] -- -- --

Electronic New Testament Educational Resources

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