The Teachings of Jesus’ Miracles.

1. The Teachings of Jesus’ Miracles.

2. What is a MIRACLE??????? • A Miracle is an event, transcending human powers and the laws of nature, that is attributed to a special divine intervention or to supernatural forces. • Stories of miracles are a common feature of nearly all religions, many religious leaders and founders have been credited with miraculous powers. Moses and the prophets of Israel were said to have performed miraculous acts at God’s bidding.

3. Brainstorming the word Miracle? HEALING MYSTERIOUS NATURE EXORCISM RAISING OF THE DEAD UNBELIEVABLE MIRACLE

4. Reflection- JESUS’ MIRACLES As Jesus drew near to Jericho there was a blind man sitting at the side of the road begging. *Pause* When he heard the crowd going past he asked what was it all about, and they told him Jesus the Nazarene was passing by. *Pause* So he called out; *Pause* “Jesus son of David have pity on me.” *Pause* The people in front of him scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he shouted all the louder, *Pause*

5. “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and ordered them to bring the man to him, and when he came up, asked him, *Pause* “What do you want me to do for you?” “Sir” he replied “Let me see again” Jesus said to him, *Pause* “Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.” And instantly his sight returned and he followed him praising God, and all people who saw it gave praise to God for what had happened. (Luke 18: 35-43)

6. Reflection –Miracles!!!!!! *The next task that I want the class to do is to write down all the feelings, emotions, thoughts that you have imagined whilst I have read the reflection. This is a task that can be done individually so there is no reason to talk to anyone. • What is life like for the blind man?

7. Reflection- Miracle Continued • What were you thinking whilst listening to the reflection ? • What are you feelings? • How do you imagine Jericho?

8. The poem of the Blind man: What is it?, what is it?, I can’t see? I’ blind, I’m blind!, Don’t forget me, The blind man call out for help and respect but all he receives is hate and neglect. Sticks and stones are thrown at him, Whatever he does he just can’t win. “Jesus!”, he cries please help me, but the people give him no sympathy. Jesus walks over, hearing him shout. Blind man he says what’s the racket about. The blind man tells him he wants to see, And Jesus says let your eyesight be free! It’s a miracle my eyesight, it’s back it’s back Jesus you’ve recovered what before did lack.

9. Song produced from the reflection of the Blind man. There was a blind man in Jericho, Everyone used to shout and tread on his toe, But he didn’t mind no he didn’t mind who it was. Because he was blind, Nothing he could find, No one of his kind. Ohno Then Jesus came, With his glory and his fame, And healed him of his pain.

10. How many people really believe in Miracles??????????? • I carried out a survey in a year 8 high ability class to find out how many people believed in Miracles. I was surprised to find a variety of opinions about the topic, the class gave their opinion about why they found it difficult to believe in the miracles that had been performed by Jesus

11. Miracle of Exorcism performed on Legion!!!!!!!!!! • After the storm, Jesus and the disciples came safely to shore, to the country of Gardarenes. As they steeped once more onto dry land, a man came running towards them. He was half naked and appeared to be possessed by evil spirits. His hair was long and his eyes wild, and he snapped and snarled like a beast. Many times he had been caught and chained, but he was so strong that each time he had broken free. No one was able to calm him. Now he lived among the tombstones in the surrounding hills, howling and crying day and night, and in his misery cutting himself with sharp stones

12. He had seen Jesus from a long way off. “What do you want , Son of God?”, he cried out in a loud voice, “Have you come to torment me?” “What is your name?” Jesus asked. “My name is Legion,” replied the man. “Legion- for there are many demons within me.” Now feeding nearby was a large heard of nearly two thousand pigs, Jesus commanded the demons to leave the man. ”Go!” he said “Leave the man and enter instead the bodies of those pigs!” So the evil spirits left the man and took possession of the heard of swine. Suddenly the pigs stopped feeding, looked up, and grunting and snorting, galloped to the cliff’s edge and hurled themselves into the sea. The men who were looking after the heard of pigs watched in horror as the pigs leapt to their deaths. They ran back to the town to tell their story. A crowd gathered around they were amazed to find the man now cured of his madness.

13. Newspaper articles produced by Low ability groups in Year 8:

14. MIRACLE WEEKLY • I’m in Israel today and I have Legion here with me and he is going to tell me what happened. “I lived in a graveyard and I was mad but when I heard that Jesus was coming so I went to meet him. He asked me my name and I told him and he said devil leave Legion and go into those pigs. Then the pigs started to run and they jumped off the cliff.” Know I have Jesus here and I am going to ask him how did he do it. “I saw the man coming to me and I asked him the man’s name he told me that it was Legion. He was half naked it seemed that he was a bit mad so I guessed that he was possessed by the devil so I said, devil leave this man and posses the pigs and they started running and they jumped off the cliff. The farmers could not believe their eyes. They went to tell the town and they asked me to leave because they thought my power was to great for their town. Lost Pigs: I’m interviewing the farmer who owned the pigs. He is going to tell us how he felt when his pigs jumped off the cliff. I was just watching the pigs and all of a sudden the pigs ears flicked up and they started to run and they just jumped off the cliff. I feel likes it’s the end of the world because the pigs were the only way of money for my family and I know that I have to buy more pigs to feed my family and they will cost money so we will be more poorer than we all ready are. REPORTED BY RHYS THOMAS

15. Jesus the Magic Man Here we are at a farm in Israel, one hour ago a miracle happened, it is amazing. This is what happened, a mad man who used to live in a graveyard called Legion. He used to run around half naked and scream. Then one day when Jesus was walking around Legion shouted his name and Jesus shouted what is you name young man. “ my name is Legion”, Jesus said what do you want , I have the devil inside me help me. The Jesus took the man to the top of the mountain and said to the devil go into those pigs bodies instead of this man. The devil left the mans body and went into the pigs bodies the farmers face dropped as the pigs jumped off the side of the cliff. Then the farmer ran down to the town and told the villagers what had happened, they were frightened because they did not know what Jesus could do next.

16. Questions asked and answered about Miracles????????? * Why are miracles so difficult to believe? I find them difficult to believe there is no sound proof or evidence to explain why these miracles were performed, I suppose if you are true followers of the Christian faith you don not question why you just accept them.

17. What is a Miracle, using your own ideas and opinions to answer this question? I believe that a miracle is quite unbelievable, however there is evidence to suggest that they did take place. It is difficult to believe when we are taught about the miracles that Jesus performed on people who have been possessed by devils, healing of the paralysed man etc, they are not miracles that we hear about in our own society..

18. Calming of the Storm • Jesus and his disciples were on the Sea of Galilee, aboard a small fishing boat. It was evening, and Jesus, tires from preaching all day, fell asleep on some cushions in the stern. Suddenly a violent storm blew up. The sky darkened, the wind howled and gigantic waves crashed over the little vessel. Frightened, the disciples shook Jesus awake. “Save us, Lord!” they cried. “Our boat will sink, and we shall drown!”. “Why are you afraid?” said Jesus. “Have you no faith?” stretching his hands out over the lake, he spoke to the wind and the waves: “Peace Be calm.”. Instantly the storm died down and the lake grew still. “How great a man he is,” exclaimed the disciples. “Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

19. Diary Extract • Dear Diary Today an amazing event happened. I was on the Sea of Galilee in a little fishing boat with the rest of the disciples and Jesus. He was very tired because he had been preaching all day by evening he was exhausted. He fell asleep on a pile of cushions by the stern. Peter a I were rowing the boat for about half an hour when suddenly large waves were crashing against the boat. The sky turned grey, clouds burst with rain and thunder and lightening sounds filled the air. We were all terrified. Gigantic waves crashed against the little fishing boat. We were soaking wet from the rain. Our oars were taken out of our hands and sunk. Soon it got out of hand, water filled the boat, I was frightened and scared, we all thought we were going to die. Thomas ran to Jesus and shook him and said “Save us Lord, our boat shall sink and we shall drown”

20. Jesus got up looking horrified, “Why are you afraid, have you no faith?” he replied. He walked to the side of the boat and shouted “PEACE BE CALM”, suddenly the storm died down. The sky turned blue, the waves stopped and so did the lightening and thunder. Bartholomew said aloud “How great a man he is, even the wind and the waves obey him.” I look up to Jesus and I have faith in him all the time. I thought we was going to die but Jesus saved us. Written by Sian Mc Namara