The Connection Between Jesus’ Miracles, Faith, and the Coming of the Kingdom

August 31, 2026/BCL/
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And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. — Mark 6:5-6

Why was it that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, could do no mighty work in his hometown of Nazareth?

Preaching the good news, not performing miracles, was Jesus’ main focus during his earthly ministry.

While Jesus had the divine power to heal, his ministry work was focused on proclaiming the good news of the coming of God’s kingdom:

And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” (Luke 4:42-43; see also Matt. 4:23)

According to biblical scholar Herman Ridderbos, our Lord’s “first and highest aim is not the cure of as many people as possible in order to manifest the kingdom of God on earth, but his real task is preaching” (Ridderbos, The Coming of the Kingdom, p. 117).

Jesus’ miracles were signs of the kingdom intended to strengthen faith.

The common factor we see in Jesus’ miracles is faith:

…there is a close connection between a miracle wrought by Jesus and the faith of the people. They are mutually dependent. On the one hand a miracle serves to strengthen faith in Jesus’ mission and authority (cf., e.g., Mark 2:1-12). On the other hand there is no room for a miracle if it is not expected by faith. (Ridderbos, p. 117)

Because miracles were signs of the kingdom rather than ends in themselves, they were inextricably connected and subordinate to the preaching of the gospel (Ridderbos, p. 120). Recognizing the relationship between Jesus’ miracles, faith, and the coming of the kingdom helps us understand why Jesus did not perform the miracles people asked or expected him to do to prove that he was the promised Messiah when he visited his hometown of Nazareth.

The people of Nazareth took offense at Jesus and rejected the very message his miracles attested. Therefore, although he retained all his divine power and did heal a few sick people there, he fittingly withheld further signs of the kingdom from those who refused to receive its King.

The heart of Jesus’ preaching was the proclamation of the gospel, for there is no salvation, and thus no part in God’s kingdom, apart from him:

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

Jesus’ miracles during his earthly ministry have continued to bolster the faith of God’s saints throughout the centuries.

Jesus’ miracles were powerful, real signs of the cosmic reality of God’s kingdom. Christians can rejoice that these miracles served to bolster not only the faith of the people who witnessed them during Jesus’ earthly ministry but also the faith of the saints throughout the centuries who have read about them in God’s precious word. Praise God for the perfect saving work of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lived, died, conquered the grave, ascended to heaven, and will return to consummate God’s kingdom at his second coming.

This article has been updated since its original publishing date of January 26, 2024.

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The Coming of the Kingdom by Herman N. Ridderbos