Jesus Christ, made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the resurrection from the dead’ (Romans 1:3-4).
Paul says Jesus is set apart, because He is declared to be the Son of God with POWER. Very clearly in Scripture, Jesus Christ is confirmed to be the Son of God by the demonstration of power in His life. In the Acts 2:22, Peter speaks in the same way, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, a man’ – emphasising God as man – ‘approved of God among you by miracles, by wonders, by signs.’
The church of today is apologetic
Formal Christianity has totally moved away from the miraculous, and the moment that you do, you’ve lost the purpose of our Christian faith and its power. If there were no miracles in the life of Jesus – the virgin birth, the resurrection and the miracles of His ministry – then He is no different from any other so-called god or prophet. Peter, on the day of Pentecost, talking about Jesus, says, ‘You yourselves know the man, born in Nazareth, His father, His mother, His brothers and sisters. But we know He was different because God demonstrated it by miracles, by signs, by wonders!’
The Miraculous Power of Jesus Christ: Theological Core and the Modern Church
The identity of Jesus Christ is defined by a dual reality: His earthly lineage and His divine validation through miraculous power. In Romans 1:3-4, the Apostle Paul states that Jesus was "made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."
How Scripture Confirms Jesus’ Identity Through Power
Throughout the New Testament, Jesus’ identity as the Son of God is consistently validated not just by His words, but by visible demonstrations of supernatural power.
The Witness of Paul (Romans 1:4): Paul explicitly notes that Jesus is set apart precisely because He was declared to be the Son of God with power, definitively proven through His resurrection from the dead.
The Witness of Peter (Acts 2:22): On the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter emphasized both Christ’s humanity and His divine approval, addressing the crowd: "Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles, wonders, and signs."
Key Takeaway: Scripture establishes that miracles, signs, and wonders are God’s primary method of authenticating Jesus Christ as distinct from any ordinary prophet or historical figure.
The Problem with Formal Christianity and the Modern Church
A growing issue within formal, modern Christianity is an apologetic stance toward the supernatural. Many contemporary churches have drifted away from the miraculous, attempting to intellectualize or minimize the supernatural elements of the faith.
This shift undermines the foundational pillars of the gospel:
The Virgin Birth: The miraculous entry of Christ into humanity.
The Ministry Miracles: The supernatural demonstrations of compassion and authority over nature, sickness, and demons.
The Resurrection: The ultimate demonstration of power over death, which forms the bedrock of Christian hope.
Why the Miraculous is Essential to the Christian Faith
If you remove the miraculous from the life of Jesus, Christianity loses its purpose, its power, and its distinctiveness. Without the supernatural, Jesus becomes indistinguishable from any other historical philosopher, moral teacher, or self-proclaimed prophet.
As Peter reminded the early believers, the community knew Jesus' human origins – His hometown, His mother, and His siblings – but they knew He was fundamentally different because God actively and publicly vindicated Him through extraordinary signs.