JESUS PRESENTED TO THE WORLD an entirely new perspective on life. It represented more than a religion, or a way of living; he presented a new paradigm that redefined the world in which we live.
What was the new paradigm? What definition of reality, or explanation of how the universe operates, would allow for walking on water, healing the sick, and raising the dead? Most would agree that the works of Jesus and his disciples challenged the premise that matter is the framework of life and is the medium through which life can be experienced. Even with the breathtaking technological advancements and progress we've experienced in recent years, Jesus' acts are difficult to explain within the supposition of a matter-based reality. And that's the reason these events are still called "miracles."
The virgin birth, for example, challenges the idea that life comes from a sperm and egg. Walking on water calls into question the laws of physics. Cases of instantaneous healing (without drugs or surgery) might cause some to reexamine the commonly accepted causes and cures of disease. Overcoming death shows that life persists beyond the grave, which challenges the notion we are physical beings and that thinking, seeing, and hearing are derived from brain, eyes, and ears. Jesus' final and most provocative demonstration, the ascension, runs counter to every existing physical law.
