“Okay, so the apostles did miracles back in Bible times. Big deal. Where’s my miracle today?” Perhaps you’ve wondered about that, especially when reading passages such as this. For it’s obvious that Peter was doing exactly the same kinds of miracles that Jesus did – the parallels are just too obvious to be accidental.

For example, compare verses 33-34 to Jesus’ encounter with another paralytic, whose friends lowered him through the roof of the house where He was preaching in Capernaum (Mark 2:4). Jesus told him to arise and pick up his bed (Mark 2:11), just Peter told Aeneas, “Rise, and make your bed” (Acts 9:34). And just as Peter said to Dorcas’ body, “Tabitha, arise” (Acts 9:40), Jesus had said to Jairus’ daughter, “Talitha cumi,” which means “Little girl, I say to you, arise” in Aramaic (Mark 5:41). And both the little girl and Dorcas were restored to life.

But the differences between these miracles are also instructive. Notice that Peter is very careful to say to Aeneas, “Jesus Christ heals you” (Acts 9:34). In a similar way, before speaking to Dorcas’ body, Peter knelt down and prayed (Acts 9:40). In both cases, Peter made it clear that the power to heal and to raise the dead was not his own.

In contrast, Jesus needs no help to perform miracles. He just walked right into Jairus’ house, took his daughter by the hand, and spoke a word of command to her. And he specifically used the healing of the paralytic to point to his own authority as the Son of Man, not just to heal but also to forgive sins (Mark 2:10).

And that may help us to understand both why miracles were recorded in the Scriptures and why they might seem to be less common today – their main purpose was and is to bring glory to Christ. After Peter performed both miracles, that’s exactly what happened, for when “all the residents of Lydda and Sharon” saw the man who had been healed of his paralysis, they “turned to the Lord” (Acts 9:35). In the same way, after Dorcas was raised from the dead, many people in the city of Joppa “believed in the Lord” (Acts 9:42).

Many times, when we don’t get an answer that we want, it’s because we’re asking the wrong question. So, instead of keeping our focus on ourselves by wondering, “Where’s my miracle,” we need to ask instead, “What opportunities do I have to demonstrate the healing, life-giving, saving power of the Lord Jesus?” And as we seek to show Christ to the world around us, who knows? Maybe we’ll also see the power of God poured out on us and on others in amazing ways.

Acts 9:32-43 (ESV)

32 Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.
33 There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed.
34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose.
35 And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
36 Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.
37 In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.
38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, “Please come to us without delay.”
39 So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them.
40 But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.
41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.
43 And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner.