Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

§15.7 Who Did They Think Jesus Was?
15.7. 'A Doer of Extraordinary Deeds'
Where do the traditions regarding Jesus' miracles fit into all this? They form a
major part of the Jesus tradition, and prior to the Enlightenment's problematizing
the very category of 'miracle' they constituted weighty proof that Jesus was from
(or of) God (§4.2). Since then the probative value (and therefore the market
value) of these traditions has fallen through the floor, and it has not recovered
much in recent years. But the records of Jesus 'mighty works' are too important a
feature of the Jesus tradition for us to ignore. In proceeding, however, it may be
better to avoid the still problematic category 'miracle', still usually understood in
terms of divine intervention in the normal workings of nature. For the time being
it will be preferable to use the less loaded definition 'remarkable occurrences'
(COD), the common NT term 'deeds of power' (dynameis), or Josephus's description
of Jesus as 'a doer of extraordinary deeds (paradoxön ergön poietes)'
(Ant. 18.63). 245 It will not be possible, however, to avoid some discussion of the
equally problematic term 'magic'. I will follow the same procedure as in the
other sections of these two chapters.
a. Jewish Expectation
There is surprisingly little indication that either the royal or the priestly Messiah
was expected to work deeds of power. 246 It should be noted, however, that both
David and Solomon had reputations as exorcists. David is described in early Israelite
history as one who was able by his music to make Saul well when the latter
was tormented by an 'evil spirit from God' and to cause the evil spirit to depart
(1 Sam. 16.14-16, 23). Not surprisingly Josephus explains the effect of David's
harp-playing in terms of 'charming away, singing away by means of a spell'
(exadö, Ant. 6.166-8), 247 and Pseudo-Philo 60 actually records the song that Da-
245. Paradoxos has the basic sense of 'contrary to expectation, incredible' (LSJ), 'contrary
to opinion or exceeding expectation' (BDAG). See also Meier's discussion 'What Is a
Miracle?' (Marginal Jew 2.512-15 and 524-25 n. 5), with good bibliography (522-24 n. 4).
Crossan defines a miracle as 'a marvel [that is, 'not a trick or a deceit but a marvel or a wonder
— something that staggers current explanation'] that someone interprets as a transcendental action
or manifestation'; 'to claim a miracle is to make an interpretation of faith, not just a statement
of fact' (Birth 303-304); but why did he insert 'just' in the second quotation?
246. This was taken to warrant the blanket assertion 'that miraculous healing was not associated
in Judaism with the Davidic Messiah' (Fuller, Foundations 111); similarly Hahn:
'working miracles and proclaiming glad tidings is not the task of the royal Messiah' (Hahn,
Hoheitstitel 393 [Titles 380]).
247. LSJ, exadö, cites Lucian, Philops. 16; Trag. 173.
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