Signs, not Proof: Why Jesus Healed

"Jesus healed people because He loved people, because He was moved by compassion, because He saw the sick as beloved children of His Father. But [from AD. 350 on] the emphasis shifted to healings as proof. First, they were a proof that Christianity was the true religion; then later, they became signs of the holiness of the one who prayed for the healing."
- Francis MacNutt, The Healing Reawakening: Reclaiming Our Lost Inheritance, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, 2006, chapter 13, paragraph 1.


Jesus did not do miracles to prove his authenticity or even the authenticity of his message. He did them because he was moved by compassion and love. Of course, that direct demonstration of God's love in action was then there for all to see. It was a sign of God's love, a sign of God's power, a sign of God's compassion. It was an outcome of God's very nature. But its purpose was never to be cold, hard proof! That was never why Jesus healed.