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    Signs in The Gospel of John

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    Randy Neal
    The document discusses the signs recorded in the Gospel of John that were intended to create belief. There are eight miracles recorded, including Jesus turning water into wine, healing the sick, feeding the 5000, walking on water, healing the blind man, raising Lazarus, and resurrecting after His death. These signs were meant to strengthen the faith of believers but also create doubt in skeptics. However, signs are not necessary for belief as some Samaritans came to faith based on Jesus' words alone in John 4. While signs can create belief, they may also harden unbelievers against faith.

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    Signs in The Gospel of John

    Uploaded by

    Randy Neal
    194 views3 pages
    The document discusses the signs recorded in the Gospel of John that were intended to create belief. There are eight miracles recorded, including Jesus turning water into wine, healing the sick, feeding the 5000, walking on water, healing the blind man, raising Lazarus, and resurrecting after His death. These signs were meant to strengthen the faith of believers but also create doubt in skeptics. However, signs are not necessary for belief as some Samaritans came to faith based on Jesus' words alone in John 4. While signs can create belief, they may also harden unbelievers against faith.

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    John's use of the word "sign" in the fourth Gospel.

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    Signs in the Gospel of John

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    The document discusses the signs recorded in the Gospel of John that were intended to create belief. There are eight miracles recorded, including Jesus turning water into wine, healing the sick, feeding the 5000, walking on water, healing the blind man, raising Lazarus, and resurrecting after His death. These signs were meant to strengthen the faith of believers but also create doubt in skeptics. However, signs are not necessary for belief as some Samaritans came to faith based on Jesus' words alone in John 4. While signs can create belief, they may also harden unbelievers against faith.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as RTF, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as rtf, pdf, or txt
    194 views3 pages

    Signs in The Gospel of John

    Uploaded by

    Randy Neal
    The document discusses the signs recorded in the Gospel of John that were intended to create belief. There are eight miracles recorded, including Jesus turning water into wine, healing the sick, feeding the 5000, walking on water, healing the blind man, raising Lazarus, and resurrecting after His death. These signs were meant to strengthen the faith of believers but also create doubt in skeptics. However, signs are not necessary for belief as some Samaritans came to faith based on Jesus' words alone in John 4. While signs can create belief, they may also harden unbelievers against faith.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as RTF, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as rtf, pdf, or txt
    of 3

    Signs In The Gospel of John By John R.

    Neal The word rendered sign, , occurs some seventeen times

    in the fourth gospel. The word is normally translated as sign, wonder, or miracle. Johns ties faith in with the signs he records of Jesus in the fourth gospel (John 20:30-31). John says Jesus did many other signs that are not written in this account, but these are written that you might believe. No wonder then that the term sign (17 times) and faith (96 times) are used so often in the gospel of John. There are eight miracles (if you include the

    resurrection of Jesus) John records that are given to created belief in the hearts of his readers. The first miracle is Jesus turning water into wine at Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-12). This sign creates faith in His disciples. Johns second miracle records the healing of the noblemans son (not to be confused with the healing of a noblemans servant in the synoptic), which also takes place in Cana of Galilee (John 4:43-54). The third miracle is the healing of the lame man crippled for thirty-eight years at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-16). One notices the progression of each miracle (each sign is intended to create more faith among believers, but also creates more doubt in the heart of the skeptic). The fourth miracle is Jesus feeding the five thousand (John 6:1-14), and following this sign the crowd is ready to appoint Jesus as king (thus He departs). The fifth miracle, again intended to build faith in His disciples, is Jesus walking on the water and the subsequent ending up at Capernaum

    (John 6:15-21). The sixth miracle, healing of man born blind in chapter nine, intends to show not only Jesus power over disease but also His authority over the Jewish rulers. The blind man believes in Him because of the sign. The seventh miracle is Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John chapter 11). Mary and Martha knew Jesus could heal their brother if He had been there (if you had been here, our brother would not have died, 11:21, 32). The

    purpose of this sign is not to heal the sick, but to ask the question if Jesus has all authority over death (perhaps preparing the disciples for His resurrection). This sign would lead to the Jewish leaders plotting to kill Jesus (John 11:47-57). While they could no more deny the signs Jesus performs any more than Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin, could deny His signs (John 3:1-2), yet the Jewish leaders feel they must put Him to death to save their position of authority. The eighth and final miracle is

    Jesus resurrection from the tomb and His subsequent appearance to the disciples (John 20:1ff.). No wonder then John connects belief with signs, because the signs can either help create faith or belief in the heart of Johns readers or even strengthen the faith in the heart of the believer. Yet signs are not necessary for belief. What do I mean by this? John interjects Jesus trip through

    Samaria (in chapter four) and His wining the soul of the woman from Sychar and those of her village. Yet Jesus at no time in this context, so far as we know, uses signs to prove to the Samaritans that He is the Messiah. One wonders what Jesus spoke to them about during that two day stay-over in

    Sychar.

    Perhaps He convinces them that He is the fulfillment of Old

    Testament prophecy. Whatever convinces them, those from Sychar say they believe in Jesus based not on the testimony of the woman, but based upon His word (John 4:40-42). Does this not contradict Johns purpose for using signs in his gospel account? No, for the simple fact that not all of us

    require the same amount of proof that someone else might require. Take, for example, Thomas and his response to the story of the resurrection: he would not believe until he saw the nail prints in His hands and the scar in His side (John 20:25). When Jesus finally appears in the presence of the

    disciples, including Thomas, Jesus does not condemn his need for proof, but simply says, be not unbelieving, but believing (vs. 27). Jesus

    pronounces a blessing upon those who have not seen, but still believe (John 20:29). John uses signs and wonders to show that Jesus is from God. Some will believe the wonders (like those in Pharaohs court), while others will harden their hearts (like old Pharaoh) and refuse to believe. As with many of the themes in Johns gospel, sign is a double-edged sword. What creates belief in one person may drive a wedge in the heart of another. The fourth gospel is a great study to use for those who are skeptics. I have personally known of many who came to faith after an intense study of Johns gospel. The

    purpose set forth in John 20:30-31 is still working today in the twenty-first century.

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