Seven Signs in the Gospel of John

During the course of his ministry recorded in the book of John, Jesus performed seven signs, or miracles, that had earthly meaning as well as heavenly purpose. As each sign grew in magnitude, from turning water into wine to raising a man from the dead, the purpose of bringing glory to God was fulfilled.

            

The first sign Jesus performed was changing water to wine. Jesus and his disciples were invited to a wedding at Cana in Galilee. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother Mary told him that there was no more wine. He replied, “Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.” However, she told the servants to do whatever Jesus told them to do. Nearby were six stone water jars that each held from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants to fill the jars with water. After they filled the jars he told them to take some of the water to the master of the banquet. The master of the wedding banquet tasted some of the water, which had been turned to wine, but did not know where the wine had come from. He liked the wine and told the groom so: “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best for last.”

         

The recipients of this sign were the servants who filled the jars with water; they witnessed Jesus’ first sign. Although changing water to wine sign seems inconsequential to the overall plan, it was the first of Jesus’ miracles, signifying his transition into ministry.

            

When Jesus visited Cana again, a royal official whose son was deathly ill heard that Jesus was in town and went to him and pleaded for Jesus to come and heal his son. Jesus said to the official: “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe.” The official asked again that Jesus come heal the child before he died. Jesus told the official, “You may go. Your son will live.” The official went home and found that his son had gotten better around the time Jesus had said “Your son will live.” So he and his entire household were recipients of this sign because they were directly affected by the miracle and they believed in Jesus because of it. Jesus implied by what he said in the quote above that he healed the official’s son to establish or reassure the official’s faith.

            

When Jesus was in Jerusalem near the pool of Bethesda, he came across a man who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years. When he learned that the man had been an invalid for such a long time, Jesus asked the man if he wanted to get well. The man said that there was no one to help him into the pool when the water was stirred, and when he tried to get in, someone else would get in before him. Jesus said to the man “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk,” and the man was healed. Later Jesus found him at the temple and told him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”

            

The man who Jesus healed had had no faith in Jesus to heal him—when Jesus asked him if he wanted to get well, the man spoke of how he could not get into the healing waters of Bethesda—yet Jesus healed him. Afterwards the man told the Jews that Jesus had made him well; he received faith from being healed. One reason Jesus performed this sign was compassion for the paralyzed man. Jesus not only healed the man physically but also cleansed him spiritually.

            

As Jesus and his disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee, a large crowd of about five thousand men followed them to the shore because of the signs they had seen him perform. Then Jesus went up onto a mountain and saw the crowd that followed him. He asked Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” Philip replied that even eight months’ wages would not buy enough food for everyone to have a bite. After searching, the only food that could be found was five small loaves of bread and two small fish. Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down. Then Jesus took the little food that had been found, gave thanks for it, and distributed it to the people. When everyone had eaten his fill, the disciples gathered the left over pieces of food and filled twelve baskets with the bread and fish.

            

The recipients of this sign were not only the crowd of people that received food but the disciples who were with Jesus. The crowd was amazed at the sign, but they intended to force Jesus to be their king because he could provide them food. To Jesus’ disciples, however, this sign was more proof that Jesus was the Messiah they were waiting for. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that Jesus performed this sign to show his power to his disciples and to the multitude of people. When they wanted to make him king by force, he retreated to a mountain, showing his desire to have a relationship with people so they could know him and be saved.

            

Jesus’ disciples got into a boat in the evening, after Jesus had fed the five thousand. It was dark, and Jesus was not with them because he had withdrawn to a mountain by himself. When they had rowed three to three and a half miles across the lake, they saw Jesus coming toward them on the water. Because they did not know that who they saw was Jesus, they were afraid; but Jesus called out to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” When the disciples realized it was Jesus, they took him into the boat, and the boat reached the shore immediately.

            

The recipients of this sign were the disciples in the boat. They were afraid until they realized that the figure walking on water was Jesus. After seeing Jesus feed five thousand people with five loaves of bread, then witnessing him walk on water, they more fully understood Jesus’ God-given power. Similar in the meaning to his previous sign, this sign showed his disciples that he is the Messiah. He demonstrated his power by doing something that was thought to be impossible.

            

When Jesus and his disciples saw a man who had been blind from birth, the disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus replied, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” After saying this, Jesus spit in the dirt, made mud, and put it on the blind man’s eyes. Then he told the blind man to wash in the pool of Siloam. The man washed, and when he opened his eyes, he could see.

            

The recipient was the man whom Jesus healed. The blind man did not request that Jesus heal him. In fact, he never said anything to Jesus before he was healed. After Jesus healed him, he believed that Jesus came from God and defended his belief in front of the Pharisees. Jesus performed this sign to give God glory and to show his disciples, as well as the man who was healed, that he is from God.

            

The last sign Jesus performed was raising a man from the dead. Lazarus, a friend of Jesus, had been dead for four days when Jesus arrived to comfort the man’s sisters, Mary and Martha. Deeply moved, Jesus went to the tomb and asked that the stone be removed. When Martha said that there would be a bad smell, Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” Then the stone was moved and Jesus prayed: “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” He then told Lazarus to come out of the tomb, and Lazarus came out wrapped in grave clothes but very much alive.

            

The recipients of this sign were Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and the people who had come to visit the grieving sisters. All of the people grieving for Lazarus witnessed this spectacular miracle, and, as a result, many of them believed in Jesus. Jesus performed this final sign to glorify God and show the extent of God’s power through Jesus. Jesus prayed that the people watching him would believe that God sent him so that they would believe in Jesus and praise God.

            

The seven signs Jesus performed during his ministry recorded in the book of John are as important to his work on earth as what he taught. They developed his character as a compassionate, healing, and powerful Son of God. In each sign, Jesus’ goal to bring glory to God was met.

Humble Servants

Mark 10:43-44
"But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else."

When James and John asked Jesus if they could sit at his right and left when he was on his throne, the other disciples became upset with them; but Jesus said to the disciples, "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different." He continued by saying that anyone who wanted to be a great leader among them must be the servant of everyone else, and whoever wanted to be first must be everyone else's slave. He finished by saying, "Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many."

I think Jesus wanted his disciples to understand that in order to be a leader, one must humble himself; they could not be like the haughty rulers that let power get to their heads. Jesus, the Son of God, lived as a human, served others, and gave his life for the sake of many people. In doing this he gave his disciples an example of how they were to live if they continued to be his followers. Since we are his disciples, we, too, must humble ourselves and serve others.

The Baptism of Jesus

Matthew 3:13-17

Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk Him out of it. "I am the one who needs to be baptized by you," he said, "so why are you coming to me?" But Jesus said, "It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires." So John agreed to baptize Him. After His baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on Him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy."

John 1:32-34

Then John testified, "I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon Him. I didn't know He was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, He told me, 'The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that He is the Chosen One of God."

John the Baptist preached a message of repentance, and people of every background came to be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins. When Jesus came to be baptized by John, John tried to talk Him out of it. Jesus had no sin, and John thought that Jesus ought to baptize him; why should He ask John to baptize Him? Jesus was the Chosen One of God and didn't need to repent of sin.

In this context, to repent is to give up an old way of life and take up a new way of life. Jesus wasn't being baptized to repent of any sins but to change the course of His life. After His baptism and temptation in the wilderness, Jesus began His ministry and preached His message of repentance. After Jesus was baptized He changed everything about His life. His baptism was an anointing for ministry.

"It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires." I believe that when Jesus said this to John, He meant that He must be baptized in order to begin His ministry and do what God required. God required Jesus to spend time ministering to the masses as well as developing close relationships with a select few of His followers so that they could carry on the message of the kingdom after Jesus was gone. To do all of this Jesus had to be baptized first; He changed His life and exchanged the quiet life of a carpenter's son for ministry.

In getting baptized, Jesus committed Himself to God's will and accepted what was going to inevitably happen at the close of His ministry. He accepted a mission of salvation for mankind through great sacrifice. He became a servant and lived a life of conflict and persecution that led to a painful death.

But that was not the end of Jesus' mission; God had something extraordinary planned that exceeded all expectations. Jesus defeated death and completed His mission on earth.

I give credit to Steven Carrizal for many of the ideas and much of the information included in this blog post.

Earnestly Seek God

Psalm 63:1-5
O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my body longs for You, in this dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and Your glory. Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You. I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise You.

When David wrote Psalm 63, he was in the Desert of Judah; he was literally in a dry land without water, but he did not ask for water. He thirsted for God. David had seen God's power and glory and knew God was all he needed. His language in this psalm expresses a desperate yearning for God. He saw that God's love is better than life itself and wanted to praise God for as long as he lived. His soul was satisfied with God as a person is satisfied with good food.

David wrote all of this incredible praise while he was in a desert, quite possibly when he fled from his son Absalom, who tried to overthrow the throne and become king. Hiding out in an arid desert, dealing with the heartbreak of his son's betrayal, David earnestly sought God's presence and praised Him; he declared that God was all he needed to be content. In the midst of great struggle, David praised God.

David's praise is an amazing example of what our praise should look like. Whether in good times or bad, we should lift up our hands to God in gratitude and worship. He will fulfill our needs and take care of us. His love will not fail us but will sustain us throughout every circumstance. As long as you live, praise God, sing to Him, and earnestly seek Him.

Great Love

John 15:12-17
"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other."

This passage begins with Jesus giving a command for His disciples to love each other as He has loved us. He followed this command with an example of love, to give one's life for his friends, and then called us His friends if we obey His commands. A few chapters later, Jesus was beaten and crucified; He fulfilled His example of great love by giving His life for our sake. Jesus said that He no longer called us servants because servants do not know their master's business, but called us friends because He has made known to us everything He learned from God.

Jesus continued on to say that we did not choose Him, but He chose us. Even if we made the choice to follow Him, He chose us and gave us a purpose in His plan. He gave us the job of bearing fruit that will last. To understand what Jesus meant by "fruit," we have to look back a few verses to John 15:8, "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." Our "fruit" is our legacy as Christ followers, being living examples of Christ's love. Jesus gave His disciples (which includes us) the job of bearing good fruit that will last--leaving a legacy of His love. We cannot do this by ourselves; we must remain in Jesus to be examples of His love.

This passage closes the same way it began, with Jesus giving His command to love each other. He emphasized His command because it is so very important. In order to draw others to Christ, we must act like Him and show everyone His incredible love. How can you show Christ's love to those around you? How can you leave a legacy so that the generations to come will want to follow a God with such great love?

I hope you have a wonderful week and find ways to love others in keeping with Christ's command.

Blessings, Caitlin

Colossians 3:1-4

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory."

As followers of Christ, we are given new life in Christ and a new promise: a home in heaven, where Christ is honored at God's right hand. When we live for Christ, He reconciles us to Him washes us clean. He becomes our new life; and at the end, when Christ appears before the whole world in all His glory, His followers will share in His glory.

However, right now we still have the temptations of this world to battle with, and we constantly sin. That is why Jesus wants to save us. In Him, we can have a different, new life, even when we fall short of His expectations. We must try to obey His word, but He didn't ask us to be perfect. Otherwise, we wouldn't need God's grace to save us; we could do it all on our own. Jesus, the perfect sacrifice to save all people, will save those who accept His gift, even though they may fail. His sacrifice is big enough to cover everyone's mistakes.

We should do our best to obey God. Even when we fall, He will be there to dust us off and pick us up again. He sent Jesus to redeem us because He wants us to be with Him in heaven someday. People are His masterpiece creation; He loves us. He does not love us because we are perfect or could ever be perfect on our own. He loves us because He made us in His image. We were worth His time and effort to create, and we were worth it for Him to send His Son to be crucified for the sake of our redemption. He made us carefully, working out every detail about each of us, long before we were born. If that is not proof of God's love, I don't know what is. He loves us so much, and He wants us to love Him back. He desires our hearts.

1 Peter 5:10-11

"And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen."

To completely understand these verses, we must first dissect them and pull out the individual meaning of each part. Just in the beginning of the first sentence, God's grace is shown. Through Christ, God enabled us to share in His glory, meaning we will be allowed to enter the kingdom of heaven and live with God for eternity if we accept Jesus as our Savior. Isn't that amazing? Without Christ's sacrifice, we would be unable to find a way into heaven on our own (John 14:6). It is solely by God's grace that we can enter His presence (Ephesians 2:8).

The next part of the sentence is a little trickier to decipher: "After you have suffered a little while, [God] will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." What is this "suffering for a little while"? What about God's grace? Even Christians have suffering in this life. This world is broken and imperfect, and we all sin, whether we are saved or not. That is why God sent Jesus, to give us a chance to find the Father and enter heaven. God desires our hearts and wants to be with us. When He created us, God meant for us to be with Him; we belong in His arms. Therefore, after we have suffered on earth, He will restore us to Him.

Additionally, while we are on earth, God will support and strengthen us; He will place us on a firm foundation: Jesus Christ. Even when we are weak and feel like we cannot stand, God is there with us. He will never leave us.

To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Blessings, Caitlin