Out of all the miracles performed by the Lord
during His ministry on earth, John gives us only eight. That there
were many more is clear (see John 7: 31; 12: 37; 20: 30), though
this did not satisfy His Jewish opponents (see John 2: 18; 6: 30)—a
position of unbelief that led the Lord to speak of that which would
transcend these testimonial acts of power. Thus in John 2 He
referred His opposers to His resurrection (see v 21), while in John
6 He spoke of His death (see vs. 33, 51). However, the fact remains
that, despite there being “many signs” (John 11: 47), John would
have us especially notice only eight. This limited number would
suggest that they are chosen with purpose.
What then is that purpose?
Now miracles are spoken of in the NT under
three names, and all three occur in Acts 2: 22: “Men of Israel, hear
these words: Jesus the Nazaraean, a man borne witness to by God to
you by
works of power and
wonders and
signs” (my emphasis;
see also Heb. 2: 4). A work
of power (dunamis) is
simply
a mighty act. This
word is never used in the Gospel of John (although
dunamai, the verb from
which it is derived, does occur). A
wonder (teras),
however, refers to
the effect produced
on those who witnessed the mighty act. Now since the English word
miracle is from the Latin
miraculum, which also
means a wonder, it is
clear that miracle should
only be used as a translation of
teras. John uses
teras only once in his
Gospel (see John 4: 48). In all the other passages where miracles
are referred to John uses the word
sign (seemion),
and this 17 times. This use of the word
sign indicates that the
focus is on what
meaning should be
attached to the work of power.
It is not enough for the observers to be filled with
wonder. That signs
intrinsically have purpose is proved by John 20: 30, 31: “Many other
signs therefore also Jesus did before his disciples, which are not
written in this book; but these are written that ye may believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God”.
In passing it is worth noting what has just
been quoted, namely, that the signs were done “before his disciples”
(John 20: 30)—suggesting that it was they, as believing Jews, that
were to get the gain of what was conveyed by them. Unbelieving Jews
would not (see John 2: 23–25). Elsewhere we learn that signs are
what Jews (in contradistinction to Gentiles) particularly ask for
(see 1 Cor. 1: 22). It is of significance therefore that John
records that the Lord was baptised at the commencement of His public
ministry in order “that he might be manifested to Israel” (John 1:
31), and follows this up almost immediately with “This beginning of
signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory” (John
2: 11). In John 4: 54 we read “This second sign” but none of the
later signs are numbered. This may seem an issue, but it probably
only reflects the fact that there were other, unnoticed signs in
between. That we are expected to
count the signs is
suggested by the fact that they seem connected in pairs according to
a regular pattern. All eight manifest the glory of the Messiah and
His ability to meet Israel’s lost condition, but the second of the
pair always exhibits a greater depth than the first.
John’s
first and the
eighth signs are the
water into wine at the marriage in Cana (see John 2: 1–11), and the
multitude of fishes caught after a night’s abortive fishing by the
disciples (see John 21: 1–14). In the first the Lord “manifested
forth His glory”, and in the eighth He “manifested” Himself (John 2:
11; 21: 14; note the same word in each passage). The first sign was
given in response to the Lord’s mother saying “they have no wine”
(John 2: 3). The eighth sign was given after the disciples “took
nothing” while fishing, and the bankruptcy of their position is
further exposed by the Lord’s question “Children, have ye anything
to eat?” (John 21: 3; 5). Both picture the
destitution of
Israel’s situation without Christ. The first simply states it, the
second reinforces it by revealing that despite working hard to
remedy the lack, the unbelieving disciples are as empty–handed after
all their toil as when they began. Only when Christ enters the
situation is there wine produced like none other, and fish in
abundance. The fact that the eighth sign is given after the Lord’s
resurrection (the other seven occurring during His ministry) is
perhaps an indication of His continuing mercy to the nation.
The
second and the
seventh signs are the
healing of the courtier’s son who was about to die (see John 4:
46–54), and the raising of Lazarus from the dead (see John 11:
1–44). Here the sign in each case is connected with death, and, as
in all the other pairs, the latter is an advance upon the former,
Lazarus being already in the tomb. Here we have pictured Israel’s
lifeless condition, a
valley full of dry bones (see Ezek. 37: 1, 2). Nicodemus may well
say (speaking for the nation) that “we know that thou art come a
teacher from God, for none can do these signs that thou doest unless
God be with him” but the Lord’s reply is straight and to the point:
“It is needful that ye
should be born anew” (John 3:
7). This national quickening is yet to
happen (see Ezek. 37: 5, 6), and when it does, what will Israel’s
reception be “but life from among [the] dead?” (Rom. 11: 15).
The
third and the
sixth signs are the
healing of the impotent man (see John 5: 1–47), and the healing of
the man born blind (see John 9: 1–41). In both these two signs there
is a condition of long–standing
hopelessness that is
met by the Lord (see John 5: 5; 9: 1). In the first case, the man
dreams of a remedy (however forlorn), but in the latter the
hopelessness is absolute for “since time was, it has not been heard
that any one opened the eyes of one born blind” (John 9: 32).
Interestingly, these two signs are the only two out of the eight
that have any reference to sin (see John 5: 14; 9: 2, 24, 25, 34),
and sin is the root of both Israel’s spiritual impotence and her
spiritual blindness. The solution is to be found in the Man that
would die as a sin–offering for the nation (see John 11: 50; 18:
14).
The
fourth and the
fifth signs are the
feeding of the five thousand (see John 6: 1–14), and the Lord
walking on the sea (see John 6: 15–21). These are the two central
signs in John’s Gospel and they are further connected together by
being the only signs which are also recorded in the synoptic
Gospels, perhaps implying that all four Gospels are needed in order
to give us their full signification. What we have here pictured is
Israel’s
ignorance: “The ox
knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib; Israel doth not
know, my people hath no intelligence” (Is. 1: 3). In the first sign
Philip asks “Whence shall we buy loaves that these may eat?” (John
6: 5), but such divine beneficence had been long prophesied: “I will
abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her needy ones with
bread” (Ps. 132: 15). In the second sign, the ignorance is of a
deeper kind for when the disciples “see Jesus walking on the sea and
coming near the ship … they were frightened” (John 6: 19), and their
fear is only assuaged by the Lord telling them “It is I: be not
afraid” (v20). In the one sign they did not recognise the power
invested in Christ, in the other, they simply failed to recognise
Him at all. Thus “[as to] this [man]” said the Jews, “we know whence
he is” (John 7: 27), mistakenly taking Him to be no different from
themselves, for “had they known, they would not have crucified the
Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2: 8). Yet the Lord is able for even this
dire condition of man, for though Israel rejected Him at His first
coming, He “shall appear to those that look for him the second time
without sin for salvation” (Heb. 9: 28).
What we see then in these eight signs is
Israel’s spiritual state in the eyes of God—destitute, lifeless,
without hope and ignorant. Yet we also see that Christ is able for
their condition, and in a soon–coming day, as the great deliverer,
Christ “shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob” (Rom. 11: 26).
Then, they will
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20: 31), but
what about you and I in the present day? Yes we have already
believed what they will one day believe, but what practical force
does that belief have in our lives? The One who could step into any
situation when here on earth and meet each and every physical need
is now in the place of power at the right hand of God. He is more
than able for all our spiritual needs, whether we individually or
whether we look more widely to what is collective. The purpose in
“believing”, is that we “might have
life in his name”
(John 20: 31, my emphasis).
