Stating the purpose of the Gospel account bearing his name, John wrote, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:30-31). God attested to the fact that Jesus is truly the Son of God by means of miracles, wonders, and signs (Acts 2:22). A miracle is a display of power so mighty that it must have God—breaking in and causing an exception to ordinary processes—as its origin. A wonder emphasizes the astonishment which these works of God produce in the beholders. A sign is a mark or token, emphasizing the significance to which a miracle points. Jesus worked many miracles that were signs to convince people to believe in Him, but some people are so hard-hearted that even witnessing miracles right in front of them is not enough to persuade them to believe (John 12:37-40). But to those who are honest, the miracles of Jesus constitute sufficient proof for them to believe He is God’s Son and have eternal life because of how that conviction changes their lives.
John, like the other New Testament writers, documents a select number of the many miracles of Jesus. There would not be enough room to document all that Jesus did (John 21:25), but these selective signs are enough to produce saving faith. Six signs are recorded in chapters 2-11 of John: the water to wine (chapter 2), healing the nobleman’s son (chapter 4), healing the lame man (chapter 5), feeding 5,000 (chapter 6), walking on water (chapter 6), healing the blind man (chapter 9), and raising Lazarus from the dead (chapter 11). They are signs in that they point, respectively, to the fact that Jesus is Lord over quality, distance, time, quantity, natural law, misfortune, and even death. The seventh—and culminating—sign in John is Jesus’ resurrection from the dead in chapter 20. Of all the miraculous signs that indicate Jesus is the Son of God, the resurrection is supreme proof, and without it Christianity would never have gotten off the ground (1 Corinthians 15:14).
Miracles arrest our attention to tell us that God has something to which we need to pay close attention. The great salvation provided by following the Lord Jesus Christ is the most important opportunity of our lives; we must not carelessly let it slip through our fingers:
Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? Hebrews 2:1-4
This week we will be considering the miracles/signs of Jesus in our Vacation Bible School. May we come to have greater confidence in the saving truth that Jesus is indeed the Son of God as we fill our hearts with His miraculous credentials.
–Mark Day
