Introduction
John states the purpose of all eight signs in John 20:30-31 30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. The signs were done so that people would believe that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God. All eight shows/or reveals the deity of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. I will explain the miracle and how they show and reveal the deity of Christ, also when and where they were performed.
Turning of Water into Wine
The first sign takes place in the second chapter in Cana at a Wedding Feast that his family and disciples were attending. Christ turned the water into wine, probably a sweet wine versus fermented wine, as fermented wine would have gone against everything Jesus stood for. This sign manifested his glory and his disciples believed who he was (John 2:11) (a). It shows that only God can change water into wine, this is how it shows Christ’s deity.
Healing of a Nobleman’s Son
The second sign occurs in the fourth chapter when Jesus heals the nobleman’s son; this sign also took place in Cana. The son was sick in Capernaum, and his father the nobleman begged Jesus to heal his son. When Jesus told the man that his son was alive, he believed and he knew when he was told his son was alive that he was healed the moment Jesus said the words” You son lives”.
(a.) The marriage feast in Cana
Because of this sign the nobleman’s whole household was saved that day. This sign shows the compassion that Jesus had for this man’s son which shows the deity of Christ, which is that he, can heal.
Healing of a Lame Man
The third sign occurs in the fifth chapter where the lame man is healed by the pool of Bethesda. The man had been lame for 38 years. Jesus asked him if he wanted to get well, the man told Jesus that he had no one to put him into the swirling water. The Jews believed that this pool had miraculous powers to heal the sick. The story was that an angel would come down and stir the water up. Jesus told him to take up his bed and walk, the man believed and got up and walked. No one had ever been able to heal this man, but Jesus could! This shows the deity of Christ by doing something that no one else had ever done before, which was heal a lame person that wasn’t able to walk for over 30 years.
Feeding of the 5,000
The fourth sign occurs in the sixth chapter where Jesus feeds 5,000 hungry people with a little boy’s lunch of five loafs of bread and two fish. Once everyone was full, they still gathered twelve baskets of leftovers, and yet the people still wanted more signs. He provides for those he cares for, he supplied his disciples with fish, and there were even 12 baskets left over for each disciple to take home to family, if they had any family. This sign shows the deity of Christ by, only God can create something from nothing.
Jesus Walking on the Water
The fifth sign also occurs in chapter six when Jesus walks on the water of Sea of Galilee. The sea began to stir up and the winds and waves over powered the Disciples in their boat to the point of being afraid of dying. They had rowed three or four miles out to sea when they saw Jesus walking on the water. It frightened them to the point that once they knew it was Jesus, they were amazed that even the winds and waves obeyed him. The deity of Christ here is shown that he has power over ALL creation. As Morris states in his book, “Jesus is the Christ” the living water Jesus brings gives us eternal life, the Tora did not. (1)
Healing of the Blind Man
The sixth sign occurs in chapter nine; Jesus heals the blind man that had been blind from birth. His disciples asked who sinned, him or his parents, and Jesus told them neither the man nor his parents have sinned to cause this blindness, but it was to display the works of God. Jesus spit on the ground and made some clay and put it on the man’s eyes and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam, which the man did and he received his sight. The Council through him out of the Synagogue because they didn’t believe that he was blind from birth, even though his parents had told them that he was, since they were afraid they advised them that he was of age and to ask him themselves. The reason most likely that Christ told the blind man to wash in the Pool of Siloam was merely on faith. Because the Pool of Bethesda was much closer for the man, this shows that the man actually did have faith enough in Christ to believe.
This had never been done before until now, so Jesus displays his deity by doing something that had never been done before, the healing of a blind man from birth.
(1.) A variety of Jewish sources link the symbolism of water with the law (pg. 260)
Raising Lazarus from the Dead
The seventh sign occurs in chapter eleven when Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus had been sick for several days and died because of that illness. Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that he had died and when he had gotten there, they asked him why he waited so long to come. And told him had he come their brother would not have died, Jesus advised them and the Jews that were with them that he was only sleeping and he would be rise again. The deity of Christ is revealed again that he can create life from death, or again create something out of nothing.
Miraculous Catch of Fish
And the eighth sign occurs in chapter twenty one when Jesus tells the disciples to cast their nest on the right side of the boat. They are in the Sea of Tiberius and had fished all night and caught nothing, so imagine their thoughts when they were asked to cast their nets on the right side of the boat, and their amazement when they had so much fish that the nets were breaking. This sign shows the deity of Christ as a provider.
Conclusion
The Book of John is a powerful book, and we can learn so much of the deity of Christ through this disciple whom Jesus loved.
This is why new believers are always told to read the Book of John first before any other book, all through John it shows the deity of Christ, not just the eight miracles that were written down in this book, but also how John describes Christ. John made an effort to show the deity of Christ through his entire book. Christ did many more miracles, but these eight were very important to John, which is why he added them to his book.
John states the purpose of all eight signs in John 20:30-31 30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. The signs were done so that people would believe that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God. All eight shows/or reveals the deity of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. I will explain the miracle and how they show and reveal the deity of Christ, also when and where they were performed.
Turning of Water into Wine
The first sign takes place in the second chapter in Cana at a Wedding Feast that his family and disciples were attending. Christ turned the water into wine, probably a sweet wine versus fermented wine, as fermented wine would have gone against everything Jesus stood for. This sign manifested his glory and his disciples believed who he was (John 2:11) (a). It shows that only God can change water into wine, this is how it shows Christ’s deity.
Healing of a Nobleman’s Son
The second sign occurs in the fourth chapter when Jesus heals the nobleman’s son; this sign also took place in Cana. The son was sick in Capernaum, and his father the nobleman begged Jesus to heal his son. When Jesus told the man that his son was alive, he believed and he knew when he was told his son was alive that he was healed the moment Jesus said the words” You son lives”.
(a.) The marriage feast in Cana
Because of this sign the nobleman’s whole household was saved that day. This sign shows the compassion that Jesus had for this man’s son which shows the deity of Christ, which is that he, can heal.
Healing of a Lame Man
The third sign occurs in the fifth chapter where the lame man is healed by the pool of Bethesda. The man had been lame for 38 years. Jesus asked him if he wanted to get well, the man told Jesus that he had no one to put him into the swirling water. The Jews believed that this pool had miraculous powers to heal the sick. The story was that an angel would come down and stir the water up. Jesus told him to take up his bed and walk, the man believed and got up and walked. No one had ever been able to heal this man, but Jesus could! This shows the deity of Christ by doing something that no one else had ever done before, which was heal a lame person that wasn’t able to walk for over 30 years.
Feeding of the 5,000
The fourth sign occurs in the sixth chapter where Jesus feeds 5,000 hungry people with a little boy’s lunch of five loafs of bread and two fish. Once everyone was full, they still gathered twelve baskets of leftovers, and yet the people still wanted more signs. He provides for those he cares for, he supplied his disciples with fish, and there were even 12 baskets left over for each disciple to take home to family, if they had any family. This sign shows the deity of Christ by, only God can create something from nothing.
Jesus Walking on the Water
The fifth sign also occurs in chapter six when Jesus walks on the water of Sea of Galilee. The sea began to stir up and the winds and waves over powered the Disciples in their boat to the point of being afraid of dying. They had rowed three or four miles out to sea when they saw Jesus walking on the water. It frightened them to the point that once they knew it was Jesus, they were amazed that even the winds and waves obeyed him. The deity of Christ here is shown that he has power over ALL creation. As Morris states in his book, “Jesus is the Christ” the living water Jesus brings gives us eternal life, the Tora did not. (1)
Healing of the Blind Man
The sixth sign occurs in chapter nine; Jesus heals the blind man that had been blind from birth. His disciples asked who sinned, him or his parents, and Jesus told them neither the man nor his parents have sinned to cause this blindness, but it was to display the works of God. Jesus spit on the ground and made some clay and put it on the man’s eyes and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam, which the man did and he received his sight. The Council through him out of the Synagogue because they didn’t believe that he was blind from birth, even though his parents had told them that he was, since they were afraid they advised them that he was of age and to ask him themselves. The reason most likely that Christ told the blind man to wash in the Pool of Siloam was merely on faith. Because the Pool of Bethesda was much closer for the man, this shows that the man actually did have faith enough in Christ to believe.
This had never been done before until now, so Jesus displays his deity by doing something that had never been done before, the healing of a blind man from birth.
(1.) A variety of Jewish sources link the symbolism of water with the law (pg. 260)
Raising Lazarus from the Dead
The seventh sign occurs in chapter eleven when Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus had been sick for several days and died because of that illness. Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that he had died and when he had gotten there, they asked him why he waited so long to come. And told him had he come their brother would not have died, Jesus advised them and the Jews that were with them that he was only sleeping and he would be rise again. The deity of Christ is revealed again that he can create life from death, or again create something out of nothing.
Miraculous Catch of Fish
And the eighth sign occurs in chapter twenty one when Jesus tells the disciples to cast their nest on the right side of the boat. They are in the Sea of Tiberius and had fished all night and caught nothing, so imagine their thoughts when they were asked to cast their nets on the right side of the boat, and their amazement when they had so much fish that the nets were breaking. This sign shows the deity of Christ as a provider.
Conclusion
The Book of John is a powerful book, and we can learn so much of the deity of Christ through this disciple whom Jesus loved.
This is why new believers are always told to read the Book of John first before any other book, all through John it shows the deity of Christ, not just the eight miracles that were written down in this book, but also how John describes Christ. John made an effort to show the deity of Christ through his entire book. Christ did many more miracles, but these eight were very important to John, which is why he added them to his book.