Truth Magazine - THE UNIQUENESS OF JOHN’S GOSPEL: Unique Signs by Marshall McDaniel (2024)

THE UNIQUENESS OF JOHN’S GOSPEL #3: Unique Signs

by Marshall McDaniel

Synopsis: The unique signs in the Gospel of John provide additional glimpses of Jesus that sound a common refrain: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Introduction

The Gospel of John repeatedly speaks of signs. The word translated “sign(s)” (semeion) occurs seventeen times in John. It occurs thirteen times in Matthew, seven in Mark, and eleven in Luke, but not all the instances in these gospels refer to miraculous signs. In John, signs are always miraculous, but they are not only demonstrations of power; they are also instructive. Signs communicate the divine truth about Jesus.

A few of the signs in John parallel those found in the other gospels, but most are unique. Only John chronicles the following signs: Jesus turning water into wine (2:1-11), healing the official’s son (4:43-54), healing the invalid at the pool of Bethesda (5:1-15), healing the man born blind (9:1-41), and raising Lazarus from the dead (11:1-53). John is also the only gospel writer to record Peter’s second supernatural catch of fish (21:1-14), though he does not specifically refer to this miracle as a sign. Still, even the signs paralleled in other gospels—such as Jesus feeding the multitudes (6:1-15; cf. Matt 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17) and walking on the water (John 6:16-21; cf. Matt 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52)—are exceptional in that John often follows these events with extensive teaching, explaining their significance.

Near the end of his gospel, John reveals why he records signs: “Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 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” (John 20:30-31, NASB). John documents select signs to produce in his readers faith that Jesus is the Christ (“the Anointed One,” that is, “the King”), the Son of God. The signs in John offer unique glimpses of Jesus—who He is and what He does: “[T]hese deeds bespoke something unusual in Christ’s person, and were themselves signposts pointing in the direction of something altogether new and different about him” (King, xliii). John records signs so that we may know that Jesus is Lord and God.

Jesus Determined His Signs

The sovereignty of Christ is evident from the first and second of His signs (John 2:1-11; 4:43-54). John ends his record of these signs with a similar phrase: “This is the beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him” (2:11, NASB) and “This is again a second sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee” (4:54, NASB). While the New American Standard Bible (and many other English versions) provides the general sense of John 2:11 and 4:54, the translation inadvertently masks the implied authority of Jesus when it renders the underlying Greek as “this is the beginning of His signs Jesus did” and “this is again a second sign that Jesus performed.” These translations make it sound as though the focus is merely on the sequence.

The NET Bible supplies a helpful translation that emphasizes both sequence and sovereignty: “Jesus did this as the first of His miraculous signs” (2:11, NET) and “Jesus did this as His second miraculous sign” (4:54, NET). The translators of the NET provide footnotes for both John 2:11 and 4:54 that include a similar alternative: “Jesus made this to be.” Using the alternative translation, John 2:11 reads, “Jesus made this to be the first of His miraculous signs.” Greek grammarian Daniel B. Wallace prefers the marginal reading and contends that “the evangelist’s emphasis becomes clearer: Jesus was both powerful and sovereign” (Wallace, 187; cf. p. 242). Jesus (in accordance with the will of the Father) determined His first and second signs. Neither familial (Mary) nor social (official) obligations forced Him into compliance. Jesus made the signs of turning water into wine and of healing the official’s son to be His first and second signs.

Clearly, then, Jesus decided when to perform His signs, but He also determined what to accomplish through them. As John 2:11 relates, Jesus ultimately performed His signs to manifest His glory and establish faith in His disciples. The signs in the Gospel of John thus reveal a powerful and purposeful Jesus.

Jesus Manifested Himself through His Signs

The self-disclosure of Christ is apparent in each of His signs. Jesus uses signs to teach us who He is. Homer Hailey offers the following descriptions of Jesus based on signs in John 1-12 (Hailey, 110-113):

Though Hailey rightly appreciates the theme of authority (“master of/over”) in the signs and his understanding of the significance of the signs is helpful in many ways, the surrounding narratives/teachings in the Gospel of John itself provide the clearest explanations of the identity of Jesus. We would do well to read and meditate on each of the signs (and the surrounding contexts) with this question in our minds: What does this sign teach me about the person—especially the deity—of Jesus? When we do, Jesus shows Himself to be the Master of a (spiritual) feast/wedding (John 2:1-11; cf. vv. 12-22; Isa. 25:6-8; Rev. 19:6-8), the King of Israel (= “royal official;” John 4:43-54; cf. 20:30-31), and so much more. The remaining signs portray Jesus as the Lord of the Sabbath and the Son of God (5:1-47), the Prophet like Moses and the Bread (“Manna”) of heaven/God/life (6:1-14, 22-65), the LORD (“I AM”) of the wind and the sea (vv. 15-21; cf. Isa. 43:1-7), the Light of the world (John 8:12-9:41), and the Resurrection and the Life (11:1-53; cf. 12:1-50).

Jesus chose to reveal Himself through His signs. His signs prove that He is Lord. Jesus is Lord, first, in the sense that He is the Master of all things (e.g., nature, illness, death), but He is also—and more importantly—Lord in the sense that He is God (= Yahweh [or Jehovah], the LORD, the great I AM). In short, the signs in John cry out, “Jesus is God!”

Jesus Became the Ultimate Sign

The sign of signs is the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus, in a sense, then, becomes a sign. Sometime after His first sign in Cana of Galilee, Jesus traveled to Jerusalem and “infamously” cleansed the temple. The Jews challenged Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” (John 2:18, NASB). “Destroy this temple,” Jesus replied, “and in three days I will raise it up” (v. 19, NASB). John explains that Jesus was speaking of His own death and resurrection (vv. 21-22). The resurrection, then, is the ultimate proof that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, that He possesses (divine) authority (20:30-31). Paul likewise affirms that Jesus “was declared to be the Son of God with power. . . by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4, NKJV). Near the end of the Gospel of John, Thomas recognizes the implications of the resurrection when he sees Jesus and exclaims, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28, NASB). Will we too “see” the significance of the sign of signs and submit to the authority of Christ? The resurrection should cause us to bend the knee to Jesus. Will we do so?

Conclusion

The signs in the Gospel of John instill wonder, impart instruction, lead us to Jesus, and persuade us that He is the Christ, the Son of God (i.e., God; John 20:30-31). During the time of Christ’s earthly ministry, some who saw the signs believed (2:23; 10:40-41; cf. 3:2; 7:31). Others did not (11:47-48; 12:37-41; cf. vv. 42-43). The hardhearted dismiss the signs of Jesus; the honest appreciate them (and their implications). How will we respond to the signs in the Gospel of John? John recorded them for people like us. If we accept them, and believe in the One who performed such miracles, and humbly submit to His will, we will inherit eternal life. May we join the faithful company of “those who have not seen and yet have believed” so that we too may receive this intended end of the miraculous signs of Jesus (John 20:29, NKJV)!

Sources

Hailey, Homer. That You May Believe: Studies in the Gospel of John. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1973.

King, Daniel H., Sr. The Gospel of John. Truth Commentaries. Bowling Green, KY: Guardian of Truth Foundation, 1998.

Wallace, Daniel B. Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.

Author Bio

Marshall McDaniel has worked with the Pepper Road church of Christ in Athens, AL, since 2021. He and his wife, Emily, have four children. The church website is here. He can be reached here.