It's A Sign!
7 Miracles in John's Gospel
Adam Christiansen
December 30, 2024

John 5:19-25
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

It’s A Sign!

John 20:30–31
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

A miracle is an unexpected outpouring of God’s power that defies ordinary explanation and occurs outside the bounds of natural order.

Matthew 4:23
And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

Mark 6:54–56
And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

Luke 6:17–19
And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.

7 Miracles in John’s Gospel:

  1. Turning water into wine (John 2:1-10)
  2. Healing the Nobleman’s Son (John 4:46-53)
  3. Healing at the Pool (John 5:1-15)
  4. Feeding the Five Thousand (John 6:9-13)
  5. Jesus Walking on the Sea (John 6:19)
  6. The Blind Beggar (John 9:1-12)
  7. Raising Lazarus from the Dead (John 11:38-44)

1st Sign: Wedding at Cana
John 2

John 2:11
This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

2nd Sign: Healing of the Official’s Son
John 4

John 4:48
So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”

3rd Sign: Healing at the Pool
John 5

John 5:18
This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

John 5:19–20
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.

John 5:24a
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.

What Was the Purpose of Jesus’ Miracles?

  1. The central purpose of Jesus’ miracles was to reveal and advance the kingdom of God
  2. To reveal His divine identity and authority as the Messiah and the Son of God
  3. To testify to His unique identity as the Messiah sent from God.
  4. To authenticate the performer of the miracles

The Miracles Testified to Jesus’ Identity

John 2:23
Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.

John 14:11
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

Jesus Performed Two Types of Miracles

  1. There were miracles of timing
    • Official’s Son
  2. There were events that went beyond Natural Law
    • Walking on water
    • Feeding the 5,000

Objections to the Miracles of Jesus

Objection 1: Miracles, by Definition, Are Impossible

Objection 2: The Miracles Happened in a Pre-Scientific Age

Objection 3: The Miracles Were Self-Induced

Why Should Anyone Believe in the Miracles of Jesus?
• To begin with, there were a sufficient number of them.
• They were also of a sufficient variety. These signs were also done publicly and in front of large crowds.
• The miracles were beneficial to humanity.
• Eyewitnesses recorded the miracles.
• Jesus’ disciples had the ability to perform miracles.

John 20:30–31
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.