The 8 'Signs' of the Gospel of John

     -brief study notes setting forth the message of each 'sign'-

 

    Introduction:      the Gospel of John records only   8 "signs"-

    (the Greek signifies  'that which makes something known')

    of the   "many"  performed by Jesus-  John  20v30,31. The

    reason is in ch.20v31-          "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".

    The purpose then is two-fold:

    Firstly- "that (we) might believe"-        Bullinger's Critical

    Lexicon -'to be persuaded, to rely upon, to trust'.

    Secondly- "that believing   (we) might have life through

    his name"..that is,  by fully adopting the Divine charac-

        teristics we might eventually attain to eternal life.

          IT IS HOPED THESE NOTES WILL ASSIST US

        TO GAIN ETERNAL LIFE IN GOD'S KINGDOM.

 

    Points to bear in mind:

    1. The "signs" are   (a) progressive & (b) complementary.

        Thus, (a) when they are placed together,   the 8 "signs"

        show  us    a     composite (designedly   complete) message

        which demonstrates    God's purpose  and     the essential

                   principles of our pilgrimage in the Truth.

        And,  (b)    as  we   comprehend   the  message  of  each

        "sign", we are able to see a progression of thought,  &

        thus  more  completely  appreciate   the necessary pro-

        cess of being  "transformed  by  the  renewing     of (the)

                   mind"- Romans 12v2– link to 'structure'.

        TO SUCCEED      REQUIRES      TOTAL   DEDICATION-

        &   THE   WORD    OF GOD  WILL   TRANSFORM  US.

    2. The 8 "signs"  each    summarise  the lessons contained

        in the particular section of John    in which they appear.

        This is closely parallel with  what we find  in the    Reve-

        lation, as    8 Visions of Glory-   link to 'the Lord's day'*.

        THIS IS   TREMENDOUSLY   BENEFICIAL FOR US,

        GIVING US MORE INSIGHT    INTO GOD'S WORD.

    *John is termed  "the disciple whom Jesus loved"#,   and he wrote not

      only his gospel,  but also 3 epistles (letters) &  the Revelation (Apoc-

      alypse) of Jesus Christ. In his gospel he recorded 1He "which was"^;

      in his epistles he recorded 2He "which is">;    & in the Apocalypse he

            recorded 3He "which is to come"<    #John 13v23;21v7,20-25

                      ^John 14v6-11  >1st John 3v1,2  <Revelation 1v8.

      This is the revelation of   1 the Father 2 the Christ 3 the Christ-Body,

      with Christ as the Head, and comprising    the redeemed of all nations.

      The study of the  8 "signs" can assist us to be amongst that number.

 

 

 

                                                          The 1st "sign" - water into wine - John 2v1-11

                                                         PRINCIPAL LESSON - 'AN HOLY CALLING'

                                                         'God..hath..called us with an holy calling' - 2nd Timothy 1v9

 

v1 '..there was a marriage'- representative of the greater marriage of  Jesus Christ and His bride,  the ecclesia-

cp. Ephesians 5v25-27. 'Cana of Galilee' - the location also of the 2nd 'sign', ch.4v46 -     and from whence came

also Nathanael- ch.21v2. 'Nathanael' is   of Hebrew derivation, signifying 'given of God'.      'Nazareth'  was a des-

pised place, ch.1v46..which stigma all who are called to the Truth  must bear (cp. ch.17v12)..it has    several poss-

ible derivations from the Hebrew, i.e. 'nehtzer' sig. 'a branch',   cp. Isaiah 11v1-10; Zech.6v11-13, & 'nahzar' sig.

'to separate',  i.e. bringing to mind  the  separation  of  the  Nazarite, cp Numbers 6v1-21...v2 'Jesus was called,

and his disciples' -   we also are included in the call here typified,   cp. ch.17v21..v1 'the third day',              representa-

tive amongst other things of resurrection and new life   -            cp. Acts 10v40; 2nd Kings 20v1-11..this was also the

7th day from  the beginning of   John's narration -    cp.  ch. 1v19, 29, 35, 43 -        the   number 7 points to completion,

or rest - see the 7th 'sign'..v6 'six waterpots of stone' - this is a contrast,        the number 6 representing man in his

fallen state - link  to     'structure'  for more details..the 'waterpots  of  stone'  highlight  the  Mosaic  ritual,    which 

could not save,  and  was  'a figure for the time then present',  Exodus 34v1; Hebrews 9v8-10,  and   'the work of

men's hands' in which they trusted -  Isaiah 37v19..v7 'Fill the waterpots  with  water' -              a transformation from

a "stony heart" to "an heart of flesh" by the "living water" is necessary  -     ch.4v19; Isaiah 55v1-3; Ezekiel 36v

26; Romans 12v1,2; 2nd Corinthians 3v3; Revelation 22v1,17..'Draw out now, and bear' -      as the Greater than

Moses, cp Deuteronomy 18v15-19,  whose name means 'drawn out',  cp. Exodus 2v10,        Jesus is able to work a

far greater deliverance..v9 'the bridegroom' -        representing Jesus    cp. ch. 3v27-29..'the servants which drew the

water knew..whence it was..the ruler..knew not' - cp. ch. 7v16,17 -    'if any man will do his will,   he shall know of

the doctrine'..Matthew 11v25 -        '(the) Father..hast hid these things from the wise and prudent,      and hast reveal-

ed them unto babes'..v10    'thou hast kept the good wine until now' -      this    represents          'the  new covenant  in

(Jesus') blood' - Luke 22v20..'In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old.          Now that which de-

cayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away' -   Hebrews 8v13 -       link to 'grace'..we must totally identify with

the truth of the Sacrifice of Christ - ch.6v53-56; Matthew 10v38..link to 'sacrifice'.          WILL WE RESPOND?

 

                                      The 2nd "sign" - the nobleman's son - John 4v43-54

                                                     PRINCIPAL LESSON - 'FAITH TOWARD GOD'

                           '(a) principle of the doctrine of Christ..faith toward God' - Hebrews 6v1

 

v44 '..a prophet hath no honour in his own country' -      this is the rejection all who desire to follow the Truth must

experience - ch.15v18-21; Hebrews 13v12,13..v45 '..the Galilaeans received him  (Weymouth  =  'welcomed him

eagerly')..do we have the same welcoming attitude to the Lord,    especially when others reject Him?..v46..Jesus

came again into Cana of Galilee' - thus linking it with the 1st 'sign' -       i.e. our calling must be secured by faith..

'a certain nobleman' - literally ' a royal officer' - especially chosen..v47 '..he went unto (Jesus),         and besought

him (to) heal his son' - he had faith in the power of God vested in Jesus, cp. Hebrews 11v6 -      'without faith it is

impossible to please him (God)'..'and he loved his son, even as God loved His Son - ch.3v35  cp. Matthew 3v17..

v50 '..thy son liveth..the man believed' -                 a majestic and merciful declaration followed by a simple and strong

faith;such faith is needed for salvation ch.3v16,17..v52 'at the seventh hour' -  the number 7 points to completion

or rest - see the 7th 'sign'..v53 'it was at the same hour' -       thus demonstrating the great power of 'the Son',       cp.

ch.3v34-36..'and himself believed' - now he believed also that Jesus was the Christ -            our faith must grow, cp.

Romans 1v17 -   'For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written,           The just

shall live by faith'..'and his whole house' as with the house of Joshua, cp. Joshua 24v14,15.              Here then is the 

anti-typical Joshua (the Hebrew equivalent from which the name 'Jesus' is derived,   signifying   'Yahweh saves').

The law of Moses has been superseded by the principle of faith -      the foundation of the New Covenant, link to

'grace'. There is a parallel with the healing of the centurion's servant in Matthew 8v5-13.              DO WE HAVE

THIS STRONG FAITH IN WHAT GOD HAS PROMISED IN CHRIST?           'But without faith it is impossible

to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,    and that he is a rewarder of them that diligent-

ly seek him' - Hebrews 11v6..Let us then have faith in what God has promised - link to 'promises' -

                                and not in 'cunningly devised fables' 2nd Peter 1v16 -link to 'departure'.

 

                                                The 3rd "sign" - the impotent man - John 5

                            PRINCIPAL LESSON - 'BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED'

                       'For by grace are ye saved through faith..it is the gift of God' - Ephesians 2v8

           'Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus' - Romans 3v24

 

v2..'Bethesda' signifies 'the house of mercy' and epitomizes the lesson of this 'sign'..'having five porches' -          the

number 5 has the meaning of the unmerited grace and the mercy of God plus works of faith..we note that     in this

chapter we find the following..(a) 5 titles of Isaiah 9v6 find expression in v20-24..(b) 5 witnesses to Jesus      as the

Messiah are found in v33,36,37,39,46..(c) 5 separate utterances by Jesus are recorded in v6,8,14,17,19-47..

v5..'a certain man was there,    which had  an infirmity thirty and eight years'..he was representative of the sinful

condition of the whole nation, which Jesus had the power to heal,  cp. v14,Matthew 12v43-45;Deuteronomy 2v14

..v6..'Wilt thou be made whole?'..the  individual awareness and acknowledgment of our sicknesses   is necessary

for healing,    whether they be natural or spiritual..'Sir, I have no man'..a confession that help cannot come from

flesh,cp.Psalm 146v3-5..v8..'Rise, take up thy bed, and walk'..this is a command to demonstrate   the principle of

faith, for   'without faith it is impossible to please..God' Hebrews 11v6..note the progression from   the 2nd 'sign',

which involved only belief. Here in this 3rd 'sign' we see the need for faith in action as shown by Abraham -   cp.

James 2v20-26. We see a further progression 'from faith to faith' Romans 1v17 as stated under the 2nd 'sign'.

It is in God's purpose that the Gospel be preached"to all nations for the obedience of faith" Romans 16v25,26..

v9..'And immediately the man was made whole'..see notes 2nd 'sign' re ch.4v53..'and on  the  same  day was the

sabbath'..the 7th day signifies rest..v17..'Jesus answered..My Father worketh hitherto, and I work'..this   results

in deliverance, associated with the sabbath, cp Deuteronomy 5v15..Jesus has now entered into    this great work,

as we also are commanded to do, so that we might, with Him, find eternal rest in the Kingdom of God,     cp Heb-

rews 4v9-11 & link to 'grace' - page 2.          In these verses we see that to gain the eternal inheritance we must

firstly "rest from (our) own works" or sins. Jesus underlines this vital principle to the one who was healed..

v14..'Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more'.    Spiritual healing brings life-long obligations to serve God.

 

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