The Purpose of Signs in John's Gospel Pt 3

The opportunity to believe

The signs do not merely display Jesus’ miraculous power or supernatural ability. John records these things to provoke a response: an expression of personal faith by believing in Jesus. Through the seven sign events we find both the author’s evangel and discipleship purposes as well as instances where belief is expressed but perhaps not in a saving sense, and instances of those who do not believe.

John the evangelist records the first belief of a nobleman who had not believed until the words of Jesus were confirmed on his return trip towards home where he was informed of his sons healing having occurred at the very hour Jesus spoke. Again we see John’s purpose of evoking a belief that saves in the healing of the man born blind. After confessing that Jesus was his healer (9:11) he then expresses belief saying, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshipped [Jesus] (9:38).

Again, at the raising of Lazarus, John records the evangelistic outcome of Jesus’ sign stating “many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what [Jesus] had done, believed in him.” Yet, while some believed, some did not (9:46). Likewise, John never records an expression of belief by either the healed paralytic or the disciples when Jesus calms the storm at sea. In John’s account of the feeding of the five thousand, he records an evangelistic expression of belief by the crowd. However, their belief isn’t consistent with the ‘work of God’: to believe in the one that was sent. Rather, their belief falls short in that they believe Jesus to be the second Moses who miraculously provides their ‘manna’.

Although the sign of feeding the five thousand doesn’t invoke an evangelistic response of faith, it does result in the building of the disciples’ faith. This is evidenced by the words spoken by Peter in John 6:68-69. M.C. Tenney rightly connects the words of Peter to the sign of feeding the five thousand, stating that “having participated in the action at the miracle and having listened to the explanation of Jesus afterward (6:22-59), [Peter] was ready to stake his future on Jesus’ mysterious promise rather than to abandon Him completely. For him and for his colleagues this sign became a turning point in their decision. They were unsure of the road ahead, but they would follow Jesus anyway”.

A sign that invokes misplaced belief in some effectually builds and forms the faith of the disciples, a simple and untrained faith that began at a wedding feast in Cana (2:11). John records the signs not only as an illustration of the human condition and varied responses to the revelation of Jesus as the Son of God, but ultimately to invoke belief unto salvation that perseveres.