The Seven Miracles In John :: By Jack Kelley

Published on: July 9, 2024 by RR10

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

In the past, I’ve explained the need for four gospels and the tremendous increase in understanding we can gain by comparing events from the different perspectives of each (read The Four Faces of Jesus). In this study, we’ll focus on the unique character of John’s Gospel.

Due to his extensive use of symbolism, John’s Gospel, written to the church, can be the most intriguing. Everything he recorded in his gospel actually happened, but he arranged and described them to convey additional truths. Sometimes, he even rearranged the order of events to underscore (emphasize) this additional truth. John 2 is an excellent example of this. He placed the cleansing of the Temple right after the wedding at Cana to show that the Lord came to create an intimate personal relationship with His church (as in a marriage), not to fix a broken religion.

The focus of John’s gospel is the Lord’s Judean ministry, and really only the last part of that. He devoted most of nine chapters (John 12-20) to the Lord’s last week and used one-third of the 879 verses to describe His last 24 hours. The first 11 chapters define the Lord’s ministry through John’s selective use of 7 miracles, and we’ll use them to show how John’s Gospel contains more than meets the eye.

Miracle 1: Water Into Wine (John 2:1-11)

This one is misunderstood by most and yet results in the disciples putting their faith in the Lord. “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed His Glory, and the disciples put their faith in Him” (John 2:11). It seems so insignificant when compared to the opening miracles in the other gospels, which involved either casting out demons or curing leprosy.

This miracle took place because an embarrassing discovery had been made. A wedding banquet Jesus was attending was in full swing when the servants suddenly realized they were out of wine. His mother, who was also there, asked Him to help. The Lord had six empty jars of stone filled with water, which He then turned into wine. The master of the banquet proclaimed the wine Jesus had made to be superior to the wine they had served earlier, saying they had saved the best for last.

Look at the symbolism: These six stone jars normally held water used for ceremonial cleansing, an important part of Old Covenant life. Now, they contained wine, which is often associated with the New Covenant due to the Lord’s Supper.

What’s more, the wine these jars now contained was superior to the wine the wedding guests had been drinking before, just as the New Covenant is superior to the Old Covenant (Hebrews 8:6). This miracle symbolized nothing less than the Mission of the Messiah; changing the empty way of man’s religion into a living, joyful, relationship with the Lord, as demonstrated by the wedding celebration. (You can read more about this here.)

Miracle 2: Healing the Official’s Son (John 4:43-54)

Here’s an act of God’s Grace, pure and simple. There’s no indication of the official’s nationality or background, his religious conviction, or his worthiness—only his faith. He had heard of Jesus, and His miraculous power, and begged Him to come and heal his dying son. Jesus didn’t go with him but simply told the man his son would live. The man took Jesus at His word and departed for home. The next day, while he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his son had recovered. From their discussion, he learned that his son had been made well from the very time he had spoken with Jesus. Because of this, He and all his household became believers, saved by grace through faith.

Miracle 3: The Healing at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-9)

Tradition holds that an angel periodically stirred the waters at the Pool of Bethesda. The first one into the water when that happened was healed. Many people who were sick or disabled waited there by the pool day after day for a chance to be healed. But a cripple can’t get himself to the pool in time. This man had been crippled for 38 years and had repeatedly tried and failed. Then Jesus came along and healed him.

I believe this man’s predicament demonstrates the poverty of the Law, which was never intended to heal us of our infirmities (physical and spiritual) but to show us our need for a Savior. It demonstrates that we’re hopeless and helpless without Him.

He was at the very edge of healing, but all of his unsuccessful efforts to get into the pool had only made it obvious that his infirmity was preventing him from being healed. In the same way, the Law leaves us at the very edge of salvation, but our unsuccessful efforts to keep it only make it obvious that our sinfulness will prevent us from being saved. Just like the cripple needed someone to heal him, we need someone to save us.

Miracle 4: The Feeding of the 5000 (John 6:1-5)

This is perhaps the best known of all the Lord’s miracles and the only one before the resurrection that is recorded in all four gospels. A large crowd had followed Jesus into a remote location, and Jesus could see they would need to be fed. But the men alone numbered 5,000, and adding the women and children could have more than doubled that number. Andrew found a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, and Jesus multiplied it into a satisfying meal for everyone, with enough left over to fill 12 baskets.

This is the practical demonstration of the Lord’s promise that if we seek His kingdom and His righteousness, all our other needs will be met as well (Matt. 6:31-33). But there’s more in view here than just our physical needs. We who believe in Jesus will never again feel that emptiness; that tells us there’s more to life than just having our physical needs met. This is what Jesus meant when He said:

“I AM the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35). (You can read more about this here.)

Miracle 5: Walking on the Water (John 6:16-25)

The 5th miracle is also well-known to everyone familiar with the Lord’s ministry. The disciples had labored all night long to row only about halfway across the Sea of Galilee (about 3 miles) when the Lord passed by them—walking on the water! When they realized it was Jesus, they let him into the boat and immediately reached their destination. Without Him, they were struggling just to make headway, but with Him in their midst, the struggle was over. (You can read more about this here.)

Miracle 6: Healing The Man Born Blind (John 9:1-41)

A man had been blind from birth. Jesus made some mud, put it on the man’s eyes, and told him to go wash it off. When the man did as Jesus instructed, he could see.

While Jesus performed this miracle early in Chapter 9, the balance of the narrative clearly (and sometimes comically) shows how much more spiritual discernment this blind beggar had than the learned officials of the religion, who had studied all their lives. In their experience, no one had ever opened the eyes of a man born blind, and they were determined to discredit the lowly beggar, especially since this event took place on the Sabbath. A lengthy interrogation followed, where the beggar put the religious experts to shame, and they ended up throwing him out. Afterward, Jesus found him and introduced Himself. The man became a believer and worshiped him.

Jesus said He came so the blind would see and those who see would become blind. When the Pharisees asked if He thought they were blind, He said, “If you were blind you would not be guilty of sin, but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains” (John 9:39-41).

As it concerns your eternity, it doesn’t matter what you claim to know about Jesus. What matters is whether you know Jesus.

Miracle 7: Raising Lazarus from The Dead (John 11:1-44)

The last miracle John recorded before the resurrection shows the fulfillment of our Lord’s promise to all who believe in His name, as He called Lazarus out of the grave and restored him from death to life. The text shows that even though Jesus knew Lazarus was sick, He actually waited until Lazarus was dead and buried before He responded to the sisters’ call for help. He did this so He could bring Lazarus back to life. It was an unmistakable model of the resurrection of the believing dead that contains the tiniest hint of the rapture. I don’t think people who don’t already know about the rapture see this, but those who do can take comfort in this faint hint contained in John 11:25-26.

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” (John 11:25-26).

What’s The Point?

Near the end of his gospel account, John said, “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).

This tells us he selected these seven miracles specifically for their ability to help us believe that Jesus is who He claimed to be and that by believing, we might have eternal life. So, what do these particular miracles show us that would help us believe?

Miracle 1 shows He came to take us from the stone-cold and empty way of man’s religion into a living and joyful relationship with Him.
Miracle 2 shows we are saved by grace through faith.
Miracle 3 shows our own futile works are insufficient to save ourselves. We need Him to save us.
Miracle 4 is a demonstration of His supernatural care and provision for those who seek Him.
Miracle 5 shows that because of His miraculous power, we can easily accomplish things through Him that would be all but impossible on our own.
Miracle 6 reveals that if we’ll allow it, He can cause even the lowliest person born spiritually blind to see and believe.
Miracle 7 is a promise that all who believe in Him will live even though they die, and those who live and believe will never die.

I purposely confined my commentary on these miracles to what I believe John was trying to convey to us in his gospel. Some of these miracles are contained in one or more of the other gospels, where you might see details John didn’t include or where the emphasis might be a little different. Matthew’s account of Jesus walking on the water is a good example (Matt. 14:22-33). I encourage you to read the different accounts of all these miracles to get the whole story. Selah.

http://gracethrufaith.com

(Jack Kelley went home to be with the Lord in 2015. His wife, Samantha, continues to maintain his website.)

How Do You Witness? :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: July 6, 2024 by RR10

Every Christian has a testimony, and we should share what Christ has done in our life. How do you go about witnessing? That’s a very good question.

Each of us has strengths and weaknesses, and if we turn all of them over to God, He will show us how to serve Him. Many Christians wear t-shirts with Bible verses on them or phrases pointing to Jesus. This is a good way to make it known that you are a Christian. It also draws attention to your words and actions. Do you wear a Christian t-shirt but pepper your words with foul language or gossip? What kind of witness is that? If you love Jesus, you’ll let His love show through your “conversation” (way of life).

Maybe you have a bumper sticker that says, “I love Jesus,” but you display road rage if someone cuts you off or tailgates. That isn’t being a good witness. My daughter works in a retail store, and every so often, an elderly man comes into the store and strikes up a quiet conversation about Jesus. He ends by handing her a small tract and inviting her to attend church service. We would go, but it’s many miles from where we live.

How ever you’re led to witness, be sure you glorify Jesus. There are many ways to witness for Christ, but you always need to have answers to questions people may ask.

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear; Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ” (1 Peter 3:15-16).

The word “conversation” is how King James translated the Greek word “anastrophe,” which means the way you behave. Live your life in such a way that people can see Christ living in you. Then, be sure you are able to answer any questions they may have about Jesus. If you don’t have the answer, tell them you will get back to them. Then, do some research. When my husband met Jesus, the change in him was very dramatic. He was a living witness to family and old friends. He studied Scripture and was able to answer questions easily. You can’t have answers unless you study Scripture. Study in context and take all of Scripture into account.

It’s also possible to be a poor witness for Christ. I bowl in a league, and there’s a man who is a Christian. He is one who can easily work Jesus into a conversation. He also has a temper and gets angry with fellow Christians if they unwittingly offend him. He talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk. Then there are those who don’t witness for Jesus but push their own agenda. This happened to me this past weekend.

My daughter and I make items and sell them at craft sales (I keep tracts on my table to hand out). We were set up next to a Christian group that was handing out supposedly Christian information. One of the ladies came over and began talking at me. I say “at” because she had no intention of listening or finding out what I believed. Her group had what my husband called a “one-verse theology,” and that was all she cared about. Her enthusiasm was good to see, but not once did she mention Christ or salvation, repentance, or being born again. By the time she went back to her booth, I was not at all happy.

Always remember that our faith is based upon Christ, and it’s all about what He did for us upon that cross. He shed His blood as the final sacrifice for sin.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Works should be a result of our faith, but those works should all glorify Christ.

The Apostle Paul was a man who was changed by his encounter with Christ. Paul was a Pharisee and knew the law forward and backward. When he met Christ, his whole life was turned around. He fully understood the Gospel and that only faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus can bring salvation.

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Any “gospel” other than this is not the Gospel at all. If the doctrine you follow is “Faith and ____ (fill in the blank with anything),” then your faith isn’t in Christ; it’s in man’s ideas and work. Paul understood that when we witness for Christ, that witness must be about Christ, not false doctrine.

The Christians in Corinth were trying hard to be “seeker-friendly” and were very worldly. Paul wrote, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2).

This is how witnessing should be done. Share Christ and Him crucified. Why was He crucified? If you don’t know, you’d better find out. You may be a great orator or someone who has trouble organizing thoughts, but either way, make your witness about Christ.

Witnessing is a very important part of our Christian life. It’s important that we share the Gospel, not our own agenda. When we try to put our own spin on Scripture or water it down to make sin seem not so bad, we have compromised the Gospel. The main subject of our witness must be Christ.

Sin separates us from God, but repenting and placing our faith in Christ brings salvation. Some say that nothing in our life needs to change once we accept Christ. It’s true that we cannot work to earn our salvation, but Jesus told Nicodemus to be born again.

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

That means we need to change. We can’t hold on to our favorite sin and still claim to have repented and placed faith in Jesus. We must be born again. Does that mean we are perfect? No, but our faith should bring responsibility and gratitude to Jesus for what He did. We must repent of our sin… change our mind about it, and turn from it. If I’m a Christian, can I lie? Can I cuss? Can I be sexually promiscuous? Technically, yes, but why would you want to mock Jesus and continue to be identified with the world? That is a very poor witness for Christ. He died for our sin, not so we can continue sinning but that we will be free from the eternal result of sin. Remember that sin has wages… eternal death.

“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness” (Ephesians 4:17-19).

When you witness, be sure you point out that sin separates us from God and we must repent and allow Christ to change us. “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Paul wrote these words to encourage the readers to let Christ rule their life instead of Satan. Paul does not promote works, just gratitude.

“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more; but rather let him labour, working with his hands the things which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:25-29).

Our behavior does matter. We must honor God with our life.

None of us are perfect, but we can’t let that stop us from witnessing to others. I get very disappointed in myself when I am not as “good” as I should be. Thank God for His grace and mercy. Our salvation is secure even when we goof. Still, we need to try to live for Him.

“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:30-32).

Can I witness even if I’m not perfect? Yes, we are all a work in progress, and we can use our failures to show God’s love and mercy.

If you want to learn to witness effectively, study Scripture. Learn how Jesus interacted with people, and study how the Apostles shared the Gospel. You’ll find that they were direct and that Jesus was the focus.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

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“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).