The signs are miracles attesting to Jesus’ identity as Messiah and Son of God. The discourses are lengthy accounts of Jesus’ teaching. John’s discourses often appear to be modeled on sermons or homilies that interpret and explain traditional sayings of Jesus. Here, Jesus’ saying about being born again (or from above) echoes the teaching in Matt 18:3 and Mark 10:15 and expands on the subject.