John 20:30-31: The Signs of the Messiah

Scripture Reading

John 3:16–18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Intro

What do Jesus’ signs and miracles have to do with you today?

What do they show us about Christ and His salvation?

About the Gospel and God’s free and powerful grace in Him?

The whole Gospel of John is about the grace of Christ.

Everything in the book is driving toward that singular aim.

Grace upon Grace.

And not just grace in general… but God’s grace for you.

What grace has God given you in Jesus Christ?

Jesus signs show you a picture of that grace

The whole Gospel of John comes to a head in John’s purpose statement of John 20:30-31 that says…

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.

This is John’s overall purpose for the book… what the whole Gospel has been driving for.

That you might believe!

That you and I would come to faith and that we would also come into a deeper faith in Christ… a deeper trust and reliance on Him.

And for what purpose.

That by believing… you may have life in His name.

Eternal life… (John 3:16).

Abundant life… (John 10:10).

New Resurrection Spiritual Life (John 11:25-26).

Living Water… (John 4:12-13).

And Reconciliation with God where there is no more wrath, condemnation, or judgment for our sin but instead… only God’s love, mercy, and grace because all of our sin has once and for all been paid for in the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ (John 17:3).

That’s why John says that you may have life in His Name.

His Name!…

This Life is only found in and connected to Jesus Christ.

In Him was life and the life was the light of men (John 1:4).

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

Signs

And so what John has done throughout this whole Gospel is shine a spotlight on the life and salvation that’s found in Christ.

He’s shown us again and again the Glory of Christ and what Eternal Life looks like in Jesus’ signs.

John says 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…

“These” are all the signs John has recorded for us in His Gospel.

There are many other signs that Jesus did in the presence of the disciples.

But John chose his signs for a specific purpose.

To reveal the glory and grace of Christ and to inspire faith in His Name.

For John, signs are not just miracles… they are not just awesome displays of power.

They are Theology in Action.

They are Living-Breathing Sermons.

They are “Sign-nificant” they all point to something greater than themselves.

Yes… they are true miracles but they are miracles that have to be spiritually discerned… the spiritual truth behind the awesome display of power.

What is this sign saying spiritually about Christ and the Life that is found only in His name?

So here’s what I want to do.

I want to God through the whole Gospel of John.

All the signs to see the Glory of Christ and the Grace of His Salvation that you might believe and by believing have life in His Name.

I. Water to Wine (John 2:1-11)

Jesus’ first miracle and first sign in the Gospel of John is the Water into Wine at the wedding in Cana.

Now I’ve always found it curious that Jesus’ first miracle of His entire ministry in all the Gospel is turning water into wine.

I mean… raises the dead… opens eyes born blind… heals all kinds of people and casts out demons…

And yet… His first miracle is water into wine.

But when you look at it… Jesus turning water into wine is really the perfect… first miracle.

Remember its “sign-nificant”… it points to something greater than itself.

And Jesus turning water into wine is “sign-nificant” or a picture… of the whole Gospel.

Jesus was invited to a wedding with His Disciples and while there… the wedding feast ran out of wine.

Famine

And after talking to Him Jesus’ mom turned to the servants and said “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5).

Now even there is something about the significance of this sign.

Mary’s words are the same words that Pharaoh uses for the Egyptians when he set Joseph over the whole government of Egypt during a great famine.

Whatever he says, you do (Genesis 41:55).

They’ve run of of wine! There’s a famine in the land.

And Jesus is the only one who can answer it.

The only who can save us from spiritual famine and death.

Water Jars

And so what happens is Jesus takes six stone water jars that John says were there for the Jewish rites of purification.

In other words they were there to make you ceremonially clean.

Under the Old Covenant you would either be clean or unclean and these six stone jars were there so that you could ceremonially wash yourself and go worship God at the Temple.

Six

But there were only 6.

The number in the Bible for completeness or wholeness is 7.

What’s that mean?

That the Old Covenant falls short.

There is no amount of keeping the law or ceremonial washing that can actually make you clean.

The Old Covenant would always fall short of true cleansing from sin.

We needed the cleansing of another.

And its no coincidence that Jesus… in John’s Gospel… washes His disciples feet and says, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” (John 13:8).

Jesus is the one who gives true ceremonial cleansing… who washes us clean so that we can draw near to God.

Its not our works… not our righteousness… not our keeping of the Law… Its His blood.

And so… He turns the water into wine… the same wine that at the Lord’s Supper He says this is my blood of the covenant… of the New Covenant!… which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28).

Filled to the Brim

Jesus takes the six stone water jars… and fills them to the brim.

The idea is overflowing grace… the fullness of cleansing.

Like John said in John 1:16–17 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

All the grace necessary and required by the Law overflowing with no lack.

Jesus’ very first miracle was a living-breathing sermon that said Jesus is the Messiah who gives ultimate… once and for all… true cleansing from sin.

We are forgiven in Him.

Good Wine

And in the story… they take some of the wine and they give it to the master of the feast.

When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” (John 2:9-10).

Jesus’ blood is the good wine… its grace upon grace… true cleansing and the forgiveness of sin.

Like Jesus said in John 6:55 My blood is true drink… and whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life (John 6:54).

And as the True Bridegroom… His wine never runs out but ever flows to give us all the grace we could ever possibly need.

Its all the Gospel right there.

Jesus is the Bridegroom who by His blood gives us true cleansing and washes us of every sin.

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 (John 20:31).

II. Official’s Son (John 4:46-54)

The next sign in the Gospel of John is the Healing of the Official’s son.

There was a man who had a son who was deathly ill (John 4:47).

And this man came to Jesus and asked Him to come down to heal his son.

Now you see, this man lived around 20 miles away.

And John says He was an official… He was a man that had access to all the best medicine and doctors that his money and status could buy, but nothing could heal his son.

This man was desperate.

And this man begs… Sir, come down before my child dies (John 4:49).

You can hear the heart breaking in this man.

He doesn’t say son… He says child.

In Greek its a term of endearment.

He says Sir… please come down before my boy… my little boy dies.

And Jesus said Go; your son will live (John 4:50).

And The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way (John 4:50).

Simple faith in Christ’s word.

And so the man went home… and on the way his servants came to him and said his son was recovering… the boy was alive!

And when the man asked when the boy started to get better… it was at the exact same hour that Jesus said, Go; your son will live.

Jesus healed him by a word of His power.

So what does this sign say about Jesus?

That Christ gives eternal life by grace through faith in Him.

And that grace is free, powerful and mighty to save.

Free

The man did nothing to earn it.

All he had was simple faith… He believed Christ’s word.

He rested solely on Christ’s mercy and grace… a grace that was mighty to save.

Nothing Impossible

The boy was still 15-25 miles off and the man thought Jesus had to come and be with the boy.

But Jesus healed Him then and there.

That gulf… that gap… that distance didn’t matter.

Nothing was impossible for Him.

Christ’s grace reaches farther than the gulf of all our sin.

There is no one too far off for the grace of Christ.

No Other Hope

And when there was no other hope…

The boy had been on the brink of death.

And there was no wealth… no medicine… no doctors… nothing else that could save him. worked.

No hope and no where else to go…

But there was hope in Christ.

Hope for all of us.

Christ gives eternal life by grace through faith to all who come to Him.

Hope… when we have no other hope.

III. Paralytic at the Pool (John 5:1-15)

Then you have the man who was healed on the Sabbath at the pool called Bethesda which in Hebrew is the house of outpourings or house of mercy.

The root word is the word for God’s covenantal grace and love.

So this is the house of the outpouring of God’s covenantal love, mercy, and grace.

Again do you see how the signs are driving you to a picture of the Gospel?

Well at this pool there’s a man there who had been an invalid for 38 years.

38 long years of pain… brokenness… suffering and loss.

And Jesus came to this man… a picture of Christ initiating grace with us… and Jesus said to that man “Do you want to be healed?” (John 5:6).

Do you want to be made well?

And the man said to Jesus Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me (John 5:7).

In other words… I’ll never be healed… I can’t even crawl fast enough.

This man was Lame… Helpless… Hopeless… without even a friend in the world.

He had no hope and no salvation.

Just like every one of us in our sin.

In fact… we were all worse off than that man because we weren’t just lame for 38 years… we were all spiritually dead.

We were all ourselves lame… helpless… hopeless.

But Jesus looked at that man and said these gracious words Get up, take up your bed, and walk.

And that man got up… took his bed… and walked…

And all this happened on the Sabbath the day of rest and led to no small controversy with the Jews to say Jesus is our Healer and Redeemer and True Sabbath Rest.

In Christ we are made whole… In Christ we are made alive again…

And in Christ is an outpouring of God’s healing pool of God’s covenantal love, mercy, and grace.

That you might believe.

IV. Feeding of the 5000 (John 6:1-15)

Then we come to one of the most famous stories of Jesus’ miracles… the feeding of the 5000.

That name is a little bit of a misnomer because it was the feeding of 5,000 men.

When you add in women and children you’re probably talking about upwards of 15 to 20,000 (Matthew 4:14).

Jesus had been teaching and ministering all day and as it got late, Jesus asked Philip knowing what He was about to do “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?”

To which Philip said Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.

For the disciples it was another impossible situation.

What are you talking about Jesus?… There’s no food.

Impossibility of God’s Grace

You see a theme in these signs of the impossibility of God’s grace.

When humanly speaking there is no hope and no answer… there is always God’s grace.

His grace answers our every need when it is impossible to answer that need any other way.

Again all the grace necessary to cover all of our sin.

Small Lunch

Well one of Jesus’ disciples said There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?

You had one small boys so lunch.

Basically 5 rolls and 2 sardines.

And Jesus said have everyone sit down and then Jesus took the loaves and took the fish and He gave thanks and everybody ate as much as they wanted (John 6:11).

In fact, there was so much left over that it filled 12 whole baskets… again overflowing… abundant… all the grace necessary… grace upon grace.

Now what does this sign say about Christ’s person and work.

That He’s the Bread of Life.

This is the chapter where Jesus says “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

And it also… again… shows us Jesus power to save.

It was an impossible miracle.

Five small loaves… two small fish… 15-20,000 people and twelve basketfuls left over.

When we were dead in our trespasses and sins… hungry and starving in a desolate place with no place and no money to buy food… Jesus saved us and gave us grace.

V. Walking on Water (John 6:16-21)

Immediately after the feeding of the 5,000 is the miracle of Jesus walking on water.

The Disciples had gone on without Jesus getting into a boat to cross the sea… and while on their way a storm began to blow.

Now this was no ordinary storm.

John says it was a strong wind and even though they left between 6 and 9 pm, between 3 and 6 am, they had still only gone about 3 or 4 miles (Matthew 14:25, Mark 6:48, John 6:19).

And remember, these are experienced fishermen.

They know their way around a boat.

Well, as their going one of them sees Jesus and they are all afraid.

Who wouldn’t be?

You wouldn’t expect to see anyone walking in a hurricane.

The other Gospels tell us they thought they were seeing a ghost.

But when Jesu cam near He said It is I; do not be afraid.

And so they took Him in the boat and immediately they were at safe harbor… the storm stopped and they were transported to the shore out of the wind and out of the waves.

Now usually people look at that story and think that Jesus just walked on the waves… something impossible… He’s God.

And it is that… but its so much more than that.

The Bible says God alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea… Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive Him… that’s Job 9:4-11.

So God alone tramples the waves of the sea… and then you have Jesus come and trample on the waves.

He is almighty Eternal God.

He even says It is I; do not be afraid… I am.

He uses God’s own Divine Name from the Old Testament and applies it to Himself.

He essentially says, Do not fear for I am with… the promise God says again and again and again in the Old Testament.

Jesus is taking on the Divine Name to say I am your God and your Deliverer.

Your Mighty Fortress and Strong Tower.

Your Shield and Defender.

Your Great God and Savior.

John’s sign of Jesus walking on water reveals the glory of Jesus as Almighty God and Gracious Savior.

As the one who rescues you from the wind and the waves of your sin God’s wrath and delivers you into safe harbor (Psalm 107:29-32).

The Gospel in Action.

VI. The Man Born Blind (John 9:1-7)

In John 9 we come to a man born blind.

This man was a beggar (John 9:8).

A down and out nobody.

The kind of person most people just ignore and walk on by.

But not Jesus.

Leaving the Temple, Jesus sees this man.

And Jesus draws near to Him… stoops down… and spits in the mud.

And then He uses the mud to cover the man’s eyes and He tells the man to go wash in the Pool of Siloam.

And so the man… blind… goes and washes his eyes and then comes back seeing!

Now remember how John said 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.

Messiah

Well the Christ… the Messiah… was prophesied that He would come and open blind eyes.

Isaiah 42:6–7 I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,… so Jesus… to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.

Its the Gospel and Salvation.

Son of God

And not only that but Exodus 4:11 says Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?”

Only God has the power to make blind eyes see.

So when Jesus opened the eyes of the man born blind it was a sign theologically that He really was the Messiah and the Eternal Son of God incarnate in human flesh.

Spit = Incarnation

And that’s why He spit and made the mud.

We are new creations in Christ and with the mud Christ made the man’s eyes new.

Remember Adam was made out of the dust of the ground.

But then why didn’t Jesus just use dust.

Because we are made New Creations through the incarnation of the Eternal Son of God

Spitting is an incarnational act to say through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus our spiritually blind eyes are opened and we are made new.

We are outside the Temple… far off from God… and in His incarnation Christ stoops low to bring us near.

Jesus said John 3:3 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot [even] see the kingdom of God.

The opening of the eyes of the man born blind is a picture of the New Birth and Grace we have in Christ.

I was blind, but now I see! (John 9:25).

VII. Lazarus (John 11)

Then you have John’s seventh sign… the raising of Lazarus from the dead.

Lazarus… one of Jesus’ friends was ill and eventually died.

And Jesus, knowing what He would do, showed up about four days later.

And Martha, one of Lazarus’ sisters, ran out to Jesus and said Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died (John 11:21).

I know you could have healed Him.

And this is where Jesus says I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? (John 11:25-26).

And Martha says Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world (John 11:27).

The same exact words and order we have in our Passage of John 20:31.

So something about believing Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God is believing Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.

And so Jesus comes to the Tomb and says Take away the stone (John 11:38).

To which Martha, Lazarus’ other sister says Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days (John 11:39).

The point being here Lazarus is dead dead.

He already stinks and the body is giving way to the corruption of death.

But Jesus says that doesn’t matter.

Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God? (John 11:40).

God’s goodness and grace revealed in Jesus Christ.

Maybe one of the greatest pictures of the gospels that we have.

Deader than dead coming out of the grave?!

And so Jesus cries out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

And John says The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go (John 11:44).

We are free in Christ.

Raised by Grace to New LIie.

Unbind Him and let him go.

Our salvation is so full… so perfect… so complete that all our grave clothes are gone.

There is condemnation or death left for us.

Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life and the one who saves us from all our sin.

Signs Conclusion

All of Jesus’ signs in the Gospel of John paint a portrait of the Glory of Christ and the Gospel.

Jesus is the Bridegroom who gives us grace upon grace and never runs out of saving wine to cleanse us from all our sin.

He saves us from the brink of death crossing the infinite gulf of that sin by His free and powerful grace.

He heals us and saves us when we were lame… helpless… and hopeless to ever save ourselves.

He feeds us the Bread of Life when we were hungry and starving with no food and no money in a desolate place.

He tramples the waves as Almighty God and our Gracious Savior to rescue us from the wind and the waves of our sin and God’s wrath and deliver us once and for all to safe harbor.

He opens our blind eyes.

And raises us out of the death of the grave and in exchange for grave clothes gives us dazzling white robes of His perfect righteousness.

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.

All of this is what John wants you to see.

The Gospel in Action.

Grace and Life in Christ.

What John wants you to see in all these signs is that In him was life, and the life was the light of men (John 1:4).

Do you want to be washed clean and forgiven?

Do you want to be healed?

Do you want to be made to walk again?

To hunger and thirst no more?

Do you want to be saved from the winds and the storm and finally see?

Do you want to be saved from sin and death never to come under the condemnation of your sins?

Come to Me

Then believe in Christ. Trust in Him.

Cast all the weight of all your eternal soul on Him and you will be saved.

What does it mean to believe?

Receive and rest on Christ and give your life to Him.

Jesus said Come to me.

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Say God, be merciful to me a sinner (Luke 18:13).

And Jesus says you will walk away today forgiven and justified.

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never… no never… not ever… cast out (John 6:37).

That is the great hope and great assurance we have in Christ all manifested in the signs of the Messiah.

The Greatest Sign being the sign of His resurrection.

Resurrection (John 20:1-18)

Jesus’ resurrection is the 8th sign in the Gospel of John.

Its the sign of New Creation.

New Life and the beginning of a New Creation week where God in Christ is making all things right and all things new.

Jesus died on the cross.

He said, It is finished (John 19:30).

It is paid in full.

Complete.

Full atonement has been made.

He has satisfied once and for all the wrath of God and drank the cup of God’s wrath down to the dregs.

And He rose again three days later in triumph over sin, Satan, Death, and the world to deliver us from all the enemies of our soul.

By His death and resurrection Jesus saved us from all our sin.

Everything His signs pointed throughout the Gospel of John to were all fulfilled in that once for all, definitive act.

All the grace and all the salvation that all the signs hoped for were all accomplished by Christ and given freely as a gift to all who trust in Him today.

Conclusion

What do Jesus’ signs have to do with you?

They preach to you the grace of your salvation.

They point you to the rest and assurance you have for your soul in the finished work of Christ.

And in the signs and with the resurrection of Christ… by His substitutionary death… all of Christ’s I Am Statements in the Gospel of John become open promises for all who trust in Him.

I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst (John 6:35).

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12).

I am the door of the sheep… If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture… green pastures and still waters (John 10:7; Psalm 23:2).

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11).

I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die (John 11:25-26).

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6).

I am the true vine… the fulfillment of all God’s Covenant Promises and Covenant of Works to give us the Covenant of Grace (John 15:1).

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.

Let’s Pray