Fall League Chapel 2

Sign 2

New Living Translation Chapter 20

Purpose of the Book

30 The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

John’s purpose in writing is so that you, the reader, the one who has not seen Jesus in person, will read his account of Jesus life and ministry and believe that He is the Messiah, the Jewish Savior, but more than that, that He is the Son of God.

In Jewish thought and reference, a son was equal to, no less than, it was an identification. Men then were sons of whatever earthly father’s name was and/or then identified by their town, Jesus of Nazareth, to differentiate Him from any other Jesus.

John writes in chapter 1

New Living Translation Chapter 1

Prologue: Christ, the Eternal Word

1 In the beginning the Word already existed.

The Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

2 He existed in the beginning with God.

3 God created everything through him,

and nothing was created except through him.

4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,

and his life brought light to everyone.

5 The light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness can never extinguish it.

New Living Translation Chapter 1

14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

New Living Translation Chapter 1

God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

So John’s twofold purpose of his gospel is chapter 20 verse 31

New Living Translation Chapter 20

to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

and chapter 1 verse 18

New Living Translation Chapter 1

God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

New Living Translation Chapter 1

No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

So what does each “sign” do to help us with these two purposes, how does it help us to believe that Jesus is the Savior of mankind, and that He is God in the flesh, revealing God to us?

Before we fully dive in the second sign, we must first see how we get to this sign.

Jesus turn water into wine in John chapter 2 verses 1-12, the result, Jesus revealed His glory and His disciples believed in Him. Proof and belief, belief and proof.

If we look at the end of chapter 2 Jesus is in Jerusalem for the Passover feast, He turns the tables in the temple, He claims the temple, the dwelling place of God, is “His” Father’s house, then verse 23 says, Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in Him. Many believed in Him, proof then belief.

Jesus has an interaction with Nicodemus at the start of chapter 3, a religious leader and a Pharisee, a top dog in their socio-economic-religious-political community. He is quoted as saying the purpose of him visiting Jesus is that His miraculous signs are evidence that God is with Jesus. Maybe not complete acknowledgement that Jesus is God, but at least that Jesus is empowered by God.

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

4. At the end of chapter 3, John the Baptist testifies about Jesus,

31 “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. 32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! 33 Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. 34 For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. 36 And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

31 “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. 32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! 33 Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. 34 For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. 36 And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

5. The first part of chapter 4 is Jesus having a dialogue with a Samaritan woman at a well over water, spiritual conversation, but the deal is this, this person is not a Jew but a lowly despised Samaritan, a woman and not a man, poor and not rich, has no political influence or power, and extremely sinful, this person is the opposite of Nicodemus. At the end of her encounter with Jesus, she believes without seeing any miracle.

6. Nicodemus came to Jesus because of the “signs”, Jesus lays it all out for him, and we get no indication of him believing, at least not after this encounter. This woman has seen nothing, has no idea at first who Jesus is, and yet she believes in Him, He stays there 2 more days and the whole village believes.

If God does love the world, all people, then Nicodemus, the woman, and now this traitor who works for Rome, sum up the world

7. So now we get to the end of chapter 4,

Jesus Heals an Official’s Son

43 At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee. 44 He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown. 45 Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.

46 As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.

48 Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”

49 The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.”

50 Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.

51 While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. 52 He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!” 53 Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. 54 This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.

This man was a political figure only, no indication of any religious title, no Pharisee, no teacher etc.

He came to Jesus because he was in a desperate situation and believed Jesus could do something about it. He had heard about Jesus.

Jesus addresses the man, but also the crowd, the “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?” the you is plural, not just the man but all that are there. The problem with this is when is enough, how many miracles, maybe I’m doubting so I need one more. Show me then I’ll believe.

The man pleads, he wants Jesus to come with him and heal his son, but Jesus just tells him to “go home, your son will live.”

This is a test of faith, of belief, will you take me at my word or not, do you need to see with your eyes or can you believe without seeing?

Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary 4:49–54 Faith in Word and Faith in Deed

The nobleman believed in Jesus’ word alone, without proof (4:49–50). When the hour of healing was discovered, the man again believed, having seen the proof of Jesus’ word (4:53). The movement was from believing the words of Jesus to seeing and believing the deeds of Jesus. The man first believed in Jesus’ word. Then he believed in the deed and character of Jesus. That was a second sign (4:54). This event showed that Jesus’ signs were not presented simply for evangelism. They were also for those who had already believed, yet needed to believe in Jesus on a more deep and sincere level.

So where are you? How deep is your faith and belief? We will not see Jesus here in the flesh, but can we recognize what He is doing through His people, or through miracles that happen every day? Can we believe in Him, and believe more just by greater understanding of His Word.

says, “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.”

Earlier in the chapter it reads,

faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). 7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” 8 In fact, it says,

“The message is very close at hand;

it is on your lips and in your heart.”

And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” 12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”