Miracles in St. John’s gospel:
The gospel of St. John records only 8 (eight) miracles done by Yahshua Messiah. The other 3 gospels, on the other hand, record 21 in Matthew, 19 in Mark and 22 in Luke. John calls these miracles as ‘SIGNS’ (New King James version) or tokens. These signs symbolize life-changing results of life in Messiah. Let’s go through the miracles or signs one by one and see what they actually symbolize!
Water turned to wine: (2: 1-11). This is accepted as the first miracle done by our Lord on earth. In the wedding feast at Cana, Mary, the mother of Yahshua Messiah told Him that there was no wine for the wedding guests. Messiah then asked that the water pots be filled with water and to serve the same to the guests. This water was changed to wine that was even better than the first wine. The water was replaced by wine! Life in Messiah replaces the ritual of law with the reality of grace. The wine saved the guests at the wedding, but now we are saved by grace (Eph.2: 5). ‘For the law was given by Moses but grace and truth came through Yahshua Messiah. (John.1: 17). ‘
A nobleman’s son healed: (4: 46-54). A nobleman’s son was sick at Capernaum. The nobleman implored Yahshua Messiah to come and heal his son. Messiah did not go to the man’s house but told the man to go his way as his son lives, testing his faith. When we are overtaken by faults we who are spiritual should restore such people. (Gal.6: 1).The gospel brings spiritual restoration or salvation. When Messiah is in us we receive salvation. ‘Today is salvation come to this house, (Luke. 19: 9).
A paralytic healed: (5: 1-15). A paralytic man was waiting by the pool at Bethesda. It was said that whoever first gets into the water when an angel stirs up the water , would be healed. There was no one to help him get into the water when an angel shakes the water. Nobody came to his assistance. When Messiah saw him, He took pity on him and told the paralytic to take up his bed and walk. The man was healed immediately. When we are weak, Messiah turns our weakness to strength. ‘I lay down and slept, I awoke for the Lord sustained me, (Ps.3: 5) St. Paul, had a ‘thorn in his flesh’, a weakness or ailment, to remind him continually of his earthly nature. The Lord did not take it away but rather said, ’my strength is made perfect in weakness. My grace is sufficient for thee’ (II Cor.12: 9).
Feeding the five thousand: (6: 1-13) A very well known miracle in which Messiah fed five thousand persons with just five loaves of bread and two small fish. The people had followed him and heard him for many days and now they had nothing to eat. The disciples were at a loss! A little boy had five barley loaves and two small fish. Messiah took the bread and blessed them and the disciples distributed them to the people to eat. The leftovers were collected in twelve baskets! Their hunger was satisfied for the moment, but Messiah gives us food from heaven and satisfies our spiritual hunger. ‘Do not labour for the food which perishes but for the food which endures to everlasting life…I am the bread of life’. (John. 6: 27, 35)
Messiah walks on water: (6: 15-21) After feeding the five thousand, Messiah went into a mountain to be alone and the disciples went down to the sea in a boat. When it grew dark they saw Yahshua Messiah walking on water on the sea towards the boat. When the disciples saw Him they were afraid.
Messiah reassured them and they received Him into the boat. Yahshua Messiah transforms fear to faith. When Peter walked on the water, he had faith in Messiah. The minute he turned towards the water (or the world), his faith wavered. The Book says if we have faith as a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible for us. (Matt. 17: 20)
A man born blind receives sight: (9: 1-7) Yahshua Messiah saw a man who was blind from birth, on the wayside. When his disciples asked Him on whose account the man was blind, He tells them that he was blind so that the works of Elohim may be revealed in him. He restored sight to the blind man. In Luke.4: 18, we read,’ the spirit of the Lord is upon me …and recovery of sight to the blind.’ The anointing we receive when we are in the Lord opens our spiritual eyes. Read II Cor.4: 4. The god of this world has blinded the minds of people lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Yahshua Messiah should shine on them.
Lazarus raised from the dead: (11: 1-44). In the town of Bethany, a man names Lazarus was sick. His sisters Mary and Martha sent word to Yahshua but he delayed going to Bethany. Messiah went after Lazarus died. Yahshua Messiah, after going there, raised Lazarus from death, three days after he died! Messiah could have given him life immediately when he died, but He wanted to show the people that He could raise him even after the body started decaying! In the same way when Messiah is in our lives, we are a new creation (II Cor .5: 17). We pass from death to life, a new life. When we are baptized, our old self is buried and we start a new life. (Rom.6: 3-4)
Second draught of fish: (21: 1-11). The first catch of fish is recorded in Luke.5: 1-6. Before Messiah was crucified, He sent out his disciples into the countryside to cure diseases, heal the sick, with authority over all demons. This was the first commission to His disciples. Now after He rose from the grave, He has given us the greatest commission of all, to preach the good news to the whole world! Just as the sea was full of fish waiting to be caught by the disciples, the world is full of lost souls, waiting for the good news of salvation. The harvest is plenty, but the labourers are few (Luke.10: 2). You and I, we are the labourers, and it is our responsibility to preach the gospel to the world.
Paul says, ’by many signs and wonders…I have preached the gospel’ (Rom.15: 17). In Matt.12: 40, Yahshua Messiah says that there shall be no sign but the sign of Jonah. Jonah’s voyage from Tarsus to Nineveh itself was a miracle! In the same way John records the miracles of Yahshua Messiah as SIGNS (John.2: 11, New King James). They were written as symbols of changes that life in Messiah brings in our lives.
The strange thing about signs is that they are always there but we do not see them. It is only when we look for them that they become so important.
When the nobleman came to Messiah asking him to heal his son, Messiah said,’ Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.’ That is the key to understanding what Yahshua Messiah was doing with these miracles. The miracles themselves are not the important thing. These miracles were not a show for interested people. They are signposts pointing to the reality of life in the Kingdom of Yahweh. That is how Yahshua Messiah reveals himself as the Almighty Yahweh. It was a demonstration that Yahweh himself was among them. |