Sign Miracles Case

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

SIGN MIRACLES IN JOHN

PROF. WILLIAMS

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT

OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COMPLETION OF BIBL 323

BY

WILLIAM LUSK

07/26/2013

In John 2:1-11, we are given the sign of water turned into wine - This is the first miracle in John's record of Jesus. This contains one of the oddest responses to His mother, 'Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come'. Also within this moment is the greatest testament to Christ's Godhood, shown in His commanding power over creation - only God can change the literal makeup of an object.

Healing the nobleman's son - The simple faith and belief in Jesus' power and words are the cause this miracle, which has far reaching consequences. John shows us this miracle in 4:46-54, when a royal official came to Jesus begging that He heal his son, dying away in Capernaum. Instead of a long-winded message, Jesus uses this as a perfect opportunity to bluntly and effectively show the world what it takes for the miraculous to occur. Believe in Him, His power over sickness and health and have faith to make it happen.

This demonstrates the power Christ's words have over illness as well as the time and space in between this child and Himself. Without so much as either a visit to the home of the nobleman, nor the need to say anything fancy or contrived, Jesus' power is visible for all in this instance.

Healing the lame man - In chapter 5 we see Jesus surpassing time and even the Sabbath to bring a lame man of nearly four decades to his feet and moving within moments. The pool of Bethesda was where many sick people would gather for potential healing; it was positioned in such a manner that this man needed others to carry his bed and get him up to the pool itself. Jesus bypassed the lack of friends or family and directly healed the man and commanded him to get up, take up his bed and walk.

Only in His deity could Jesus heal this man's affliction of his entire life, and only in His deity could He perform this miracle on the Jewish hold day of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was a restriction for mankind, but not a limiter to God, to Whom all things are possible.

Feeding the 5k - Morris states in his book that there is only one kind of food that can fill us properly and completely (Morris, 110), and that is what Jesus is representing in this fourth miracle. In John 6, Jesus watches the crowd gathering and knows immediately that they will need to be fed. He was brought a boy with bread and fish by Andrew, who questioned Jesus as to the amount the boy brought forth (five loaves, Barley, and two fish). Jesus proceeded to bless with prayer and serve the food, resulting in twelve baskets full of leftovers, just as He continues to produce enough grace, love and mercy to bless each of His believers daily.

Walking on water - After taking some well needed time to Himself, Christ returns to His disciples as they traverse the Sea of Galilee without Him in Chapter 6. The scene is one intense and fraught with danger, for if these disciples, some who were fishermen and accustomed to being in a rocking boat upon a turbulent sea, were this taxed and frightened, this was one big storm. Dr. Towns even brings up the Greek term of diegeireto (meaning to wake up thoroughly) to explain exactly how sudden this storm was (Towns, 61), how it came out of nowhere and suddenly assailed the little boat of men. This was Christ's deity proven by His calming statement to the disciples in 6:20, "It is I." which is the identifier God uses for Himself in the Old Testament (ego eimi) meaning literally "I AM". Also, Christ's power over nature is displayed as He walks upon water and grants Peter the same ability for the duration of this scene.

This is the instance that shows what I love best about Peter, his impulsiveness and his faith tempered with his human fear and insecurities. What a beautiful picture of all of us in all our brag and braggadocio, thinking we are so ready to leap out of that boat and walk to Jesus. We want so badly to do that in our own power and will, but it was with Christ alone that Peter managed to walk as far as he did. Few of us have the courage to even step out of the boat, fewer still the faith to actually walk upon the water with Christ.

Healing the blind man - Fast-Forward to John chapter 9, where Jesus demonstrates dominion over the physical realm by healing the man born blind. The disciples come to Jesus with the query about sin concerning the man He had walked by. Jesus' response showed that Jesus was indeed what He had claimed to be one chapter prior at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles (John 8:12), the Light