Signs of John's Gospel
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Simple Thoughts on the Eight Signs of John's Gospel. All signs are miracles, that is to say,
supernatural exercises of divine power. Yet all miracles are not signs, that is to say,
all signs convey some distinct teaching in addition to their display of power.
The first sign is given in John 2, verses 1 to 10, turning the water into wine. Our Lord was
there at the wedding feast at Cana as an invited guest. His act of turning the water into wine
signified that he must supersede any human host. He manifested his divine glory there,
demonstrating that he was the host for Israel. He will bring in the joy of the kingdom in the
coming day of marital festivity, but only after the water pots have been filled up with the water
of purification. And of course, applied, the purifying fountain shall follow the great
tribulation. See Zechariah chapters 12 and 13. Then Jehovah shall be called husband by his people,
and shall no more be called master. Then shall the joy of the vineyards be the portion of Israel,
when the door of hope is opened to her, culminating in the betrothal with all its
attendant blessedness. See Hosea 2, verses 14 to 23. Thus shall the Lord be host and husband
to Israel in the coming day of his manifestation. All this and much more is signified by this first
sign. May we who belong not to Israel, but to the new flock, the heavenly family of God,
learn this from the sign that the gracious, lowly stranger, who came unto his own and was not
received by them, who was unknown in the world his own hands had made, is none other than the
Lord of glory. Praise his name. The invited man at Cana's feast, a humble guest did dine,
yet God, the host, the water blessed and changed it into wine. The second sign is recorded in
chapter 4, verses 46 to 54. Here in Galilee, our Lord exercised his healing power amongst the poor
of the flock. In the midst of an Israel which, like the nobleman's son, was almost at the point
of death, he came in with a ministry of wonderful grace and power, which would have met the whole
deep need. And so, if you look at Matthew 4, verses 14 to 16, there's a quotation given us
from Isaiah chapter 9, verses 1 to 2. We read that, leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in
Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Naphtalem. But it might
be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon and the
land of Naphtalem, by the way of the sea beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people which
sat in darkness saw great light, and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death,
light is sprung up. And so here, in this remarkable incident, in the fourth chapter of John, the Lord
Jesus Christ exercised his wonderful power in the healing of the nobleman's son. Our blessed Lord
showed to a people who would not believe except they saw, that he was none other than Jehovah
Raphai. I am the Lord that healeth thee. See, for instance, Exodus chapter 15, verse 26. The healing
mercy, which shall yet be experienced by his people in the coming day of his glorious power,
was present when he trod his lowly, gracious pathway. As we elsewhere read, the power of the
Lord was present to heal them all. And here the nobleman's son was healed. The wonderful thing is
that the nobleman, affected by the testimony of the lowly Jesus, believed his word. And when he
inquired eventually as to the time of the healing of his son, he recognized and acknowledged it was
at the moment that the Lord sent him on his way, with a blessed assurance that his cry for help
was heard. And what the Lord Jesus was then, as we've said, he'll be for the nation in the coming
day. What they'll experience in his exercise of power in the day of his kingdom glory, was presented
in lowliness, meekness, and grace in the day of his humiliation here. How sad that generally he
was refused. Although, as we've said, citing Exodus 15, 26, he himself was the Lord that healed his
people. Jehovah Raphi. The third sign in John 5 verses 1 to 9, shows that our Lord carried in his
own blessed person all that was signified by Bethesda, the house of mercy. It is significant
that the man's infirmity was of 38 years duration. Israel, after 38 years wilderness wandering, were
coming very near to their inheritance. Of course, before they could leave the wilderness and enter
the land, there must be the experiencing of the judgment of God upon all that was contrary to him
in them. And so this period of 38 years in their history nationally, seems to coincide with the
incident of the brazen serpent. Compare Numbers 21 verse 4 to 16 with Deuteronomy 2 verse 14. As in
the flesh, and on the ground of law-keeping, Israel will never get into the divinely promised inheritance.
Here in John 5, the man at the pool was absolutely helpless. He had no man, but the mercy of God drew
near to him as it had to Israel. In the man Christ Jesus, in his act of healing, he manifested himself
as the Lord of the new covenant. For we elsewhere read, see Hosea chapter 6 verse 6 and Matthew 9
verse 13, I will have mercy. So the God of the house of mercy was there in all his charm and
grace and power in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, exercising in Israel,
then in mercy, what he soon will exercise for them in power. The fourth sign in John 6 verses 5 to 14
shows our Lord feeding the multitude. In so doing, he declared plainly that he is the Jehovah of Psalm
132, of whom it is written, verse 15 of that Psalm, I will abundantly bless her provision. I will
satisfy her poor with bread. This is quoted from the Psalm which looks on to that day when Jehovah
shall come into his rest. How great the blessing which shall ensue for Israel when the Lord gets
his rightful place. Then in consequence, brethren, the Lord's earthly people shall dwell together in
unity under the effective administration of the anointed priest. Then they shall enjoy life for
the millennial age under their Messiah. There shall be a spontaneous uprising of blessing Godward
with resultant blessing manward. Read the last three Psalms of the grace together and then just
say to yourself, the person who will bring all this about is that blessed adorable one who fed
the poor with bread in the day of the sixth of John. The fifth sign is also in John 6
verses 15 to 21. Jesus walked upon the sea and just as he came to his disciples in that day
in the midst of the storm, so will he come to his own in the coming darkness and strong wind
of the tribulation day. He'll bring that storm to an end as he brought the storm on the sea to an end
by his glorious coming and shall bring his own to their desired heaven. He is the master of the seas
and the winds and the waves are under his control. He it is who said in the 38th of Job verse 11,
hitherto shall thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed.
He'll bring the storm of tribulation and the fury of gentile hatred
under the beast and the false prophet to a sudden end. Such is suggested here in the fifth sign
of the gospel of John. The dependent man, the mount ascends and suppliant there is he,
the mighty God. He then descends and walks the heaving sea.
Let us remember in all our consideration of these wonderful signs that though we may learn
much of dispensational significance through them, that in them all we discern the glory
of our blessed Lord. Chapter 9 verses 1 to 7 gives us the sixth sign of the gospel.
The great theme of the earlier chapters has been the testimony to men. Here in this chapter,
the prominent thought is the work of God in man. Thus we have had the word of God to man,
to man. Now it is a matter of the work of God in man. If Israel is to be delivered from the
darkness and blindness of their ignorance of God, a divine work is essential. This is the
significance of this sixth sign. The down stooping of the Son of God into this world
in the lowliness of his incarnation symbolized in his making clear with his spittle
only intensified the blindness of the Jews. If they were waiting for the coming Christ,
it was not the humbled Christ they looked for. They looked for a mighty delivering warrior.
The only hope for Israel was in being obedient to the sent one of God. Thank God
the day shall surely dawn when their hearts shall turn to the Lord.
They will repent then of their arrogant pretensions to knowledge. They shall no longer boast that
they say. They will own their sin, their ignorance, and their darkness, and he will open their blind
eyes. The veil shall be taken from their hearts and they shall gladly confess in the words of
Isaiah 25 verse 9. Lo, this is our God. We have waited for him and he will save us.
This is the Lord. We have waited for him. We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
Then too, as in Isaiah 33 verse 17, thine eyes shall see the king and his beauty.
What a change shall be effected in contrast to the day of their national blindness when they said
there is no beauty that we should desire him. Isaiah 53 and then in Isaiah 35 verse 5 we read
then the eyes of the blind shall be opened. Then the day of judicial blindness shall be ended.
In their unbelief they refused the Lord when he presented himself in grace.
And so according to the end of this ninth chapter of John they were given over to blindness and
shall be until the day of his coming in power and great glory. See also Isaiah 6 and John 12
verses 37 to 41. A set forth in this sign he is the only one who can lighten their darkness
and he shall yet open their eyes. He is the light giver. The seventh sign John 11 verses 1 to 44
is that of the resurrecting glory of the Son of God. What he did for Lazarus historically
he shall yet do for the nation sleeping among the gentile nations. According to Daniel 12 verse 2
when the great tribulation has run its appointed course there shall be a national awakening
awakening sunk to everlasting life. In Ezekiel 37 we read of the valley which was full of bones.
As you go down those verses they're called dry bones. The question is raised can these bones live?
Verse 12 behold all my people I will open your graves and bring you into the land of Israel
and you shall know that I am the Lord when I have opened your graves. Oh my people and brought you
up out of your graves and shall put my spirit in you and you shall live. Please read the whole of
that wonderful chapter. The power of the Lord shall be exalted for the resurrection of his
people Israel. The major part of whom have long been lost among the nations and thus are nationally
dead. The Lord will manifest his glory in bringing this about such is the portent of this sign.
So the Lord Jesus said in John 11 verse 4 as to Lazarus that sickness is not unto death
but for the glory of God that the Son of God may be glorified thereby.
In verse 40 of that chapter said I not unto thee but if thou wouldest believe thou shouldest see
the glory of God. The great hope of Israel shall be realized for them by the resurrecting power
of the Son of God. Arise and shine thy light has come. Israel one day shall hear the welcome word
shall then come forth from out their darkened tomb to stand before the glory of their Lord.
Times of the Gentiles then give way beneath the righteous scepter sway of him who out of Zion
comes to bring deliverance to all Israel's sons. Dry bones shall live a nation in a day be born
when neath the banner of Jehovah's love they dwell in safety and in lasting peace and hay
amidst their swelling shouts of praise. Now a brief glance at the eighth sign of the gospel
21 verses 1 to 14. The third time in which our Lord showed himself to the disciples
after that he was risen from the dead. The disciples the true remnant of Israel
which during the night of his absence had caught nothing in their fishing
get their instructions from their risen Lord and cast their net at his behest.
They were not able to draw it in for the multitude of fishers 153 great fishers
under the command of their Lord they were eminently successful and the net
did not break. Perhaps this suggests the service they will yet perform in casting the net
of the gospel of the kingdom into the sea of the nations when they'll reap the harvest of the seas
metaphorically the result and millennial blessing will be that the Gentiles shall come to Israel's
light. Isaiah chapter 60 I will gather all nations and tongues and they shall come and say
my glory I will set a sign among them I will send those that escape of them to the nations
but have not heard my fame neither have seen my glory they shall declare my glory among the
Gentiles. Isaiah 66 verse 19 thus at the end as at the beginning of these signs which we have
briefly glanced at and as to which we've made these very very simple suggestions not dogmatic
statements the paramount feature is the manifestation of the divine glory of our blessed Lord amen.
In John 6 30 in regard to the query what sign
surest thou our blessed Lord spoke of himself as the bread from heaven
and in this connection he indicated there was the sign of his coming down
his incarnation then later he said the bread which I will give as my flesh
which I will give for the life of the world this is the teaching of his death made plain from what
follows so here are two distinct signs connected with the thought of himself as the bread of God
the bread of life the bread from heaven his incarnation and his death in chapter 2 18
answering the Jews who said what sign surest thou and so on Jesus answered destroy this temple
and in three days I will raise it up and we read that he spake of the temple of his body
referring to his coming resurrection after he was risen his disciples remembered he'd said this
to them here then is the great sign of his resurrection in chapter 11 he said I am the
resurrection and the life it was after he was risen and it appeared twice to his assembled
disciples with a special appeal to Thomas that we read these words and many other signs did Jesus
in the presence of his disciples and as to these that are written they are written that you might
believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and believing you might have life through his name
John 20 verses 30 and 31 …