In Revealed: God at Work we will be looking to the signs that Jesus performs in the Gospel of John. "Signs" are more than just miracles - they point to deeper truths about God's work in the world and what the eternal life that God offers us looks like. Join us, so that you can see God's work in your life more clearly!

"Signs" in the Bible

New Testament scholar Marianne Meye Thompson writes about "signs" in the Old Testament and what they signified, so that we can better understand the context of Jesus' "signs." Thompson writes:

The term "'Signs,' often linked with 'wonders,' occurs frequently in the Old Testament to refer to plagues and others acts accompanying God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt. But many other things are also called 'signs': the rainbow; circumcision; the lamb's blood on the doorposts; the Sabbath; the words of God to be bound on one's hand, forehead and doorposts; the birth of a child; the fertility of crops in the land; and heavenly portents. Such things are "signs" because they are indicators of God's work in the world. Whether extraordinary (portents in the heaven) or ordinary (the slaying of the lamb; the circumcision of a baby), these things are 'signs' because they are not ends in themselves; signs function primarily to point to to God's work."

Similarities Between the First and Second Sign in John

Here are some similarities between the first two signs in John's Gospel:

1. Both take place in Cana

2. Jesus is approached by someone and asked to intervene. In the first sign, his mother asks him to provide wine. In the second sign, the royal official asks Jesus to heal his son.

3. Jesus initially doesn't agree to the request.

4. The person asking Jesus persists.

5. Jesus agrees to the request, after the person persists.

6. Multiple people believe in Jesus because of the sign. In the wedding at Cana, his disciples believe in him. After he heals the officials son, the entire household of the official believes in him.

From this, we can start to see patterns in these signs. Jesus performs some feat and this feat leads to people having deeper faith in Jesus. The purpose of the signs is to spread and deepen faith in Jesus.

Emphasis on Faith

It could be easy to read this story of Jesus' second sign and assume that the healing was the main point. However, the faith of the royal official is what stands out when you look at the story closely. We don't even get a description of the son being healed in the story, but we get the faith of the official placed front and center.

Martin Luther understood this. He preached on this text and stated: "A beautiful example of faith is presented in this... (story), exhibiting, as it does, the nature and character of faith... This I say for the purpose that no one may be sure, even if he has attained faith, that he now has everything; with this it should not stop, for it is not sufficient to begin, but one must constantly grow and increase, and continue learning to know God better."

The Royal official displays faith when we are told that he believed what Jesus proclaimed, when Jesus said "Your son will live." The official's faith deepens once he sees the result of Jesus' words to the point that his whole household believes in Jesus also. This is a good example of the progression of faith in our lives.

GROWTH GROUP / PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. Do you believe Jesus actually performed the healings recounted in the Gospels? Why or why not?

2. Do you think that God still performs healings today? Why or why not?

3. The story in John chapter 4 is centered more on the faith of the royal official, rather than on his son, whom Jesus heals. Why do you think the story focuses more on the royal official and his belief than on the son and his healing?

4. We are told that the entire household of royal official came to believe in Jesus. The point of healings is that we would have deeper faith in Jesus, like the official and his household. How have christians misunderstood the point of Jesus' healings?

QUESTIONS FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN

1. The Bible tells us stories of Jesus healing people when they are hurt or sick. Have you ever needed to heal from something? How long did it take for you to heal?

2. One of the promises in the Bible is that Jesus will eventually heal all pain in the world. What is something you'd like Jesus to heal in your life?

3. How can examples and stories of other healings deepen your faith in Jesus' ability to heal your life?