Seven Signs of GloryNäide

Day 1: Glimpses of Glory

If you’ve spent time with a toddler, you’ve likely noticed their favorite word: “Why?” Why is the sky blue? Why do birds fly? Why do things fall down instead of up?

Toddlers, in their curiosity, are wise. They relentlessly seek understanding—a wisdom we often lose as we age. Yet, especially in our faith, we should never stop asking “Why?” We follow a wonderful God who welcomes our questions. Jesus’ Himself encourages us to unashamedly pursue Him: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find” (Matthew 7:7 ESV).

God invites us to wrestle with “why?”, not to frustrate us, but to draw us close. The more we seek, the more we find Him: the One who reigns over time and space and yet loves each of us personally and perfectly.

This devotional, then, is all about asking, “Why?”. We’re exploring the seven signs of Jesus in John’s Gospel and asking: Why did Jesus perform these particular signs, and why did John preserve them? What do they reveal about Jesus, and how do they apply today?

John answers part of this in today’s passage, telling us that, of everything he could have written down, he recorded these signs “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name”.

This is a revelation! Everything John writes, we realize, is geared toward helping us believe Jesus is who He claimed to be—and in believing, to experience the abundant life He promises. Within each sign, therefore, we should expect to discover something about Jesus’ identity and the expansive life He offers us. John is inviting us to engage with Jesus’ miracles as “glimpses of glory”, a theological treasure hunt leading to Christ Himself.

C.S. Lewis puts it beautifully: “Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.”

Pause to reflect. Do you want to deepen your confidence that Jesus is the Christ? Do you long to experience life in His name?

If so, this journey is for you. Over these eight devotionals, we’ll examine each of the seven signs in turn. You can complete the journey in 8 days or by pairing with other Hillsong UK resources (available here: www.hillsong.co.uk). Either way, we pray these reflections will draw you closer to Jesus—the One who is first, foremost, and forever.