BIG IDEA:
JESUS’ SPECIAL SIGN MIRACLES POINT US TO FAITH IN HIM AS THE PROMISED MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD — WHO ALONE CAN PROVIDE SPIRITUAL LIFE
INTRODUCTION:
Why did John write his gospel? What special emphasis did he have over the other gospel writers? Why did he select the specific miracles which he did?
Explain the selective nature of God’s Revelation – we are not told everything … but everything that we are told has a special purpose
I. (:30) UNRECORDED SIGN MIRACLES WERE INTENDED FOR A LIMITED AUDIENCE
“Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book”
A. Significant that Jesus performed an abundance of Sign Miracles
B. Intended Audience / Intended Authenticators = Jews living with Christ / Immediate disciples
C. Something Special about the Scriptures / intended for wider audience
II. (:31) RECORDED SIGN MIRACLES WERE INTENDED FOR A WIDER AUDIENCE AND A VERY SPECIAL PURPOSE
“but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”
A. SIGNIFICANCE OF SIGN MIRACLES
Def. of a “sign” = an event or work (usually miraculous) which points to something else.
1. Great Periods in History where God uses Special Sign Miracles
a. Moses — theocracy
b. Elijah / Elisha — the Kings
c. Christ / the Apostles — the Church
d. End Times
2. Importance of Written Revelation from God
3. Analysis of 7 Sign Miracles in Gospel of John
a. Changing water into wine at marriage feast at Cana (2:1-11)
b. Healing a nobleman’s son (4:46-54)
c. Healing a sick man at the pool Bethesda (5:1-9)
d. Feeding the crowd of 5000 people (6:1-14)
e. Walking on water (6:16-21)
f. Healing the man born blind (9:1-12)
g. Raising Lazarus from the dead (11:1-46)
Smokescreen: People often ask for additional signs or contemporary signs before they will believe; but if they reject these signs, more revelation will not help them.
B. THE PURPOSE OF REVELATION — TO GENERATE FAITH
1. Concept of Faith — Definitions
the hand of the heart receiving the blessings of God and relying on them
2. Illustrations
3. Contrasted with Works — cf. swimming to Hawaii
4. Progression of faith
C. THE CLAIMS OF CHRIST
not the amount of faith, but the object of our faith is critical
sincerity alone will get you nowhere
1. Jesus is the Christ — the Messiah
a. connection to OT prophecies
b. the Anointed One in OT
1) Prophet
2) Priest
3) King
2. Jesus is the Son of God — significance of “I am” sayings
a. Background — Exodus 3:14
“I am” refers to the name God uses for Himself; Jehovah
Christ is often identified as the Jehovah of the OT
b. Conditions for this being a claim to Deity
1) person speaking must be Christ
2) Word order must be “I am” with nothing intervening
3) sentence structure —
no predicate
or with predicate consisting of a definite article and a predicate nominative
c. Analysis of “I am” statements in Gospel of John
Background: Exod. 3:13-14
1) John 4:25-26 used in an absolute sense with reference to the Messiah
2) John 6:35, 48, 51 The Bread of Life
3) John 8:12 The Light of the World
4) John 8:18, 24, 28 The True Witness
5) John 8:58 Greater than Abraham
6) John 10:7,9 The Door of the Sheep
7) John 10:11,14 The Good Shepherd
8) John 11:25 The Resurrection and the Life
9) John 13:19 Used in an absolute sense with reference to fulfillment of prophecy
10) John 14:6 The Way, The Truth, and The Life
11) John 15:1,5 The True Vine
12) John 17:14, 16 Not of the World
13) John 18:5,6,8 Used in an absolute sense with reference to Jesus the Nazarene whom the Jews were seeking to put to death
D. BELIEF = SOLE CONDITION FOR SPIRITUAL LIFE
– Personal Testimony
– Physical Life
– Spiritual Life
John 17:3
E. ASSURANCE OF SALVATION
How do you know for sure you are a believer?
Importance of the message of 1 John
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”