The Seven Miracles in the Gospel of John

This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. John 2:11 (NKJV)

INTRODUCTION: Moses’ first miracle was to turn water into blood; there was a severe destructive element in it. But Christ’s first miracle was to turn water into wine; there was a soothing, solacing element in it. (Cynddylan Jones)

Any trial a believer faces can ultimately bring glory to God because God can bring good out of any bad situation (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28). When trouble comes, do you grumble, complain, and blame God? Or do you see your problems as opportunities to honor him?

1. TURNING WATER INTO WINE (Chapter 2)
Where did the marriage feast take place? John 2:1
What was Christ’s answer to his mother’s request for wine? John 2:4
How much wine was made? John 2:6
What was the quality of the miraculous wine? John 2:10

Jesus did not require the help of the servants nor the filled jars in order to perform his miracle. The filling of the jars could itself have been part of the miracle. But as Jesus demonstrated repeatedly in dealing with people, God honors us with significant roles in his work. We are not indispensable, but graciously included.

Changing water into wine was a sign, that is, a miracle with a meaning. It was a superhuman act with a spiritual meaning. These miracles also were designed to show that Jesus was indeed the Christ of God. By performing this sign, He manifested His glory. He revealed to men that He was indeed God—manifest in the flesh. His disciples believed in Him.

2. CURING THE NOBLEMAN’S SON (Chapter 4)
Reveals that Jesus’ power is not limited by time or space.
Where was this miracle performed? John 4:46
What was the purpose of Christ’s signs and wonders? John 4:48

“Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your son will live.’ The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, ‘Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.’ The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live.’ So he himself believed, along with his whole household.”

3. HEALING A LAME MAN (Chapter 5)
Reveals Jesus’ power over disease and disability.
Where did this miracle take place? John 5:1, 2
What superstition did the sick have about the pool, Bethesda? John 5:3, 4.
How long had the man had his infirmity? John 5:5
What was this man’s reason for not being healed by the water? John 5:7

After thirty-eight long years, this Lame man’s problem had become a way of life. No one had ever helped him. He had no hope of ever being healed and no desire to help himself. His situation looked hopeless; that is, until the day that Jesus made his way through the crowd. Among all those trying to be healed, Jesus found the one who couldn’t help himself.

No matter how hopeless you feel in your infirmities, God can minister to your deepest needs. Don’t let a problem or hardship cause you to lose hope. God may have special work for you to do in spite of your condition, or even because of it. Many have ministered more effectively to hurting people because they have triumphed over their own hurts.

4. FEEDING OF THE MULTITUDE (Chapter 6)
Reveals Jesus’ power to supply for humanity.
Why did the multitude follow Jesus? John 6:2
Why did Jesus ask Philip about the bread supply? John 6:5-6
What was Philip’s answer? John 6:7
What was Peter’s reaction to the request? John 6:8-10

We can learn from the leftovers. God gives in abundance. He takes whatever we offer him in time, ability, or resources and multiplies its effectiveness beyond our wildest expectations. If we take the first step in making ourselves available to God, he will show us how greatly we can be used to advance the work of his kingdom. Most of us want to see a great work of God, but can we take the first step of sacrifice?

This story we have a beautiful picture of:
(a) the perishing world; (b) the powerless disciples; (c) the perfect Savior. This miracle involved a true act of creation. No mere man could take five loaves and two small fish and expand them in such a way as to feed so many people as this. It has been well said, “ ’Twas springtime when He blessed the bread, ’twas harvest when He brake.” And it is also true, “Loaves unblessed are loaves unmultiplied.” (W. H. Griffith Thomas)

5. WALKING ON THE WATER (Chapter 6)
Reveals Jesus’ power over the forces of nature.
What time of day was it when the disciples were on the sea? John 6:16, 17
What was the condition of the sea? John 6:18
What type of boat were they in? John 6:19
What was their first reaction at seeing Jesus on the water? John 6:19

Faith is a mind-set that expects God to act. When we act on this expectation, we can overcome our fears. Even after watching Jesus miraculously feed over five thousand people, the disciples still could not take the final step of faith and believe he was God’s Son. If they had, they would not have been amazed that he could walk on water. They did not transfer the truth they already knew about him to their own lives. We read that Jesus walked on the water, and yet we often marvel that he is able to work in our lives. We must not only believe these miracles really occurred; we must also transfer the faith to our own life situations.

6. OPENING OF THE BLIND MAN’S EYES (Chapter 9)
Reveals Jesus’ power over blindness.
How long had the man been blind? John 9:1
According to the disciples, what was responsible for his blindness? John 9:2

“Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Siloam is a Greek translation of the Hebrew name Shiloah, meaning “sent.” The pool of Siloam had been built by King Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:20). These waters may symbolize the work that Jesus, the sent one, had come to do. They provided the deliverance and healing sent by God, illustrating the full deliverance from sin that Jesus provided for us.

7. RAISING OF LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD (Chapter 11)
Reveals Jesus’ power over death.
What relations did Lazarus have living in Bethany? John 11:1, 2.
What was Jesus’ attitude toward Lazarus? John 11:3

The raising of Lazarus displayed Christ’s power—the resurrection from the dead is a crucial belief of Christian faith. Jesus not only raised himself from the dead (10:18), but he also has the power to raise others.

“Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes” (John 5:21).

“This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day” (John 6:40).

Jesus had to call out Lazarus by name for if he hadn’t, all the dead would have come out of their graves! (Augustine)

CONCLUSION:
All of Jesus’ miracles pointed to Who He was.

While sitting by Jacob’s well and talking to the Samaritan woman, Jesus explained that he could give her “living water” (John 4:10).

After feeding over 5,000 people with two small loaves of bread, Jesus explained that he was “the bread of life” (John 6:35).

At the Feast of Tabernacles, where a symbolic act took place commemorating the time when Moses struck the rock in the wilderness and it brought forth water for the parched Israelites, Jesus told all the people, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37).

Again at the Feast of Tabernacles, another symbolic act took place commemorating the pillar of fire that guided the Israelites on their wilderness journey. Jesus told all the people, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12 NKJV).

Main Menu | Previous Page