So That You May Believe

So That You May Believe

The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

John 20:30-31

Have you ever seen a real miracle—something only God can do that goes against the laws of nature? Imagine what it must have been like in Jesus’ day to see his miracles with your own eyes!

John says that the miracles Jesus performed were signs that pointed people to an important reality: that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. John describes seven miracles in his Gospel. Each one shows us something about who Jesus is and points to a deeper spiritual reality.

When Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana, he showed us that he fills ordinary lives with extraordinary joy. When he healed the son of the government official, he demonstrated how he moves us from using God to trusting God. When Jesus healed the lame man, it illustrated how he offers wholeness to those who will walk in faith. With the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus pointed to the way he satisfies our deepest desires with himself. When Jesus walked on water in the middle of the storm, we see his power over the desperate circumstances in our lives. When he healed the man blind from birth, he showed how he removes the spiritual blinders in our lives so we can see him. And when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, it showed us that Jesus brings to life what was dead—just by the power of his word.

The miracles themselves were not what Jesus wanted people to see about himself. His miracles gave him credibility. So when he said he had the power to heal sin-sick souls, open eyes that are blind to truth, bring peace to troubled lives, and bring life to dead places in the heart, we can believe it and trust him to do it.

DISCUSSION STARTERS

Which of the miracles described in the book of John would you have liked to see most?

Which of these spiritual miracles have you experienced?

Why do you think we don’t see as many miracles today?