That You May Believe
Section III – The Lord Reigns Through His Passion (John 18-21)
Lecture 9, THE LORD AND THE SIGNS WHICH REVEALED HIM (John 20:30)
Scripture – John 20:30, 31
1. King James Version
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
2. New International Version
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
A. Introduction
Throughout the book of John the writer has emphasized the importance of the disciples’ experience of “seeing for themselves “the evidence that proved Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah, the Son of God. Now he has confirmed that the purpose of his writing the fourth Gospel is so that those persons who were not physically able to SEE the miraculous signs nevertheless could read about those miracles and come to believe that Jesus is the Christ.
In fact, he records also that Jesus pronounced a special blessing upon those who would believe even though they had NOT SEEN. “Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29).
It is very important for the believer to have the proper perspective on miracles or signs, especially as they relate to faith. In this lesson we will look intently at the Greek word for signs (SEMEION) which John consistently uses throughout His Gospel.
B. Etymology of the Word “Signs” – Semeion
1. Strong's Concordance (4592)
Strong says as follows. “Neuter of a presumed derivative of the base of 4591; an INDICATION, especially ceremonially or supernaturally: – miracle, sign, token, wonder” (p. 65).
Strong says of #4591 (SEMAINO) as follows. “From SEMA (a MARK; of uncertain derivation); to INDICATE: – signify” (p. 65).
2. Thayer's Lexicon
Thayer gives the following lexical breakdown of SEMEION (pages 573574). His basic definition is, “A SIGN, MARK, TOKEN.” 2
a. Universally – that by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others and known.
Matthew 26:48 – “Now he that betrayed him gave them a SIGN, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; hold him fast.”
Luke 2:12 – “And this shall be a SIGN unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
II Thessalonians 3:17 – “The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.”
(1). Circumcision, which should be a sign of the covenant formed with God.
Romans 4:11 – “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised.”
(2). Signs of the Apostles – the tokens by which one is proved to be an apostle.
II Corinthians 12:12 – “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.”
(3). The Sign of His Coming.
Matthew 24:3 – “And as he sat upon the mount of olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
Luke 21:7 – “And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?”
Mark 13:4 – “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?”
(4). The Sign of the Son of Man
Matthew 24:30 – “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
(5). An Admonition – A sign by which one is warned
I Corinthians 14:22 – “Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.”
(6). Persons as Signs – Used of noteworthy personages, by whom God forcibly admonishes men and indicates to them that which he would have them to do.
(a) Jonah
Luke 11:29, 30 – “And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but 3 the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.”
Matthew 12:38-41 – “Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas; For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.”
(b). Christ
Luke 2:34 – “And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against.”
b. A Sign, Prodigy, Portent
An unusual occurrence, transcending the common course of nature.
(1). Signs Portending Remarkable Events Soon to Happen
Luke 21:11 – “And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.”
Luke 21:25 – “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and waves roaring.”
Acts 2:19 – “And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come.”
Revelation 12:1-4 – “And there appeared a great WONDER in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: and she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another WONDER in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.”
Revelation 15:1 – “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.”
(2). Authenticating Signs
SEMEION is used of miracles and wonders by which God authenticates the men sent by him, or by which men prove that the cause they are pleading is God’s. 4
Matthew 12:38 (see above, page 3)
Matthew 16:1-4 – “The Pharisees also with the Sadduccees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering.
O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.” (See also Mark 8:11,12).
(3). Deceiving Signs by False Prophets
Matthew 24:24 – “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
Mark 13:21, 22 – “And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: for false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs (SEMEION) and wonders (TERATA), to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.”
Revelation 13:11-18 – “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
“And he doeth great wonders (SEMEIA), so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles (SEMEIA) which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads; and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred three score and six.”
Revelation 16:13, 14 – “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles (SEMEIA), which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” 5
Revelation 19:20 – “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.”
II Thessalonians 2:6-10 – “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked by revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs (SEMEIA) and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved.”
A. The Meaning of the Words, “The Hour Is Come”
1. This Is the Hour of the Father's Will
You see, the request of the Gentiles is going to mean a lot more to Him than those human requests that have been placed upon His heart from time to time. What does He really mean? He means that this is the hour of God’s divine destiny for His Son. That which has been planned from eternity is about to take place.
This is the hour when He will make that great and grand decision to surrender His entire will into the will of the Father. This is the hour of doing perfectly the will of the Father without any complaint, without any drawing or shrinking back from duty, without any turning aside from His mission in the world. He turns and looks at this hour of destiny that hangs upon Him and says, “It’s come and in a sense I welcome it.”
2. This Is the Hour of Death
This hour means not only doing the will of the Father, but this hour means also death. For He says, “Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone.” He is saying that there is no way for a life to reproduce itself unless there is first death. Every seed that bears fruit and life and reproduces itself must first of all lose its own identity. It must die just as a grain of wheat falls into the ground and loses its shape and its identity and it dies only to have coming out of that very death and out of the remains of the ashes of that burned out life, a new plant of life that will spring forth and multiply itself many times and bear fruit.
C. The Seven Signs of Christ in the Gospel of John
1. First Sign – Water into Wine (John 2:1-11)
2. Second Sign – Healing the Nobleman’s Son (4:46-54)
3. Third Sign – The Healing of the Lame Man (5:1-18)
a. The Healing (5:1-9a)
b. Dispute Over the Sabbath (5:9b-18)
4. Fourth Sign – Feeding the Multitude (5:1-15)
5. Fifth Sign – Walking on the Water (6:16-21)
6. Sixth Sign – Healing the Man Born Blind (9:1-41)
a. The Healing (9:1-7)
b. The Effect on the Neighbors (9:8-12)
c. The Healed Man and the Pharisees (9:13-34)
(1) Preliminary Discussions (9:13-17)
(2) The Man’s Parents’ Examined (9:18-23)
(3) The Man Examined and Excommunicated (9:24-34)
7. Seventh Sign – The Raising of Lazarus (11:1-57)
a. The Death of Lazarus (11:1-16)
b. Jesus’ Meeting with Martha (11:17-27)
c. Jesus’ Meeting with Mary (11:28-32)
d. Lazarus is Raised (11:33-44)
e. The Reaction of Faith (11:45)
f. The Reaction of Unbelief (11:46-57)