Teaching through miracles [1]
In previous articles we’ve looked at Jesus’ use of poetry, humour, exaggeration
and parables or stories as effective ways of teaching. Much of the
Gospels are taken up with what Jesus did as well as what He taught
and by looking at a few examples we will see that very often Jesus was
teaching through His actions as well as His words.
TEACHING THROUGH MIRACLES Each
of the Gospels records some of Jesus’ miracles. Miracles are described
in the New Testament using three words:
1.
Dunamis = translated
generally as power, mighty works, or wonderful works.
2.
teras = translated
as “wonder” this word described the effect on a believer of witnessing
a mighty work (and is always accompanied by the word “sign”). The English
word “miracle” comes from the Latin miraculum which means
“a wonder”.
3.
semeion = a
sign. This word describes the teaching intended to be part of
a miracle. This is the word preferred by John in his Gospel (John never
uses the word dunamis and only once uses teras. The
word “miracle” in John usually translates this word.)In this article we
will look at how John records miracles as “signs” which teach important
lessons.
The “Signs” in the Gospel of John.
Of all our Lord’s miracles John records only eight, and each of these
is usually followed by a teaching discourse, such as the conversation
with Nicodemus in John 3, which throws light on the significance of the
water into wine, or the sermons before and after the healing of the blind
man in John 9, and after the healing at Bethsaida in John 5.
The purpose for the signs is clearly given in John 20:30-31
- “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples,
which are not recorded in this book. But these are written
that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that
by believing you may have life in his name.”
Of these, only five are specifically called “signs” so we could dispute
the precise number, but this is not important for this article.
I.
Water into Wine at Cana - " Jesus
did this, the first of his signs... and manifested
his glory" (2:1-11)
II.
Official’s son near death at Capernaum - " the
second sign that Jesus did" (4:46-54)
III.
Healing of a sick man at Pool of Bethesda
(5:1-9ff) - called a " work," not a "
sign" (7:21; cf. 5:17)
IV. Feeding
of the 5000 - " When the people saw the sign which
he had done..." (6:1-14ff)
V.
Walking on water (6:16-21) (not called a " sign"
, and does not have the same characteristics as the other signs in John,
but seems to be linked to the feeding of the 5,000)
VI. Healing
of a man born blind (9:1-7ff) - " How can a sinner do such
signs?" (9:16)
VII. Lazarus raised
from the dead (11:1-45), - " they heard he had done this
sign" (12:18)
VIII. The catch of fish (21:1-14)
- (not called a " sign" , but has the characteristics of
one)
We will look at one of the miracles in John’s Gospel to see how we can
determine its meaning as a “sign”.
The man healed at Bethesda (John 5:1-15)
Like the parables, a key to understanding the significance of a miracle
will often come at the end, or in the teaching that follows
it. After healing a man at Bethesda John said that Jesus “found him at
the temple and said to him ‘See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something
worse may happen to you’.“ This might seem an odd instruction because
elsewhere in the gospel (9:2-3) Jesus explicitly rejects the common Jewish
assumption that all sickness was the result of sin. However, Jesus is
clearly telling this man that there was something in his behaviour
or attitude which was sinful and which had prevented him from
getting better.
The clue, I believe, is in verse 6 where Jesus asks the man “do you want
to get well?” It might seem to us like a strange question because surely
a man who had been at this pool for 38 years where people came hoping
to be healed would want to be well. Yet the question directs him to confront
his real issues. Note that in the following verse this man does not specifically
answer Jesus’ question. “Sir," the invalid replied, " I have
no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am
trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." His response
contains two excuses why he has been in this condition for so
long, but avoids answering Jesus’ question. Both excuses were
false.
1.I have no one to help me. How did this man get to
and from the pool each day? Who brought him his food? Who helped him to
the bathroom? In the course of 38 years he must have received help in
many matters. Is it true there was “no one to help” or was he making an
excuse? Indirectly this excuse puts the blame on other people and their
lack of compassion for his condition.
2.While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of
me. Surely at least once in 38 years he could have made
some arrangement to be the first in! If he was desperate to be healed
he could have placed himself so close to the pool that he could have almost
guaranteed to be the first. It is extremely unlikely that during such
a long time he could never manage to be the first person into the pool.
Again he blames others for his condition: “someone else goes down
ahead of me”. He seems to think that these other people are unfair
and have no concern for the fact that he’s been waiting a long time
and it’s his turn.
Verse 6 emphasises that it was after Jesus had learned “that he
had been in this condition for a long time” that He asked him " Do
you want to get well?" Jesus picked up that there was something wrong
here – there must have been a reason why this man was still here after
so long a time. His answer to the Lord’s question reveals his negativity
and his refusal to accept responsibility for his life. If something is
wrong it must be someone else’s fault! This negativity is the sin that
Jesus referred to later when He said “stop sinning”. If he doesn’t change
this attitude “something worse may happen”. This in itself would be a
valuable lesson for us to learn about our attitudes to life and to others.
The background to the incident reveals that there was a wider negativity
in the community, in fact, in the Jewish way of thinking.
·
They
believed that God only healed “from time to time” (v. 4). Incidentally,
this verse does not appear in many modern translations, or, if it does,
it appears as a footnote. The reason for this is that it was almost certainly
an explanatory note made by an early scribe which then accidentally was
included in later copies as though it was part of the original text. It
explains what the Jews believed about the healing properties
of the water, and not the way God actually healed people.
·
They
believed that God only healed one person at a time – the first one
into the pool when the water was disturbed.
·
They
believed that only the first person in was healed –
in other words, that God had a precise “rule” for who could be healed
and He did not deviate from this.
The miracle introduces the main topic of the rest of chapter 5, which
is that Jesus is the final judge of what is sinful and what is not. What
is sinful, and what is righteous in God’s eyes is determined by Jesus,
not by the Torah (the Law), or by human interpretations of it. This sign
was designed to get a reaction from both the recipient and onlookers,
pointing to their spiritual state. Will they receive
Jesus, put their faith in Him, and receive ‘life’, or will they choose
to disregard the sign’s message and remain ‘in darkness’.
In the next article in this series I will look at other examples of how
Jesus used miracles as opportunities to teach important lessons.
A WATER INTO WINE. 2:1-11.
a.
The background
- Nathanael's faith (1:49-51).
b.
In Galilee
(v. 1).
c.
" The Third
Day" (v. 1).
d.
Waterpots "
up to the brim" (v. -7).
e.
Glory manifested
(ephanerose, v. 11-).
B
THE OFFICIAL’S SON. 4:46-50.
a.
The background. Rejection (vv. 43, 44).
b.
" After two days" (v. 43).
c.
His son was " sick" (esthenei, v. 46).
d.
" At the point of death" (v. 47).
" Death" only here, and in " B" below.
e.
" The fever left him" (apheken, v. 52).
C HEALING THE SICK MAN AT
BETHESDA. 5:1-47.
a.
In Jerusalem (v. 1).
b.
The Pool. Bethesda (v. 2).
c.
A longstanding case, " thirty-eight years" (v.
5).
d.
On the Sabbath (v. 9).
e.
" Afterward Jesus findeth him" (v. 14).
f.
" Sin no more" (v. 14).
Sin, only here and in " C" , below
g.
" My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (v.
17).
D THE FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND.
6:1-14.
a.
One of the only two " signs" (together
with D) recorded in the other Gospels
b.
" Jesus went up to the mountain" (v.
3).
c.
" Many disciples went back" (v.
66).
D WALKING ON THE WATER.
6:15-21.
a.
One of the only two " signs" (with
D) recorded in the other Gospels
b.
" Jesus departed again into the mountain"
(v. 15).
c.
" Many of the people believed" (7:31).
C HEALING THE MAN BORN
BLIND. 9:1-41.
a.
In Jerusalem (8:59; 9:1).
b.
The Pool. Siloam (vv. 7, 11).
c.
A longstanding case, " from birth" (v.
1).
d.
On the Sabbath (v. 14).
e.
" When He had found him" (v. 35).
f.
" Who did sin?" (v.
2. Cp. vv. 24, 25, 31, 34). Sin, only here, and in
" C" , above.
g.
" I must work the works of Him that sent Me" (v.
4).
B
THE RAISING OF LAZARUS. 11:1-44.
a.
The background. Rejection (10:31, 39; 11:8).
b.
" Jesus abode two days where He was" (v.
6).
c.
Lazarus was sick (esthenei, v. 2).
d.
" Lazarus is dead" (v. 14). "
Death" only here, and in " B" above.
e.
" That ye may believe" (v. 15).
f.
" Let him go" (aphete, v.
44).
A THE CATCH OF FISH.
21:1-14.
a.
The background. Thomas' unbelief (20:24-29).
b.
In Galilee (v. 1).
c.
" The third time" (v. 14).
d.
Net full, to the last fish (vv. 8, 11).
e.
The Lord manifested (ephanerothe, v. 14).
