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The theology of signs and wonders

Text: John 2:1-12

THE THEOLOGY OF SIGNS AND WONDERS

All the Gospels carefully noted that Jesus performed outstanding miracles. John also noted the phenomenal signs of Jesus. John went further than the Synoptic Gospel writers. He developed what we may call a “theology of signs and wonders”.

John did not merely record the fact that Jesus performed miracles. He suggested that there were reasons behind why Jesus did what he did. Theology always involves reason. John in his Gospel proposed that there was deep meaning behind the miracles that Jesus performed. He did not heal people just so that the body may be made whole. That would really be shallow and superficial theology.

What was the background of John’s proposed theology of signs and wonders? Let us trace this theological idea all the way back to the days of Moses. We should not be surprised at this, for John had already hinted at the fact that people like Philip and Nathanael were familiar with the writings of Moses. That outstanding servant of God was one who performed mighty miracles. Moses had written that God would raise up a servant just like him. We should therefore not be surprised that Jesus would also perform signs and wonders for a special reason.

THE PROVISION OF SIGNS AND WONDERS

The ministry of Moses was arguably the most spectacular of all the servants of God in the Old Testament. No one else had performed the kind of miracles that Moses did. There was a reason why God empowered Moses to perform miracles.

God knew that the human heart was too sinful to believe in God readily. Signs and wonders sometimes had to be performed to help people come to faith. God showed that He understood the weakness of man when it came to the matter of faith in Him. He gave to Moses three signs that he could perform before the elders of Israel.

The first sign that Moses would give them was to turn his rod into a serpent. The second sign was how God could make a hand leprous and then restore it too. The third sign was turning water into blood (Cf. Exodus 4:1-9). Let us look at how God understood the human heart.

“Then it will be, if they do not believe you,
nor heed the message of the first sign,
that they may believe the message of the latter sign.
And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs,
Or listen to your voice, that you shall take water
From the river and pour it on the dry land.
The water which you take from the river will become blood
On the dry land.”
Exodus 4:8-9

How would people be able to recognize who Jesus really was? John wrote that God had made special provision for Jesus to be so empowered that He would perform signs and wonders just as Moses did. Nathanael had been impressed by what Jesus was able to do. He recognized that Jesus had supernatural powers. He could see beyond the physical facade. He could look into the human soul and know its true state.

Jesus was going to do more than that. He had already promised Nathanael that the very angels of God who attended Him in heaven would now be seen ministering to Him while He went about His redemptive work on earth!

Signs and wonders were to be a part of the life and ministry of Jesus! It should not surprise us that signs and wonders would be associated with Jesus. However, we must be careful that we do not over-extend this theology of signs and wonders to people in this modern age who claim that they too are especially empowered to perform signs and wonders. It is one thing to say that it was natural for Jesus to perform signs and wonders. It is quite another thing to accept or endorse the claim of a modern-day faith healer who attempts to lay claim that he is a miracle worker.

John’s theology of signs and wonders was strictly confined to Jesus. He did not extend the theology of signs and wonders to others. The theology of signs and wonders in the Gospel of John was therefore limited to Jesus! He was absolutely correct in his understanding in this regard!

John sought to present Jesus as the Son of God. One of the proofs that he adduced to demonstrate that Jesus was indeed the only begotten of God was His ability to perform signs and wonders. The signs and wonders Jesus performed demonstrated His divinity! No one else can lay such a claim.

There was a deep theological background behind John’s record of the miracles of Jesus. However, his theology was “hidden” behind the context in which Jesus performed His miracles. Each miracle was in fact a sign and a wonder. Each miracle of Jesus was designed to cause the individual to wonder who He really was that He should be able to perform such wondrous deeds. Only the very shallow would go away happy that he had seen a miraculous deed performed. There was much more to miracles than the deeds themselves. That is what we mean when we speak about the theology of signs and wonders.

The prophets of old were sometimes given great powers too. Elijah and Elisha may be cited as two outstanding servants of God who performed special miracles in their ministry. The words of Elisha may be cited to demonstrate the significance of the prophetic ministry. Naaman the Syrian had come to Israel to be healed of his leprosy. The king of Israel was distraught when he heard that Naaman had come to his land for the purpose of seeking a cure for his leprosy. Elisha the prophet replied and said,

“Please let him come to me,
and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
2 Kings 5:8

Moses and the prophets of old were able to perform mighty signs and wonders so that they could help people come to faith in God. Would the Son of God be less empowered? Jesus was far greater than Moses and the prophets of old. John would demonstrate in his Gospel the glory of Jesus through His miracles. There is deep theology behind the recording of the signs and wonders of Jesus. Let’s develop a deeper faith.