The Gospel of John was primarily written so that people who read it may believe that, indeed, Jesus was the son of God (Harris). In line with this, the storyline in the book begins with the baptism of Jesus and then goes straight on to his miracles. The accomplishments of Jesus in this respect are recounted in a way that leaves no doubt as to his deity (Harris). Thereafter, the public reactions to these miraculous deeds are recounted. Little doubt is left as to the fact that through miracles, Jesus was able to reach a wider population, and pass his message more effectively, to a more attentive multitude. His unique perception is also clearly depicted, as his followers grapple with all the new concepts and ideologies that he introduces. It becomes clear that Jesus couldn’t have gained all his insights through any conventional means, and thus, an avenue to his deism opens (Towns 10).
The first miracle performed by Jesus, according to the Gospel of John, was turning water into wine. This miracle happened during a wedding feast in the town of Cana of Galilee (GNB 117). As the feast wore on the wine being served to the guests got exhausted. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was the first to apprise him of this situation. Jesus responded by essentially telling Mary to be patient (Worthen). Thereafter, he told the servants in the feast to fill six stone jars with water up to the brim. Each stone jar could hold about a hundred liters of water and be traditionally used in ritual washing. After the stone jars were filled, Jesus miraculously turned the water into the finest wine served during the feast. The servants and disciples of Jesus beheld this miracle first hand, and through it, saw the glory of Jesus (GNB 117). In this way, Jesus showed his understanding for the common needs of the human, and his willingness to satisfy them.
Jesus performed his second miracle within Galilee again. He had traveled to Samaria, Samaria, and Judea, before returning to Galilee once again. There, he was approached by a government official from the nearby town of Capernaum (GNB 119). The government official had a son who was critically ill back at home, and he sought healing from Jesus. Jesus told the official to go home, for his son would live. The official took this in faith and confidently walked homewards. His servants met him along the way and informed him that his son had gotten better at the exact time that Jesus had pronounced his healing (GNB 120). It was clear that Jesus had manifested his powers through the government official’s simple belief in his words. Through such belief, Jesus did not even need to physically meet with the ailing son.
The miracle that Jesus performed next generated controversy; it happened on a Sabbath – a day set aside in the Jewish traditions for rest. On this Sabbath, Jesus healed a man who had been ill for 38 years (GNB 119). The man lay by a pool called Bethzatha near the Sheep Gate of Jerusalem. The pool could cure anybody who got into it first once it became stirred by an angel (GNB 121). But the man’s condition was such that he didn’t have the strength to dip himself in there in time. When he explained his condition to Jesus, Jesus simply told him to stand up and walk. The man did so. The Jewish authorities saw him carrying his mat on a Sabbath and questioned him. He referred them to Jesus. Jesus told the authorities that he was working even on the Sabbath since his father was doing so too. The authorities took this as blasphemy, as Jesus was referring to God as his father. Jesus took this chance to expound more on his deity, and God’s relationship with a man (GNB 123).
Sometimes later, Jesus was preaching to a huge crowd of people up a mountain in Galilee. Jesus then sought a way of feeding the huge crowd. Upon searching, his disciples discovered that only a young boy had brought food: five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus took these, prayed to God, broke them up, and distributed them to the people around. Although there were about 5,000 men around, the bread and fish were enough for all, and an extra 12 baskets of food remained at the end of it all. This miracle clearly showed Jesus’ power over innate things- at his command; they too could help accomplish his objectives. The people gathered were so impressed that they tried to make him king by force, and Jesus had to actually escape and go to the hills by himself (GNB 127).
That same evening, Jesus displayed his mastery over the rules of nature. As his disciples were rowing their boat towards Capernaum, Jesus suddenly appeared, walking on the water. The disciples were terrified, but Jesus told them not to be afraid. Immediately they took him in the boat, the boat reached its destination (GNB 131). This complete disregard for conventional rules of nature helped display the power that Jesus had and helped in the faith of his disciples. For a long time afterward, Jesus taught a lot of his divinity to the more receptive crowd and disciples.
Jesus once healed a man born blind near the Pool of Siloam. During this healing, Jesus explained that man’s disability was meant as an avenue by God to show His powers (Yeager). Jesus spat on the soil, made some mud, and smeared the mud on the man’s eyes. He then told the man to go and wash his eyes by the Pool of Siloam. Upon washing his eyes, the man’s eyes could see. The controversy that this act generated became an avenue for Jesus to teach about physical and spiritual blindness (Harris). He cryptically declared that his coming to this world was so that the blind could see and those who saw could become blind. The parable of the Good Sheppard was then used to elaborate on this (GNB 132).
Jesus showed his humane side when one of his closest friends, Lazarus, died. Lazarus was the brother of Mary, the lady who had poured oil on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. When Jesus arrived at Bethany, the grief of Mary and Martha, both sisters of Lazarus, moved him deeply. He wept too. But he told them to have courage, for Lazarus would soon come back to the living. They went to the tomb where Lazarus was buried, and Jesus commanded Lazarus to come out. Lazarus came out of the tomb, much to the rejoicing of the people gathered around (GNB141). The emotional intensity of the situation showed to all that Jesus had a very human side, and that human care did affect him, just like everybody else (Towns 34).
Towards the end of Jesus’ living on earth, he performed his most miraculous deed. He himself came back from the dead. Jesus had been crucified on the cross and had been taken to a tomb belonging to a person called Joseph. On the third day, Mary Magdalene was the first to note the absence of the body of Jesus in the tomb. She went and reported this to the other disciples. It was during the tense moments that followed this that Jesus appeared to all the disciples (GNB148). He further proved his authenticity to Thomas by showing him the wounds on his hands and feet. Through this, Jesus showed that he had power over even death and that his prophecies were always fulfilled.
The miracles of Jesus recorded in the Gospel of John each show a different side of his divinity. Some show his power over the forces of nature. Others show his deep understanding of human nature- like the human need for hard, empirical evidence over blind faith (Towns 45). Still, others show his compassion for human wants and desires. And though still others, Jesus showed his independence from human constraints like Sabbath. All these miracles, taken together, tend to give a rounded picture of just who Jesus was, and what he represented on earth (Towns 55). The public reaction to his miracles further drove this point home, for Jesus would respond to such in hitherto inconceivable ways. Right up to his final miracle on earth, the divinity of Jesus became more and more pronounced.
References
Darrin Yeager: John 5. 2009. Web.
Drew Worthen Pastor, 2001. Christ’s first miracle. 2009. Web.
Elmer L. Towns: The Gospel of John: Believe and Live. AMG publishers 2003 Pgs. 10-63.
GNB- Good News Bible: The Gospel According to John, 1992. American Bible Societies New Testament Pgs 117- 148.
Hall Harris, W. Exegetical commentary on John. 2009. Web.