The Miracles Highlighted in the Gospel of John

by Dr. Mark Spitsbergen, ThD, MS

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The Miracles Highlighted in the Gospel of John
Copyright © 2017 by Abiding Place Ministries, San Diego, CA.

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Abiding Place Ministries

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 Table of Contents

Introduction 5

Water Into Wine 9

The Nobleman’s Son Cured 13

The Healing of the Paralytic at Bethesda 17

The Multitudes Fed Miracle Loaves and Fishes 21

Jesus Walking On the Water 25

A Man Born Blind From Birth 29

Lazarus Raised From The Dead 35

Summary 41

Conclusion 55

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 Introduction

The Gospel of John highlights seven great signs (σημειον/se-

meion) that Jesus did which may be referred to as “the seven
signs.” It may also be argued that much of the dialogue of
John then centers around these illustrated sermons. It must
be appreciated that these are “seven signs” that occurred
among many others (John 2:23, 20:30). We must understand
that when the scripture makes reference to a first and second
sign it is referring to those initial signs or miracles that were
done in Galilee. These of course do not include signs that are
recorded in John that had taken place before the marriage in
Cana. The reader will take note that there is no reference to a
third, fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh sign. The first two signs are
mentioned only in reference to what was done by Jesus in the
initial part of His ministry in Galilee.

To be perfectly clear, the gospel of John records more than

seven signs, beginning with God the Father speaking out of
heaven, which John the Baptist heard as Jesus was being bap-
tized in water (John 1:32). After that was the word of knowl-
edge that Jesus gave to Nathaniel (John 1:47-51). The next sign
took place in Nathaniel’s own home town, Cana of Galilee. It
is this sign then that John refers to as the first sign or, more
perfectly, the beginning (ἀρχὴν/archen) of signs which were
done in Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-11, 21:2). This probably
happened as soon as Jesus had returned from fasting in the
wilderness for forty days (Luke 4:14). When the second miracle
is recorded, we know that it specifically refers to that which
took place in Cana of Galilee and not to all of the miracles
which Jesus had performed, simply because John mentioned
the miracles that Jesus did while He was in Jerusalem, at the
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feast of Passover (John 2:23, 3:2, 4:45). Therefore it may also
be safe to conclude that the first sign and the second sign refer
only to those miracles that specifically took place in this region
and not to everything that had happened elsewhere. The
fourth sign, although not designated as such, took place at this
time, which was the cleansing of the temple (John 2:13-17).
Afterwards came the encounter that Jesus had with the wom-
an at the well and the miraculous breakthrough that resulted
from the word of knowledge (John 4:7-38). Similarly to what
happened with Nathaniel, the miraculous working of the word
of knowledge set her free from all of her preconceived ideas.
Although it is not recorded exactly what took place, we can be
certain that Jesus also ministered in a miraculous way to the
others of Samaria that came to see Him because of this wom-
an’s testimony (John 4:39-42). John then specifically refers to
the second sign that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, which was
the healing of the nobleman’s son (John 4:46-54). There will
be no more mention after this event of a sequenced number-
ing of signs.

What follows is the healing of the man at Bethesda noted clas-

sically as the third sign (John 5:2). However, once again Jesus
emphasized the continual display of miracles when He said,
“My Father is always at work, and so I work” (John 5:17-20).
Again, this was followed by yet another statement of the mul-
titude of miracles that Jesus did as the signs which Jesus had
performed resulted in the multitudes being gathered together
(John 6:2). These multitudes that were gathered together by
the many miracles set the stage for the multiplication of the
five barley loaves and two small fish (John 6:5-14). Afterwards,
Jesus sent the disciples across the lake and then came to them
walking on the water followed by an instantaneous translation
to the other side of the lake (John 6:19-21). The miracles con-
tinued as numbered in the following outline but, once again,
do not exclude the many other miracles described in the other
gospels and more. The final five miracles after the raising of
Lazarus from the dead are: the word of knowledge given to

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Peter, the miracle of replacing the ear that was cut off of one
of the temple servants by Peter, the resurrection of Jesus from
the dead, the great catch of fish after His resurrection, and His
ascension into Heaven.

What is clear is that there are a few miracles highlighted in

John that set the stage to prove that Jesus is both God and the
Son of God, and to prove the message that He came to deliver.
It is important to recognize that these reports are given to us
so that we might know what to expect from Jesus and how to
cooperate with Him in His miracle ministry today. If we want to
understand more fully what Christ Jesus has done for us and
what God expects of us today, then attention to the details
are important. If we want to know how to move with the Holy
Spirit in the working of miracles, then we must receive the
wisdom that He has given.

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 Water into Wine

When Jesus turned the water into wine there were several
people in participation with this miracle. To begin with, this
was a miracle that was initiated by Mary the mother of Jesus.
Mary presented the need to Jesus by simply saying, “they have
no wine…” The response of Jesus was shocking, as it appeared
that He was not interested in being involved, and effectively
points to a timing issue (John 2:4). Jesus was committed only
to doing what the Father showed Him to do, but this did not
stop Mary, who persisted in her desire to provide the needed
wine for the wedding. Mary as it were ignored what Jesus said,
and persisted by instructing the servants to do whatever Jesus
required of them. Jesus then told the servants, who were
evidently waiting for His instruction, to fill the six water pots
with water, and then afterwards to take the water and present
it to the governor as wine. The six water pots combined would
have furnished a generous amount of wine totaling roughly
108 to 180 gallons of wine. Each stone jar would have been
about 18 to 30 gallons weighing more than 200 pounds. Once
the water was supplied it is not clear if the water was made
wine while it sat in the water pots, or at the time of the draw-
ing of the water by the servants, or at the time that the gover-
nor actually tasted of the water.

The people that participated in this miracle were: Mary, who

initiated it and insisted that it take place; Jesus, who instructed
how the miracle would transpire; and, the servants, who were
willing to obey the instruction given to them by both Mary and
Jesus. The total number of servants involved would have been
numerous because the jar themselves would have been of an

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enormous weight. Therefore, they would have had to either
carried containers weighing around 200 pounds, or continu-
ously carried smaller buckets until the jars were full. In either
case there would have been a significant amount of work
involved in the performance of this miracle.

The persistent faith of Mary cannot be regarded as a minor

factor in this miracle. Although it was Jesus who did the mir-
acle, it was the idea and insistence of His mother that moved
Jesus to do the work. However, Jesus would not do the miracle
without the labor of the servants who would have to obey
the commands of someone they were not obligated to obey,
and furthermore, who issued a ridiculous request to supply an
enormous amount of water for wedding guests that were not
in need of water in the first place.

Mary showed us how to move in faith. She made her request

to the Lord, and then prepared to receive the miracle. She
showed no signs of wavering or doubting. She made her re-
quest, but did more than just leave it in the hands of the Lord
to work it out. She immediately set the servants to wait upon
Him until they received the specific instructions of how the
miracle would take place. If those who were waiting upon the
instructions of the Lord were unwilling to follow through with
divine instruction, there would have been no miracle.

There was also a similar pattern of interaction observed with

the woman who was from the nation of Jezebel, a Syrophe-
nician (Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:26). In both instances, a
request was made which was met by a rebuke from Jesus that
was then followed by His assistance. The most outstanding
characteristic of the faith exhibited by both Mary and the
Syrophenician woman was that neither of them were willing to
take “no” for an answer. While both seem to interrupt the di-
vine commission - one who was asking Jesus to do something
before His time, and the other who stood outside those to
whom Jesus was sent - their faith changed the order of things.

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While many important points could be made here, the most
outstanding one is that faith does not say, “if it be thy will.”
Rather, as Jesus points out elsewhere, it places a demand on
those things that we know a loving and generous God is willing
to supply (Luke 11:5-13; 18:1-8).

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 The Nobleman’s Son Cured
The power of the spoken word

Jesus was rejected in His own hometown, but it is said that the
Galileans received Him (John 4:45). In the place where there is
no honor for the man of God, miracles cannot take place. Mat-
thew says that those of His own hometown were offended by
him (Matthew 13:57). There are many today who are offended
by the belief that Jesus still does miracles through His servants.
As a result, just as Jesus was dishonored then, they show the
same to His servants now (Matthew 10;25). Whatever anyone
does to those who come in the name of Jesus, they do it to
Him (Matthew 10:40; John 13:20). So in the same way, those
who have this disposition today will be deprived of the divine
provision they otherwise could have had. If men truly honor
Jesus and His word, then they are going to show the same
honor to those who come in His name teaching His word and
doing His works. There are many who prevent the miracles of
Jesus from entering into their lives because of their attitudes
towards the servants of God. Just as a little rudder turns a
great ship, their tongue sets the course of their lives. As fire
burns and devours, so the utterance of their tongue consumes
the blessings of the Lord (James 3:4-6).

Anywhere that the miracle-working Jesus was honored and

received, faith was at work. Such was the case among the Gal-
ileans, specifically in Cana. There was a nobleman who lived
more than a day’s journey from there who had heard that
Jesus was in Cana, so he set out to lay hold on the miracle that
his son needed. His faith in the healer was set into motion so
that he might lay hold on that which he needed for his dying

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son. When he had finally arrived in Cana, he asked Jesus to
return with him to Capernaum to heal his son who was at the
point of death. In this context, Jesus revealed one of the chief
doctrines of His ministry: the need for signs and wonders.
Signs and wonders were the primary feature of the ministry of
Jesus and his disciples. The purpose for them was plainly stat-
ed by Him, “without signs and wonders you will not believe”
(John 4:48). Surely, it was the joy and delight of the heart of
Christ Jesus to bring healing and deliverance to all who would
receive.

This miracle is an example of the power of God readily avail-

able to supply the need of those who place a demand upon
the anointing. Jesus was unwilling to comply fully with the
request of the nobleman, and instead had a greater plan- to
reveal the power of His spoken word. The nobleman wanted
Him to accompany him to his house, but Jesus showed that
all anyone needed was His word. The nobleman believed the
word that Jesus had spoken, and discovered later that it was at
that very moment that his son was healed. Jesus demonstrat-
ed that the power of faith was not limited by distance, but was
carried on the authority of faith to wherever it was needed.

The nobleman did not come “seeking the will of God” - he

already understood it. The healer was there, and he came
with an urgent demand. He was persuaded that Jesus had the
power to heal his son and had no question regarding his will-
ingness. He was insistent with Jesus as any desperate father
would be. His insistence was emphasized by the double refer-
ence to his demand for Jesus to come down or his child would
die. Jesus met his request without hesitation and bid him to
return home, telling him that his son would live. The faith of
the nobleman was demonstrated by his obedience. There was
no further need for him to be convinced. His faith in the word
of the Lord was observed by his willingness to end the conver-
sation and return on the long journey home. He believed the
word which Jesus had spoken and immediately departed (vs

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50). He had not seen, but he believed (John 20:29).

The power of the signs and wonders which help men believe
was underscored by the response of the nobleman’s entire
family, who were established in the faith as a result of the
miracle (vs 53). God ordained that His message of salvation
be preached with signs and wonders. To believe that Jesus
was issuing a rebuke when He said, “unless you see signs and
wonders you will not believe,” is a mistake. God anointed Jesus
with the Holy Ghost and power to do these works. Jesus also
equipped and sent all those who would go on His behalf as His
witnesses and ambassadors with the ability to do the same
signs and wonders (Matthew 10:1; Acts 1:8; Romans 15:19;
John 14:12). When the disciples of John came asking Jesus if
He were the Christ, He answered their question with the signs
and wonders which He did (Luke 7:22). Jesus lived in the mi-
raculous, and every part of His ministry relied upon the heav-
enly being revealed through His life. Beginning with Nathaniel,
who’s heart was opened to believe by the word of knowledge
(John 1:46), and throughout His ministry, Father was being
revealed by the works which Jesus did (John 14:10-11).

We must never lose sight of that which is far better than signs
and wonders and every display of the supernatural. There is
something better than all the good things that God in His love
would do for us. If we combine all that we can think or ask, still
nothing can compare to this fellowship that we now have with
God in Christ Jesus. There is nothing so great as the beauty
and the splendor of His manifest presence. There is nothing
that compares to the love that He has for us, and the blessed
privileged of interacting with Him. Knowing Him and walking
with Him, because of who He is, far surpasses all other things.

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 The Healing of the Paralytic at Bethesda

Jesus who was probably familiar with the pool of Bethesda,

but this was, in all likelihood, His first visit. Everything about
Bethesda was certainly about to change. Jesus, being directed
by the Holy Spirit, was captivated by one man who had been
laying in a paralyzed state for many years. He knew the con-
dition by Spirit knowledge, as well as the persistence, of this
man who had been laying by the pool praying and hoping for
his healing (John 5:6).

Jesus did not make a general call to the great multitude of

those that were gathered by the pool, but turned His attention
to one man and asked him, “Will you be made whole?” This
man had lived in hopes of being healed, but had no man to
help him take advantage of the only possibility that he knew
of being cured. It would appear that time after time the man
struggled to get into the water when it was troubled, but every
time someone made it there just before him. He would muster
all of his strength, but left to himself it was just not enough to
get him to the source of healing on time. Yet he did not give
up. He steadfastly waited for his opportunity to be healed.
His faith in the stirring of the water reached beyond the faith
of many of God’s people today who appear unwilling to press
in. Perhaps they fail to realize the gifts of miracles and healing
that Christ Jesus has placed in His church, which are far greater
than an angel who came down to stir the waters.

The man obviously did not know who Jesus was, and made
no request of him other than to indicate that he was looking
for a man to help him get into the pool when the water was

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troubled. Perhaps he thought that Jesus might be that man
who would show pity upon him and stay by his side until the
moving of the water. Jesus knew that this man had no basis for
faith in anything other than this one provision for healing that
he knew. Therefore, Jesus was going to supply the faith and
preach the greatest sermon of God’s goodness and love that
the man had ever, or could ever, hear. The sermon of God’s
love that would birth in his heart faith in the Savior was, “Arise
take up your bed and walk” (John 5:8). Immediately the man
felt strength come into his weak and invalid body and he rose
up. There was no faith being exercised on his part,this was a
miracle performed solely on the initiative and faith of Jesus.

All that this man had was faith in the stirring of the water,
he knew nothing about faith in Jesus. However, one miracle
changed everything. Evidently, none of the multitude that
waited for the stirring of the water knew anything about Christ
Jesus, the Healer. Some might ask, “Why did Jesus only minis-
ter healing to this one man who was there among so many?”
What we can say is He did so by Spirit knowledge, by the
direction of His Father. Perhaps this was the worst case, the
most pathetic situation of all those who were gathered there.
There was no one willing to have mercy on this man and help
him to the water. We might say that he was the one that no
one wanted anything to do with. What we can safely assume is
that once Christ the healer had come to Bethesda there would
be no more need for an angel anymore. Heaven would do
nothing to distract or take away from the One that the Father
had sent. Although the scripture doesn’t mention it, we can
imagine that once the terrible case of a man bed ridden for
38 years was cured, it would have gotten the attention of the
multitude who would have left off waiting for an angel and
gone in pursuit of the Redeemer (John 6:2). Spirit knowledge
would have given Jesus the key not to just one man’s heart,
but also to the hearts of everyone gathered there.
Jesus commanded the man who had been a crippled to do
something that he was totally unable to do. This miracle did

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not take place because of the faith that this crippled man had
in Jesus, because he did not even know who Jesus was. The
miracle happened first and foremost by the faith of Jesus and
the power and authority that He had in His words. The crip-
pled man simply had to be willing to obey the command that
was given to him. The nature of this man was very pathetic.
When Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed, he respond-
ed by telling Jesus of his helpless situation. It would have
been easy for this man to sink down into despair when he was
commanded by Jesus to do something that was absolutely im-
possible for him to do, but instead he obeyed the word of the
stranger and was immediately cured! It was not unlike Jesus
to ask someone to do something that was impossible for them
to do in order to participate in the miracle that God had for
them. He commanded the paralytic to do the exact same thing
in Mark 2:1-12. He told the man with the withered hand to do
what was impossible for him to do (Matthew 12:13). When
the multitudes were hungry he told the disciples to feed them
(Matthew 14:16).

As we interact with Jesus and fellowship with the Holy Spirit a

confidence and boldness will take over and we will learn to do
the impossible. We will find ourselves overwhelmed with an
assurance that the things written in the Word of God are the
directions given to us by God, and we will find the strength to
do what we thought was impossible (Mark 9:23; 2 Chronicles
20:20; Matthew 19:26). There is a very small step between the
ordinary and the miraculous and that is the step of faith (Mark
11:22, 9:23; Matthew 17:20, 21:21-22; John 11:40). Faith is
not a hope, but a direction given to us by the Word of God
(Romans 10:17, 10:8; Hebrews 4:2; Romans 4:17-18). We must
move from the realm of the impersonal to a personal inter-
action with God as we read and hear His word being spoken.
As we do, the faith that has been given to us will grow and
increase and we will find ourselves participating with God in all
the realms of His glorious salvation. Jesus our Savior wants you
to hear Him speak directly to the needs that you have in your

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life right now. Hear His voice telling you to do what you could
not do before.

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 The Multitudes Fed Miracle Loaves and Fishes

The multiplying of the loaves and fishes is one of the great

miracles that was reported by all four Gospels. It was a high-
light in the extraordinary exploits of faith and the revelation
of Heaven on Earth. That day, faith was shown to be the
substance that would bring forth something out of nothing as
Jesus worked a creative miracle to feed the people (Hebrews
11:1-3). This miracle testified to the truth that the entirety of
the material world had been created by the spoken Word. It
set another dimension of precedence for faith in the lives of
the apostles and disciples, to which Jesus will point back on
several occasions. After this event, it was not tolerable to God
for His disciples to be surprised about anything miraculous
(Mark 6:51-52; 8:17-21; 9:19).

The multitudes were assembled before Jesus, having followed

Him and His disciples into a wilderness place. When Jesus saw
them coming, He received them and healed everyone who had
need of healing (Luke 9:11). Compassion moved Jesus that day
to provide food for the people in the wilderness (Mark 6:34-
44; Matthew 14:14-21). The greatness of this miracle would
leave no question at the end of the day about who Jesus was,
they would recognize that He was indeed the Messiah (John
6:14). They would have no more excuse to remain in their
unbelief and disobedience. Miracles served to authenticate
the message of many of God’s servants, from the leadership
of Moses to the identification of the true and false prophets
by God answering with fire from heaven (Exodus 4:1-9; 1 Kings
18:38-39).
One of the great features of this miracle is that Jesus per-

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formed it through His disciples. He took the five loaves and
two fish and blessed them and then divided them to His dis-
ciples, giving each one a piece. Jesus then commanded them
to take what was given to them and give it to the people. We
could only imagine that if each time Jesus divided the five
loaves and two fish among His disciples and gave them each
enough to have a piece and still break off a piece, then they
would have witnessed the beginning of the miracle as Jesus
divided the five loaves and two fishes among them. There is no
reason to believe that this was limited to just the twelve apos-
tles because there were many who followed Him as disciples
at this point. Furthermore, to take care of five thousand men,
not counting women and children, would have required all the
help that Jesus could muster. The disciples did exactly as Jesus
instructed them, and in obedience to Him the loaves and the
fish did not diminish. As the oil in the cruse and the flour in
the barrel, each time they broke off a piece of bread or fish the
portion did not decrease (1 Kings 17:14-16).

The miracle began with Jesus being moved with compassion

for the people. As the miracle developed, Jesus involved those
around Him, beginning with Philip. He may have directed His
question to Philip because it might have been Philip who asked
Jesus to send them away (Matthew 14:15). He asked Philip
how they might provide food for so great a multitude of peo-
ple from a natural perspective. Once Philip had sized up the
situation and concluded the impossible nature of being able to
provide bread for so great a company of people, Jesus put the
responsibility on their shoulders and commanded them to give
the people something to eat (Mark 6:37). Jesus was moving
them from the natural to the supernatural - from reliance on
human ability to miraculous ability supplied by faith. Andrew
was the first to catch on and identified the seed from which
the miracle would grow: five loaves and two fish (John 6:8-9).
This would not just be a miracle that would give everyone a
bite of food, it would be one of excess. Every person would
eat and be filled, and still twelve basketfuls would be taken

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up (John 6:12-13). After this miracle Philip should have never
resorted to depending only on what the natural world could
supply.

Jesus set all the people down in preparation for the meal.
Whether or not each person really prepared their hearts to
receive a miracle that day, they cooperated with the instruc-
tion as each one positioned themselves for a miracle. We can
only assume that they were told that they were about to be
fed - it remains uncertain if they were told that a miracle was
about to take place. They sat down in companies of hundreds
and fifties. With more than twenty thousand people being
fed that day, doing so would provide room for the disciples to
move among them. Every detail of instruction was preparation
to receive a miracle that would take place with five loaves and
two small fish. What we can be certain of is that the disciples
knew a miracle was about to take place and they cooperated
with the instruction that Jesus gave, which was necessary for
the miracle to come to pass.

We must recognize that Jesus has shown us how to function in

the love of God that works miracles. He has sent us with the
power to deliver people from every influence of the powers
of darkness. If we will simply recognize that our abilities are
not sufficient to do the works of God, then we can begin to
cooperate with the divine provision. Of ourselves we can never
supply the needs of people in any dimension, whether it be
physical or spiritual. Words alone cannot convince men of the
truth and bring them to an encounter with God and a revela-
tion of the heavenly (1 Corinthians 2:4-5; 1 Thessalonians 1:5).
If we will turn to Christ Jesus and let Him show us how to do
the works of God, and then imitate Him, we will begin to fully
preach the gospel and give witness to who He is (John 14:12;
15:5,16; Romans 15:19; Acts 1:8). Every miracle in the bible
should cause us to have confidence that what God has done
before, He will continue to do now. The prophet of old was
given the ability to do twice the miracles of Elijah (2 Kings 2:9),

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but Jesus showed that there was even a greater dimension of
this same kind of miracle. Elisha set twenty loaves of barley
and full ears of corn before one hundred men and they all did
eat to the fill and there was some left over (2 Kings 4:42-44). If
we will be confident in the miracle ministry of Jesus, which will
not pass away until all things are fulfilled, then we will see the
same miracles too.

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 Jesus Walking on the Water

In the midst of the great signs and wonders which Jesus did
came a success through which men would have imposed their
will on God’s anointed servant. However, Jesus was unwilling
to submit Himself to the promotion of men and instead went
up into a mountain alone to pray. The disciples, in obedience
to Christ Jesus, got into a boat and attempted to go to the oth-
er side of the lake, but were faced with great opposition, even
unto the point of death.

When the disciples set out in obedience to Christ Jesus they

were immediately met with a storm that prevented them
from going very far. They left the mountaintop of the great
miracle of feeding the multitudes to be confronted with their
human frailty in the valley of a stormy night. Once again, the
disciples are shown to be helpless without Christ Jesus. They
had observed the power of Jesus to speak to the wind and the
waves, but they still did not believe that such power belonged
to them (Matthew 8:23-27). They faithfully toiled with the
arm of flesh throughout the night, but were unable to fulfill
His command. In the midst of their agony and labor, these
veteran fishermen were unwilling to give up and turn back to
shore. The wind and the waves were contrary to them, but
they continued to drive forward. They had spent most of the
night fighting the wind and the waves and had come to a point
that their lives were in jeopardy. They had left in the evening
as darkness was falling, and now it was the fourth watch, or
sometime between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM, in the morning
(Matthew 14:25). It had taken most of the night and they had
only gone about halfway across the lake, or about three or

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four miles. If we will listen, we can hear them crying out unto
the Lord for His help (Psalms 107:23-30). Jesus, turning unto
them and looking by the Spirit saw them in the darkness of a
stormy and perilous night, faithfully toiling against the adversi-
ty and fear of death that they faced. He would not leave them
to their own failing strength, but would come in the midst of
the opposition that they faced. Through what appeared to be
their defeat, Christ Jesus had positioned them to be lifted into
higher heights of revelation and faith. He would come to them
in a way that they could not imagine and demonstrated yet
another dimension of the Spirit, something that the rest of the
world would not be allowed to see - it only belonged to those
who had faithfully served the Master and obeyed His voice.

Christ Jesus, in His earthly tabernacle, had stepped over into

the heavenly and spiritual in such a way that all the natural
laws no longer restrained Him. The One who had spread out
the heavens in His eternal glory, yet had humbled Himself to
the earthly robes of flesh, now tread upon the waves of the
sea (Job 9:8). When the disciples saw Him, they could not
imagine that it was anything other than a spirit or ghost (Mark
6:48-49). They had seen His glory and power manifested in
so many situations, but this was a whole new dimension now
displayed before their eyes. In their terror and fear for their
lives Jesus’ comforting words came into their ears, “Don’t be
afraid! It is me!”

Peter was captivated by such a great revelation of glory and

transcendence in the Spirit being displayed by Jesus, his Mas-
ter. He was so moved with the heavenly realm that he too de-
sired to participate with Jesus in His mastery over the stormy
sea. That which had wrought hardship and defeat throughout
the night, Peter desired to subdue. He had come to realize
the power and authority of the spoken word. He had learned
the lesson of how to lay hold of great faith from the centurion
and now asks Jesus to speak the word only and bid Him come
(Matthew 8:8-10). With the word of His power, Peter would

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rise up and tread upon that which had threatened his life.
When Peter cried out to be empowered to walk in the same
realm of glory, the Lord made a way in the sea and a path in
the mighty waters (Isaiah 43:16). With His spoken word, Peter
rose up in faith and stepped over into the heavenly realm ad
walked by the Spirit. The fierce wind and the bellowing waves
were the same as they had been. When he stepped out upon
the water, that which had threatened his life and hindered his
commission was still there. The only difference was his senses
were now filled with the heavenly. All he could hear was the
voice of the One who spoke the word of faith, and all he could
see was Jesus.

Afterward, when Jesus stepped into the boat, they were trans-
lated and immediately found themselves upon the shore. The
moment that Jesus was willingly received into their situation
no power was able to prevent them from their divine purpose
and destination. The disciples were beside themselves. Every
law of the universe that they knew had been broken. Were
they still upon Earth, or were they in Heaven? They were
overwhelmed and beside themselves at what just happened
(Mark 6:51)! They were still in shock over the multiplication of
the loaves and fishes, and were not even able to fully deal with
that, because their hearts were still imprisoned to the earthly
realm (Mark 6:52). The disciples, so overwhelmed by this man
of Galilee that they had left everything to follow, still could not
even begin to fathom who He was. Although it was more than
the mind could reason and the heart could understand, yet
captivated by the heavenly revealed in Christ Jesus, they fell
down and worshiped, saying, “You are the Son of God!” (Mat-
thew 14:33).

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| 28 |
 A Man Blind from Birth

The prophets foretold of a time when the Messiah would

come and deliver them from the plague of sin, sickness and
disease (Isaiah 29:18; 35:5; 42:7; Ps 106:8). They had little idea
that it would actually be God that would come and be man-
ifested in the flesh to destroy the works of darkness. It had
been foretold that those who set in darkness and under the
shadow of death would see great light. Yet, when the Light of
the world came, there were few that recognized Him. In fact,
He came unto His own, but His own did not receive Him (John
1:11). Many in Israel were satisfied with their religious beliefs
and had only doctrines about the coming Messiah, they did
not really have any place in their religion and in their hearts for
Him to actually come. All of their great celebrations foretold of
His coming and their deliverance, but, over the course of time,
they had become disconnected from His coming and their
redemption. It was during one of these celebrations, called the
Feast of Tabernacles, that Jesus cried out in the midst of their
ceremony inviting anyone who desired to come and drink of
the waters of salvation (John 7:37-39). The Fountain of Living
Water was among them and the Light of the World was stand-
ing in their presence but they did not perceive it. Instead, they
were captivated with the types and shadows that foretold His
coming. He stood among them and called to them with the
shouts of deliverance, but instead they danced the night away
in the light of the torches which foretold His coming.

While everyone was preparing to return home after eight days

of celebration, Jesus was at work to reveal to all humanity that
the day of deliverance had come. While passing by a blind

| 29 |
man, His eyes became fixed on him. The whole procession that
was following saw Him staring at this man who was born blind.
All that came into the disciples’ minds was a crazy theological
question as to why this man was in such a wretched state.
They were so deep in their doctrinal ideas they actually won-
dered if he had sinned before he was even born. Jesus kindly
explained that it had nothing to do with their ideas but, rather,
it would be an opportunity for the power and love of God to
be manifested. This man did not sit in the torments of dark-
ness all of his life because it was the will of God. The state of
his blindness was a consequence of the curse and would be an
opportunity for the glory of God to be manifested. The Light of
Life had come to drive out the curse of darkness. Salvation had
come to break off the plagues of sin and death. God stepped
into the darkness of men and, in His love and mercy, brought
grace to deliver men from the evil. God was manifested in the
flesh to destroy the works of darkness (1 John 3:8).

Similar to the lame man who laid by the pool of Bethesda,

this miracle would take place by Jesus’ own initiative. Every
human being is born blind and in their helpless state, Jesus
came into the world to open their eyes. The blind man knew
nothing more than to ask for alms, but Jesus would give him
His sight. He had heard the discourse of the disciples with
Jesus as they discussed the cause of his blindness. He had
heard the proclamation of the good news when Jesus said
that He was the Light of the World. The glorious presence of
the Living God, no doubt, was conveyed to the blind man as
he listened to the words of life. When Jesus began to touch
Him and packed mud, made with dirt and spit, into his eyes,
the blind man surely felt the most loving and comforting touch
ever in his life. By this time, we can imagine that the crowd
was much bigger than before as Jesus preached His illustrated
sermon. When He told the man to wash his eyes in the pool
of Siloam there were probably many people interested in
helping because they wanted to see what would happen. Yet,
for the blind man, he was probably motivated not so much by

| 30 |
faith, but a need to become clean. Like Naaman of old, who
was instructed to dip seven times in the Jordan, the blind man
was to wash the mud from his eyes in the spring of Siloam (2
Kings 5:10-13). In the text, Jesus only implied that he would be
healed and never said it outright. Yet, when he washed with
the water at the pool of Siloam, the blindness fell like scales
from his eyes and for the first time in his life he beheld a world
that had been hidden from him. He became a testimony to the
people of Israel, who had refused the gentle waters of Shiloah
(Siloam) to go after other gods (Isaiah 8:6). Yet, now that
Shiloh had come, to those who would receive God’s salvation,
the healing waters flowed (Gen. 49:10). It was from these
same waters that the people, only about a day earlier, had
drawn out water on the Feast of Tabernacles and cried out for
the wellspring of life to come (John 7:37-39; Isaiah 12:1-6; m.
Sukkah 4:9; j. Sukkah 5:1).

The blind man was brought out of darkness physically, but

would also be given the opportunity to be healed of the
spiritual blindness that he and all men are born with. This is
the purpose of every miracle, which are God’s acts of love
and mercy so that the blind might see. All the blind man knew
about Jesus was that He had put mud into his eyes and told
him to wash in the waters of Siloam. Yet, after he was able
to see and pressed by the Pharisees concerning how he was
healed, he determined that Jesus was a prophet (John 9:17).
He argued, “Who has ever heard of anyone opening the eyes
of someone born blind?” Jesus had done something that no
one had ever done before. Through his healing he became a
defender of Jesus against the opposing Pharisees, and also
corrected their ridiculous doctrines (John 9:34). Ultimately,
Jesus would come to him again and provide more spiritual rev-
elation, which would cause him to confess that Jesus was the
Son of God (John 9:38).

Like the blind man everyone comes into this world spiritually
blind by nature. It is only because of God’s love that they are

| 31 |
drawn to the Son and led to the healing waters. Like a blind
man, they grope through life with no clear picture of what the
world about them is actually like. Until their spiritual eyes are
opened, they are imprisoned in a world of darkness knowing
nothing about the Light. Jesus came to open the eyes of the
blind. He does not want anyone to remain in darkness. He
desires all men to gaze upon the beauty of the living God and
behold, with the eyes of the Spirit, what it means to live the
life that we were created to have. The god of this world has
blinded the eyes and deceived the soul of men, causing them
to believe that the life they are living is right (2 Corinthians
4:4). God has sent the Savior into the world to purge us from
our sins that we might see (2 Peter 1:9). He has come to give
us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation that our eyes might be
opened (Ephesians 1:18). He counsels all men to have their
eyes anointed with eye salve that they might see (Revelation
3:18).

The blind man, having received his sight, runs home to a

neighborhood that he had never seen before. He goes first to
his family to tell of what God has done from him. The gospel is
then carried to his neighbors, who did not recognize him, for
he was so changed. To them he told the entire story of what
a man named Jesus had done for him. Afterward, he returned
to the temple precincts where he had once begged and there
testified to the Pharisees of what Jesus had done. In each
situation: with the neighbors, the Pharisees, and also with his
parents, the miracle is thoroughly examined and verified. The
Pharisees, who looked for every possibility to discredit the
miracle, were left without excuses. Therefore, in the hardness
of their hearts, they invoked excommunication upon him. Now
he must testify one final time under penalty of being no longer
accepted as a Jew in the community of his people. Under such
a threat he boldly recounts the simple truth of what God had
done for him and was cast out of the synagogue (John 9:34).
Afterward, Jesus found him and said, “Do you believe in the
Son of Man?” In the blind man’s brokenness he responded to

| 32 |
the one who opened up his eyes, “Who is He Sir, that I may be-
lieve in Him” (John 9:36). With his final confession, the healing
of his blindness was complete. That which began as a physical
miracle, which no man had ever done before, became even a
greater miracle - for now his spiritual blindness was cured and
he could see who Jesus was. His eyes had been opened to the
beauty and splendor of the heavenly, and the eternal ages to
come.

In the end we see that there is only one sin for which there
is no cure, and that is spiritual pride. It’s impossible to bring
spiritual sight to those who believe that they can see. It is im-
possible to teach those who think that they know better than
anyone else. There was no magnitude of miracle that would
have convinced the Pharisees, for they were blinded by their
own conceit. In such a state of madness they were driven to
do everything they could to disprove the evidence that God
had so graciously provided for them to see. When they could
not disprove it, then they looked for any grounds possible
to accuse the miracle worker. The only thing that they could
possibly come up with was that He did it on the Sabbath day
and, therefore, He must be evil. They were unable to see the
true meaning of the Sabbath, which was a testimony not only
of God’s rest, but also of the relationship that God had intend-
ed to exist between Himself and men. The Lord of the Sabbath
had come to deliver men and bring them into this eternal rest
(Matthew 11:28-29; 12:8). But, all the Pharisees could under-
stand was a religious and legal value of its meaning. The time
for the covenant to change had come and they did not want
the new. Sabbath, which testified to God’s finished work, was
taking place. The work of redemption was about to be fulfilled
and they did not want to look at its beginning (2 Corinthians
3:13-18). They would rather have the law of sin and death
with its sickness and disease than the deliverance which Christ
Jesus brought. They would rather have their religion than the
eternal rest which the Sabbath represented.

| 33 |
Jesus warned of a future darkness that will come when no
man would be able to work - a time when He would not shine
as the light of the world (John 9:4-5). While some regard this
only as those dark days between the Crucifixion and Pente-
cost, there is yet a coming day of greater darkness upon all na-
tions. Today, the brilliant light of the gospel still shines, and the
works of Jesus Christ are still being manifested. Although Jesus
went away, He sent the Holy Spirit to continue the work of
His kingdom. Though He does not now reign on the Earth, He
reigns from Heaven. His kingdom may be invisible now, but its
power and majesty are revealed through His Church. However,
a day is coming, a day of darkness and fiery judgment and in-
dignation from the Lord, in which no man can work (Zephaniah
3:8; Joel 2:2; Jude 14-15; Rev 14:19; 15:1). Jesus will not shine
as a Light to the Gentiles, but will come to pour out the wrath
of God upon them because of their ungodliness and refusal of
the ways of life. To those who, by stubbornness and rebellion,
chose the ways of death and spiritual blindness, their reward
shall be death and eternal darkness. Jesus came not only as
the Savior, but also for judgment. He is a Savior to those who
are blind so that they might see, but He is for judgment to
those who say they see, but are, in fact, spiritually blind. Surely
no one is so blind as those who refuse to see

| 34 |
 Lazarus Raised from the Dead

The purpose of signs, wonders and miracles is to glorify the

Son of God. If we want the Son of God to be glorified in our
lives, then we must learn how to move with the Holy Spir-
it. Just as the water was turned into wine to show forth His
glory, and the man born blind was healed for the glory of God,
Lazarus would also be raised from the dead for His glory too.
It was not the sickness that was for the glory of God, but the
cure. It was an occasion for God’s glory to be revealed through
His power to intervene and destroy the works of darkness.
What every person must be willing to recognize is that Jesus
was a miracle-worker and all of His followers are miracle-work-
ers as well (John 14:12; Mark 16:17-18). There were even
those who were only impacted by the ministry of Jesus, who
did not follow Him like the disciples did, but still became mir-
acle workers (Luke 9:49-50). God has proven, and still proves
today, that He makes the impossible possible through His Son.
When God and His Son are glorified, they are revealed for who
they are.

Lazarus was a dear friend of Jesus. When he fell sick, Jesus

could have easily been influenced to rush to his bedside.
However, everything Jesus did was by divine direction. He
was devoted to doing everything God’s way. He waited for
the instruction of His Father rather than to be moved by the
urgent request of dear friends. When the sisters sent for Jesus
to come they said, “Lord the one that you love is sick.” It would
have been easy for Jesus to be emotionally compromised with
Lazarus’ situation because of His love for him and his sisters.
However, His commitment to only doing what Father showed

| 35 |
Him to do would result in the magnitude of the miracle that
would ultimately be witnessed. It is so easy for us to slip into
doing what we think is the correct thing instead of waiting
on God and only moving by the inspiration of the Spirit. Yet,
without that divine direction, the faith to do the works will be
absent and there will be no miracle.

At the center of this miracle is the intercession of the two sis-

ters of Lazarus: Mary and Martha. Reminiscent of the direction
that Mary, the mother of Jesus, gave at Cana, now Martha
and Mary also attempt to direct His actions. Although Jesus
received the message that Lazarus was sick and at the point of
death, His response to the message would not be based on the
desires of those that He dearly loved, but on what the Father
instructed Him to do. Faith that hears the Word of God works.
When you know the mind of the Spirit and what Father has
purposed to do, then there is no need for pressing in or reach-
ing for a miracle. As soon as Jesus heard the news of Lazarus’
sickness, He knew that the sickness would not be unto death.
Jesus knew by Spirit knowledge that Lazarus was dead but
referred to him as only being asleep. What was a sorrowful
event would now be turned into a day of great rejoicing, but
on God’s terms, not that of human need or human compas-
sion. By the direction of the Father Jesus would wait two more
days, then, by the time they traveled to Bethany, another day
would transpire so that four days would pass from the time
of Lazarus’ death until the arrival of Jesus. Like the man who
was born blind, this would be the first time anyone would have
seen this magnitude of a miracle. Never before had anyone
been raised from the dead after being dead for four days. It
would not be possible for anyone to misinterpret this miracle.
Enough time would have passed for Lazarus to have not only
died, but to be in the tomb in a decomposing state.

The disciples were deeply concerned for their safety and

thought that their return to Jerusalem would result in Jesus
being killed, which was true in part. However, Jesus would not

| 36 |
be killed for the reasons and in the way that they supposed.
Jesus assured the disciples that they had divine protection.
They were of the light and did not need to fear the darkness.
They were walking in the light of divine direction and, so long
as it was day, the works of the Father had to be done. If we
walk in the light of divine direction, we will not stumble. We
are able to walk in the light of Father’s divine guidance be-
cause we have the light of His life in us. In Him our steps will
not be misplaced or His work left undone. Jesus is the light of
life right now and as long as we follow Him we will not stumble
but as the children of the day will walk in the light of life (John
8:12; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5, 8)

When Jesus arrived in Bethany only Martha came out to

meet Him. This was of great concern to Jesus, who would
not take another step towards the miracle until Mary arrived
(John 11:28-30). Up to this point, Mary was cast as a more
devoted disciple to Jesus. However, the one who sat at Jesus’
feet and chose the better part had become deeply wounded
(Luke 10:39). Now, Mary sat at home in her disappointment
and grief while Martha ran to meet the Master, but it was
essential that Mary participate in this miracle if it was going
to take place. Martha had not lost hope, she was convinced
that whatever Jesus asked the Father, it would be given to Him
(John 11:22). When Jesus told her that her brother would rise
again she thought that He was directing her attention to the
time that would come in the distant future when all would be
raised up. It was then that Jesus said, “I am the resurrection.”
He was telling her that the resurrection is here! Martha’s
response was once again one of confidence and faith when
she agreed, saying, “I know that you are the Christ, the Son of
God.”

Divine compassion swept over the soul of Jesus when Mary

came to Him and was weeping, and in this divine compassion,
Jesus said, “Where have you laid him.” The Word of Life then
spoke out the word of faith that would cause even the believ-

| 37 |
ers to be taken back. Jesus said, “Roll away the stone.” Jesus
already knew what would take place. He was there by the
divine direction from the Father to “wake him up.” Martha,
who seemed so confident that God would give Jesus what-
ever He asked is now taken beyond what she could imagine.
It’s as though she is saying, “Are you sure? Do you know how
far gone he is?” They must be willing to follow and go beyond
what they have faith for and listen to the instructions of the
Master - Jesus must have their participation. It will be left to
them to give the final orders to roll away the stone and comply
with what He directed. They must be willing to believe if they
are going to see the glory of God revealed (John 11:40).

Even though Jesus already knew that the Father wanted Him
to raise Lazarus from the dead, He still stopped and prayed.
He does so for those that were present then, and for all of
us who would read these scriptures now. In the prayer, Jesus
instructs us on the kind of relationship that results in great
faith, the faith that raises the dead to life again. He knows that
the Father has already heard His prayer and that He always
hears Him. The intimacy of the relationship is that of an obe-
dient son to his father. John will speak of this confidence in his
first epistle as well when he describes how every prayer that
we pray can be answered (1 John 3:21-22). If we simply obey
God and do those things that are pleasing in His sight, we will
function in the extraordinary works of faith that He has called
and ordained us to do (John 14:12; 15:16). God has ordained
that whatever we ask He will do it (John 14:13; 15:7). God has
brought us into a divine partnership to show forth His wonder-
ful works through our lives. It is with this kind of relationship
that we can have confidence that God has heard us, and then,
whatever we say, we will know that we have received it (Mark
11:22-24).

The intended purpose of miracles was emphasized by the

Pharisees when they said, “If we allow Him to continue, all
men will believe on Him (John 11:47-48). However, no amount

| 38 |
of evidence will convince those whose hearts are set against
God. The miracles are God’s calling cards for all mankind, but
only those who are willing to be convinced, those who are will-
ing to change, will respond correctly. God’s signs and wonders
are a key to unlock the door to the hearts of those who would
believe, like Nathaniel, the Nobleman, and the man born blind
(John 1:48-49; 4:46-54; 9:38). They take those who are willing
to follow to higher heights of expectation and faith, preparing
them also to do the works of Jesus - which was witnessed in
the disciples and also the 120 on the day of Pentecost, fol-
lowed by those who would come after them (Matthew 10:1;
Luke 10:1, 9; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:4; Romans 15:19; John
14:12).

| 39 |
| 40 |
 Summary

The miracles set forth in John were certainly chosen to es-

tablish the message of the gospel, which Christ Jesus came
to communicate. John did not organize the Gospel out of the
creative realm of His own perception, but under the direction
of the Holy Spirit. Jesus taught His disciples how to only do
things by the direction of the Father (John 5:30-31; 6:38; 8:28;
14:10-11, 24). We can rest assured that the most important
message that has ever been given to men would be watched
over and protected by the Father Himself. John would not be
allowed to take any personal liberties but would speak and
act under the sovereign authority of the Almighty God. Fa-
ther assigned John with the responsibility to describe Christ
Jesus, who was God manifest in the flesh. Whereas Matthew
presented Jesus Christ as the King, Mark presented Him as
Christ the Servant, and Luke presented Him as Christ Jesus the
Man - John revealed Him as God the Eternal Word. The Word
that was described, beginning in Genesis, was made flesh. The
Living Word, Christ Jesus, would fully reveal the written word,
which had expressed the will of the Father, and which He had
come to show the sum total of.

Everything about the ministry of Jesus was heavenly and

superior to anything natural. There were more signs, wonders
and miracles than could even be written about (John 21:25).
The miracles focused on in the Gospel of John only serve to
highlight all that Jesus said and did. God, incarnated into flesh,
unveiled the secrets that were in the hearts of men, turned
the water into wine, cleansed the temple of the merchandis-
ers and brought the power to be born again. There was no

| 41 |
distance that could limit the power of His word. He sought out
the most wretched and broken and cured them. He took the
five loaves and two small fish and empowered His disciples to
do greater works than He did. He fed the twelve, and they fed
the thousands, witnessing of the greater works to come. He
walked upon the stormy seas, and His presence changed the
laws of time and space. He opened the eyes of the man born
blind, something no one had ever done in the history of man-
kind. He raised the dead to life again and then offered Himself
upon the altar of sacrifice to execute authority over death and
hell.

The authority of the spoken word of Christ Jesus was proven

to be all that was necessary to break off the yoke of sin and
sickness. The Nobleman’s son was healed by the spoken word
and the one bed-ridden at Bethesda was instantly cured. The
same word that commanded the sick and diseased to be cured
would release men from their sins and work the miracle of
being born again. God loves mankind and never ordained one
moment of suffering or sin for any of His creation. Jesus, as
the Savior, came to deliver men from the oppression of the
devil. God proved that He was not the creator of the devil’s
torments, sending Jesus to destroy every work of the demonic.
The authority of His word was all that was needed to render
Satan powerless. Christ Jesus the Word is as powerful today
as He ever was then, and His word remains the same, for it is
Spirit and life (John 6:63; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; Hebrews
1:3; 11:3). The word of Jesus was, and is, the instant cure to
the most terrible situations that anyone may find themselves
in.

Jesus transmitted this power to his disciples through the Bap-

tism of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39; Acts 1:5, 8; 4:10; John
14:12; Acts 8:6-7; 19:11-12). The life and power of God would
be poured out of those baptized by Him like rivers of living
water so that the power of Christ Jesus might touch the most
afflicted today (John 7:38-39; Ezekiel 47:9). Those who are

| 42 |
lost in sin and darkness are like a crowd of impotent people
waiting hopelessly for something to happen to take the pain of
their hearts and souls away. Like the man born blind, everyone
who comes into this world is spiritually blind and only Christ
Jesus can open their eyes. Jesus has provided the double cure
and has sent us to proclaim the good news that sin, sickness
and disease have been destroyed through the power that is in
His name.

The greatest opposition to the ministry of Jesus were those

of His own household, and so it is today. Many do not really
care about the demonstration of His love through the miracle
power that is manifested in His name, they just want to argue
about what they believe can or cannot be. Yet Jesus, who is
the same yesterday, today and forever, is still at work curing
the sick and setting the captives free. The only difference is He
is at work through those who have received the promise of the
Father and believed those things which He has commanded us
to do (Mark 16:20).

Miracles are the hallmark of Jesus’ ministry. They are also

the hallmark of the ministry of the followers of Jesus in the
book of Acts. There is only one ministry type, and that is the
one demonstrated to us by Jesus. If we truly follow Him and
imitate Him, then we will do the works that He did, which He
also commanded. It was not optional for those of the church
to receive power to do the works of Jesus, it was essential
(Luke 24:48-49; Mark 16:17-18; Acts 1:5, 8). Jesus is the same
yesterday, today and forever - His ministry has not changed.
If we are going to represent Him and His resurrection with
the proofs that He is alive, then His ministry must be revealed
through us. All that he did and taught sets the example of
what we are to do. Every miracle in the bible is the spring-
board for our faith.

Jesus modeled for the disciples, and for us today, how to func-
tion in His ministry and do the will of the Father. He opened

| 43 |
the door to all those who will believe to do that which is
impossible for mere men to do (Matthew 17:20; Mark 9:23).
John repeats over and again that, whatever we ask the Father,
He will do it (John 14:13; 15:7,16; 1 John 3:22; 5:15). It was
for this fruit that we were called and elected, and it is by this
divine intimacy and interaction that we know that He abides in
us (John 15:16; 1 John 3:22-24). God the Holy Spirit has come
to show us how to walk in the life and ministry of Jesus, but
we must be consecrated and passionately devoted to learn-
ing how. Many have become discouraged and turned back
because of the trials of the training, but if we contend for the
faith that was once delivered unto the saints we will not be
disappointed.

When Jesus turned the water into wine he demonstrated how

the faith of others could place a demand upon His miracle
power. The need for more wine was an opportunity for Jesus
to not only show His glory, but to testify of a new wine of fel-
lowship with God which had come. The new wine of the New
Covenant would be far better than the former wine of the Old.
There would not be a limited supply but more than enough for
men to drink, for all men are called to this feast, both Jews and
Gentiles. Yet, the new wine would have to be contained in new
wineskins. The old was gone, its time was past, and change
would be totally rejected by many. The new would be far bet-
ter than the old, the ministry would be righteousness instead
of condemnation, but the ritual and the keepers of that ritual
could not continue on (2 Corinthians 3:1-18). Therefore, the
ministry of Jesus was a stumbling block to those who wanted
to hold on to the former things. It was a threat to those who
made their living by its existence. But, to those who would be-
lieve, new life would spring forth from the water of His word.
Through the new birth, the lifeless would live by the power
invested in the Son of God. The Holy Spirit witnessed that flesh
would be turned to Spirit and the natural to the spiritual.
As the pots were set before Jesus, our lives, though lifeless and
natural, are transformed by the power of God into those who

| 44 |
are alive from the dead. The life of anyone who believes is
instantaneously changed from a substance without life to one
teeming with the nourishment of the Spirit. When those so
transformed by the power of God are poured out to the world
around them, the taste of heaven is in them, and the miracle
of God is witnessed. The blood of the eternal covenant is the
new wine which Jesus gave to us for the remission of sins. It is
supplied in abundance for all those who will come and drink.
To drink His blood and eat His flesh is to partake of the inti-
macy of abiding in His life (John 6:53). The communion of the
Spirit has supplied us with the gift of God, in which Christ Jesus
lives in us, and we live in Him (John 6:56).

The Lord not only turns the water into wine but supplies the
living water. Christ Jesus, the gift giver, invites everyone to
come and receive the gift of God. The Lord says, “Ho, ev-
ery one that thirsts, come to the waters, and he that has no
money; Come ye, buy, and eat; Yea, come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1). The water
that He supplies turns into a wellspring of His divine life in all
who receive Him. This is singularly the most important subject
of the New Covenant, which is the testimony of one who has
been born again.

Jesus demonstrated that the only faith that was needed for
a miracle was the faith that He had. The miracle healing of
the bed-ridden man took place by the faith of Jesus. The man
himself had no idea who Jesus was, so it would have been
impossible for him to have exercised faith in Jesus (John 5:13).
It was a faith absent of all doubt that caused the Nobleman’s
son to be healed. The Nobleman was not certain of the heal-
ing until it was reported to Him by His servants the next day
(John 4:53). The same may be said of the blind man and of
the sisters of Lazarus. The blind man was healed on the initia-
tive of Jesus apart from anything that was asked of Him. Also,
when Jesus came to the sisters of Lazarus, their actions were
far from absolute certainty that their brother would be raised

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from the dead.

Sin may cause sickness and death, but Christ Jesus is the
redeemer from all its power (John 5:14). The bigger issue is
not an individual person’s sin, but the sin that entered into the
world because of Adam, which Christ Jesus came to deliver us
from (John 9:3). There was no curse or disease until death and
sin came into the world. Jesus came to deliver us from all of
the effects of the disobedience of Adam and to destroy every
work of Satan, and in this He is glorified (Romans 5:12-21; 1
John 3:5-8).

Jesus told two people, in no uncertain terms, that they were

to “sin no more.” The first person that He said this to was the
crippled man who He had healed (John 5:14). The second per-
son that Jesus told to “sin no more” was the woman taken in
the act of adultery (John 8:11). Jesus was so insistent about sin
being totally removed that He said, “If your right eye causes
you to sin, tear it out and throw it away, for it is better for you
to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be
thrown into hell” (Matthew 5:29). Christ Jesus can demand
this because He has brought the double cure. He has come
to set us free, and if you are set free by the Son, then you are
free indeed. Sin can cause a far worse thing if, having been
delivered from it, we return unto its bondage and deny the
blood that bought us. Of course, hell and an eternity without
God is a far worse thing than being a paralytic for 38 years, or
anything else that a man can suffer (John 5:14). Jesus was as
much interested in the eternal state of man’s soul as He was in
the healing of their physical bodies and it was sin that would
put them in jeopardy.

The arms of the Lord Jesus were wide open to forgive the
woman who was taken in the act of adultery, but He demand-
ed that she “sin no more.” Under the law, the woman should
have been stoned so that sin could be crushed out of the heart
of Israel. Christ Jesus would bear her sin and put it to death in-

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stead of putting her to death. Jesus would crush sin out of her
heart, and do the same for everyone else who would receive
Him. He would do this through the offering of His life upon
the altar of God and, by His death, burial and resurrection,
men would go free of condemnation. He, through His death,
destroyed the power of the devil so that sin should no longer
reign over the heart of man (Hebrews 2:14; Romans 6:12; 2
Timothy 1:10). He made provision for anyone who would call
upon His name to have their lives transformed by the Holy
Spirit. Through the name of Jesus, and the power of His blood,
we are transformed from darkness to light, from death to life,
and from sin to righteousness.

One of the great tragedies among many ministries today is

that they have embraced sin as a continuous and inevitable
part of their lives. They have left off the good fight of faith
and surrendered to the influence of sin, supposedly equipping
their people to better deal with their failure. Unfortunately,
what these ministries do not understand is that the wages
of sin is death. They fail to realize that Jesus came and set
us free from sin so that we could live in His righteousness (1
Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21). They have adopted a sim-
ilar belief to those who opposed Paul when he wrote, “Shall
we continue in sin that grace might abound? By no means!
How can we who are dead (separated) to sin live any longer
in it” (Romans 6:1-2; 15-16)? Paul said, “All who have sinned
without the law will perish without the law; and all who have
sinned under the law will be judged by the law,” which also de-
manded death (Romans 2:12). Paul was so radical against sin
that he said, “If anyone sins, rebuke them in front of the whole
church so that everyone will fear” (1 Timothy 5:20). Peter
makes the argument that, if God did not spare the angels who
sinned, nor the ancient cities in the days of Noah, and also
overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, what then do you think will
happen to sinners today who have refused Gods deliverance
and continued on with insatiable desire for sin? In conclusion,
Peter expresses how God feels about sin when he says they

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are “accursed children” (2 Peter 2:4-6, 14).

The word of God is not limited, but powerful. Its power and
glory are embodied in Christ Jesus, who is the Word made
flesh. The authority of the spoken word brings life to those
who are dead, and healing and deliverance to those who are
bound. Just as God the Father sent His Word, Christ Jesus, to
heal our disease of sin and death, the Word was sent to every
person who will receive it to accomplish the same work of
grace. As the Nobleman boldly placed a demand on the love
and grace of God, even so we can today. The promises of God
that are communicated to us by His word are unchanging. All
of His promises are upheld by the word of His power. It was by
His word that He created all things and framed the heavens,
and His unchanging word will create whatever you have need
of now.

The Lord Jesus speaks through us today by the Spirit which He

has given us. If we will speak His word, then the words of life
spoken by the authority of Christ Jesus will result in the same
kinds of miracles now as they did then. When we allow the
word of Christ to dwell in us, then the riches of His word will
supply the need when anyone who believes comes asking. The
word of God contains a miracle for everyone and it is God’s
desire that His word be magnified by signs and wonders. God’s
word is supernatural and signs and wonders prove it. Through
the miracle of the word of God men have their eyes opened to
believe what God has spoken lest their faith should be in men
and not in God (1 Corinthians 2:4-5). Those who will believe
the words that Christ Jesus has spoken will also see the mira-
cles of God preformed for them and through them.

Miracles can not only empower men to believe but can cause
those who reject them to hate the miracle worker. Any rea-
sonable person would have been blessed that a man like the
one at the pool of Bethesda, who was in such despair for 38
years, was liberated from his torment; but, instead, the most

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important thing to these religious people were their rules and
doctrines, which they held more sacred. They were unable to
recognize that the One for whom all these things were writ-
ten was fulfilling their meaning. The doctrines of men use the
word of God as the premise for what they believe, but they
cut out the very heart of faith and the purposes of God’s word.
The word is not mixed with faith in these religious hearts, but
with the intellect of self-justification, which will always resist
the Holy Spirit. The word of God does not teach that miracles
are forbidden on the Sabbath; but, when you don’t have a
relationship that produces the miracles, your rules are more
important than anything else. Jesus attempted to reason with
them, as at other times, concerning their rules, and explain
where they were wrong; but, it was really useless because
they were insistent on the letter of their doctrines for they had
no revelation of the Word (Luke 13:15-16; 14:3-6).

The doctrines of men cannot produce faith, and they allow

very little room for the power of God to be displayed. Al-
though the doctrines of men today would appear, at first
glance, to be for the cause of Christ, they blind the heart from
ever truly seeing Jesus and yielding to the presence of the
Lord. The doctrines of God will never hinder the flow of the
Spirit, nor blind the hearts and minds from the workings of
God, but rather they bring them to light. The Word of God
produces faith and expectation that the power of God will be
revealed. God’s Word makes the heart sensitive towards His
will and fills those who hear it with faith. Just as the doctrines
of the Jews had made the law of God void, the doctrines of
men in Christianity today make void the operation of the Spirit
(Matthew 15:6; Mark 7:13).

God has the right to touch people’s lives and work miracles on
any day and in any way He chooses. But men, who want to be
in charge and want to control what is going on, have no place
for the true outpourings of the Spirit. The sad thing is that no
matter how sincere or bright people may be, they are beyond

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all sense of reason once deception sets in. Today there are
literally thousands of examples of the men and women of God
being persecuted by other Christians for flowing in the same
anointing as Jesus. Religion has no idea how it wars against the
Spirit of God. As the Jews were deceived then, many Christians
today have fallen into the same trap. Christianity has a list of
traditions and man-made doctrines that is at least equivalent
to that which the Jews had - if not greater. We can be certain
that these man-made doctrines and traditions will blind the
hearts and minds from the truth, even as these Jews were
blinded.

What these blind and misguided Christians fail to realize is

that their persecution is not directed at someone who believes
differently than they do, but at Jesus Christ Himself. It was the
power of religion that persecuted Jesus and would ultimate-
ly demand His tortuous death. The spirit of religion, and the
hateful and critical disposition that it creates, would call the
Son of God a devil, a deceiver, a false prophet, a liar, a Samari-
tan, and much more. Jesus endured all of this in order to bring
to us His love, His mercy, and His blessings. It never ceases to
amaze me how religious spirits controlling men so affect the
flow of the Spirit of God. There is nothing so grieving to the
Spirit of God as those who are under their influence.

Jesus did many signs, wonders, and miracles - but He never

took the credit. It was the Father in Christ Jesus who was doing
the works (John 10:38; 14:10-11). He was on an assignment
from the Father, and everything He was doing was in obedi-
ence to those things which He had been commissioned to do.
Jesus made it known to the Jews that the Father was always
working, and, therefore, in obedience to the Father He was
working too. It did not matter what day it was, the Father was
set on the redemption of mankind. It was the Father’s will that
all men be delivered from sin, sickness, and disease.
Just as the Father showed Jesus the miracles that He was
supposed to do, Jesus has shown us the miracles that we are

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supposed to do (John 5:20; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; John 20:21;
Matthew 4:19; 10:8). The miracles were proof that Jesus was
sent from the Father, and the miracles are proof that we have
also been commissioned and sent by the Lord Jesus (John
5:36; Hebrews 2:4; Acts 1:8; 6:8; 8:13; 19:11). Jesus did the
works that He did in the Father’s name, and we have been
commissioned to do these works and greater works in Jesus’
name (John 10:25; 14:12; Mark 16:17; Acts 3:16). When the
crippled man desired alms from the disciples, all they had to
give to him was the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth: which
was the authority and power to heal his crippled legs (Acts
3:6). When the people attempted to give the disciples credit,
they promptly informed the people it had nothing to do with
them, but was done by the authority of Jesus Christ alone
(Acts 3:16).

When Jesus worked a miracle, it was by the Father and not

something that He did of Himself (Matthew 12:28; Luke
4:1,18). Gifts have been given to the church, just as they were
given to Jesus, but it is the Holy Spirit who works those gifts
(Galatians 3:5; 1 Corinthians 12:10; John 7:38-39). We cannot
take credit as though we had some special power from God
that was our own - these are the activities of the Holy Spirit.
To brag about what we can do, or in any way draw attention
to ourselves, is a terrible wrong. When we stand in obedience
and declare what God will do, it is the Holy Spirit who per-
forms the work so that Jesus can be glorified - not a man. If we
take credit, then we are receiving the glory, and God alone is
to receive all of the glory. When the blind see, it is a marvelous
thing, and anyone who has ever been used by God in this way
knows that they had nothing to do with it. They were just as
amazed and stunned as everyone else at the marvelous power
of God at work.

Jesus made the signs and wonders which He did quintessen-

tial to the proof of His relationship with the Father. He also
included us in the same relationship and demonstration of

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power with these words, “Anyone who believes will do these
works and greater works than these” (John 14:12). The amaz-
ing glory of the faith is that we are empowered to know that
Christ Jesus is in us and that we are in Him, even as the Father
was in Him (John 1:16; 14:20). It is from this revelation that
we know that the miracle worker lives within us and that He
will do what He has commanded us to believe. Oneness with
God is the centerpiece to the new birth and great boldness in
the faith (John 6:56; 14:20, 23; 15;4; 17:21-23). Just as Jesus
said that it was Father that did the work in Him, we can say it
is Christ Jesus who does the work in us (John 15:5; Acts 3:16).
There are no words that could express this intimacy greater
than Jesus saying, “I in them, and you in me, that they may
be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that
you have sent me, and has loved them, as you have loved me”
(John 17:23).

Christ Jesus commanded us to dwell in Him and to allow His

word to dwell in us. If we are willing to find our whole exis-
tence in Christ Jesus, then we will ask whatever we will and it
will be done (John 15:7). We must be willing to believe what
His word has declared us to be and the power it describes that
we have been given. If we are unwilling to let the knowledge
of the Lord’s unspeakable gift define who we are, then we will
never bear the fruit that He has ordained, which is the priv-
ilege of receiving from the Father whatever we desire in the
name of Jesus (John 15:16). Just as Jesus asked and the dead
was raised to life again, God would supply us with a relation-
ship that would cause us to see greater works than these so
that the world might marvel (John 5:20; 14:12).

As the representatives of Christ Jesus, we must step out be-

yond the realm of the things that we can do, and believe God.
If we will, then we will see the mighty power of a living God at
work, who both dwells in us and with us (John 14:17). These
are holy and sacred things. All of God’s people should be in
awe of what great things God has done and will do if we will

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only believe in Him, not ourselves. If we will look beyond our-
selves and recognize that Christ Jesus is in us, then the power
of God to save and to heal will be realized. If we will recog-
nize the anointing of the Holy Spirit and be sensitive to His
presence, our eyes will begin to see the mighty hand of God
revealed as we proclaim all these words of life! Jesus is here
with us now to confirm His words with signs following, and
He will remain with us until the end of the world (Matthew
18:20; 28:20; Mark 16:20). Miracles, signs, and wonders are
the works of Jesus, not the works of men. They are the proof
that Jesus is alive from the dead and has received all power in
heaven and earth.

Just as Jesus could do nothing of Himself but was totally de-

pendent upon the Father, even so it is the same with us (John
5:19; 15:5). We cannot do anything that belongs to the realms
of heaven without Jesus. As it was the Father that did the
works through the life of Jesus, it is Jesus that does His works
through the lives of His servants. As the Father showed Jesus
the works that He was to do, Christ Jesus shows us the works
that we are to do (John 5:20). The Lord wants to astonish the
world through our lives.

Jesus revealed the Father because He did the Father’s deeds,

and Jesus is revealed in our lives because we do His deeds. Out
of love for the Father, Jesus did what He saw the Father do.
We also, out of love for the Lord Jesus, are to do those things
that Jesus did - a message that finds its ultimate expression in
John 14:12. It was because the Father loved the Son that He
showed the Son everything that He Himself was doing. One
of the keys to dwelling in God is to know and believe the love
that God has for us (1 John 4:16). We can be certain that the
Holy Spirit will reveal everything about Jesus to us (John 16:12-
15).
Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father”
(John 14:9). Paul said that Jesus was revealed in Him and for
Him to live was Christ (Galatians 1:16; 2 Corinthians 4:11; Phi-

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lippians 1:21). Whereas Jesus could claim equality with God,
we are to claim oneness with Jesus, the Father and the Holy
Spirit (17:22-23). Through Christ Jesus we are heirs of God pre-
destinated to be conformed to the image of the Son (Romans
8:17, 29; Galatians 4:7) Through the miracle of salvation, Christ
Jesus is in us and we are in Him. In fact, we don’t even exist
outside of Christ Jesus, for He who has the Son has life and he
who does not have the Son does not have life (1 John 5:12-13).

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 Conclusion

The miracles of Jesus proved that He was sent from the Father.
The men who refused to hear His words were left without
excuse. The miracles demonstrated the power of His word and
it was by that same word that men can now be saved. Through
the power of His word, those who are in the grave shall come
forth to life again – the just to life eternal, and the unjust to
an eternal damnation (John 5:29). The words of life that He
spoke turned the water into wine and cured the son of the
nobleman. To all those who would believe, His word brought
forth the wellspring of life in their heart, and the drink of the
Spirit causes rivers of the life and power of God to flow from
their innermost being. He gives life to all who will believe, and
authority to be the sons of God to all who will receive. The
miracle that He supplies is that a man should live and never
die. By the grace that He has given we receive all of His full-
ness through the miracle of the new creation. His word gives
strength to those who are unable to walk. It multiplies a few
loaves and fishes to feed the multitude, and empowers the
one who will hear it to walk upon the stormy sea. It opens the
eyes of the man born blind and commands the dead to live
again.

Today we contend for the faith that was once delivered unto
the saints. Although there are many obstacles and challenges,
we must not turn aside. Christ Jesus alone has the words of
eternal life – where else is there to go? He has given us His
body as our food and His blood as our drink that through Him
we might have the life of God. There are many things that
would try to intimidate us and threaten us, but we are unwill-
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ing to let fear prevent us from what His love has supplied. We
have been empowered to be His witnesses today, to testify
that He is now the King of kings and the sovereign Ruler of all
things. It is the execution of the authority of Jesus against all
sin, sickness, and disease that gives proof that He now reigns.
We have been commanded by Jesus to lay hands on the sick,
cast out devils, and do all the works that He did, and we must
not back down. We will not lower the bar of His expectations
or settle for something that is less controversial and more
acceptable to religious men.

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