Faith based on signs and wonders before resurrection in the Gospel according to St. John

Danuta Gaida

Wydział Teologiczny, Uniwersytet Papieski Jana Pawła II w Krakowie

Abstract

Signs and wonders in John’s theology play significant role because they may lead to true and lasting faith. Jesus said to the royal official: “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe” (J 4,48). In John’s Gospel signs and miracles performed by Jesus allowed to believe in him as a prophet, a man who is from God, the Messiah, the Son of God. Descending of the Holy Spirit on Jesus was for John the Baptist a sign that Jesus is The Son of God. The miracle of changing water into wine revealed glory of Jesus and caused that his disciples believed in him. Knowledge of Jesus about sinful life a Samaritan woman became for her a sign which led to acknowledge Jesus as a prophet. Jesus made her aware that he was Christ, the Messiah. The presence of Jesus among Samaritans and preaching his word made other believe in Jesus and recognize him as the Savior of the world. A sign of healing a royal official’s son showed the necessity of believing in his words. A miracle of feeding Five Thousand caused the crowd to look for him. People acknowledged Jesus as a prophet. A miracle of healing a man blind from birth made him believe in Jesus as the Son of Man. A resurrection of Lazarus became a sign which raised faith among the Jews who had seen what Jesus did. The chief priests and the Pharisees saw signs made by Jesus but they did not believe in him.
People who faced signs and miracles and take dialogue with Jesus, come to believe in him. Jesus made miracles which were the answers for human poverty, misery and faith. Each of us has to take one’s own decision through believing in Jesus as the Messiah, God’s Son and you may have life in his name.

Keywords:

blindness, faith, glory, heal, Jesus, judgment, listen, Messiah, miracle, pharisees, raise to life, see, sign, Son of Man, the Jews, testimony