Signs For Life

Grace Evangelical Free Church // Wyoming, MN

John 20:30-31 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

INTRODUCTION

I thought for quite a while about how to handle this passage. One option was to lump it in with either the previous or subsequent passages. It’s only a small handful of words and it covers topics that I’ve hit on many, many times throughout our time in John’s Gospel. I’ve come back to this purpose statement over and over. Another option was to simply mention it and then come back to it when we get to its twin (21:25).

The more I thought about it, however, the more I became convinced that I needed to preach on it, by itself, now. I became convinced for two main reasons. First, we’ve been in a heavier/weightier portion of John’s Gospel for a long time. Week after week, the tone of the text was dark, treacherous, frustrating, somber, urgent, grievous. Even in John’s description of Jesus’ resurrection, there wasn’t much joy. It was mostly filled with confusion, doubt, and sadness. Relatedly, the second reason I became convinced it is a good idea to preach these two verses now is because they are absolutely bursting with glory; subtle glory, embedded glory, but awesome, divine glory nonetheless.

Combined, we’ll get a significant change of tone and a chance to drink deeply of the glory of Jesus and rejoice in its implications for us. In this, my prayer is that the weary saints among us will gain strength, unbelievers will see that Jesus is the greatest treasure, bored kids will be amazed, fearful believers will find courage, and the joy of the joyful will be amplified and released into the world.

With that, if you have ever felt like you were drinking out of a wide-open firehose during my preaching, today might make that feel like a trickle. We’ve spent most of our time in John going a mile deep and an inch wide. This morning we’re going to go an inch deep and a mile wide. Grab a sermon outline and buckle up.

The big idea of this passage is that John explicitly states the reason he wrote his Gospel: To describe Jesus’ signs, in order to convince his readers of Jesus’ nature, in order that we might receive life by believing in Jesus. Let me say that one more time in a more accurate way. John wrote his Gospel to describe Jesus’ (miraculous, never-before-seen, from-God) signs, in order to convince his readers of Jesus’ (awesome, unequaled, infinitely glorious, incalculably gracious) nature, in order that we might receive (abundant, eternal, full, resurrection) life by believing (in His name as an act of God’s sovereign grace). The main takeaways are to consider Jesus’ signs, believe in Him and have life, and share all of that with others that they too might believe and have life.

JESUS DID MANY SIGNS

Our passage opens with a curious line. John wrote, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book…”. Several questions immediately came to mind when I first read this. Why leave out most of the signs? What kind of signs did John record and what kind did he leave out? If there were many others that he didn’t even bother writing down, what does that say about the ones he chose to include?

As I pointed out in the beginning of our time in John’s Gospel, in the most basic sense, there are two main sections to John. They’ve often been referred to as “The Book of Signs” (1-11) and “The Book of Glory” (12-21). The first section got its name from the prominent way in which John recorded seven of Jesus’ (many) signs.

The key to this is that when John wrote, “Now Jesus did many other signs…which are not written in this book…” that’s in contrast to the seven he did record. We’ve already considered them all in detail as we came to them in the Gospel, but there’s something powerful about reconsidering them all at once. As I mentioned, there’s strengthening, treasuring, amazing, courage-building, joy-amplifying glory in them.

Turning Water into Wine (2:1-12)

Jesus first sign, which John makes sure to explicitly name as His first sign (2:11), was in miraculously turning the water in a half dozen stone water jars into the best wine (2:10) at a friend’s wedding. John concludes his retelling with these words, “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him” (2:11).

Be amazed, Grace, the disciples were still figuring this out. They were still pretty confused. Their belief was still tenuous. But we have the benefit of the indwelling Spirit, John’s inspiration and insight, and the rest of the Bible to help us see what this means: Jesus is uniquely and awesomely glorious and we ought to believe in Him because of that.

Healing the Official’s Son (4:46-54)

Jesus’ second sign is found in chapter 4. There he heals the terminally ill son of an official in Capernaum. All by itself that is, of course, miraculous. But the fact that Jesus healed him with only a word, without even going to the boy is more glorious still.

Again, John concludes by noting that the official, “believed, and all his household” (4:53).

Healing the Man at the Pool (5:1-11)

The third sign is recorded just a few verses later in chapter 5. Jesus traveled from Galilee (the place where he met with the official) to Jerusalem (about 80 miles). While there He found a “multitude of invalids” (5:2) who were waiting around a pool, superstitiously believed to possess healing powers. The desperate belief was that the first person to get into the pool after it was “stirred up” (probably some kind of bubbling spring) would be healed (5:7).

One of the men by the pool, John wrote, had been an invalid for thirty-eight years (5:5). Jesus walked right up to him and asked him if he wanted to be healed. In essence, the man said, “Of course, but everyone else always beats me to the pool, so what hope do I have?”

At this, Jesus simply said, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk,” and the man did so immediately (5:11). Thirty-eight years of false hope overcome with eight monosyllabic words. What glory—strengthening, treasuring, amazing, courage-building, joy-amplifying glory!

Feeding of the 5,000 (6:1-15)

Just one chapter later we find the fourth sign. Because large crowds had witnessed Jesus’ earlier signs, they were eager to be near to Jesus. Because of this, Jesus went up on the mountain on the side of the sea of Tiberias and looked down at the “large crowd [that] was coming toward Him” (6:5).

Curiously, He “tested” Philip by asking him, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” (6:5). Philip was understandably confused. And in his confusion, all he could think to do was to mention a boy with five loaves of bread and two fish. How ridiculous, right? Why even bother reporting such a thing considering the fact that there were possibly upwards of 15,000 people there (6:10)?

Undeterred, Jesus commanded His disciples to “Have the people sit down” (6:9). In Gideon-like fashion, Jesus drew attention to the fact that He was about to do the impossible. In a way that would leave no doubt, He took the five loaves and two fish, gave thanks for them, and then fed the entire crowd with them until every single person “had eaten their fill” (6:12) with twelve baskets of leftovers to spare (6:13).

And again, John concluded by commenting on the response of the people, “When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, ‘This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!’” (6:14). What glory!

Walking on Water (6:16-21)

In the very next passage John wrote of Jesus’ fifth sign, walking on water. Amazed and tired, Jesus disciples went down the mountain to the Sea of Tiberias, and “started across the sea to Capernaum” (6:16-16), in the dark (6:17), without Jesus (6:17), into strong wind and rough water (6:18), and rowed several miles (6:19), before becoming frightened (6:19), not at the dark or the storm, but at Jesus walking on the water toward them (6:19)!

Who is this Man? What is this sign? What does it mean? What is this glory?!

As he’s done with each sign, John again described the reaction of those who witnessed it. After Jesus spoke words of comfort to them, “Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going [which sounds an awful lot like another sign]” (6:21).

Healing a Man Born Blind (9:1-7)

Sixth, in chapter nine, John wrote of Jesus healing a man who had been blind from birth. In typical fashion, Jesus healed the man in the least likely way imaginable. He did so yet again in order to leave no doubt about the miraculous nature of the healing and to magnify His glory. How did He do it? With spit-made mud, of course! “He spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’…So he went and washed and came back seeing” (9:6-7).

What’s more, even more mysteriously and miraculously is the fact that in some way, the man’s lifetime of blindness was ordained by God so “that the works of God might be displayed in him” (9:3). John reports that the man’s neighbors were confused (9:8-12), his parents were defensive and afraid (9:18-23), the Pharisees were obstinate and angry (9:13-34), and he was converted and filled with worship (9:38). Glorious signs!

Resurrecting Lazarus (11)

Finally, and most miraculously yet, Jesus’ seventh sign is found in chapter 11, at the end of The Book of Signs.

In a city called Bethany, Jesus had three dear, beloved friends; two sisters and a brother, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Lazarus became deathly ill and his sisters sent word to Jesus who believed He could help.

Again, in order to leave no doubt as to the miraculous, glorious, never-before-seen glory of Jesus’ work, Jesus did two things. First, He waited two extra days before going to visit Lazarus, so that Lazarus would have been dead four days by the time He got there (11:6, 17). And second, of Lazarus’s sickness and death, Jesus explicitly said to His disciples, “It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (11:4) and “For your sake I am glad that I was not there [before Lazarus died], so that you may believe” (11:15).

When Jesus did, finally arrive at Lazarus’s tomb, He commanded it to be opened (11:39) and “lifted up his eyes [, prayed to the Father,] and said, “Lazarus, come out” (11:41-43). And the dead man obeyed!

As a result, “Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him” (11:45), but the chief priests and Pharisees “made plans to put him to death.” (11:52).

My uncle had a saying that he’d use regularly when I was growing up. When he was impressed with a guy, he’d say something like, “Bill has forgotten more about cars (or construction or hunting or engines or whatever) than I’ll ever know. His point was that what made a man praiseworthy was not only that what you knew about him was beyond your ability, but more significantly that he knew a lot more than you even knew he knew.

This is that. Jesus’ “seven signs” are beyond anything any of us have ever seen (individually, and all-the-more collectively). The thought of Him having done many others that John didn’t even have space to write down ought to take our breath away.

Weary saints, find strength. Unbelievers, tremble at this glory. Bored kids, be amazed. Fearful believers, find courage. Joyful Christian, get turbo charged.

THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE

But why did John record the few signs he did? We find the answer in the next clause.

³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these are written so that you may believe…

You may remember that there are two main categories of “belief” in John’s Gospel. Distinguishing between the two is absolutely critical. Everything is at stake in the chasm between believing and BELIEVING. Or, as we’ve come to describe it, between “unbelieving belief” and “true belief”.

Unbelieving Belief (6:60-66)

Unbelieving believers absolutely believe things about God. Some are true and some are not. Unbelieving believers believe they believe. Unbelieving believers are almost always genuinely unaware of any disbelief in themselves. The defining characteristic of unbelieving believers, though, is that there is at least some aspect of God’s nature or will that they would reject if they understood it. At its core, then, unbelieving believers don’t actually believe in the One True God as God commands, but in a god of their own making and on their own terms.

Unbelieving believers are all over John’s Gospel. Perhaps, the clearest example is found at the end of chapter 6. After describing the nature of true belief in some of His most explicit terms yet, “When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?’” (6:60).

In reply, Jesus acknowledged that “there are some of you [His “disciples” who until that moment certainly believed they believed] who do not believe” (6:64). And as a result, “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him” (6:66).

The key for us to see here is that unbelieving belief is useless. In fact, it’s worse than useless, because the unbelieving believer, believes they believe, so they don’t know that they don’t believe, so they can’t truly believe. It’s like the person with a terminal disease who refuses to go to the doctor because they believe they are healthy. Not only are they sick, but they believe a lie that prevents them from getting the help they need to get well.

John did not record the glorious, miraculous signs of Jesus in order that his readers might become unbelieving believers. He recorded them so that they might truly believe.

True Belief (6:63-69)

Just as there is a defining characteristic of unbelieving belief, there is also a defining characteristic of true belief (two, actually). True belief is a gift from God and it is all-of-life defining. Again, we can look to the end of John six for a straight-forward explanation of what we see taught and modeled throughout the entire Gospel.

When Jesus clarified the nature of what it meant to follow Him, to believe in Him, the unbelieving believers “turned back,” but the true believers remained. Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God’” (6:68-69).

In that, Peter, on behalf of the rest of Jesus’ true followers, described the heart of true belief: Belief that knows Jesus is life, all of life, eternal life. He is the Holy One of God. There is no aspect of a person’s being, thoughts, feelings or actions untouched or unsurrendered with that kind of belief, with true belief in Jesus. True believers are always learning more about God’s nature and will. Likewise, true believers will struggle to love and live out some aspects of their belief. And yet, at every new revelation and in every struggle, the true believer cries out, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life!”

The question becomes, then, where does that kind of belief come from? Jesus answered plainly, “It is the Spirit who gives life [true belief]; the flesh is no help at all.” True belief is not something we can muster on our own. It is a gift of the Spirit of God. But who can receive such a gift. This too Jesus answered plainly, “…no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” True belief is a gift of the Spirit for those granted to Jesus by the Father.

That’s a lot to take in, of course, but the Word of God is plain. John wrote his Gospel, recording the miraculous signs of Jesus so that we might truly believe in Jesus according to the sovereign grace of God. And in that is glory in the highest!

THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD

All of that leaves us with yet another question. What, specifically, were Jesus’ signs supposed to help John’s readers believe? Again, answering that question was the point of John’s next clause.

³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God…

John wrote his Gospel so that his readers might hear of Jesus’ miraculous signs and from them believe the good news that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Almost certainly, in this context, John was using those two titles (“Christ” and “Son of God”) synonymously. His aim was that his readers would believe in Jesus for who He really is.

The Christ is the Greek (NT) word for the (OT) Messiah. In the OT, it was used to describe prophets, priests, and kings. Various men were anointed by God to fill those roles. In the NT, it is revealed that Jesus is The Prophet, The Priest, and The King. He is The Anointed one of God that all others pointed to. Jesus was uniquely able to fil this role because He is the eternally begotten Son of God.

To accomplish all that God determined the Christ would accomplish, the Christ must be truly God and truly man. John recorded Jesus’ signs in order that with God’s help, the world might see and believe that Jesus is the Christ, the only Son of God, that God promised to send. That is what true believers believe.

And by believing this, weary saints find strength, unbelievers tremble at this glory, bored kids are amazed, fearful believers find courage, and joyful Christian get turbo charged.

LIFE IN HIS NAME

And that leaves the thoughtful reader with one final question: How does truly believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, because of the many miraculous signs He performed, help weary saints find strength, unbelievers tremble at this glory, bored kids be amazed, fearful believers find courage, and joyful Christians get turbo charged? Let’s look to the final clause of our passage for John’s answer.

³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God…

This key passage in John’s Gospel comes together in the simple phrase, “life in his name.” But what kind of life is found in Jesus’ name that would accomplish the things I suggested it can accomplish? For our final and largest dose of glory, consider with me the many ways in which John’s Gospel describes the nature of the life that comes by believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, as a result of considering His miraculous signs.

Grace, the life offered to those who believe in Jesus has not one, or two, or three, or five, or even ten, but fifteen facets named by John. Each one highlights some unique aspect of God’s grace in Christ. Be amazed.

Light Life (1:4; 8:12)

In the very beginning of John’s Gospel we find that Jesus’ life is light life, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (1:4).

We see the same thing in chapter 8(:12), “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”

The life that comes to us through believing is never in the darkness, but always in the light.

Drinkable Life (4:14; 6:53)

Curiously, the life that is in Jesus’ name is also drinkable life. We see this kind of life in 4:14.

4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

And again in 6:53, “So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.’”

Edible Life (6:27, 33, 48, 51, 53, 54)

As the last verse indicates, life in Jesus is not only drinkable, it is also edible. This idea is all over John 6 and is a part of Jesus’ teaching that cause many unbelieving believers to turn away and reveal their lack of true belief.

6:27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.

6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.

Death-Passing Life (5:24)

The life that belongs to true believers is death-passing life. That is, one of the sweetest aspects of life in Christ is that it comes to those who are currently dead in sin.

5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Resurrection Life (5:28-29; 6:40, 54; 11:25)

Jesus’ life is resurrection life.

5:28-29 …an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life…

11:25 Jesus said…“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live…”

Son-Given Life (5:21)

Life in Jesus’ name is a gift from the Father and given by Jesus.

5:21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.

Come to/through Jesus Life (5:40; 14:6; 20:31)

Similarly, it is life that is given by Jesus and that comes through Jesus. He alone was able to win this life for those who would believe in Him.

5:40 you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

And in our passage for this morning we read, “by believing you may have life in his name” (20:31).

Spiritual Life (6:63)

The kind of life John wrote about is a gift from the Father, it is through the Son, and it is from the Sprit.

6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Word Life (6:63, 68)

It is life that comes by believing a message, the good news, that comes to us in words.

6:68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life…

Abundant Life (10:10)

It is no small amount of life. It is abundant life.

10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Sacrificial Life (10:11, 15, 17; 15:13)

It is a life won through sacrifice. It was not free or cheap. Jesus gave His life to win this life for all who would believe.

10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Truly, as Jesus proved, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (15:13).

Secure Life (10:28)

It is secure life. It cannot be taken from those who truly believe.

10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Commandment Life (12:50)

It is a life that flows from and into obedience to the commandments of God.

12:50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life.

Knowing-God Life (17:3)

At its heart, the life that comes to those who believe is knowing, fellowshipping with, delighting in God.

17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

Eternal Life (3:14-15, 16, 36; 4:14; 5:24; 6:27, 40, 54, 68; 10:28; 12:25, 50; 17:2, 3)

More than anything else, though, John describes the kind of life promised in v.31 as eternal life. It is everlasting. It never ends.

3:16 God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life…

5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.

6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

6:47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish…

12:25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Grace, once again, the life Jesus came to bring is so awesome that John can only explain it by describing its many facets. No one (or ten) descriptions are sufficient. It is life of the purest and highest and richest and deepest and most significant kind. It is the fullest life.

To understand the life Jesus came to bring is to be willing to give everything to get it. And yet, it is not something we deserve, can earn, or can purchase on our own. As John makes plain in our passage, it is ours to be received as a gift of God, by believing in Jesus. And the rightness of and evidence for such belief is found in the many signs Jesus performed in the presence of many witnesses.

At the same time, to understand the life Jesus came to bring is to receive it in gladness and to share it with the world. It is too good to keep to ourselves. Share this good news, Grace. Do not keep it to yourself. Doing so is the surest sign that you do not have it yourself.

CONCLUSION

I mentioned early on in the sermon that John is divided into two main sections, The Book of Signs (1-11) and

The Book of Glory (12-21). As awesome as the things I’ve already shared are, I saved one of the most remarkable aspects of this passage for now. In 20:30-31, our passage, John merges the two sections by drawing our attention to the fact that the greatest sign of all is also the greatest glory of all. The Books of Signs and Glory are brought together in the fact that Jesus’ resurrection is His greatest sign and His greatest glory. Above all, we ought to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and be confident in the life He promised, because everything Jesus said and did was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt by His resurrection.

Consider Jesus’ signs, therefore, Grace Church. Consider all of them, but especially the sign of the empty tomb. See this strengthening, treasuring, amazing, courage-building, joy-producing glory in Jesus, believe in Him, and gain life in Him. And then run to share all of that with others that they too might believe and have life.