A Paper
Presented to Professor Heidt of
Liberty University
Lynchburgh, VA
In Partial Fullfillment
Of the Requirements for
Gospel of John
BIBL 323
By
Rebekah L. Gudaitis
February 19, 2012
The gospel of John was written for two main purposes. The twentieth chapter of John sums it up best, “The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.” (20:31-32) The primary purpose of the gospel of John was to demonstrate the deity of Jesus and through this revelation people would be able to gain eternal life. Beginning with the very first verse written in the book of John, the reader is taken on a journey to substantiate the deity of Christ. As the book progresses so does the evidence. Jesus is portrayed unlike any other man, his confidence goes beyond himself, his wisdom is astounding, he is not bound by human limitations, and he defies physical and natural laws. Some of the greatest evidence that John presents Jesus as the eternal son of God are in the earlier chapters of John and one later chapter. This is where the reader is introduced to the 8 Sign Miracles of John. A Sign is defined as God doing a miracle and gives a message with it.
The first sign miracle is documented in John 2:1-12 at the wedding in Cana. Weddings are a symbol of love and joy and the fact that Jesus chose this setting to perform his first miracle shows how highly he values marriage. After all, in the garden the first thing God did after creation was to create a marriage. The scene is set that Jesus and his mother Mary were attending the wedding of a relative. The fact that Mary was taking charge of wedding details confirms they must have been related to this family. John 2:2-3 is where we see the problem
Bibliography: Kelly, Jack. Seven Miracles in John. Retrieved on February 10, 2012 from: http://gracethrufaith.com/selah/spiritual-life/the-seven-miracles-in-john/ Kruse, Colin G Matthew. Signs and Miracles in John. Retrieved on February 2, 2012 from: http://learntheology.com/signs-and-miracles-in-john.html Morris, Leon. Jesus Is The Christ: Studies in the Theology of John Riggs, Ralph M. The Life of Christ. Springfield, Missouri: Gospel Publishing House. 1968 Townes, Elmer