PARABLE, MIRACLE, AND SIGN
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born', referring to Christ, not `which were born' referring to the believer (see The Companion Bible in loco). Christ
was the One Who was born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. So verse 14
continues, `and the Word was made flesh, and tabernacled among us, and we beheld His glory'. What kind of
glory? Kingly? Priestly? No, `the glory AS OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN from beside the Father, full of true grace'. The
witness of John the Baptist is given with great clearness:
`I knew Him not: but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water ... and
I saw, and bare record that THIS IS THE SON OF GOD' (31-34).
The testimony of Andrew is next given: `We have found THE MESSIAH' (41). Nathanael concludes the witness
of the chapter with the words, `Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God' (49). Then comes the first sign. Immediately
before the second sign comes the meeting of the Lord with the woman of Samaria. What is her testimony?
`I know that Messias cometh ... Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee I AM HE ... The woman ... saith to the
men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: IS NOT THIS THE CHRIST? ... Now we believe, not
because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of
the world' (John 4:25-42).
Then follow the second and third signs. The third sign is followed by bitter opposition. What was the chief
feature of the opposition? Not only was it because the Lord had healed the man on the Sabbath day (5:16) but
`because He not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that GOD WAS HIS FATHER, making himself equal with
God'. In the verses that follow, the word `Son' with reference to Christ occurs no less than ten times, and the Father
thirteen times. Between the central pair, the fourth and fifth signs, come the words, `This is of a truth that prophet
that should come into the world' (6:14). At the conclusion of the controversy which follows the fifth sign, stand
Peter's memorable words:
`We believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God' (6:69).
The crowd voice the common feeling in chapter 7:
`Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? Howbeit ... when Christ cometh, will He do more
miracles (signs) than these which this man hath done? ... Of a truth this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the
Christ ... there was a division among the people because of Him' (26,27,31,40,41,43).
Chapter 8 concludes with the stupendous claim of Christ, `before Abraham was I AM'. Then comes the sixth
sign. The gradual illumination of the blind man's heart and mind is beautifully set forth in the record. His first
confession was, `He is a prophet' (9:17). As a result of his loyalty to the Lord who had blessed him, `they cast him
out'. Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and when He had found him, He said unto him, `Dost thou believe on
the Son of God?' We might have expected anything but this, some word of sympathy, some word of cheer, but no.
the Lord of life desires this soul to believe and live:
`He answered and said, Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both
seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped Him' (9:36-38).
The last sign before rejection now draws near, and the Jews come to the Lord and say, `If Thou be the Christ, tell
us plainly'; as a result of His answer we read:
`Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him ... for blasphemy; and because that Thou, being a man, makest
Thyself God ... because I said, I am the Son of God' (10:31-36).
The seventh sign contains Martha's confession:
`I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world' (11:27),
and ends with the plot against the Lord's life. With the next chapter the first part of John's Gospel concludes,
testifying to the blindness of Israel's heart, and to the glorious Person Who had been so fully set forth as the Son of
God. For when Isaiah beheld the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, before Whom the Seraphim veiled
their faces as they cried, `Holy, holy, holy, Jehovah of hosts', the Scripture declares that:
`These things said Esaias (Isaiah), when he saw His glory, and spake of Him' (12:41).