Christ Revealed by His Wonderful Signs and Miracles

Christ Revealed by His Wonderful Signs and Miracles







©Kimberly Padilla, A.A. Religion, 2009.





Bible 323 – The Gospel of John






10 September 2009










Christ Revealed by His Wonderful Signs and Miracles

Jesus Christ did many miracles during His stay on earth, as it is written in John 20:30-31, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written, that ye night believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life though His name.” So these are not the only miracles, which Jesus did, as it is also written in John 21:25, “And there are also many things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.” But out of the seemingly millions of miracles, which Jesus did, John picked eight particular ones, from which he decides to give testimony. Dr. Elmer Towns says, “These signs were one way Jesus ‘manifested His glory.’” We will examine these eight miracles, and see why they are so special in manifesting that glory, in order that people may believe and gain life through His name, as John 20:30-31 suggests.
Turning of Water into Wine (John 2:11)
There was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, to which Jesus’ mother, Mary attended, and also invited were Jesus and His disciples, but when the later company arrived, Mary informed Jesus that the all the wine of the wedding party had been exhausted. At first, Jesus acted unconcerned, saying that His time had not yet come, but yet He did replenish it, with even better tasting wine, which was originally served at the wedding by instructing the servants to fill the water pots with water, which he, in turn, changed into wine.
Elmer Towns states that because this miracle was the first to occur out of the eight, and the fact that John records it was his first miracle period, signifies that all the accusations, which put Jesus as doing miracles as a child to naught. These accusations had insinuated that Christ did them as boyish magic tricks, but the fact that He waited to do His signs and miracles at a specific time in His adulthood, in front of His disciples and His mother, dispute that and His first miracle is attributed to the purpose of building their faith. His telling Mary that His time had not yet come testifies to the fact that this was His first miracle, and not just some magical whim, which He had done throughout His childhood.
But this miracle is a symbol of creation. Jesus is not only replenishing the wine, but He is creating it from only water. No grapes were present in the water pots. So this miracle shows Jesus as the Creator. It is only in the chapter before this that we are shown that Jesus is God, and that He was in the beginning with God, as we read in John 1:1-2, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” Jesus was definitely present in the account of Genesis, because Genesis 1:26 says “…Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” But if that isn’t enough, we are also told in Colossians 1:16-17, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” According to the testimony of God’s Word, all things are created and sustained by Him, and the turning of water into wine is indisputable proof of such.
Robert Alter says that this event could actually be a picture of the death and resurrection, because a greater transformation would come. Jesus transformed the water into wine, but eventually, He would be transformed from His incarnated flesh back into His full glory, and so Alter believes that it is a foreshadow of His final transformation. Strauss also stresses this, as he says that Jesus turning the water into wine is a form of real transubstantiation. However, he more stresses that to make wine, besides the water, light, air and soil is also needed to create a grape, even before the process of changing it into wine can occur. For Jesus to omit all these steps, and speed up the natural process presents a display of His power and manifestation of His deity.
Healing of a Nobleman’s Son (John 4:46-54)
Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, and found a nobleman, whose son was very sick. The nobleman had heard that Jesus had come to Galilee, and he went to Him asking that He come and heal His son, as he was near death. Jesus attributed his wanting his son healed to seeing signs and wonders, but the nobleman begged Jesus to come and heal His son. Jesus did not go with him, but instead told him to return to his home again, and he would find that his son lived. The man went on his way, and he met his servants on the way, who informed him that his son was well. After asking the time, in which his son was made well, he realized that was the identical hour in which Jesus had told him to go home to see his son live. Upon this information, the nobleman’s faith was built and he was saved, as was his household.
Dr. Towns believes that the nobleman first believed the word, which Jesus spoke to him, and later his faith was confirmed, and he says, “the first expression of faith was faith in the spoken word of God, and the second expression of faith was in the incarnate Word of God.” He notes that it is significant that not only the nobleman believed, but also so did his family and servants, and also remarks that this is the first incidence of salvation to all whom will have faith in Jesus. Mr. Towns tells us that this miracle presents Jesus as having power over space.
We do, in fact, know that Jesus has power over space. We know that He is omnipotent and knows all things, whether He is present or not. In John 1:48 Jesus told Nathanael, “…Before that Phillip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.” Jesus knew that it was Judas, who would betray Him, as in John 6:70 Jesus says, “Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?” It is presented that He knew it was Judas, whom would betray Him at the Last Supper, when it was written in John 13:26, “He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when He dipped the sop, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.” So these are examples of Jesus being all-knowing, but we know also that He is all-powerful, because there are other examples in the Bible, wherein Jesus healed in absence, showing that He has power over space and time. In Matthew 8, we are told about the centurion, who also wanted his servant healed, except he did not ask Jesus to come to his house, but rather said in verse 8, “…Lord, I am not worthy that though shouldest come under my roof: but speak he word only and my servant shall be healed.” And when Jesus had marveled at the man’s faith, He said in verse 13, “’…Go thy way; and because thou hast believed, so shall it be done unto thee.’ And his servant was healed the selfsame hour.’”
Robert Alter tells us that the nobleman recognizes that genuine belief is not in signs and miracles, but is in the word (logos) that Jesus had articulated to him. He says that the occurrence told is that Word is life. Since we know the Word is God, according to John 1:1, and that the Word was the Creator, as we know that John 1:3 says, “All things were made by Him; and without Him not anything made that was made.” So we know that Jesus is the Creator, but through the example of the nobleman and the centurion, we know that Jesus is Creator and Sustainer (in the sense of being a healer) at even a spatial vicinity.
Dr. Strauss says that such acts as these examples display “the act of will without corporeal contact, or even local proximity.” He also gives the example of the centurion, but also he reminds us of the example of the Gentile woman’s daughter in Mark 7:25. He says that all of these examples prove of Jesus’ remote healing capacities.
Healing of a Lame Man (John 5:1-9)
It happened to be Passover and Jesus went to Jerusalem to observe the Feast. There was a pool there, called the Pool of Bethesda, in which the lambs were cleaned, prior to being sacrificed. There was a legend that an angel came once per year at the time of the Feast, and stirred the water, and whomsoever was the first to climb down into the pool was healed of all their ailments. It happened that a lame man lie there, who had been coming for 38 years. Jesus confronted this man and asked him if he would like to be made whole, meaning to be healed, and the man replied that he had no one to carry him into the pool. Someone had always beaten him to the pool, but Jesus said to him to take up his bed and walk, and so the man did, and it happened to be in a Sabbath.
Dr. Towns attributes this miracle as displaying power over time. He says that Jesus saw the crippled man, and knew that he had been coming there for so many years. He also says that the man’s faith had probably waned faint, but yet he obeyed Jesus, and arose and walked. Jesus was criticized harshly for doing such work on the Sabbath, but Dr. Towns says that being the Lawgiver, Jesus knew the true meaning of the Law. Dr. Towns also refers to Matthew 12:10-13 and Luke 6:7-11 to show that Jesus continually broke the Sabbath.
In examining the verses Matthew 12:10-13, which state:
And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days?” that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, “What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days.” Then saith He to the man, “Stretch forth thine hand.” And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
and Luke 6:7-11, which state:
And the scribes and Pharisees watched Him, whether He would heal on the Sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against Him. But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, “Rise up, and stand forth in the midst.” And he arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus to them, “I will ask you one thing; is it lawful on the Sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? To save life, or to destroy it?” And looking about upon them all, He said unto the man, “Stretch forth thy hand.” And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
According to these two passages, Jesus seems to be overpowering the Law of the Sabbath, but we look at verse Luke 13:15, where Jesus says, “ Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his oz or his ass from the stall and lead him away to watering?” The events of pulling the sheep out of the ditch and watering the livestock are things, which must be done, lest the animals die. Jesus said that there is no law against doing good on the Sabbath. Since He was the lawgiver, He knew that it meant only to do no laborious work, which wasn’t of necessity or immediate importance, but goodwill is always lawful on the Sabbath. He is not breaking the Sabbath, but only taking it back into context from where the scribes and Pharisees had made such strict laws themselves, pertaining to the Sabbath. As He pointed out, they were hypocrites for making such overbearing rules, but themselves breaking them. Scripture doesn’t point out, however, that He was a Sabbath breaker. This also seems to be confirmed in Matthew 26:59-61, wherein it reads:
Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put Him to death: but found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet they found none. At the last came two false witnesses, and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God, and to build it in three days.’”
So it is very clear that no one could prove, in the end, that Jesus did break any law. The only thing, which could be proved against Him, was that He claimed to be God. No one could prove, even by means of being a false witness that He did break the Sabbath, according to the Mosaic Law. In addition, Noah Webster records the meaning of Sabbath breaking as “all unnecessary secular labor, visiting, traveling, sports, amusements and the like.” So, although, in this author’s eyes, Jesus did not break the Sabbath, but it is displayed that He definitely had power over it, according to Scripture, for it is He who set it apart, as it is written in Genesis 2:2-3, “And on the seventh day God ended His work, which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work, which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work, which God had created and made.”
However, Mr. Woodward says that Jesus is perceived as violating the Sabbath day. But by His healing on the Sabbath, Jesus is showing the world that His Father is the Lord of the Sabbath, and in effect, so is He. Arthur Zannoni says that this particular miracle does point to Christ’s power over the Sabbath, and particularly that His power over the Sabbath is given authority by His union with the Father.
Feeding of the 5,000 (John 6:1:14)
Jesus traveled to Galilee, and many had followed Him, because they had witnessed His many miracles. It was nearly Passover, and Jesus traveled up a mountain to fellowship with His disciples. He looked up and saw the great crowd approaching, even to the height of the mountain, and when He saw this, He questioned Phillip as to how they might feed all the men. This was a test, to prove Phillip’s faith, yet Phillip failed the test, because he thought with his head and not his heart, which should have believed Jesus could feed the multitude. Andrew, however, found a small boy with five barely loaves and two small fish, and Jesus instructed the disciples to have the men, about five thousand in number, sit down. He took the loaves, and once He had thanked the Father for them, He ordered the disciple to pass them out to each to every man, according to what he could eat. Upon doing so, there remained one basket of fish and bread for each of the twelve disciples.
Dr. Towns says that this represents Jesus’ power over food. He also states that this miracle portrays God as having organization and not disorder, because He commanded that the men be seated before He commenced with the miracle. However, more importantly than that, He multiplied the fish and bread, right before the disciples’ eyes, as they passed the victuals out amongst the crowed. Everyone ate as much as he desired, with twelve baskets remaining.
Scripture defines this miracle as power over food, in that Jesus instructed His disciples to “…Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meant, and the body more than raiment?” in Matthew 6:25. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that Jesus can feed us with no doubt. All we must do is to put our trust in Him, as He also said, “Or what man is of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father, which is in Heaven, give good things to them that ask Him?” according to Matthew 7:9-11. He also instructs us in, His exemplary prayer, to ask for our nutritional needs to be met, as He prayed in Luke 11:3, “Give us our daily bread.” It is also illustrated in the wilderness that He provided for all the Israelites needs, as he kept their shoes and garments from waning old, but everyday, He also rained down manna among them, as it is written in Exodus 16:15, “…This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.” Let us also not forget the similar case of Matthew 15, wherein Jesus fed the 4,000 men, besides the spouses and offspring. All these Scriptures demonstrate that Jesus does, indeed, have power over the food supply.
Dr. Strauss brings into remembrance how God supplied the Israelites with quail and with water from the rock. He points out that the miracle of the loaves and fish would have taken place without teamwork of such agents as soil, air and water and that the matter of physics, which it would have taken to produce the barley. He also says that the growth process and increase are done in such a way that the hiatus of time, which it would have taken to do so, was carried forth in expedient time. He did so by increasing the rate of natural process, and this is only speaking of the growth rate of the corn, not to mention baking it into loaves of bread. Strauss says corn on page 512, but then on page 518, he explains that the barley would have been mixed with some ground corn. He then says:
Jesus must, in the first place, by His miraculous power have metamorphosed the bread into corn again, the roasted fish into raw and living ones; then instantaneously have effected the described multiplication; and lastly have restored the whole from the natural to the artificial state.
So Strauss explains that the power over food comes from the ability to rapidly grow and multiply the food without such participants as soil, water and air, and the fish were created void of any egg process.
Zannoni only says that this miracle is linked with the Bread of Life discourse, which proves that Jesus fulfills the manna prophecy of Exodus. Robert E. Macklin says that it is miracle enough as to how the food multiplied, but what he finds even more amazing is how Jesus amplified His voice to reach all 5,000 attendees with a message, and says that alone is sufficient evidence for Christ’s deity.
Jesus Walking on the Water (John 6:15-21)
Jesus had just fed the 5,000 souls from five barely loaves and two small fish, and so the multitude, seeing that He could provide so well for their needs, sought to make Him king. Jesus, knowing that He is not an earthly king, but one of Heavenly nature, set out to another mountain to fellowship alone. His disciples had taken another route, and had ventured to the sea and boarded a ship, which was proceeding toward Capernaum. It was dark and late, and Jesus still had not joined them. The sea happened to be choppy, by reason of the wind. When the disciples had reached twenty five furlongs, or perhaps thirty, (three or four miles) the perceived Jesus walking on the sea, only they did not recognize him, and thus a fear came into their heart, but Jesus comforted them, saying, “It is I; be not afraid.” Upon hearing their Master’s words, they took Him into the vessel and it seems that Jesus immediately resettled them on the opposite side, as it reads, “And immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.”
Dr. Towns calls this a miracle over natural laws, and indeed it seems to be so twofold, if it is true, that on this occasion, He walked on water and took them immediately to their desired location. Towns confirms this idea, as he also writes, “Their immediate and miraculous arrival at the shore may have been simultaneous with either their willingness to receive Christ or, more probably, with His entering the boat. Jesus calls Himself ego eimi, which means the same thing of God’s name Jehovah, or more accurately YHWH, which indicates that He would not fail or forsake. Indeed, He proved His name true, because Matthew and Mark recorded, “the wind stopped,” and Jesus saved the disciples from the midst of the storm.
Psalms 107:29 says, “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.” Scripture also bears witness to this in Matthew 14, as it is recorded in verse 24, “But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary, but “…when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.” There is also the instance of time, when the disciples were in the ship, and Jesus was already accompanying them. It is written in Mark 4:37, And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.” The ship is on the verge of sinking, but that doesn’t stop Jesus’ ability to calm the waves, because the disciples awaken Him, and all that He had to do was say, “Peace, be still” and the wind ceased and obeyed. Also, let us not forget that in Jonah, the sea also calmed when God got what He wanted; for Jonah to be off the ship going the opposite way, to which He had directed him. The sea was in the worst mess, as Jonah 1:4 records, “But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.” But when Jonah was cast forth into the sea, the sea came to a close with her rampant behavior. Since Jesus is the Lord, or the great YHWH, Jehovah, then this account shows not only can Jesus quiten a storm, but He can also call upon one for His purpose. Truly, these examples display that Jesus had power over any natural law.
Arthur Zanonni acknowledges that water is a symbolism for chaos, and reminds us that Jesus is conquering chaos, by making the sea mind, as God conquered chaos in the creation account. Woodward says that the story of Jesus portrays Him as being like God, having power over the elements of the sea. He also confirms that ego eimi is a reference to Jesus saying “I am who I am.”
Healing of a Blind Man (John 9:1-12)
Jesus was leaving the Temple, escaping from an angry crowd, when he passed by a blind man, whom had been born blind. His disciples asked Jesus whose sin had caused this man to be born in such an order, and Jesus answered that neither the man’s own sins, nor those of his parents had caused him to be born that way, but because he must be that way to glorify God. He then said that He must do the works of God in the day, because at night it was not possible, due to the darkness. This is because when He was in the world, He was the light thereof. When He spoke this, He did spit upon the ground, mixed it with the soil and apply the blend there upon the blind man’s face. Following, He instructed the blind man to go and be cleansed in the Pool of Siloam, which he obeyed and returned with his sight. The citizens recognized him as the former blind man, who did sit and beg and some said yes, as others said no, but the former blind man said yes, “I am he.” He explained to them who had done this to him, and the process involved, yet he did not know where Jesus had then gone.
Dr. Towns says that this is evidence to say that Jesus had power over physical laws. He also states that because of the circumstances, in which He left the Temple, that He would even stop and heal this man was miracle enough. However, he compares this miracle with the analogy of sinners are blind before they are saved, but then they can see. He says that the spittle was used, because it is believed to hold curative powers, but proving His deity, he also thinks it could have been because it reminds us that we are only dust, which we were created from in the beginning, at the time of Creation.
There are many verses in Scripture, which speak of clay. In agreeing with Dr. Towns, Job 10:9 says, “Remember, I beseech ye, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?” Job 33:6 also says, “Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead: I also am formed out of the clay. Isaiah 29: 16 tells us, “Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? Or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He hath no understanding?” Isaiah 64:8 reminds us, “But now, O Lord, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we are all the work of thy hand.” So the clay is definitely an indication, reminding us of our roots in the dust of the ground, and that it is He whom molds us, creates us and heals us. One other thing to consider, is this: Esther 8:8 says, “Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king’s name, seal it with the king’s ring: for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may no man reverse.” Jesus is king, not of the earth, but of the heavenly realm, and Scriptures indicate that He could have sealed the man’s eyes with clay, signifying that it was He whom worked the miracle, that it is He whom made judgment that this man might see, and that no other man might reverse it. Regardless, Scripture is clear that He has power over us, to mold us anyway, which He likes.
Strauss has an interesting take on this account, and says, “The curative act of a miracle worker is not to be regarded as a merely negative one of the removal of the disease, but also as the positive one of an impartation of new and fresh strength to the organ affected.” He later adds that not only did this man have a disease, which prevented him from seeing, but he was born blind, never having seen at all, and this indicates that the miracle is one of a heightened nature. Zanonni says that because it is mentioned that Jesus is the light of the world, in John 9:5 that this miracle points beyond physical darkness of blindness to the spiritual darkness of sin, and that Jesus has power over both, because darkness us a symbol for sin and confusion.
Raising Lazarus from the Dead (John 11:1-44)
Lazarus, a dear friend of Jesus, had become sick and his sisters, Mary and Martha, sent for Jesus to come and heal him. Jesus heard and said that the sickness was not deadly, but must be used to glorify Him. For this reason, He remained put in His current place for an additional two days, then He instructed His disciples that they should leave for Judea. The disciples feared for Him to go, because many in Judea sought to stone Him, but He told them He had no fear, and it was only because they lived in darkness that they could not see that He was the Messiah, which was a stumbling block to them. He then said that Lazarus was asleep, but He should go and awaken him. The disciples did not understand, and so Jesus explained that Lazarus was dead. Jesus says that He is glad that He was not there when Lazarus was sick, because since he has died, it is an experience, which builds the disciples’ faith. Thomas seems to still not understand, because he thinks that the disciples are going to die with him. Nevertheless, the crew travels to Judea, and so it was, just as Jesus has said, Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days. There were many Jews, whom had come to Martha and Mary’s house, in order to comfort them in their time of mourning, but when Martha saw Jesus coming she ran from the house to greet Him, yet Mary remained in the house. Martha seemed to be upset with Jesus, saying that had He come earlier, Lazarus would not have passed away. Jesus told her that she should not worry, because Lazarus would rise again; however, she did not understand, and attributed that to he would rise again on the last day, when all are resurrected. But Jesus told her “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet he shall live: and whosoever believeth in me shall never die.” He asked Martha did she believe that, and she said that she did, in fact, believe and added that she also had faith that He was the Messiah, which had come into the world. She then left and went to get her sister, Mary, and Mary did come for Jesus, in the town, where He was. So she went there, accompanied by the fellow Jews, who were there in order to comfort her. When Mary arrived, she repeated the identical sentiment, which her sister had previously conveyed – that had Jesus come earlier, Lazarus should never have breathed his last breath. Jesus was saddened at this and asked where the tomb of Lazarus happened to be, and so she took Him, and as they traveled, He wept and declared His love for Lazarus. He declared this openly, in front of the Jews, which had followed Mary, and they questioned even, having heard about, or perhaps, seen His miracles, could not Jesus have prevented Lazarus’ death. They arrived at the tomb, which upon was laid a stone covering the opening thereof, and Jesus ordered that the stone be removed, but Martha spoke up and feared that since he had been dead four days there should be emitted a horrible odor. But Jesus comforted her, and declared that if she would believe, she was about to see the glory of God at work. The stone was taken away; Jesus prayed and thanked the Father for hearing Him, and for His glory called Lazarus out. Though he was dead, he was raised and appeared with his grave clothes, head covering and all, and Jesus gave instructions for all these to be removed from him.
Dr. Towns proclaims this miracle to demonstrate power over death. He reminds us that Jesus used the formula, which is so familiar with identifying Jesus; the “I Am” or ego eimi formula, and that this is the fifth time, which He had alluded to it. This “I Am” – “I am the life and the resurrection” spoke that He was the embodiment of all life and that He is the principle of physical resurrection.
This speaks that Jesus has power over death. Second Corinthians 1:9 says, “But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.” In addition, we are told in Second Timothy 1:10, “But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and has brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.” Hebrews 2:9 tells us, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” And Hebrews 2:14 goes on to tell us, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil.” And finally, 1 Corinthians 15:25-26 tells us, “For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” So all these Scripture to the fact that Christ is deity, and that He does, indeed, have power over death.
Arthur Zanonni says that the point of this miracle is to point to the death and resurrection, to afford Martha faith in the death and resurrection, and for Christ to claim that He is the resurrection and the life. Strauss makes this statement:
Dealing with diseases such as leprosy, blindness, lameness, etc., there was always something present, to which the miraculous power of Jesus could apply itself; there was still a consciousness in the objects, on which to make an impression – a nervous life to be stimulated. Not so with the dead. The corpse from which life and consciousness have flown have lost the last fulcrum for the power of the miracle worker; it perceives Him no longer – receives no impression from Him; for the very capability of receiving impressions must be conferred on him anew. But to confer this, that is, to give life in the proper sense is a creative act, and to think of this as being exercised by a man, we must confess beyond our power.
Miraculous Catch of Fish (John 21:1-11)
Jesus had just appeared to the twelve disciples, and had allowed Thomas to touch his hand and his side and he left and appeared once again at the Sea of Tiberias, where He found Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee and two more disciples. They had all decided to go fishing, but had caught nothing. They had been at sea all night, but when it was day, Jesus came and appeared on the seashore, but they, being at sea, did not recognize Him. However, he yelled at them and asked them if they had caught anything, and they replied that they had not. And so He instructed them to lower their nets down on the right side of the vessel, and so they did, and their nets were so filled that they could not be retrieved. John notified Peter that it was Jesus, who was yelling from the shore, and when Peter heard this, he dressed himself and swam to meet Jesus. The remaining disciples came in the ship, dragging the net, filled with fish, behind them. When they landed their ship came to rest, they found that Jesus was already cooking some fish and bread by means of a fire, which He had built, but Jesus instructed that they bring the rest, of which had just been captured in the nets and Simon Peter obeyed and when they had counted the fish, it came to be 153.
Dr. Towns calls this miracle power over creation, space, time, food, natural laws, physical laws and death. He elaborates, saying that it is possible that Jesus could have created the fish, thus making use of His creative powers. He also might have used His all-powerfulness to channel the fish into the mesh from someplace in the sea, other than where they were and had been casting their net. Since He is all knowing, He could have sensed that the fish were on the right side of the boat, and so instructed the disciples to place their nets there to draw them up.
Dr. Towns already explained some of the ways, in which this miracle could have been presented as power over creation. This miracle could have been one parallel to the miracle of wine, in that there were no fish in the net, yet Jesus would have defied physics and created them, just as John 2:8-9 bears witness of the water changing into wine, as it reads:
And He (Jesus) saith unto them, “Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast.” And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom.
Also, bearing witness of power over food, this account is similar to the description of Jesus making the barley bread and fish for the multitude of 5,000. Jesus took two fish and five loaves of bread, held up the bread and thanked the Father for it, and as John 6:11 says, “… When He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would eat.” And so He seems to be creating food for the disciples out of nothing, or perhaps a couple of fish, as He did with the multitude. Also displayed here is power over space. Jesus was not directly at the place, wherein the fish were accumulated, but He was about 200 cubits from them, or about 300 feet, as John 21:8 records it. This miracle exhibits power over time, in that if indeed, He did create the fish, He grew them, again, by the use of breaking all known physics, to omit any growth process, just as He did also with the fish and barley in the feeding of the 5,000, and just as He showed power over time, by not giving the grapes, for the wine, time to ferment. There was no juice, even prior to the wine, which could have fermented, but all was done with merely water. The occurance displays power over natural laws, in that the universe has certain laws, to which it must adhere to, but we are told in 1 Corinthians 4:20, “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” Whatever natural laws, God has set forth for His creation; He can take precedence over them. He stated in Job 12:7-8, “But now ask the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fouls of the air, and they shall tell thee: or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.” And it goes on to say in verse 10, “In whose hand is the soul of every living thing and the breath of mankind.” And so He has power over all these things, and it is a natural instinct that a fish avoid a trap, but when Jesus is in charge, they must obey Him. It displays power over physical laws, because the 153 fish did not break the net. These could have been sardines, but by the amazement displayed in John 21:11, “…For all there were so many, yet was the net not broken” it seems as if they were fish of pretty good and accountable size. So Jesus was not only powerful enough to either create the fish or to draw them to the net, but He was able to strengthen and maintain the net, that it did not break.
Strauss has some interesting looks on this miracle. Not only does he say that it is a miracle that the fish are created or drawn to the net, and that the net didn’t break, but he also finds it amazing that in the process not one of the fish died and the fish did not cause the vessel to sink. Raymond Brown says that, perhaps, this instance is to symbolize the massive amount of Christians they will catch in their nets, when the disciples begin to fish for men, after the time of Pentecost comes. He also adds that this miracle shows power of death, because it was committed after Jesus’ resurrection, showing that He is still all-powerful after His death and resurrection.
Jesus was a wonderful worker of miracles, and as it is written in John 21:25, “And there are so many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written”, He certainly wasn’t limited to these eight. Nor is He limited to anything, which was done during that era, but He does miracles each day, helping people with their finances, supplying His children with food needs, healing the sick and answering other prayers and just being the awesome God that He is. Just as John 21:25 says that the earth could not contain the books, which would be written, if everything He did was recorded, neither can His power be contained, for He can do anything, which He pleases, and which brings glory to Him, and these eight are just a taste, or sample, of what is comprehended that He can do. Regardless, this author is just glad that she does serve such an all-powerful, all knowing God, who is at all places at once.



John 20:30-31 (KJV).
John 21:25 (KJV).
Elmer Towns. The Gospel of John, Believe and Live. (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2002), xiii.
Ibid 21.
Ibid.
John 2:4 (KJV).
John 1:1-2 (KJV).
Gen. 1:26 (KJV).
Col. 1:16-17 (KJV).
Robert Alter and Frank Kermode. The Literary Guide to the Bible. (Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1987), Page 449.
Ibid.
Dr. David Friedrich Strauss. The Life of Jesus Critically Examined. (London: G. Allen and Co., 1913), 519
Ibid 520.
Ibid.
Elmer Towns. The Gospel of John, Believe and Live. (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2002), 44.
Ibid.
Ibid xiii.
John 1:48 (KJV).
John 6:70 (KJV).
John 3:26 (KJV).
Matt. 8:8 (KJV).
Matt. 8:13 (KJV).
Robert Alter and Frank Kermode. The Literary Guide to the Bible. (Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1987), Page 452.
Ibid.
John 1:3 (KJV).
Dr. David Friedrich Strauss. The Life of Jesus Critically Examined. (London: G. Allen and Co., 1913), 462.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Elmer Towns. The Gospel of John, Believe and Live. (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2002), xiii.
Ibid 49.
Ibid 50.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Matt. 12:10-13 (KJV).
Matt. 26:59-61 (KJV).
Noah Webster LL. D. An American Dictionary of the English Language, Volume II. (New York: S. Converse, 1828), 61.
Genesis 2:2-3 (KJV).
Kenneth L. Woodward. The Book of Miracles. (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000), 133.
Ibid.
Arthur Zannoni. A Beginner’s Guide to the New Testament. (Allen: Thomas More, 2002), 57.
Elmer Towns. The Gospel of John, Believe and Live. (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2002), xiii.
Ibid 60.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Matt. 6:25 (KJV).
Matt. 7:9-11 (KJV).
Luke 11:3 (KJV).
Exod. 16:15 (KJV).
Dr. David Friedrich Strauss. The Life of Jesus Critically Examined. (London: G. Allen and Co., 1913), 510.
Ibid 511.
Ibid.
Ibid 512.
Ibid 518.
Ibid 512.
Arthur Zannoni. A Beginner’s Guide to the New Testament. (Allen: Thomas More, 2002), 57.
Robert E. Macklin. Jesus: The Final Journey. (Baltimore: Publish America, 2006), 23.
John 6:20 (KJV).
John 6:21 (KJV).
Elmer Towns. The Gospel of John, Believe and Live. (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2002), xiii.
Ibid 62.
Ibid 61.
Ibid 62.
Ps. 117:29 (KJV).
Matt. 4:24, 32 (KJV).
Mark 4:37 (KJV).
Mark 4:39 (KJV).
Jon. 1:4 (KJV).
Jon. 1:15 (KJV).
Arthur Zannoni. A Beginner’s Guide to the New Testament. (Allen: Thomas More, 2002), 57.
Kenneth L. Woodward. The Book of Miracles. (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000), 116.
Ibid.
John 9:9 (KJV).
Elmer Towns. The Gospel of John, Believe and Live. (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2002), xiii.
Ibid 90.
Ibid.
Ibid 91.
Job 10:9 (KJV).
Isa. 29:16 (KJV).
Isa. 64:8 (KJV).
Est 8:8 (KJV).
Dr. David Friedrich Strauss. The Life of Jesus Critically Examined. (London: G. Allen and Co., 1913), 447.
Ibid 452.
Arthur Zannoni. A Beginner’s Guide to the New Testament. (Allen: Thomas More, 2002), 57-58.
John 11:25-26 (KJV).
Elmer Towns. The Gospel of John, Believe and Live. (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2002), xiii.
Ibid 109.
Ibid.
2 Cor. 1:9-10 (KJV).
2 Tim. 1:10 (KJV).
Heb. 2:9 (KJV).
Hebrews 2:14 (KJV).
1 Cor. 15:25-26 (KJV).
Arthur Zannoni. A Beginner’s Guide to the New Testament. (Allen: Thomas More, 2002), 58.
Dr. David Friedrich Strauss. The Life of Jesus Critically Examined. (London: G. Allen and Co., 1913), 486.
Elmer Towns. The Gospel of John, Believe and Live. (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2002), xiii.
Ibid 213.
Ibid 214.
Ibid.
John 2:8-9 (KJV).
John 6:11 (KJV).
1 Cor. 4:20 (KJV).
Job 12:7-8 (KJV).
Job 12:10 (KJV).
John 21:11 (KJV).
Dr. David Friedrich Strauss. The Life of Jesus Critically Examined. (London: G. Allen and Co., 1913), 319.
Raymond E Brown. Peter in the New Testament. (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1973), 141.
Ibid.
John 21:25 (KJV).








Bibliography
Alter, Robert and Frank Kermode. The Literary Guide to the Bible. Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1987.
Brown, Raymond E., Karl P. Donfried and John Reumann. Peter in the New Testament. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1973
Macklin, Robert E. Jesus: The Final Journey. Baltimore: Publish America, 2006.
Strauss, Dr. David Friedrich. The Life of Jesus Critically Examined. London: G. Allen and Co., 1913.
The Holy Bible; Authorized King James Version. Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 1979.
Towns, Elmer. The Gospel of John, Believe and Live. Chattanooga: AMA Publishers, 2002.
Webster, Noah LL. D. An American Dictionary of the English Language, Volume II. New York: S. Converse, 1828.
Woodward, Kenneth L. The Book of Miracles. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000.
Zannoni, Arthur. A Beginner’s Guide to the New Testament. Allen: Thomas More, 2002.