“This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.” (John 4:54 ESV).
John doesn’t simply call Jesus’ miracles “wonders” or “miraculous acts.” He calls them “signs.” A sign has a purpose, it points beyond itself. Road signs don’t exist to be admired but to direct us somewhere. In this case, John says Jesus’ miracles are signs pointing to His true identity as the Messiah and Son of God. This second sign, healing the official’s son from a distance, authenticated Jesus’ divine authority and power. It wasn’t just about the healing. It was about who Jesus is. John will go on to highlight seven such signs in his Gospel. He chose them carefully to show us that Jesus is worthy of our trust. These signs are not random acts of power. They are meaningful declarations of Christ’s identity.
We must not treat the signs of Jesus as mere stories to admire. They are not ends in themselves. They point us to the One who performed them. Just as a traveler must not stop at the sign but follow it to the destination, we are called to look beyond the miracles to the Messiah. These signs call us to deeper faith in Jesus, to trust in Him not only for what He can do, but for who He is.
PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for the miraculous signs that point us to Jesus as Lord and Savior We don’t want to stop at admiring what You’ve done. We want to follow the signs all the way to deeper trust and relationship with You. Help us to see the ways You are still working in our lives, drawing our attention back to Your character and Your mission. May our faith not rest on what You can give us, but on who You are. Teach us to be people who live by faith, always looking to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.