Markers along the Way: The Signs of Jesus in the Gospel of John

"Usually there are seven signs denoted in John. But there are several other events that I think are clearly signs as well. The book also has numerous disclosures of Jesus beginning with the phrase "I am." There are such phrases as "I am the light of the world," "I am the bread of life," and "I am the resurrection and the life." All of these signs are presented by John as revelations about Jesus. They are in essence "parables" of the kingdom of God as seen in Jesus Christ. Each of the signs presents an avenue into the nature of Jesus. Each sign reveals an aspect of his redemptive work. As we understand the meanings of these signs, we are drawn into a deeper awareness of God's love, grace, and redemption and of our own need for a deeper commitment to the One who has revealed to us what God is like. My prayer is that the reader will be drawn more closely to the self-giving God disclosed in Jesus Christ"--