There are 37 miracles recorded in the other three Gospels. Matthew, Mark and Luke. Why did John choose only seven for his Gospel? These aren't just the seven miracles recorded in John's Gospel. They're profound windows into the depths of God's love and the power Jesus released over every aspect of our lives.
Each of the seven miracles John writes about has a deeper symbolic meaning. And each has precious promises for for us.
Miracle four feeding the 5,000. On the grassy hills near the Sea of Galilee, a crowd formed. Thousands had followed Jesus because of the miracles he had done. People were hungry, both physically and spiritually. Jesus wanted to feed the crowd. A young boy offered five small barley loaves and two fish, essentially a poor person's lunch.
Jesus took this meager offering, prayed over it and broke it into pieces. And it multiplied, feeding everyone and leaving 12 baskets of leftovers, a number symbolic of Israel's 12 tribes. This provision was for everyone. This wasn't just about feeding stomachs. It was a prophetic sign of God's ability to provide beyond all human limitation.
This miracle revealed Jesus ability to provide for physical needs. And then it foreshadowed his role as the Bread of Life who satisfies spiritual hunger as well. He has God's Bread of Life broken to give life to all who will receive him.
These seven miracles of Jesus revealed the heart of God, who was very different from the God of law the Jews had been taught about. Through Jesus, God revealed himself as a loving father who doesn't just observe our pain, but he enters it. He's there with us. He cares about us.
He loves us. A God of relationship who transforms, heals, provides, and brings us to life as, uh, his sons and daughters. These aren't just ancient stories. They're an invitation. An invitation to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the. The Messiah. And with him, nothing, absolutely nothing is impossible. John 20:30-31.
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.
That is my prayer for you this day. This you will believe in him, and you will live in his power. And absolutely nothing is impossible for Christ.