Semeion in the Gospel of John

Semeion in the Gospel of John

John 3:2

Excerpt

‎In the Gospel there is general reference to the σημεῖα of Jesus (2:23; 3:2; 6:2, 26; 9:16) and sometimes there is summary mention of their great number (11:47; 12:37; 20:30). But a few are specially [emphasized]. In general they are the kind of miracles expected with the dawn of the Messianic age, cf. the saying in Is. 35:5 (Mt. 11:5/Lk. 7:22). No matter how one computes the number of σημεῖα of Jesus which were particularly important for the Evangelist, those miracles which he records bear Messianic features and are thus in some sense Messianic epiphany-miracles. The miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee in Jn. 2:11, the second miracle at Cana (the healing of the son of the βασιλικός) in 4:54, the feeding of the multitude in 6:14 and the raising of Lazarus in 12:18 are all explicitly called σημεῖα. In relation to the σημεῖα mentioned in 9:16 the healing of the man born blind (9:1ff.) is to the fore, while the healing of the lame man on the Sabbath (5:1 ff.) is adduced more as an example in 6:2. Raising the dead and healings are typical wonders of the Messianic age. The feeding of the multitude and the miracle at Cana fit into this pattern inasmuch as they correspond to the expectation that the Messianic age will put an end to hunger and thirst.

   There is no healing of lepers in Jn., though such healings are even given                emphasis in the Synoptics, Mk. 1:41 ff. and par.; Lk. 17:11 ff.; cf. Mt. 11:5/Lk.    7:22; Mt. 10:8. But this is perhaps connected with the fact that so far as may be    seen from later Jewish tradition the curing of leprosy was not as such regarded    expressly as one of the marks of the Messianic age. Nor does Jn. say                    anything about exorcisms of demons by Jesus. A survey of the miraculous acts    of Jesus which are called σημεῖα in this Gospel suggests that Jn. is less                  interested in typical Messianic miracles on the part of Jesus than in those              which    by their greatness raise the question as to the nature of the One who        works in        them. Thus a fundamental Messianic tendency of the σημεῖα can      sometimes be mentioned by John himself, cf., e.g., Jn. 6:15 with 6:1 ff.; 12:13,    with 11:1 f. 

This is in perfect agreement with the aim of the author if the ταῦτα of 20:31 is referring back to the πολλὰ καὶ ἄλλα σημεῖα of 20:30, for in this case the book is presented to the readers as a collection of σημεῖα which is designed to give them assurance that Jesus is the Messiah.

Kittel, Gerhard, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, eds. Theological dictionary of the New Testament 1964– : 246. Print.