Following Jesus as He Deals with Signs

David W Palmer

Turning water into wine was Jesus’s first sign (John 2:11); not only did this show his glory, but when his disciples saw it, they “believed on him” (KJV). As we read on in John 2, we see that “many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did” (John 2:23 NKJV). However, we also read that others were seeking signs from Jesus with completely wrong motives:

(John 2:18–23 NKJV) So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?” {19} Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” {20} Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” {21} But He was speaking of the temple of His body. {22} Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. {23} Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. 

After Jesus had cleansed the Temple with his zeal and whip, the Jews obviously wanted confirmation that this was indeed a move of God—not just some hot-blooded young zealot with an axe to grind against the establishment. However, Jesus wasn’t happy with their motives or with the way they sought confirmation. Instead of humbly seeking God on their knees and in the word, they confronted Jesus—demanding he perform a sign for them so they could judge it. In doing this, they revealed their heart attitude of proud superiority: they wanted to be permission-givers for the Lord; they wanted to judge his ministry. So they challenged him to prove himself to them—supernaturally—then and there.

However, Jesus is Lord: he is their God; he is clearly superior to them. His response gave them an even greater challenge to their intellectual brand of religion (that they had created out of God’s system to keep themselves atop the religion ladder): “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” This was certainly not what they wanted to hear. 

The Jews may have been custodians of the written law books and the physical temple, but they were not Jesus’s superiors and they never will be. He knew their hearts weren’t right to seek for a sign when they should have been seeking God. Perhaps they could have learned a lesson from the men of Nineveh:

(Matthew 12:41 NKJV) “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.” (See also: Jonah 3:6–10.) 

In our own lives, as we follow Jesus we will regularly be confronted with supernatural signs that make us wonder and ask ourselves: “Is this a genuine move of God?” or is it what this next passage describes?

(2 Thessalonians 2:9 NKJV) The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders.

True signs point to Jesus and his glory; they confirm that he is Lord, and that he is God’s only begotten Son. In other words, we don’t run after signs or demand them; but when we see signs, if we are sure they are from God, we follow the One they are pointing to.

This brings up the question: How do we know if a supernatural sign that makes us wonder is genuine? First, is it against God’s word? … if so, it is definitely deceptive. Second, does it bring glory to God, confirm Jesus as Lord, and witness with the Holy Spirit in your heart? Often, we have to study and dig in God’s word, accompanied by much pressing into God, to come to peace over the veracity of fresh supernatural signs. 

Thankfully, in my experience, the ones that weren’t of God were very easy to spot. However, true but unusual signs and wonders seem to produce consternation and unease until peace is obtained through deeper study, more surrender to God,