Cees & Anneke Noordzij — Christology
b8 — Jesus’ Signs in the Gospel of John
Jesus Reveals His Glory Through Signs
Noordzij sees the signs in John as manifestation of Jesus’ glory:
“Many people came to believe in his name, because they saw the signs he performed” (John 2:23).
(Noordzij, ‘Jesus’ Signs in the Gospel of John’)
“This, the first of his signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him” (John 2:11).
(Noordzij, ‘Jesus’ Signs in the Gospel of John’)
Interpretation: The signs are not arbitrary displays of power but revelation of Jesus’ glory. They produce faith because they reveal who Jesus is.
Transformation at Cana — Water Into Wine, Fullness in Christ
Noordzij reads the miracle at Cana as an image of Christ’s transformative work:
“After the wine was gone, Jesus performed his first sign and revealed his glory. He said: ‘Fill the jars with water. Fill them to the brim.’ And they filled them to the brim. It is not just a Pentecostal experience, but the coming of the full glory of the Feast of Tabernacles, of the full harvest. Then that ‘water’ (=Word) is changed into ‘wine’ (=Life)!”
(Noordzij, ‘Jesus’ Signs in the Gospel of John’)
Interpretation: The water-to-wine miracle points to Christ’s work as transformer: the Word that kills becomes in Christ a working Life. Six jars = fullness of human nature under Christ’s dominion.
Healing on the Day of Atonement — Jesus as Eternal High Priest
Noordzij describes the healing at Bethesda as occurring on the Day of Atonement, wherein Jesus himself performs the priestly work:
“The day on which Jesus performed this sign was the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29-31). What an incredibly glorious day! Then the high priest makes ‘atonement for the sanctuary, because of the uncleanness of the Israelites, because of their transgressions and all their sins’ (Lev. 16:16, 30). We have a heavenly high priest, Jesus, who universally raises up the ‘weakened man’ in ‘Bethesda’ by the Word he speaks.”
(Noordzij, ‘Jesus’ Signs in the Gospel of John’)
“Christ healed a ‘man’ who ‘for thirty-eight years’ had ‘been an invalid.’ Had Israel not wandered thirty-eight years in the wilderness as a consequence of the sin of unbelief? (Deut. 2:14). Jesus said to him: ‘Rise, take up your mat and walk’ (John 5:8). ‘And at once the man was healed, and took up his mat and walked!’ (John 5:9).”
(Noordzij, ‘Jesus’ Signs in the Gospel of John’)
Interpretation: Jesus works as eternal high priest who brings universal atonement — not for Israel alone on one day per year, but for all people through his Word. The healing is simultaneously healing from sins and from the sicknesses that proceed from sin.
Jesus as the True Light — The Blind Man
Noordzij sees in Jesus’ healing of the blind man his manifestation as the true light:
“‘He is the true light that gives light to every man’ (John 1:2-9). ‘Jesus said to the blind man: Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is translated as, Sent)’ (John 9:7).”
(Noordzij, ‘Jesus’ Signs in the Gospel of John’)
“His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him as a beggar asked, ‘Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?’ Some said, ‘It is he.’ Others said, ‘No, but he looks like him.’ He kept saying, ‘I am the man.’ They said to him then, ‘How were your eyes opened?’ He answered, ‘The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, Go to Siloam and wash. Then I went and washed and received my sight’” (John 9:8-11).
(Noordzij, ‘Jesus’ Signs in the Gospel of John’)
Interpretation: Jesus is the true light (John 1:9). The sign of the blind man points to the coming of Jesus as light into a world of darkness. He gives not only physical sight but also spiritual opening — he is himself the Sent One (Siloam = the Sent One).
Raising of Lazarus — Jesus as Life-Giver and Restorer
Noordzij sees the raising of Lazarus as the central sign of Jesus’ power over death:
“‘Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.’ But illness is not unto death, but for the glory of God. ‘Lazarus is an image of the ‘fullness of Christ,’ of His Body of many sons. The Man of Nazareth became his life! Jesus became for him the ‘I AM’!”
(Noordzij, ‘Jesus’ Signs in the Gospel of John’)
“‘Lazarus, come out!’ And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips. (John 11:44). Jesus is ‘the firstborn of many brothers’ (Rom. 8:29). Yes, the whole ‘body of Christ’ shall be completely freed from all the bonds of ‘death.‘”
(Noordzij, ‘Jesus’ Signs in the Gospel of John’)
“‘The hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out — those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation’ (John 5:28-29).”
(Noordzij, ‘Jesus’ Signs in the Gospel of John’)
Interpretation: Jesus is the life-giver who not only restores Lazarus’ body but frees the entire body of Christ from all bonds of death. The sign points toward the universal resurrection that obeys Jesus’ voice.
The Eighth Sign — Resurrection Life, Fullness and Consummation
Noordzij reads the eighth sign (the catch of fish) as symbol of resurrection life and complete fulfillment:
“The eighth and final sign. The number eight signifies new life, resurrection life. During the flood there were eight souls in the ark (Gen. 6, 1Pet. 3:10-22). In Israel, everything male had to be circumcised on the eighth day (Ex. 22:29-31).”
(Noordzij, ‘Jesus’ Signs in the Gospel of John’)
“‘So they cast the net, and now they were not able to haul it in because of the quantity of fish’ (John 21:6). ‘Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, and though there were so many, the net was not torn’ (John 21:11).”
(Noordzij, ‘Jesus’ Signs in the Gospel of John’)
“‘Why 153 large fish?’ First, it is 144+9: the square (=perfection) of ‘twelve’ (12x12) and the square of ‘three’ (3x3). Twelve is the biblical number of being called to royal priesthood. Three is the number of completeness. Moreover, 153 is the sum of all numbers from 1 through 17. Seventeen is the sum of ten and seven. Ten (as a number) signifies quantitative fullness; seven signifies qualitative fullness. In these ‘153 large fish’ not a single one is lacking!”
(Noordzij, ‘Jesus’ Signs in the Gospel of John’)
Interpretation: The eighth sign points toward the consummation of Christ’s work — all people called to royal priesthood (twelve) in absolute perfection (nine = 3³) are gathered in. Not a single soul is lacking from this number; the totality is complete.
Jesus Walks on Water — Christ as Bearer Over All Waters
Noordzij sees in Jesus walking on water the imagery of Christ as universal bearer and restorer:
“Water is an image of the word. ‘Water’ that flows from God is the Word that gives life (Rev. 22:1). ‘Water from below’ is ‘the letter that kills’ (2Cor. 3:6).”
(Noordzij, ‘Jesus’ Signs in the Gospel of John’)
“‘Jesus, the giver of living water, walking upon the water of the ‘sea’.’ His ‘feet’ will carry the whole Body of Christ over all ‘waters of death.’ And Peter also walked on the water (Matt. 14:29). ‘The time is near, when the Lord will give authority to ‘His Own’ to walk upon the ‘waters from below” (Rom. 8:29-30).”
(Noordzij, ‘Jesus’ Signs in the Gospel of John’)
Interpretation: Jesus as giver of living water walks himself over all waters of death. His feet bear the whole body. This points to Christ’s dominion over all things — word and reality, death and life, creation and Creator.