Cees & Anneke Noordzij — Ecclesiology
b8 — Jesus’ Signs in the Gospel of John
Pentecost and Church Formation
The wedding at Cana is, according to Noordzij, a sign of Pentecost:
“On the third day there was a wedding in Cana” (John 2:1). “The third day” is a sign of the Jewish Pentecost, the feast of the third month. Its fulfillment is the new Pentecost in Acts 2, also in the third month, also a kind of “wedding” of God’s Spirit with “120” disciples of Jesus (Acts 1:15, 2:1-11).
The wedding as an image for Pentecost speaks of an intimate covenant between God’s Spirit and the early church. The “third day” connects the Old Testament feast calendar directly to the New Testament church-formation event.
Priesthood and Mercy
The sign at Bethesda (John 5:1-18) has, according to Noordzij, priestly significance:
Near the Sheep Gate was a pool with five porticoes, called Bethesda (= house of mercy). Five porticoes — five is the biblical number of grace, mercy.
Noordzij connects the healing on the Day of Atonement with the heavenly priesthood of Jesus:
The day Jesus performed this sign was the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29-31). We have a heavenly high priest, Jesus, who universally restores the “weakened man” in “Bethesda” through the Word He speaks.
This speaks of Jesus as the heavenly high priest who works atonement for the church.
Apostolic Calling and Authority
In the feeding of the five thousand, Noordzij emphasizes the apostolic number:
The first feeding: “five” loaves for “five thousand,” with “twelve” baskets left over — twelve for “all Israel” (cf. Rom. 11:26).
The twelve baskets point to apostolic responsibility for all Israel. The feeding demonstrates how apostolic ministry extends over the entire people of God.
In the sign of the 153 fish, apostolic calling and royal priesthood are emphasized:
Why “153 large fish”? 153 = 144 + 9: the square of “twelve” (12×12 = 144) and the square of “three” (3×3 = 9). Twelve is the biblical number of calling to royal priesthood. […] Not one of these “153 large fish” is missing!
This speaks of the completeness of the apostolic calling — no one is left out.
Authority of Jesus Over Waters
The sign of Jesus walking on water (John 6:16-21) relates, according to Noordzij, to authority within the church:
Jesus, the giver of living water, walking on the water of the sea. His “feet” will carry the entire Body of Christ over all “waters of death.” And Peter also walked on the water (Matt. 14:29). “The Lord will give authority to ‘his own’ to walk on the ‘waters from below’” (Rom. 8:29-30).
Jesus gives authority to His body to reign over waters (chaos, opposition). This speaks of the authority and dominion of the Body of Christ.
The Body of Christ
In the raising of Lazarus, Noordzij sees an image of the Body of Christ:
Lazarus is an image of the “fullness of Christ,” of His Body of many sons. Jesus became his resurrection and life!
“Lazarus, come out.” “The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips” (John 11:43-44). Jesus is “the firstborn among many brothers” (Rom. 8:29). The whole “body of Christ” will be completely freed from all the bonds of “death.”
This speaks of the church as an organic body, of which Christ is the head, and of liberation from all bondage of death.
Church and Eschatological Hope
The eighth sign (John 21) culminates in eschatological hope for the church:
The eighth and last sign. The number eight points to new life, resurrection life. Eight souls were in the ark during the flood (Gen. 6, 1Pet. 3:10-22).
The church as the “ark” harbors the seed of new life — resurrection life.