Who do you think Jesus is?

Is he a teacher?  A prophet?  A visionary? Or maybe something more...

Do you have an open mind?  Not a naive mind, but an open mind?  There's nothing wrong with some skepticism: it keeps you from falling for just anything.  But there's a difference between a skeptic who refuses to listen, and one who finds out for himself.  God expects you to find out for yourself.

Thomas did.  He told his friends, "Unless I see...I will not believe it."

He held on to his convictions until he had hard proof.  John tells the story:

Caravaggio, Michelangelo Merisi The Incredulity of St. Thomas (detail) 1601-2, oil on canvas, Sanssouci, Potsdam

Eight days after Jesus came back from the dead, his disciples were hiding in a house together.  Thomas, who doubted that Jesus was alive, was with them. Jesus entered the house, even though the door was locked.  He stood right in the middle of the group and said, "May you have peace."  

He turned to Thomas: "Place your finger here and examine my hands.  Take your hand and put it into my side. Don't doubt:  believe!"

Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

Jesus answered, "You believe because you have seen me.  Blessed are the ones who have not seen, but who have believed."

This is why Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.  But these signs are recorded, so you may believe that Jesus is the Chosen One, the Son of God, so that by believing you may have life by the power of his name. [JOHN 20:26-31]

Jesus isn't threatened by doubters.  He welcomes them to come take a closer look.  True, we can't see him like Thomas.  But he left us signs, pointing to the truth.  In fact, John, one of Jesus closest friends, told of seven miraculous signs Jesus performed: omens of his nature, mission, and identity.  While Jesus talked about who he was and what he came to do, his actions were the real proof.  John hand-picked these seven proofs from all that Jesus did in the hope that they would cause life-giving belief in his readers.

The Seven Signs provides each excerpt from John's biography of Jesus in readable, contemporary language.  There are no expert opinions, no clever arguments, no need for interpretation.   It's your job to form your own opinion about Jesus as you answer three simple questions about the text:

What is this sign saying about human nature?

What is this sign saying about our common needs?

What is this sign telling us about Jesus?

Is he far too good to be true?  Was he sent here to tell us something about ourselves, the human condition, and God's desire for us? 

As you become a witness to the seven signs, you will have a chance to decide for yourself: Who is this man Jesus?

Begin: The First Sign >>

React to this Resource
We're very interested in your input about this resource.  We view all our resources as in a state of constant revision and we depend on you, the user, to let us know how this resource worked for you.  Tell us about your thoughts, feelings, reactions, or application; or anything else you want to say using the form below:

Related Resources: 

The Seven Signs booklet: Download and print this 13-page booklet for individual study or small group discussion.  In PDF format (requires FREE Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

The Seven Signs bookmark: Put this reminder of the seven signs in your Bible or share it with a friend.  Get one book mark (JPEG) or a sheet of four (PDF).

The Seven Signs is taken from the Gospel According to John in the Bible.  Read the complete book of John in another translation in the World English Bible.