TacticalChristianity.org
  • HOME
  • TACTICS
  • STRATEGY
  • E-BOOKS
  • REVIEWS
  • QUOTES
  • ABOUT
  • BLOG

What Sign Will You Give Us?

2/24/2014

 
Picture


Scripture in Focus:    John 6:30-31 





The sixth chapter of the Gospel of John tells of the miraculous feeding of the great crowd of 5,000 people who were following Jesus in the area of Galilee.  Within a day or so of this miraculous event, we find the same crowd (John mentions it was the same people) asking Jesus what seems like a very strange question.  When Jesus said “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29), notice what the people answered:

“What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?  Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’ “ (John 6:30-31).

This response of the people is often said to be strange to the point of being unbelievable.  Not only had these people just witnessed a great sign, but specifically one in which they were miraculously fed, so why would they ask for a sign – especially one involving being fed? Some Bible commentaries even suggest that perhaps John’s account reflects a patchwork of original sources not agreeing with each other.

A far simpler answer is found in the fact that the verbs used in the people's reply to Jesus are actually in the present tense in the Greek of John’s account.  The Greek word poieis literally means “are doing” and ergaze means “you are working.” In other words, the people’s reply was not “What sign will you give us” (emphasis added in this and the following instances), as we read in the NIV and KJV, but,  more literally:  “what sign are you doing … What work are you working”  or “what sign do you do …What work do you perform?” (as they are translated in the ESV).  This literal translation makes a great deal of difference, because the people were evidently not asking for another, future, sign, but for explanation of the sign  Jesus had just given them – and which they realized was of the same nature and importance as the manna given from heaven to their ancestors in the wilderness.

We must look at the context of these verses. John tells us that after the feeding of the 5,000:

“After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, ‘Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.’  Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself” (vss. 14-15). 

The people were fully aware of the sign they had been given and were asking Jesus for confirmation of its meaning – they were saying in effect: “what is this sign” or “what does this sign mean” – and rightly guessing that it suggested this was the prophet like Moses (who had fed the people manna) who would come (Deuteronomy 18:15-19): the promised Messiah. This is why they wanted to make Jesus their king.


Comments are closed.

    Blog

    Follow @tacticalbelief

    RSS Feed

    For a smart browser-bookmark showing new blog postings, click on the RSS Feed icon above.  For more details on RSS Feed, click here.

    Author

    Unless otherwise stated, blog posts are written by R. Herbert, Ph.D., who writes for a number of Christian venues – including our sister site: LivingWithFaith.org.

    Categories

    All
    Archaeology & The Bible
    Bible Study
    Character
    Difficult Scriptures
    Discipleship
    Encouragement
    Family
    Fellowship
    Forgiveness
    Giving
    God
    Gratitude
    Great Commission
    Growth
    History & The Bible
    Knowledge & Wisdom
    Leadership
    Love
    Obedience
    Overcoming
    Persecution
    Popular Culture
    Positive Living
    Prayer
    Problems
    Relationships
    Service
    The Church & The World
    The Life Of Jesus
    Warriors Of The Way
    Women Of Strength

    Picture
    - Charter Member -

    Archives

    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013

     

©  2014-2019 TacticalChristianity.org.