The Script

A script has been given to Christians today

It tells them the words that a Christian should say.

Lord fill my heart or Lord give me peace

Lord use your power to make my pain cease

We speak the right words and we do the right deeds

And say we're, quote, "ready to go and plant seeds."

if you pray for me then I’ll go pray for you.

Take love and make love… but show love? To who?

My neighbors are mean, and my enemies lie

And I want my friends to think I’m a nice guy!

This script, farce, lie, fantasy, play we perform

To satisfy those who, like us, are lukewarm

Who claim to believe and say that they know

But really right now have a lump in their throat

Cause they never did stop for a minute to think

Is it actually true?

                            before taking a blink

And then joining in singing and praising THEIR God.

The created lay’s claim never thinking it's odd.

Simply say the right words and close your eyes tight.

It won’t have to be true if I act the part, right?

The Seven Signs of John's Gospel

Introduction

            Within the Gospel of John, there are seven or eight – depending on one’s outline – major miracles recorded. This paper will take the position that the healing of Lazarus, and not the resurrection itself, was the seventh sign. That being said, they are as follows: (1) Turning water into wine, (2) healing an official’s son, (3) healing at the pool of Bethesda (4) feeding of the five-thousand, (5) walking on water, (6) healing of the man born blind, (7) raising Lazarus from the dead. The Resurrection of Jesus will be treated as an eighth miracle and not examined here since this miracle is the one in which a person puts his faith, and so is different in quality to the seven previous miracles that attest to the eighth. These seven miracles are all recorded for a singular purpose, which John states near the end of his Gospel. “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” Each of these miracles will, in turn, be described in detail and all of the implications regarding the historical context will be given. After that, it will be explained how each miracle lends support to John’s overall purpose, as recorded in 20:31.