John 2:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So the Jews said to him, "What sign do you show us for doing these things?"

NIV: The Jews then responded to him, "What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"

NASB: The Jews then said to Him, 'What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?'

CSB: So the Jews replied to him, "What sign will you show us for doing these things?"

NLT: But the Jewish leaders demanded, 'What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.'

KJV: Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?

NKJV: So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”

When the gospel of John uses the term "the Jews," it typically refers to the scribes, religious leaders, and politicians. In this instance, they were justified in questioning Jesus. Just as they were right to question John the Baptist, these leaders should have investigated any person disrupting the status quo in the way Jesus did. Consider that what Jesus had done was not only disruptive to business, but it was also public, loud, and almost certainly illegal. What would make a man think He had the right to judge the leaders at the temple?

Hebrew thinking supposed that a true prophet of God was proven by the ability to perform a miracle. Jesus is challenging their spiritual condition, so they ask a blunt question: "What miracle are you going to do to justify yourself?" More than likely, the men asking this question didn't really expect an answer. Much as they had asked John the Baptist (John 1:25), these men are asking Jesus, "Who do you think you are?" This is a common human response when challenged about our mistakes: we instinctively attack the authority of the one criticizing, instead of considering the actual problem.

John 2:13–23 describes Jesus driving corrupt businessmen from the temple. His wrath is not because of selling sacrifices, itself, but rather the greedy focus on money with no regard to serving God. Jesus is never depicted as out of control, but His anger is clear. It's likely that this is an early temple cleansing, and the other gospels record a second, separate incident. Jesus' right to act this way is challenged by the authorities. In typical Hebrew style, they demand a miraculous sign. Jesus instead predicts His own death and resurrection. This passage contrasts with the quiet, joyous miracle at the wedding.

Jesus attends a wedding where He performs His first miracle: turning water into wine. This symbolizes a transformation of human rituals into divine sacrifice. Few people are even aware that a miracle has occurred. Jesus then drives crooked businessmen out of the temple, scolding them for turning a sacred area into a crass marketplace.

Chapter 2 begins to show Jesus' "signs," or miracles, which will prove that He is the Savior. The miracles will become more spectacular over time, but they start quietly. Contrast is an important part of the gospel of John. The quiet, joyful miracle at the wedding is starkly different from the loud public spectacle of clearing the temple. Jesus' first miracle symbolizes His mission. During the temple clearing, He also predicts His death and resurrection. This sets the stage for Jesus' private discussion with Nicodemus, a respected and influential man.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.