Which statement best describes the difference between miracles in the Synoptic Gospels and signs in John's Gospel?

• A. Both emphasize the same purpose and message.
• B. Synoptic miracles emphasize divine identity; Johannine signs emphasize miracles with compassion.
• C. Synoptic miracles emphasize compassion and power, while Johannine signs emphasize Jesus' divine identity and glory.
• D. John's signs focus on social justice.

Answer: (C)

The difference hinges on purpose and framing. In the Synoptic Gospels, miracles are presented as acts of power that show Jesus’ authority over nature, illness, demons, and scarcity, and they are closely tied to His compassion for people. These acts demonstrate the breaking in of God’s Kingdom and reveal Jesus as Messiah through demonstrations of mercy in real, tangible needs.

In contrast, the Gospel of John uses the term signs for certain miraculous works because each event is meant to point beyond the event itself to who Jesus is—His divine identity and the glory that belongs to the Son of God. The aim of these signs is to lead readers to belief in Jesus as the one who is uniquely related to the Father, and to reveal the character and identity of Jesus through concrete displays of power that culminate in the revelation of glory.

For example, turning water into wine at Cana inaugurates a pattern of signs that reveal Jesus’ glory and compel belief in Him, while the healing of a man born blind or the raising of Lazarus are crafted to disclose Jesus’ relationship with the Father and His true identity. That contrast—compassionate, power-filled acts in the Synoptics versus identity- and glory-revealing signs in John—best captures the distinction.