Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
Parallel translations
- WEB Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will in no way believe.”
- BSB Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.”
- NKJV Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.”
- NASB Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.”
- NLT Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus rebuked the tendency to believe only when seeing signs and wonders. He calls for faith that trusts his word, not merely spectacle.
Overview
Jesus addresses the crowd's craving for miraculous proof as a substitute for genuine trust. His words challenge a shallow, sign-dependent faith. Throughout John, Jesus desires people to believe his word itself, which is exactly the faith the official is about to display.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 28
- John 20:29Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
- Heb 2:4God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
- 1 Cor 1:22For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
- Dan 4:2I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me.
- John 12:37But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
- Rom 15:19Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
- Acts 2:22Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
- Luke 16:31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
- Acts 14:3Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
- Matt 24:24For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
- 2 Cor 12:12Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
- Mark 13:22For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
- Acts 7:36He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
- John 2:18Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
- Luke 10:18And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
- Num 14:11And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?
- John 4:41–42And many more believed because of his own word;
- John 15:24If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
- Acts 2:43And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
- Acts 4:30By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
- Matt 27:42He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
- Acts 15:12Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
- 2 Th 2:9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
- Acts 6:8And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
- Acts 2:19And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
- Matt 16:1The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
- Dan 6:27He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
- Acts 5:12And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 4:48 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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