The Seven Signs: Seeing the Glory of Christ in the Gospel of John

by Anthony Selvaggio

A major component of Jesus' ministry on earth was the performance of signs and wonders. In this book, Anthony T. Selvaggio uses the seven signs given in the first half of the Gospel of John to navigate us toward a glorious destination. This journey begins at a wedding and ends at a funeral. Throughout this trip you will witness the incredible events of water being turned into wine, the temple cleansed, a sick boy restored, a lame man brought to his feet, thousands feed, a blind man gaining sight, and a dead man coming forth from his tomb. While this tour centers in the land of Palestine, it will ultimately take you beyond the finiteness of this created world. For on this majestic journey, you will see more than mere signs and wonders - you will see the glory of Jesus the Christ, the Son of God!

NOTE: Contains discussion questions to better facilitate group study.

Author Anthony T Selvaggio is a teaching elder in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America and a member of the Rochester Reformed Presbyterian Church (Rochester, NY) where he contributes regularly to the preaching ministry. He previously served as the Senior Pastor of the College Hill Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCNA) in Beaver Falls, PA. He is also a visiting professor at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA. He is an active preacher and conference speaker. He lives in Rochester, New York with his wife, Michelle, and his two children, Katherine and James.

Endorsements "Jesus' messianic signs are at the very heart of John's theological message. The Seven Signs is delightfully written, theologically sound, and spiritually nurturing. I highly recommend it!" - Andreas J. Kostenberger

" John's Gospel is the greatest of all introductions to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Anthony Selvaggio's The Seven Signs is an ideal introduction to John, insightfully unfolding the apostle's use of Jesus' signs to show forth the Lord's person and work. When I was first converted, I was greatly blessed by memorizing the seven 'I Am' statements of Jesus which accompany these signs, and they were an effective aid in my witness of the gospel. A renewed emphasis on Jesus' signs in this Gospel can only have the effect of strengthening faith and energizing witness today. This book is thus ideal for small group study and for individual devotional reading." - Richard Phillips

96 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Cameron McCartney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book to help me get a better understanding of the main points behind each sign in John’s gospel and also how all the signs link together. This book didn’t disappoint and I so appreciate how Selvaggio has made this book an accessible read, he writes it to everyone and helpfully addresses the unbeliever who is reading. I think this would be a great book to do with someone as an evangelistic study and the questions at the end of chapter are probing and helpful.

Selvaggio makes a strong conclusion which I feel is pretty hard for any reader to disagree with; all of the signs point toward Jesus’ resurrection, a narrative which is topped with John 20:29-31. I find it highly convincing that, any reader of John, whether they have put their fingers through the holes where the nails were or not, can follow the seven signs to the destination that is Jesus’s resurrection, and believing in this, have life in his name.

[Laramie Gildon · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone seeking to learn more about the seven signs of Christ’s glory in the gospel of John, I’d highly recommend you reading this book. It’s concise and very helpful. If I was to offer any criticism, you will need to have your bible with you while reading because the passages of scripture referenced aren’t fully quoted in the book, but I think since the book is only a few pages over 100 long they were trying to save space.

Either way, I found the book very helpful and the conclusion does a good job of wrapping up all his thoughts and challenges you to search the scriptures and know why you believe what you believe.

[Ricky Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this was a short book,I really liked it! The explanation of each sign was straight to the point and the study questions at the end of each chapter were good for further contemplation. I appreciated Anthony Selvaggio's viewpoint to include Jesus Cleansing the Temple as the 2nd sign but I'm not quite sure it should have completely replaced Jesus walking on water. I'll need further study to gain a better understanding of that. All in all, this was a quick insightful read. Great book!

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite good for evangelistic use. This book would best be read together with a non-believer, so that you can have discussion. I was once told by an evangelist that every time he had taken a non-believer through this book they professed faith in Christ.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good discussion book for Bible study.