Jesus is no sign; he is Something Else

A sign is something that indicates something else. In this sense Jesus is not a sign. He is the Something Else.

When the Something Else is no longer somewhere else, but right here tabernacling among us, there is no more need for signs.

Nicodemus understood this when he snuck out at night to meet Jesus for the first time: "Rabbi … no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God."

So what Jesus does can be regarded as signs. But Jesus himself is no sign. He is the presence of God. And in the presence of God -- the Somewhere Else of all somewhere elses -- there is no more need for signs.

This is why, after some townspeople met Jesus, they said to the Samaritan woman who first told them about him: “We don’t need to depend on what you say any more, for we have heard ourselves ...” Once The Presence Himself is present, there is no more need for signs about him from others.

But why, then, upon the baby Jesus’ presentation at the temple, did Simeon say, “This child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed” (?).

It is because, relative to this world of shadows, Jesus the Something Else will always be, well, something else. He will always be something else because he is from Somewhere Else: “You are from below; I am from above … I am not of this world.”

Therefore relative to the eyes of this world of shadows, Jesus appears as a sign that this world is not the Somewhere Else that is at once the longing of men’s hearts as well as the reason for this world’s judgment. Indeed, because of the Somewhere Else, this world cannot be anything but a world of signs. The appearance of Jesus in this world of signs will be received as a sign that is opposed to any other shadowy sign. And because men love darkness, this Sign – because it is no sign – will be opposed.

But for those who believe on Him, this day, there is no more need for signs, because the Presence is tabernacling right here. May he live through us, cutting across the make-believe that can only be the affairs of this world, and do things that cannot be done unless they are done in the presence of God.

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John 2.23 When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing.

John 1.14 And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth. (Young)

John 3.1 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God."

John 4.42 They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world."

Luke 2.34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed

John 8.23 He said to them, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

John 3.19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.