Michael Labahn, «Between Tradition and Literary. Art. The Use of the Miracle Tradition in the Fourth Gospel», Vol. 80 (1999) 178-203

An examination of the miracle stories in the context of the fourth gospel shows that the Evangelist, using different literary techniques, presents his tradition as an important part of his narrative. The Johannine signs are closely linked to the context and by no means subordinate to the other literary genres. By means of the signs basic reactions to the eschatological event of the coming of the Son of God are pointed out. Through the encounter with the revealer represented in the text possible readers are invited to accept him as a pledge for eternal life.

anything more about the danger of the disciples after the arrival of Jesus at the ship is an indication that there is no place for life-destroying danger when Jesus comes into community with his believers. By establishing life by providing food and by being near to people as a saviour of life in the face of life-destroying danger, Jesus is depicted as God’s powerful bread of life. Therein, Jesus is the answer of God to the fundamental hopes of humanity.

        3. Tradition and compositional formation of the Gospel

        The title of this paper is meant to focus attention on the reception of tradition by the Fourth Evangelist. More than fifty years ago the question of the origin of the Johannine miracle tradition was answered on the asumption that the Fourth Evangelist used a miracle source, called the semeia- or signs-source. The most important contribution to this theory was made by Rudolf Bultmann⁴⁰. The theory of one written source containing the whole miracle tradition and other texts is rightly criticized and rejected in much of the more recent investigations of the Fourth Gospel⁴¹. However, I agree with those who posit a two-miracle source, which includes the changing of water into wine in 2,1-11 and the healing from a distance in 4,46-54⁴². The source-critical hint can be found in 2,12a (journey to