When God promised to send the Prophet like Moses, God said,
“I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them [Israel] all that I command him” (Deuteronomy 18:18).
When Jesus came, He kept claiming to speak as the Son faithfully speaking for His Father.
My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent me (John 7:16).
The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment [order]—what to say and what to speak (John 12:48-49).
How could Jesus prove such great claims? The same way Moses did – by great acts from God Himself. Speaking about the healing at Bethesda, Jesus said,
“…the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me” (John 5:36).
Later He said,
“The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me“ (John 10:25).
Many Jews began to understand the message of the miracles.
… many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?“ (John 7:31).
Also, Peter said,
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested [proved] to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst [among you], as you yourselves know…” (Acts 2:22).
ERV: Jesus from Nazareth was a very special Man. God clearly showed this to you. God proved this by the powerful and amazing things He did through Jesus. You all saw these things. So you know this is true.
Jesus’ miracles had the same purpose as Moses’ miracles. They showed the right, given by God, to lead and to speak for God (Exodus 4:12-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 2:1-4). Yet, as great as Moses was, he had never said, “Trust in Me.” Moses said nothing like these words of Jesus:
“…believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father” (John 10:38).
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father… Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of [because of] the works themselves (John 14:9,11).
Jesus’ miracles were greater, especially in giving life. He did “the works that no one else did” (John 15:24). And so His signs had a greater message. While proving that Jesus was the Prophet, they also proved much more. Jesus’ claims about Himself and His Father were not empty words. The disciples began to understand this message when Jesus walked on the sea.
And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33).
After seeing the power of Jesus, Peter confessed,
You are the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16).
John also saw the signs of Jesus. Near the end of His report, He made clear the message of the miracles:
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:30-31).