Signs: John summarizes Jesus’ public ministry in connection with a number of Jesus’ deeds having spiritual significance—hence John does not call them miracles but “signs.” They are “signs” of the power of God which brings about a transformation in people’s lives.
In the Synoptics (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), the miracles seem to present evidence to support the claim that Jesus is the true Messiah; their historical accuracy is crucial. In John, only seven miracles are reported and in none of them is the real meaning of the story dependent on historical accuracy. Not that John has any doubts about their historical accuracy; to him the spiritual meaning is far more important.
The fact that there are seven signs-miracles in John’s gospel is important. In the Jewish view, the number seven means perfection or completion.
Today’s poignant gospel story is the second of these signs, and it means to show that Jesus is master over distance. In the story, Jesus gives us a sneak preview of Easter. He assures a concerned father, whose child was near death, that his son would live. Now it won’t be long before God’s own Son will be near death; our trust in Jesus’ word assures us that he lives, now and forever.