Day 22 That You May Believe

That You May Believe

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written 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

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written John 21:25

John tells us that in composing his gospel he has selected from the ‘many other miraculous signs’ Jesus performed ‘in the presence of his disciples,’ those that will help his readers ‘believe that Jesus is the Christ, (the Messiah), the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.’

John began his gospel with the Word, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God” (1:1). Long before He became a man, the pre-incarnate Word created the worlds (1:3) and as the upholding Word, He continues to sustain the creation (Hebrews 1:3). He is the everlasting centre of all the redeeming purposes of God. John’s whole gospel has built the case that the Messiah, the Christ, the Word, is Jesus. While the NIV translates v.32 ‘that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,’ John’s wording reverses the order – ‘that you may believe that the Messiah, the son of God, is Jesus.’ Who is this Word? This Word is none other than Jesus.

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.’ John has carefully chosen seven representative miraculous signs amongst the many Jesus performed: turning water into wine at Cana (2:1-11); raising the royal official’s son (4:46-54); healing the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda (5:1-9); feeding the five thousand (6:1-14); walking on water (6:16-21); healing the man born blind (9:1-7); and raising Lazarus (11:1-14).

But these are written 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 states a double-sided purpose to his gospel. The first purpose is that ‘you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.’ John wants his readers to recognise that the Messiah is Jesus of Nazareth and put their faith in Him. This ‘beginning to believe’ will result in their salvation; so this first purpose is evangelistic. The second purpose is discipleship, ‘and that by believing you may have life in his name.’ This is ‘going on believing.’ John is writing to encourage Christians to hold to, and continue to grow in the faith. Because John’s audience was primarily his fellow Jews or proselytes/God fearers, both purposes were needed.

‘Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.’ Hyperbole was common in John’s day as another Jewish writing from this same era illustrates, “If all heaven were parchment and all trees were pens and all seas were ink, it would not be enough to write down my wisdom which I have learnt from my teacher” (Johanan ben Zakkai). We assume John is thinking of Jesus’ acts while a man on earth. If John’s thought is going back to His pre-incarnate, eternal existence, then it is literally true that no library could ever contain an adequate description of everything He has ever done (or even that He continues to do).

The glory of Jesus Christ, which has been unveiled chapter by chapter, points us forward to our future destination when He returns and the glories we see now by faith will be replaced by the glories we see literally. Until then, we follow Him.

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