Joh 20:31 - Why Write a Book?
Why do people write books? Some want to record history, some write fiction to entertain, poetry to inspire, how-to-do a number of things, like cook-books. John had two big reasons to write his book--1. to teach us who Jesus is, and 2. to find eternal life in Him
Jesus once said to the leaders in Jerusalem: John 5:39 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you have eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me. Note the good news, bad news. Good that they search the Scripture for eternal life, Bad news that they miss Christ in them. They were right to study Scripture; they just failed to see that Jesus was the Christ.
Matthew, Mark and Luke had already been written. In the Acts of the Apostles: 5:42: Every day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” Today’s Gospel tells us there will always be weeds among the wheat--false doctrines among the truth. The church always taught that Jesus was the Christ, but there were doubters, false teachers, and those who have not heard as John says in the verse before our text: Jesus did many other miraculous signs that are not written in this book. But these are written… v.30. John does not repeat all that the other gospel writers had already taught. From his opening chapter we read in John 1:15 and 17, "John testified concerning Christ. The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
A. He started with John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, the “Voice crying in the wilderness” using Isaiah’s description of the Messiah [Hebrew] = the Anointed One; God’s suffering Servant; Christ [Greek] on whom the LORD would lay the iniquity of us all.
John 1 - They asked John, “Are you the Christ.” His answer was a plain no.
John 9 - In the account of Jesus healing the blind man, the Judean leaders said that anyone who confessed Jesus as Christ would be excommunicated from the synagogue.
John 10 - The Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” To this Jesus answered: “I did tell you and you did not believe.”
John 12 - The Judean people plainly expected a Messiah, a Christ, because they said, “We have heard that the Christ will remain forever.” This was in response to Jesus saying that he would be arrested and die. In his trial Caiaphas bound Jesus under oath, “Are you the Christ?” To this Jesus replied, “I AM, as you say.”
While he was hanging on the cross, the crowd tormented him with the cry, “If you are the Christ, come down from the cross and we will believe in you.”
The story of Skeptical Thomas from John 20:19ff Jesus appeared Easter evening to 10 disciples with Thomas the Twin missing. All week they tried to convince Skeptical Thomas that Jesus was alive, but he argued, “Unless I see him (eyes) and hear him (ears) and put my fingers in the wound marks (touch - three senses) I WILL NOT BELIEVE. The next Sunday evening Jesus appeared and said to Thomas, “Put your fingers here.” This skeptic fell at Jesus’ feet and cried, “My Lord and my God.” Jesus then told Thomas: v. 29 Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.
That would be you and me…
We haven’t seen, but we believe…
Thank you, Thomas!
The story of raising Lazarus from the dead after four days in the grace gave Jesus a chance to show that believers have eternal life. Martha had come out to meet Jesus four days after his death. Jesus said, “Your brother will live again, and Martha answered, “I know that he will live again in the resurrection.”
John 11:25 and 26 - I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Martha, do you believe this? “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
John 14:1-6 - I go to prepare a place for you…I will come again take you to be with me… Then Thomas the skeptic asked: We don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus told him: I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
In the Upper Room on Maundy Thursday Jesus prayed for his disciples and for us: John 17:24 Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
Acts 9:22 - After his conversion Saul [Paul] continued to get stronger and confounding the Judeans by proving that Jesus is the Christ. Acts 18:5 - In Corinth Paul was testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. Acts 18:28 - In Ephesus Apollos vigorously refuted the Jews in public, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
So why should you read this book, not only John but the whole Bible? To know Jesus Christ is your Savior and believing to have eternal life. May the Holy Spirit lead us to this knowledge and this faith so that we will have the blessing of eternal life. Amen!