READING: John 20-21, Acts 1
Today we finish reading the Gospel of John. This Gospel is unique compared to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and some sections are more difficult to understand than others. What is not hard to do, though, is to determine John’s purpose in writing this book. In fact, he tells us quite clearly what he was doing: “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).
Jesus had done many more miracles than the Gospel of John records, but John recorded what he did so his readers would believe in Jesus. Specifically, the readers would recognize Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God—and through believing in Him they would have life. That belief would be much more than simple mental assent; it would be “nothing less than a dynamic believing in the person of Jesus, who is both Christ and Son of God in the highest meaning of those terms.”* It was to cry out like Thomas in this same chapter, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).
This same Word today not only points non-believers to Jesus, but it also encourages us to follow Christ to the fullest. We really do have life in His name.
PERSONAL REFLECTION: Have your faith and trust in Christ grown as you’ve read the Gospel of John this year?
PRAYER: “Jesus, You are the Christ, the Son of God. Amen.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Acts 2-5
*Borchert, G. L. (2002). John 12–21 (Vol. 25B, p. 319). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
