Topic: Purpose of John’s Gospel
Near the end of the gospel of John, John clearly states the purpose of his account of the life of Jesus.
John 20:30–31, “Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”
John, like the other gospel writers, assembles a selective collection of miracles, teachings, and experiences of Jesus to paint a picture of who Jesus is and why he came.
Matthew seems to show Jesus as the promised King.
Mark shows Jesus as a servant.
Luke demonstrates the humanity of Jesus.
John, as he has stated in his purpose, seeks to show that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. He does this by choosing specific signs or miracles.
Changing water into wine. (John 2:1–11)
Healing the official’s son. (John 4:46–54)
Healing the invalid. (John 5:1–15)
Feeding the multitude. (John 6:1-14)
Walking on the water. (John 6:16–21)
Healing the man born blind. (John 9:1–7)
Raising Lazarus. (John 11:1–44)
Notice how each of these seem to escalate either in impact or scope. There is an eighth sign that seems to culminate all of these and that is Jesus’ own resurrection.
John chose each of these miracles, and he seemed to do so specifically. In the process, he notes various times where people began to express their belief in Him. So many people want to say these days that it doesn’t matter what you believe, but that you believe something. This is not a random or vague belief. John is very specific. He is leading us toward a belief that is rooted in the person of Jesus - the son of God and his title as the Christ or the Messiah - the anointed one of God.
John’s hope is that we will consider the signs that Jesus performed in order to believe in Jesus so that we will live.
Next week I will look further into what being alive in Jesus really means. Keep reading the book of John.
See you Sunday!
Dr. Scott Kallem