Turn to your Bibles, please, to John chapter 20. John 20. Our focus this morning is going to be primarily on verse 31. We want to read in John 20, picking up at verse 19.
Remember what's going on here. resurrected Christ has appeared to His disciples, and He appears to them, of course, on Sunday, which would become the Lord's Day Sabbath. He appears to them here again in the evening, as we pick up in verse 19. And when we get to verse 24, we see that He appears one week later on the same day, the first day of the week, the New Covenant, New Testament Sabbath, the second time to Thomas in order to, if you will, confirm his faith. We want to pick up reading in John 20, beginning at verse 19.
Once again, the Word of God. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, peace to you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. Now Thomas called the twin, one of the 12, was not with them when Jesus came.
The other disciples, therefore, said to him, we have seen the Lord. So he said to them, unless I see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days, his disciples were again inside and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, peace to you.
Then he said to Thomas, reach your finger here and look at my hands, and reach your hand here and put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to him, my Lord and my God. Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed.
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. And truly, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, you may have life in his name. Amen.
Well, let's again go to the Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, we rejoice that we can now engage in this act of worship, the preaching of the Word. Again, God, we would pray that you'd help us to engage in that, this act, with great joy, that we would be attentive. Throughout this exercise, we pray that You would come and that Christ by His Spirit would strengthen our hearts, would illumine our minds, that we might know our Christ more.
And Lord God, that Your saints would be instructed, that sinners would be saved, and that this would be an occasion for Your glory's sake, that the Lord Jesus Christ as well would be exalted upon the praises of this gathered assembly. And it's in Christ's name that we pray. Amen. Well,
Introduction
when we come to the Holy Scriptures, there are some things that can be hard to understand. Peter himself recognizes that with respect to the Apostle Paul's writing. There are things that can be hard to understand. They are to be understood, but nevertheless, they can be hard to understand.
Our confession puts it this way, all things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all. Yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded and opened in some piece of Scripture or other that not only the learned but the unlearned in a due use of ordinary means may attain to a sufficient understanding of them. What it's saying is that while there are some things that are hard to understand, they are to be understood, but nevertheless hard to understand, there are things that are so clearly propounded, they are clear, there is an aspect of clarity, they're easy to understand. We have such a thing here that not only is it easy to understand, but the author of the Gospel here, John, even augments the clarity of understanding by giving a purpose statement for the entirety of his book.
We have an instance of this as well in Hebrews 8.1, where the Apostle Paul, or the author to the Hebrews, says, this is the point of the things that we have been saying. He brings a kindness to us dumb pupils of Christ in order to make the point and to make it clear. And the Apostle John does that here when he gives this summary statement, if you will, in John 20, 30 and 31, which I'll re-read now. And truly, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. This is an instance of condescending divine kindness. By revelation, John gives a purpose statement. Kids, that means words that give a reason for something.
And here John is giving a reason as to why he wrote this book. These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. Ryle uses the language something like this, there are many weak children in Christ's family. There are many dumb pupils in His school, many raw soldiers in His army, and many lame sheep in His flock.
And He condescends with the revelation of Himself with clarity of words in order to make known that He is the Christ, the Son of God, and that all who believe in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. You see, when we come to the Bible, We come to a book that is not shrouded in mystery. It's not shrouded in some sort of incoherent babble. It's not esoteric.
That means it's not some sort of Gnostic, hard-to-understand thing that only a few can understand. But rather, the Bible comes to us, and with clarity of words, it holds forth the Christ, the Son of God, and the blessed truth that all who believe in Him will have everlasting life. We want to look at John 20, 30 and 31 under two headings. And perhaps Don Lindblad would be proud of the alliteration.
The first is the deliberate divine design of gospel revelation. And the second is the clear Christocentric character of Gospel revelation. We'll define what those things mean, but it's fun to alliterate. Now, first off,
Deliberate Divine Design of Gospel Revelation
we want to note the deliberate divine design of Gospel revelation. That simply means that God had a particular purpose in revealing Himself in the 66 books of the Old and New Testament. There is a divine design in God's revelation to us. The Bible comes to us, and it comes to us with a divine purpose in the background and in the foreground.
Now, we have this statement in verse 30. Not all things were written. Notice what it says. And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book.
Now, there are a couple ways we could look at that. First off, we have Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Some of the things written there are not recorded in John. And so there may be something here where John, aware of the other gospel authors, comes and he says, truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book, but they are written in the other books.
And there is an element of truth to that. But it does not stop there, and we cannot confine that statement there, because notice what we find in John 21-25. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
And so
God's Purpose in Inscripturation
we have in view here the reality that God superintending the inscripturation of the Bible so revealed things after a particular purpose. There was a deliberate divine design in gospel revelation.
Scripture's Peculiar and Trustworthy Design
The Bible is not a detailed manual for all things. Pastor Lindblad talked about that in his preaching last Lord's Day morning. We do not have in the Bible an extensive opening up of the history of the world, though everything it does say about history is inspired, infallible, and inerrant. We do not have in the Bible a science manual.
It's not a manual for science or the sciences, though everything it says with respect to science is inspired, inerrant, and infallible. All of this to say, the Bible has a peculiar design. While it might not say everything about everything, what it does say is wholly trustworthy. Are the Scriptures trustworthy in all that they affirm?
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments being inspired are therefore inherent and infallible in all that they affirm concerning history, science, doctrine, religion, ethics, and every other thing. There is a trustworthiness to the Scriptures because they are God-breathed, but there is a peculiar design behind them. Not all things were written, but the things that were written come to us and they are sure and certain. Again, the text reads, and truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book, but these are written.
So not all things are written, but some things are, because there is a grand divine purpose in revelation. Remember, our Bibles don't come to us as some sort of haphazardly slapped together collection of ancient documents for our edification. for having a better life in this lower world, or for a veiling of preaching that will introduce 17 golf analogies on how to be more religious in this lower world. The Bible comes to us not haphazardly put together, but put together by God for a purpose, and that purpose we're going to get to, but we'll say it now, to set forth His glory in the salvation of sinners through Jesus Christ, the blessed Redeemer. And so we have a grand divine purpose in Revelation.
We see this in other places in the Gospel of John as well. You can turn with me to John 19 for a moment. the deliberate divine design in Gospel revelation, in the Scriptures. Notice what we have in John 19. This is the occasion of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And notice in verse 35 of 19, And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. You see the grand divine purpose of Gospel revelation there, so that you may believe. We have this blessed divine purpose in the Bible given to us, and
The Importance of the Written Word
we have to understand and we have to draw the application of the importance of the written Word. You hear that a lot in this church. The importance of the written Word of God. And hopefully you never roll your eyes because we have in God's revelation to us all that is sufficient for faith, for salvation, and for our life in godliness.
We have in the written Word God's revelation to men concerning His will and His purpose and salvation by so rich a Christ. The written Word and the importance of it is set in view quite clearly, and hopefully you see that in the occasion of Thomas. You see, we are not to seek after signs. Jesus Himself, in His earthly ministry, says a wicked and perverse generation seeks after a sign.
A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, instead of availing of the written, given revelation from God. In the occasion of Thomas, what do we have here? Notice what we have. And this speaks to the importance of the written word.
Thomas and the Rejection of Apostolic Testimony
Notice the obstinate rejection of apostolic testimony by Thomas. In verse 24, now Thomas called the twin. One of the twelve was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, We have seen the Lord.
So he said to them, unless I see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. Perhaps we don't get the weight or the import of this reality. Thomas is often called Doubting Thomas, and doubting that modifier, I think, reduces the severity and the gravity of Thomas' transgression here. He has rejected the apostolic testimony of his fellows.
Remember what John just wrote in John 19.35. He who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth so that you may believe. In this week, between Christ's resurrection appearances, John would have testified to Thomas, I saw the Lord. He ate broiled fish and honeycomb before me.
I put my hand into the print of his nails. I cast my eyes upon the risen Christ. And yet Thomas rejects apostolic testimony. And it's not just that.
Remember what we read in 2 Timothy 3. The Old Testament Scriptures are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. The Old Testament comes and it promises a Christ who would be crucified and who would rise again. And Thomas, in the face of the written revelation of God, in obstinate rejection, opposes those things.
Now, we do have to have a measure of kindness here, because our Christ is kind to Thomas. He was weak and beaten, if you will, by the reality that his Savior had been put to death by lawless hands. And so, no doubt, there is grief, there is lament, there is loss. But nevertheless, in the face of the Scriptures and in the face of apostolic testimony, he rejects and he demands a sign, he demands these evidential proofs.
All of that to come back to this point, the importance of the written Word. We have the written Word, the testimony of those who laid eyes upon Him. Prior to that, the testimony of those who promised that this One would come, and that many would cast eyes upon Him. We have that testimony, and we are to avail of it.
We are not to demand signs, we are not to demand evidential proofs, but we are to avail of the Word that God has committed to us. And we are to thereby and therein believe in this Christ who is proclaimed, who is preached in this inferent, inspired, and infallible word. The importance of the written word is brought out in these simple words. These are written.
Avail of your Bibles. Kids, read your Bibles. Adults, read your Bibles. I know it's the simple admonition and exhortation by preachers throughout the years, but why do we say, read your Bibles?
It's not to check off a list, but it's to glory in your Christ. It's not to check off a list, it's to adore your God. It's not to check off a list, it's to read of the fact that by God's grace you have been brought forth from darkness to light, from deadness to life. in this Savior and by this Savior. If you're outside of Christ, read the Bible.
Why? Because these things were written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and believing have life in His name. There is a clear statement delivered by John in this same Gospel, and it ought to strike fear in the heart of everyone who is outside of Christ. Those who believe in Christ have life, but those who do not believe shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on them.
The wrath of God. And this revelation comes to you, and it sets forth a glorious Christ, the Savior of sinners. Believing in Him, you will have everlasting life. And brethren, when we tell you to go to the Scriptures, When anyone tells you, a parent, a mother, a father, a brother, a sister, an uncle, an aunt, or whoever tells you to go to the scriptures and to read them, what a glorious book in the manner in which it reads.
There's a statement in our confession that speaks about the attributes of Holy Scripture. You see, we don't come to a dry tome of antiquated truths that just rehearses these ethereal truths to just take in and have a head full of knowledge. The statement in our confession, speaking about the attributes of Scripture, says the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole which is to give glory to God, the full discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation, and many other incomparable excellencies and entire perfections thereof, are arguments whereby the Scriptures testify to their own authority and inspiration, their own glory. It's not a dusty tome of antiquated truths.
It is the rich and the excellent word from on high. That's why we call you to go to the Scriptures. What a book! What a book!
And in this book is set forth for you the Christ, the Son of God. So the deliberate divine design of gospel revelation, it is not to give us information on all things, but it is peculiarly in its inspiration, infallibility, and inerrancy to disclose certain things concerning the purpose of God for the salvation of His elect through Jesus Christ, the blessed Redeemer. And
Clear Christocentric Character of Gospel Revelation
that brings us then to the second and last heading here with regards to this passage, the clear, Christocentric character of gospel revelation. Hopefully, we all know what clear means. Christocentric, kids, and everyone else, just means Christ-centered. The Bible is Christocentric.
It sets forth Christ as the heart and the center of its revelation to men. And so, we have in John 20, 31, the clear, Christocentric character of gospel revelation. Again, I read, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."
The Scope of John: Jesus the Christ, Son of God
The first thing we want to observe is the scope of the book of John is herein stated. If we ask John the Revelator, if we ask John here the Gospel writer, why did you write the book of John? Why did you write the Gospel of John? so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." It's Christocentric in its character. This is Cyril of Alexandria on this particular point of Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, and the Gospel of John.
For all the signs, he says, that is John, are not written in this book, but those only have been inserted by me which I thought best able to convince my hearers that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. This is what the inspired evangelist says, and I think too, that it may be of use to make the following observation. For the whole meaning of the record is directed to producing in us this faith, and is well calculated to make us steadfast in the conviction that the child of the Holy Virgin, who was called Jesus by the voice of the angel, is the very Christ whose coming was proclaimed by Holy Writ. And if He be, indeed, very Christ and none other, Not merely a son, but the Son of God in a unique and special sense.
The scope of the book of John is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. We come to this book and we see this purpose statement given, that our eyes are to be drawn in a collection of all of the data, in a collection of all of the signs, in a collection of all of the truths. Our eyes are to be drawn and to be focused upon the Christ, the Son of God, that we might believe in Him and have life in His name. Nehemiah Cox is speaking about Christocentricity.
Again, kids, the Christ-centeredness of our Bibles, the Christ-centeredness of the Gospel of John. He says, for in all our search after the mind of God in the Holy Scriptures, we're to manage our inquiries after Christ, this one, the Son of God, this one who gave his life for guilty sinners. In a sense, actually not in a sense, but really, this is the scope of the book of John, but it is also, Christ is the scope of the whole of the Scriptures. The full discovery it makes concerning the only way of salvation, the only way for men to be saved.
Christ is the scope of Scripture. He is the intended end, the target, the goal. All of the washings and the ceremonies and the sacrifices foreshadow Him. All of the promises and the types and the proclamations have Christ as their glorious intended terminus, their ending point.
Notice what we have in John 5 on this very point. From the lips of the Savior Himself, In John 5, we have these words beginning in verse 38. Notice what Christ Himself speaks. But you do not have His Word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him, you do not believe.
You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. I do not receive honor from men, but I know you that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me.
If another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe who receive honor from one another and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you, Moses, in whom you trust.
For if you believed Moses, you would believe me. Now note, for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words? Jesus Christ, in two places here, speaks with regards to the reality that He is the focus, the target, the end goal of the revelation from on high.
Verse 39, you search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and these are they which testify of Me. Verse 47, but if you do not believe His writings, that is, Moses' writings, how will you believe My words? He wrote about Me, Christ says. You think about that.
You go back to the Pentateuch. You go back to the book of Genesis. Moses wrote about Christ. From the outset of Revelation, brothers and sisters, we have the promise of Christ.
The hero born of woman who would crush the serpent with his heel. And from there on out, Revelation follows a trajectory Christward in setting forth the promises, the prophecies of this one who would come. A very simple summary of the Bible by William Ames. The Old Testament promises Christ to come.
The New Testament testifies that He has. We have these things written so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing we might have life in His name. The scope of John, the scope of Scripture is salvation through Jesus Christ the Lord. It is Christocentric.
It is Christ-centered. Brethren, that wonderful language that we have in this summary statement, in this purpose statement, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King
John takes pains throughout his gospel to stress the identity of Jesus Christ, to press the blessed identity of Jesus Christ. This is no regular man. This is not Jeremiah. This is not Elijah.
This is not John the Baptist. This is not some other prophet. This is the Christ, the Son of God. This is the promised Messiah.
This is the promised Anointed One. This is the promised Savior. This is the promised one of Genesis 3.15. This is the promised one of Psalm 22.
This is the promised one of Isaiah 53. This is the one that the angels cried out before His glory. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is filled with His glory.
This same one that was a babe wrapped in swaddling bands, lying in a feed trough. It's the King of kings and Lord of lords, wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of peace. This is the Christ. He's the prophet, priest, and king of the church.
Those three offices of the Lord Jesus Christ are not theological impositions upon the Scripture, prophet, priest, and king. The Old Testament had what three offices primarily? Prophet, priest, and king. Multitudes of them.
Separate individuals, but in Christ they all converge into one glorious prophet, one glorious priest, and one glorious king. And unlike the prophets of old, this Christ is both messenger and the content of the message preached. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father but by Me.
Unlike the priests of old who were one after the other, he is both priest and sacrifice offered. And unlike those sacrifices of old which could never take away sin, which were offered time and again, year after year, this one, once and for all, offered one sacrifice for the quick and the dead. And a perfect one, and the only one that can forgive sins and offer that blessed salvation. and He's the King. Remember what we looked at a number of Sundays ago, the blessed and only potentate, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
There is one King. There is one monarch. There is one potentate. There is one true ruler who has it, essentially, originally, and non-derived, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
This is the Christ, the Son of God. That language of Son of God is rich. It's not simply Son of God by virtue of His incarnation and divine bestowal of blessings, but Son of God really and essentially. He is true and essential deity.
As we've studied in our Christology sessions, Christ is true and essential deity, coessential with the Father. It means He's of the same substance, of the same glory, of the same essence. He's not lesser than the Father. He's equal to the Father.
I was thinking about this as I'm reading this. For those who have been in the Christology session, there are some high things that we've covered that really, with my apology, sometimes have not been opened up to adequacy. We say statements like, Christ is true and essential deity, coessential with the Father. You see, when we say those things, though, We are to then mount to Thomas' declaration, my Lord and my God, because that's what that means.
Sometimes affirmation, apprehension of a theological truth, and the affirmation of it, it's not supposed to stop there, but it's to lead to adoration. Christ is true and essential deity, coessential with the Father. That leads us to my Lord and my God. You see, Thomas is to be prototypical of every true Christian throughout the ages.
We are to be cast down in humility before the King of kings and Lord of lords. And with eyes of faith, unlike Thomas' eyes of sight, with eyes of faith, we look upon an exalted Redeemer with the print of the nails in His hands, with the wound in His side, now exalted, given dominion and glory and a kingdom. and we cast down before Him our faces to the ground and we say with Thomas, my Lord and my God. He is the Christ. He is the Son of God.
Blessed King. Blessed Redeemer.
The End Goal: Sinners Believe in Jesus
The end goal then, we're looking at the clear Christocentric character of Gospel revelation, the scope of the book of John, and we can say truly the scope of Scripture is Christ Jesus the Lord, and now the end goal of the book of John. So if the scope of the book of John is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, then what is the end goal of the book of John? Well, first it is that sinners believe in Jesus. Sinners believe in Jesus.
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. The end goal of the book of John is unto this end that sinners would believe in Jesus. Isn't this our hope? Hopefully it's our hope as Christians that sinners believe in Jesus and we pray to that end.
We even have opportunities sometimes set before us by God that we can preach Jesus unto that end. It should be our hope as parents that our children would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Children, if you're here this morning and you haven't believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. John wrote this gospel, yes, to his first century audience that they might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing they would have life in His name.
But it comes to you today by the guiding and glorious and condescending providence of God. You've been planted time and again before preacher, before parent, before whomever. You've had these truths opened up to you. You've had the glory of Christ set before you.
Yes, sometimes, yes, always, veiled behind the fallibility of the preacher. But nevertheless, the infallible Word comes to you and it sets forth this glorious Savior that saves you from your sins. Believe on Him. And you will have everlasting life.
Notice just a few places in John here to rehearse that brings this out. If we were to... work through the Gospel of John and sort of highlight two words or two synonymous themes related to those words that come up a lot. It's two that come up in verse 31. It's believe and it's life.
There's other words to be sure, but there are those two things that come up throughout the Gospel of John. Believe and life. Believing unto life. Jesus is the life, and we are to believe in Him as the only one who can and does give life.
Notice in John 3, beginning in verse 12, on this reality that the gospel of John is set forth that we might believe. Jesus excuse me John 3 beginning in verse 12 if I have told you earthly things and you do not believe How will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but he who came down from heaven that is the Son of Man who is in heaven and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up and that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He who believes in him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned. You see, the gospel of John comes and it brings forth those things of blessed clarity. See, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ boils down to this.
God is holy, He's just, He's righteous. He is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His holiness, righteousness, and justice, and all other things. Man has sinned and transgressed His holy law, and you know that, each and every one of you, don't you? This doesn't come as a mystery to you.
Your conscience speaks to this reality that you have transgressed the mighty laws of a holy creator, a holy God. Again, the language of Spurgeon, that if we peruse the diary of our memories, there the witnesses of our guilt have faithfully recorded their names. Your transgressions against the high and unrivaled majesty are like witnesses who have written down their names upon the book of your memory. They're there.
You violated His law, and you know that it is righteous with Him to not only punish you in this age, but eternally in the age to come. And yet, God, through His Christ, through His servants, pen these things of divine superintendence. They come to us and they disclose the remedy, the answer, the blessed answer. Jesus Christ died to save sinners.
He rose again to save sinners. He ascended to the right hand of the majesty on high to ever live, to intercede for those self-same. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will not have the eternal hauntings of those signatures of your transgressions throughout eternity. A damned eternity.
You come to the One who was set forth by John and you have life. You have life. Not death and condemnation eternally, but life eternal in the presence of God and the holy angels. Wonderful, wonderful truth.
Life in His Name: Present and Eternal
The end goal of the book of John is that sinners believe in Jesus. We have this blessed progression throughout the Gospel of John. What a majestic opening to the Gospel of John. It's Christocentric, and it's designed so that you will believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. Later on, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
That same Christ is the one who brings dead sinners to life by His Spirit, by virtue of His perfect saving work. We follow the Gospel of John, and we see these mighty signs that He truly did do. You see, we don't need to seek after our own signs. We go to the written Word and we find the faithful testimony of those who witnessed the signs that He did.
We therein believe the Word of God. But Christ did these mighty signs. As Peter says, He was a man attested to you by miracles, wonders, and signs. The Gospel of John, He turns water into wine.
He heals the nobleman's son. He heals blind men. He raises Lazarus from deadness to life. We have after His resurrection that miraculous catch of fish.
Testimony after testimony that this is the Christ, the Son of God. And in sum, John brings before us who Christ is, what He has done, and the blessed exclusivity of salvation by Him alone. From the lips of Christ, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.
You see, those are fearful words of exclusivity. No one can come to the Father but by this Christ. If anyone who does not come to this Christ, he will not go to the Father, but rather will be damned eternally. But you see, there's blessed hope and blessed things in that statement as well.
Christ, with the clarity of which there is no greater clarity, Christ says, I am the way, the truth, and the life, so why any of you? Are you going after any other way? Any other truth? Or any other life?
First off, there are no any other ways, truths, and lives. They're false. They're phony. They're counterfeit.
If anyone tells you they have another way other than Jesus, they're wrong. Run away. If you have the vigor and the strong heart of an apologist, you can say, not even an apologist, just someone who's firm in their faith, you can say, no, you're wrong. Christ is the only way, the only truth, and the only light.
Don't bring me that madness. I'll tell you of the way, the truth, and the life. There is only one way, and only one truth, and only one life, and it is in Christ, and with a raging and blessed clarity. He gives that to us by His own lips, so why do you go anywhere else?
Come to Christ, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and He will give you rest. The end goal of the book of John is that sinners may believe in Jesus, and secondly, that the believing have life in His name. Again, the text reads, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. Blessed life.
We are brought cursed death by our association with Adam outside of Christ. Cursed death. And yet, in the second Adam, in Christ, we have blessed life. And it's because he did. everything that Adam failed.
He upheld the covenantal responsibilities. He performed the perfection of obedience. He bore the wrath of God on Calvary's tree in our stead, and in Him we have everlasting life. And let's not confine this only to eternal life in the age to come, though it most blessedly includes that.
The language we have here, that believing you may have life in His name, it's spiritual life in this present age, and it's eternal life in the age to come. It's two blessed things concerning the life that Christ brings to sinners, those who believe in Him. We have spiritual life in this present age. We're brought from deadness to life.
We're brought forth, we're born again by the power of the Spirit and brought forth from darkness to light and deadness to life. Isn't this the language of the Apostle Paul? You can turn here with me. Speaking of the life, we have in Ephesians chapter 2, notice what we have there.
In Ephesians 2, a passage of scripture, well familiar, but hopefully every time it's rehearsed, it causes your heart to skip with joy. Notice the language of Ephesians 2.1, on this very reality. Life in Christ in this present age. Ephesians 2.1, "...and you He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the Spirit who now works, and the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others." But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.
By grace you have been saved. See, we noted earlier the consent of the parts of Holy Scripture, and that might just sound like a confessional statement that's sort of reserved for people who study confessions and stuff. Notice the blessed consent of the parts here. in Christ, in John 20, 31, so that all who believe might have life in his name. And here we have another apostle, the apostle Paul, not contradicting John, but upholding with blessed clarity and harmony that we are made alive together with Christ, even when we were dead in trespasses.
Christ brings life. We're brought from death to life and regeneration. Our minds no longer seek after the death of vain philosophy and the deadness and the madness of lives of sin, but are made alive after the image of Christ to seek after righteousness and holiness. This spiritual life in this present age would have in view all of those blessed things of salvation, regeneration, Faith and repentance.
Justification. Adoption. Sanctification. Perseverance and holiness.
The ultimate and blessed end of glorification. All of those things that has in view the stuff of Romans 6. That Christ has brought us from deadness to life so that we might walk in newness of life. Brethren, if you're here this morning and you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you are no longer dead, but you are alive.
And you are alive in Him. And it's not because you're awesome. It's not because of deeds of righteousness and holiness which you have done. No Christian pats himself on the back, but he says, God forbid that I should boast, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You've been brought from deadness to life by the grace of God. Amazing, sovereign, victorious. Irresistible. We have this blessed truth that we have spiritual life in this present age.
And just very quickly, before we close, notice in John 6, and this connects many of the things that we've talked about, including the importance of the Word of God. believing and life in His name. Notice in John 6 in two places. First, John 6 and verse 63. Notice what we find there.
It is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are Spirit and they are life. And verse 68, But Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. You see the importance of the Word of God, the words of Christ, and everlasting life. Jesus Christ has the words. Jesus Christ has the life because He is the way, the truth, and the life.
And we have eternal life. in the age to come. We have blessed spiritual blessings and life in this lower world in this present age as Christians, but we have that life eternally, that blessed eternal life in the age which is to come. Notice in John 5, John 5, what we have there at this very point, life in the age to come, connected with the Lord Jesus Christ. John 5, verse 24, "...most assuredly I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." What a beautiful statement, a number of observations, and when I mean that I don't mean a half hour, I just mean very briefly.
These blessed words, notice Christ says, most assuredly I say to you. You see, there is certainty in the Word of God. There is surety in the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. From the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ only ever dripped verity and truth and certainty.
And He says, most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My Word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life. Blessed assurance, Jesus is Mine. Christian, if you're here this morning, you can say that by the authority of the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you believe on Him, you have everlasting life most assuredly.
Believe His words and rejoice in them. This language of chapter 5, verse 24 here, shall not come into judgment or condemnation, but is passed from death to life. Calvin says there is here an implied contrast between the guilt to which we are all naturally liable and the unconditional acquittal which we obtain through Christ. Brethren, if you're here this morning and you are in Christ Jesus, you have no condemnation.
There is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. You deserved condemnation by virtue of sin after sin, transgression after transgression. You know. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
If you're in Him, fear not. Do not, like the Catholics, have guilt upon guilt loaded up. Do not have, as many in other, you know, even Christian traditions, those who fly the banner of Christ, go off on seasons of inordinate guilt where you're doing everything and anything to atone and to feel bad for your own sins. Should we feel bad for sins?
Yes, really, genuinely, but momentarily. and immediately fly to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Redeemer of men who died to bear the penalty for your sin. In Him is forgiveness. In Him is remission, not in your own sorrow and guilt. Fly to the Savior, who alone is the salvation, the forgiveness, the redemption, the reconciliation, all those things of blessed salvation.
Application
So lastly, we want to close with two brief observations. The Bible is not simply so that you may have knowledge. The Bible is that you may believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. Let us never stop at the Bible as a thing wherein we take in knowledge so that we can beat up others with less knowledge upon their noggins.
We don't come to the Bible as a fount of knowledge, only it is absolutely a sure fount of knowledge. But let us move from affirmation to Thomistic, and by that I mean Thomas, of the Bible, adoration, my Lord and my God. We believe on the Lord Jesus Christ because the deliberate divine design of Gospel revelation is that we would believe on Him. This revelation that is Christ-centered in its proclamation to men, we come to it, and we are to believe.
Let us come to the Bible, and yes, gain knowledge. Gain knowledge that we might do many things. Preach to others the riches and the excellencies of Christ. Rejoice ourselves after the joy of our regenerate hearts in the things of the revelation concerning Christ who came into this world, sinners to save.
We might rejoice in song, return prayer and praise unto God. We might have and enjoy life in Christ Jesus the Lord. And we have the certainty of the things written concerning Christ. This goes two ways, and then we close in prayer.
The certainty that we have in the revelation concerning Christ for you, believer, blessing. Joy. Peace. Confidence in the things that are written.
Most assuredly, Christ says. You read the Gospel of John. You read the Bible. Christ is therein proclaimed.
And if you believe on Him, you have everlasting life. Praise God. Wow. But you see, with certainty upon certainty, most assuredly comes from the lips of Christ to you.
And if you reject His Word, There is no everlasting life, but only everlasting death and loss. Those witnesses of your guilt will haunt you forever. Transgression upon transgression. When you die, there is no more forgiveness for sins.
You die outside of Christ. It is eternal condemnation and judgment, away from the glorious presence and grace of God, holy in loss and darkness. The hot justice of God tormenting you forever and the wholesome severity of God tormenting you forever for your rejection of such a glorious Christ. It's madness.
It's the height of sin. It's the height of human rebellion to reject the Son of God, the second of the blessed triune, the brightness of the Father's glory, the express image of His person, who upholds all things by the Word of His power, who came into this lower world, who willed to enter the womb of the Virgin Mary, to be wrapped in swaddling bands and lie in a feed trough, to live a life of rejection, to that ultimate rejection upon Calvary's tree, yet by it, He's victorious, giving His life for guilty sinners, rising again in power and in great victory, ascending to the right hand of the Majesty on high. If you're here this morning and you leave these two doors saying no to Christ, you're mad. It's colossal folly.
The Bible comes to you by the most sure words of Christ. by the blessing of Almighty God, and it discloses a Savior, the only Savior for sin, who is glorious, who is beautiful. Believe on Him, and you will have everlasting life. Reject Him, and He doesn't come as one in sweetness and beauty, but He comes in one in the hot justice of His holiness and in His righteousness. And He comes as judge and condemning king.
Believe on Him, and you will have everlasting life. I know my eyebrows slant when I talk about that and hopefully you understand it's genuine and you understand the severity of the matter. Blessing in Christ, cursing outside of Christ, don't reject such a glorious one. As I try to lift my eyebrows up, believe on him.
You'll have everlasting life. Don't tarry, don't dangle upon these propositions and these blessed truths and say we'll consider them another time. A bus might hit you. Affliction might curse you.
Something could happen to you before you consider these things when you have more time. Consider them now, the holiness of our God, your own sinfulness, but the glory of Christ as the Savior of men. Believe on Him, and these things will be sure of you, that in believing, you will have life in His most blessed name. Let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the truths of John 20, 31. We rejoice in our Savior, the Christ, the Son of God. We pray that You would help us, Lord God, to rejoice in Him daily, to find in Him our all in all, the way, the truth, and the life. We do pray, God, that You would be with all of us here, your saints, that we would be strengthened by your word and for your glory, that we would go out from this place seeking to live in light of a glorious gospel.
We do pray, God, that you would, by your grace, save many here who came in this morning outside of Christ, even all, Lord God, because it is possible only with you, that you would, by your grace, cause them to leave this place singing the praises of our Savior. And it's in his name that we pray. Amen.