John"s Gospel is Written With the Highest Possible Motivation and Purpose - Let it Bless You
Today, our communities desperately need leadership which can demonstrate integrity and honesty and give positive direction.
John's Gospel can help immensely when it comes to understanding, example and leadership.
Who was this amazing man, John? John had been the youngest of the twelve disciples.
He was the one who sat next to Jesus at the table when Jesus took the bread and the wine.
And, Jesus so loved this disciple.
When John refers to himself he always says, "the disciple whom Jesus loved".
Through reading what John has to say, you can come closer to Jesus and you can come to see more clearly who Jesus is, and you can come to love Him more and more.
This is quite an exciting prospect.
Why was this book written? Does it have a specific and particular purpose? In Chapter 20 verses 30 and 31 we read that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, and that believing you might have life through His name.
Do check out the text.
It is always important to do that.
Not even John could write everything down.
No-one could do that.
John had to select.
John had to pick and choose, but note his motive, "that you might believe".
Around 100 times John says "believe".
That is important and it is equally important what we believe, and how we obey what we believe, and how we allow what we believe to influence and shape our lives and our discipleship.
If you believe little, you will do little.
If you hardly believe, you'll hardly be seen.
If you pick and choose what to believe, it is likely that you will also pick and choose when to serve and obey and worship, and that spells disaster.
If a man decides not to believe certain truths, he will probably also decide not to obey certain commands.
John is writing that we may "believe and live".
That is what he says.
God has John write this book so that we may go on believing and so that we may go on living.
John is teaching the Church: do not finish when you are converted and born again.
That is only the start.
It is then that you must go on believing, and it is then that you can go on living, in Christ, and close to Christ, and loving Christ, and obeying Jesus Christ.
John is saying to us here.
"After 60 years, I still believe the same things which I believed at the start, and I still enjoy the same life, the life that the risen and living Jesus gives.
Some people change.
We see it all the time.
Some make quite an impressive beginning, but then they fall away.
They give in.
They give up.
John was seeing this happen in the Church at that time.
People begin to disappear.
To begin with, they looked as though they were going to be faithful disciples of Jesus, and then, you look for them and they are not present at the time of worship.
John was seeing this happen.
This is one of the reasons why he writes this book to help keep disciples of Jesus Christ, faithful.
This book is written to keep us, and to keep us faithful to Jesus Christ.
Sandy Shaw
John's Gospel can help immensely when it comes to understanding, example and leadership.
Who was this amazing man, John? John had been the youngest of the twelve disciples.
He was the one who sat next to Jesus at the table when Jesus took the bread and the wine.
And, Jesus so loved this disciple.
When John refers to himself he always says, "the disciple whom Jesus loved".
Through reading what John has to say, you can come closer to Jesus and you can come to see more clearly who Jesus is, and you can come to love Him more and more.
This is quite an exciting prospect.
Why was this book written? Does it have a specific and particular purpose? In Chapter 20 verses 30 and 31 we read that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, and that believing you might have life through His name.
Do check out the text.
It is always important to do that.
Not even John could write everything down.
No-one could do that.
John had to select.
John had to pick and choose, but note his motive, "that you might believe".
Around 100 times John says "believe".
That is important and it is equally important what we believe, and how we obey what we believe, and how we allow what we believe to influence and shape our lives and our discipleship.
If you believe little, you will do little.
If you hardly believe, you'll hardly be seen.
If you pick and choose what to believe, it is likely that you will also pick and choose when to serve and obey and worship, and that spells disaster.
If a man decides not to believe certain truths, he will probably also decide not to obey certain commands.
John is writing that we may "believe and live".
That is what he says.
God has John write this book so that we may go on believing and so that we may go on living.
John is teaching the Church: do not finish when you are converted and born again.
That is only the start.
It is then that you must go on believing, and it is then that you can go on living, in Christ, and close to Christ, and loving Christ, and obeying Jesus Christ.
John is saying to us here.
"After 60 years, I still believe the same things which I believed at the start, and I still enjoy the same life, the life that the risen and living Jesus gives.
Some people change.
We see it all the time.
Some make quite an impressive beginning, but then they fall away.
They give in.
They give up.
John was seeing this happen in the Church at that time.
People begin to disappear.
To begin with, they looked as though they were going to be faithful disciples of Jesus, and then, you look for them and they are not present at the time of worship.
John was seeing this happen.
This is one of the reasons why he writes this book to help keep disciples of Jesus Christ, faithful.
This book is written to keep us, and to keep us faithful to Jesus Christ.
Sandy Shaw