A Question and an Answer.  John 20.30-31

Good Day....

When you are reading Scripture, do you read (or listen) carefully, so that you pick up on things you may have not known … and in so doing, find yourself pondering their implication?  For instance, after Jesus’ resurrection, John mentions there were eight days between his visits with the disciples.  During that time, where was Jesus staying, and with whom?  What was he doing?^*  Was Jesus being Jesus, teaching about his Father, touching and healing folks?  And, was someone tending Jesus’ wounds? 

John makes mention that:

“The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book.”  Well yes, Jesus had said, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” John 5.17  So remember that Jesus is always at work in your life and mine!  You may forget prayers you have prayed, but he does not.  You may not feel that anything is happening, but he assured us himself that he is always working. 

And then John tells us his purpose in writing, “But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.” John 20.30-31  Friend, do you have that life?  Is your life characterized by the power of God living in, flowing through and out of you? 

When we began our study, I revealed John’s motivation for writing, “We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us.” 1 John 1.1-3, NLT, referenced in “Jesus, the Life-Giver” - http://pastorwoman.com/ReadArchive.aspx?id=899.  Remember, all of the previous briefings from John’s gospel are archived at www.pastorwoman.com.  

Now that we have just witnessed the disciples seeing their resurrected Lord, John’s stated purpose in writing seems so much more alive.  Seriously, how could you have had an encounter with Jesus, who rose from the dead, who you witnessed with your own eyes, and not tell others?   Thank you, John, the one whom Jesus loved, for revealing the Messiah who you loved so very much, to us.  Thank you for painting pictures of scenarios that we can see so very clearly, as though we were in the room with you, Jesus and the other disciples!  Thank you, John, for sharing your Jesus with us. 

Here’s another question: do you share your Jesus with others, so that they may believe, and have his power in their lives … so that they may have eternal life and love?  If the answer is not ‘yes’, then make it a ‘yes’ today.