Word of Salvation – Vol.13 No.12 – March 1967
These Things Are Written…!
Sermon by Rev. J. J. van Wageningen on John 20:30-31
Scripture Reading: John 1: 1 – 18; John 20:24-31
Psalter Hymnal: 39; 420:6,4; 392; 365:2,4; 373:1,4
Beloved congregation,
Some people are disappointed, because the Bible does not tell them everything they want to know. It is true, not everything is recorded in the Bible. Many things happened in the days of the Old and New Testament, which are not written in Holy Scripture. It is obvious, that a complete recording of history is not the purpose.
We can ask many questions to which no answer is given in the Bible. The Word of God does not gratify our curiosity; it does not satisfy our desire for profane knowledge; it does not quench our thirst for information.
In our text John says: not everything is written in this book. “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book.”
Not everything, but enough; enough to realize its purpose. The question is not: what do we want to find in the Bible? what are we looking for?, but: what IS in the Bible? What does it mean that the Bible is the Word of God to man? Do we accept it as such? Are we prepared to believe? “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.”
Jesus did many other signs.
1. First of all we pay attention to the fact, that Jesus did SIGNS. What is the meaning of the word SIGN?
Why does the apostle not say: Jesus did many miracles; He performed many mighty deeds? No, he uses the word SIGN and He does so on purpose. This term is used more often by the apostle John than by the other Gospel-writers. In the 2nd chapter for example we read that Jesus changed water into wine at the wedding-feast at Cana, and then John concludes: “This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee.”
The word SIGN means that such a miracle says something, reveals something concerning Jesus. A sign points away from itself – here to Him who performed the miracle. Using the word “SIGN”, the apostle means to say: do not separate such a deed, such a miracle, from the Person and the work of Christ. We are inclined to look at it as if a miracle is so important in itself. The wonderful deed as such draws all our attention. But John says: no! It is a SIGN. Such a deed of Jesus is proof of His divine authority and majesty. It must lead our attention away from the deed itself to the divine Doer. So the sign is an illustration that shows us something concerning Jesus. Think for example of the multiplication of the loaves, it directs our attention to Christ as the Bread of Life. The opening of the eyes of the man born blind centres around the Lord’s saying: “I am the Light of the world.” And the raising of Lazarus is immediately connected with Jesus as the Giver of Life. Life in the fullest sense of the word: spiritual life, bodily life, eternal life. Many such signs Jesus did and His Resurrection was the greatest sign of all.
2. In the second place we see that these signs were performed in THE PRESENCE OF THE DISCIPLES. Jesus preached and He added signs to His preaching, that Israel might understand that He was the Christ, the Messiah, sent by the Father; that Israel might accept Him as such. “He came unto His own”, to the people of God, “but they that were His own, received Him not.” Israel heard Jesus’ words, Israel saw His deeds, it was a terrific sensation, they were astonished, however they did not believe, and they went home again just the same as they had come. Only the disciples were present as believers. They were continuously with Jesus and they saw all His signs. So the disciples were prepared to become qualified witnesses. In this way they were enabled to give competent, reliable testimony concerning that, which they themselves had seen, heard and experienced. “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples.” This is important. Do not think that all these signs were performed in vain, because they are not written down in the Bible and we do not know them. They belonged to the work the Lord Jesus had to do here on earth. They were of the greatest importance for the people of Israel, and for the disciples, and so for the church of all ages.
And although we do not know the details, it is of great importance for us to know, that the Gospel was sealed by a very great number of miracles.
3. In the third place we ask: what does John mean, when he says: “BUT THESE ARE WRITTEN”? Many other signs are not written in this book, but these are written!
Which signs are written? Well, first of all the great sign of the resurrection, the manifestations of the risen Lord to the disciples: on the first day of the week Jesus came and stood in their midst. And after eight days He came again when Thomas was with them. And further, the other signs which are recorded in the Fourth Gospel: the changing of water into wine, the healing of the courtier’s son, the cure of the “withered” man at the pool of Bethesda, the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, the opening of the eyes of the man born blind, the raising of Lazarus. But that is by no means all. One might ask: “was not the cleaning of the temple a sign? Was not the triumphal entrance into Jerusalem another sign?” But the greatest of all is the Resurrection and the appearances of the risen Lord. These signs reveal to us that another reality has entered, has penetrated into ours: Life has been revealed. Into this dark world, this world of death and destruction, Jesus Christ came. He died and rose again. The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness apprehended it not. But still it is written. These signs are written. These signs and their meaning. Not all the signs. That is not necessary and it would have been impossible, for if all of them should be written, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books (John 21:25).
However these are written, and here John uses the same expression, the same formula, by which a quotation from the Old Testament is introduced. So the Lord Jesus said to the devil, who tried to tempt Him: “It is written: man shall not live by bread alone.”
“IT IS WRITTEN…!” In the same way John says here: “It is written!” You may have criticism, you may think it is not complete; it is too short or too long, however these signs are written, and it is enough. “It is written…!” God Himself is behind this book; it is the Word, the revelation of God concerning Jesus Christ and our salvation.
4. “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.” So, in the 4th place, we hear the purpose: “that you may believe, and that believing you may have Life.” Hear the Word of God! Reading this Word, you will receive life, if you believe!
What are the contents of this book? What does John want us to believe? That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Two names are in this book: Jesus and Christ and they are one: Jesus IS the Christ. We are told in this book about Jesus of Nazareth, His birth, His baptism, His words and His deeds, His death and His resurrection, believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Promised One, the Anointed One, sent by the Father, our Prophet, Priest and King.
The Christ…! All the pages of Holy Writ are full of Him. He is the King, the Hope, the Expectation, the Consolation of Israel. With Him the Kingdom appears, the Government, the Great Liberation. He bears the Name, in which the people of God put their trust: Messiah, Christ.
Do you desire the blessing of God’s promises?
Believe that Jesus is the Christ!
Do you want to give up yourself to the truth of God?
Believe that Jesus is the Christ!
Do you long to be comforted because of your sins
and the evil of this world?
Believe that Jesus is the Christ!
Do you wish to be a citizen of the eternal kingdom of God,
the kingdom of love and righteousness?
Believe that Jesus is the Christ!
THE SON OF GOD…! John emphasizes this truth throughout his book, because already in his days this truth was denied. There were false teachers, who taught that Jesus was merely human. Just the son of Joseph and Mary by natural generation. They undermined the truth and the faith of believers. The apostle, seeing this danger and being moved by the Holy Spirit, writes this Gospel in order that the church may abide in the truth, believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
Therefore he does not tell in the first chapters of the birth of Jesus, like Matthew and Luke do; no, John starts with the majestic words: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father) full of grace and truth.”
And throughout his Gospel, he shows us this glorious reality, that Jesus is the CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD; the eternal Son, the only-begotten from the Father, Son of God by nature and from eternity, God’s own Son.
This is the purpose of John, that we may believe this. Literally he says: that you may CONTINUE to believe; that you may HOLD the faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, over against the undermining activity of the misleaders, the false teachers.
Nowadays we have the same false doctrine in the churches and outside the churches. Modernists, liberals in the churches and, for example, Jehovah witnesses outside the churches deny the eternal Son-ship of Christ.
However this faith in the deity of Christ must be strengthened, says John. The enemy must be driven back. To this end John wrote his book, with all the wonderful signs of Jesus. These are written in order that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Otherwise there is no life. If you do not continue to believe, to believe this, to believe in your DIVINE REDEEMER, you are lost. Only if you believe, you will have life in His Name.
5. Finally we see that this means a serious warning and a great encouragement.
A serious warning to all those, who deny that Jesus is the Christ, the eternal, only-begotten son of God. Then we do not have life. We are dead; dead, like Paul writes, through our trespasses and sins. An awful reality! Then we may speak about Jesus Christ, we may even call Him Son of God, but we do not do it believingly; we do not know His NAME; we do not know HIM.
We have to believe in Him; we must continue to believe in Him, in Jesus, who is the Christ, the Son of God, the eternal Word, Who became flesh.
We, poor, guilty, unworthy sinners, we must lose ourselves, our own name, our own life. We must die, our old nature, our own proud and self-conceited heart, it must die. We must totally surrender ourselves, we must completely give up ourselves to the Name, that is to Jesus Christ, our Lord, the Son of God.
How can we maintain ourselves before our risen, our living Lord? Look at Thomas, and realize that Jesus, who is the Christ, the Son of God comes to us and reveals Himself to us, saying: “Be not faithless, but believing!” The only right answer is: “My Lord and my God!”
Then we are nothing and Christ is all.
And what an encouragement: in His Name we have life, eternal life!
In His Name, that is by accepting Him as the Christ, the Son of God. For “as many as received Him, to them gave He the right to become children of God, even to them, who believe in His Name; who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
In His Name, in Him, we have life, life in the fullest sense of the Word; real life, eternal life, fellowship with God forever. We are partakers of God’s love and peace and joy.
So read your Bible, so read the Gospel, that you believe, that you continue to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
It means a personal knowledge: you know Him, you confess Him as your Lord and your God, and you have life in His Name.
Amen.