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so that you may believe

Theme verses: John 20:30-31

Everything we know about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ comes to us from the witness of the early church, particularly from the original disciples as written in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  Matthew and John were of the original twelve called by Jesus.  Mark, or John Mark, was a close friend of Peter, and Luke was a Greek doctor who was also one of the early followers of Christ.  So we are indebted to the faith of our fathers for being faithful to Jesus’ great commission by keeping the flame of faith burning for all of these centuries.

John’s gospel is unique, not only in its presentation, but because he seemed to be present at many of the important events in the life of Christ.  “The disciple that Jesus loved” was with him at the transfiguration, the Last Supper, at Gethsemane, the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus, and finally, John personally witnessed the resurrected Christ.

Chapter 20 of John’s gospel starts with Mary Magdalene discovering the empty tomb of Jesus, early on Easter Sunday.  After discovering that the stone had been removed from the entrance to the tomb, Mary ran to the disciples and told them what she had discovered.  Peter and John then ran to the tomb and also saw that it was empty.  John’s gospel describes how he, John, “bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in.  Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb.  He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head.  The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.  Finally, the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside.  He saw and believed.” (John 20:5-9)

Have you ever wondered why John provided all of the details about the strips of linen and the burial cloth?  They don’t really add anything to the story, except that they are eye-witness details.  John was relating everything he remembered from this first-hand account of the resurrection of Christ, and because of the details, they add the ring of truth.

How about the empty tomb?  Do you think that Jesus really needed to roll the stone away from the tomb’s entrance in order to escape?  No, the empty tomb was for the benefit of the eye witnesses, and everyone who would come to faith in Christ.

Later in the week, after appearing to the other disciples, Jesus appeared to the disciple Thomas, who had doubted the eye-witness accounts of the risen Lord.  After touching the body of Jesus, Thomas was moved to say “my Lord and my God!  Then Jesus told him ‘because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” (20:28-29)

Finally, John revealed to us the purpose of his account when he wrote: “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.  But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31)

©2008 Simpsonwood United Methodist Church • 4500 Jones Bridge Circle • 770.441.2181 • Fax: 770.446.3393