These Things Are Written

When the phone rings in the office, our office manager and I look at each other with that little grin that says, “Who’s going to answer it?”  We laugh because most of the time there is no one there, or it’s a life insurance ad, or it’s someone who wants to give us an estimate to clean the church.  But, every once in a while you get a phone call that really matters.  Imagine a call like this: “Hi.  I’m a professional writer and I’ve been commissioned by your relatives to write your biography!”  So, you set up a time to meet, he asks questions and takes notes, pages through a couple of photo albums and checks out your photos on Google Drive and leaves.  So, how accurate of a biography do you think he will be able to write?  He might capture some of your personality, but no doubt there’ll be some distortions and inaccuracies.  Just ask Moses who had Hollywood write his biography called the “Ten Commandments.” LOL!

You might like to read biographies of other famous people because you like to learn about how they grew up, what they were like and how they became famous.  But, no doubt the writers enhance or even distort a few details for some drama and gain a greater audience to sell more books.  However, the Bible is a library of 66 books that record who God is and what he did to save us.  It was authored by God and written by prophets and apostles.  Peter said, “In fact, no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were being carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet 1:21). So, don’t you think our God who created people and human languages can easily cause them to write down the exact thoughts and words he wanted recorded and preserved his Word down through history? Of course he can.  And why would God do this?  John tells us:      

These Things Are Written

So You May Believe In Jesus’ Name

Maybe you’ve read an autobiography by a famous person.  These books usually start off with a preface like this: “You may have seen me on TV or in the movies, but I have written this book because I want to share with you who I really am and what I’m really like.”  Then after reading the book you might feel like you really do know the person!  His or her name would mean much more to us than before.  It would be more than just a label for a person, but you would know their personality, characteristics and what their life was like.

The disciples certainly knew who Jesus was and what he was like.  Jesus told them, “³⁵ “I am the Bread of Life,” Jesus told them. “The one who comes to me will never be hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35). “I am the light of the world” (Jn 11:26). “I am the Good Shepherd” (Jn 10:11).  “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6). “I am the resurrection and the life” (Jn 11:26).  Jesus revealed so much about himself by his words and also by his actions!  Jesus turned water into wine. Fed 5000 with a few fish and a couple loaves of bread. Calmed storms, gave sight to the blind, healed the sick and then came the biggest action!  After he suffered and died Jesus rose from the dead!  Isn’t it interesting to hear all these facts about Jesus that were witnessed by so many people?  And yet John wrote this: “³⁰ Jesus, in the presence of his disciples, did many other miraculous signs that are not written in this book.”  But what God, the author this book wrote, was sufficient for people to learn what they needed to learn about who God is and what he did to save us.  “³¹ But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.”

Let’s take one example from John 20.  The Holy Spirit inspired John to use three names for the Savior: Jesus came, stood among them.  ²⁸ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”   “that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.”  All of these names of Jesus teach us something about his personality, his character and his work.  He is called “Jesus,” born of Mary, because he came as true man to live the perfect life we could not, the one demanded by God for payment for the sins of the world.  He is called, “Lord” because he is our “Savior-God” who came to rescue his people by paying the ransom price of his powerful blood, enough to pay for the sins of everyone.  He is called “Christ” because he is God’s anointed one—chosen one to proclaim God’s Word as The Prophet to the world, to offer himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin and mediate for us as our High Priest in heaven, and as our King to conquer the power of sin, death and the devil as he rules our hearts and this world for the eternal good of his people. All of this is wrapped up in “his name,” revealed to us in the Bible.

This is a big deal for none of what I just shared with you is found in nature, not looking in yourself, not discovered in any other book.  But, God graciously and miraculously saw to it that the Bible was recorded so, “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.”  Did you hear that?  It is a matter of faith!  God wants us to have faith in him and what he has promised to us. Why?  Because it is only faith that receives what God has to offer. Without faith to receive it, we miss it and would plunge off the cliff of life into the eternal pit of hell.  Faith is the link to God.  And do you sense the urgency?  We want our faith to be strong.  We want our faith to remain on a solid footing.   The devil does not want you to have strong faith.  He wants you to doubt and question what Jesus has done for you.  In the gospel accounts there so many times when Jesus warns the disciples of little faith: “will he not clothe you even more, you of little faith?” (Matt 6:30), when he calmed the wind and the waves (Matt 8:26), when he rescued Peter from drowning (Matt 14:31), when Jesus fed the 5,000 “You of little faith! Why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you brought no bread?” (Matt 16:8), and when he said they had faith smaller than a mustard seed (Matt 17:20).

But just like the disciples we have our days of doubting.  We take our eyes off the promises of God’s Word and focus on our abilities, our skills, our money, our homes, our relationships.  You know, when things are going OK, we get comfortable.  We get comfortable with that pet sin and then the consequences of that pet sin jump up to bite us and we realize our faith is a roller coaster!  Today Jesus gives us the remedy for this.  John wrote, “³¹ But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.”  We read or hear the promises of God from his Word and our faith is revived.  Our forgiveness is reassured.  Our eyes are once again focused on Jesus who died to forgive all our sins and on Jesus who rose again to prove that his work on the cross was perfectly carried out.  We hear the biography of Jesus and our hearts are calmed with his promise that these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God

That You May Have Life In His Name

Sometimes when you read those biographies they not only share the personality and characteristics of a person, but they might write about how that person effected the lives of so many people.  For instance, let’s say Thomas Edison wrote an autobiography (I don’t of any he wrote, but let’s pretend he did). You could read how he grew up in Port Huron, Michigan; where he went to school, how he did in science class and then read how he discovered the electric light bulb in 1879.   So, what effect did he have on your life?  He lit up your world!  But, think of this.  While you were reading his autobiography and your lite bulb went out, that book would not make your lights go back on.  Nor does reading a book about William Boeing make you a pilot to fly for Southwest airlines.  Nor does reading a biography about Seinfeld make you a great comedian.  But, what about reading the Bible?  You not only learn who God is and what he did to save you, but what you learn changes your life!

How many times did the disciples see Jesus raise someone from the dead?  3 times (widow of Nain, Jairus’ daughter, Lazarus).  How many times did they see Jesus raise spiritually dead people back to faith?  Lots!  Woman at the well. Zacchaeus up the tree.  The woman caught in adultery.  But, how would other people benefit from the words and works of Jesus after Jesus ascended into heaven and all his disciples were dead and gone?  The Lord took care of that. “³¹ But these are written that you may believe …. and that by believing you may have life in his name.”  That’s how powerful the Word of God is!  It is different from any other book ever written.  It has life-changing power!  St Paul said, “¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16).  The Bible is the tool the Holy Spirit uses to create and sustain faith in spiritually dead people so that they are saved and life in Jesus.

Let me talk about the beginning and the end of life.  These are two hot topics for many people.  At the beginning of life a couple might be told their child has some abnormalities before they are born and the pregnancy should be terminated.  But ask a Mom and Dad who cuddled and cared for that child, perhaps for their whole life, what that child means to them when he/she was baptized into God’s family, and today is alive to pray for his/her parents in the old age.  Ask them if it’s worth it.  Or some have suggested that when the elderly become weak and infirm someone ought to assist them to end their life.  I have visited plenty of elderly people and some have even asked, “Why doesn’t God take me to be in heaven?”  I love to answer them, “Because God has been merciful and gracious and allowed me to visit you today and see the hope and joy you have in the promises of Jesus’ love for you, for me, for the all the people I will tell about you.”  They trust in Jesus and “by believing have life in his name!”

These are the beginning and end of life challenges.  You know there are so many more challenges in between.  We struggle every day for the energy and patience to continue on from paper cuts to gossiping people at work.  From spring time allergies to guilty consciences.  From coping with sickness, family issues, jealousy, laziness, unfaithfulness, etc.  How can we cope and go on?  “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.”  In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ you are forgiven, you have the hope of eternal life in his name.

So, today if the phone rings and someone wants to write your biography here’s what you can say.  “That sounds really cool.  Thanks. But, I’ve already had my biography written and I’ll read it to you.  It won’t take long.  It goes like this. “Jesus loves me this I know.  For the Bible tells me so.”  Amen.