Rick and I started studying the book of John in the New Testament about a month ago. If you’ve never read the Bible, the book of John is the place to start. Here’s why.
John is written by one of Jesus’s disciples. As a follower of Jesus from the very beginning, John had the opportunity to be with Jesus for all of Jesus’s three-year ministry. John walked all over Israel with Jesus, learning from Him, seeing all the miracles Jesus performed. John heard straight from Jesus about who Jesus is, about sin, about turning away from sin, about eternal life. He saw and heard it all. John was there the night Jesus was arrested. He was there the next day when Jesus hung on the cross and died. John was the first disciple to reach the tomb the morning that Jesus rose from the dead. John ate and talked with resurrected Jesus. John was there when Jesus ascended into heaven. John saw everything. He lived it all.
Late in his life, John wrote this book. The other gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke had already been written. John didn’t write his gospel to repeat what had already been said about Jesus. He wrote so that people would believe in Jesus, and in believing find eternal life. That was his whole purpose. His approach is very different from the other gospels. He wrote it kind of like a court case—he presents evidence. How? With witnesses. He provides witnesses that prove that Jesus is who He said He is: the Son of God. His witness list is impressive: First, John the Baptist who was known by the people of Israel as a prophet sent by God. John the Baptist said to those he was preaching to, as Jesus approached him, “this is the Son of God” (John 1:34). A few of the men who had followed John the Baptist went to Jesus and began to learn from Him (this was the start of the group that became Jesus’s twelve disciples). A few more men joined and they quickly realized who Jesus was. Nathanael exclaimed to Jesus, “You are the Son of God!” (John 1:49). Next, there is the Samaritan woman. Jesus had never met this woman, yet He told her everything she had ever done—how could He do that if He wasn’t God in the flesh who sees and knows everything? Well, this woman immediately believed, and she told everyone about Jesus—that He was the long-awaited Messiah, the Son of God (John 4:1-45). Next, the miracles that Jesus did are evidence that He is the Son of God (John 5:36 and 10:25). Next, there is the Old Testament…Jesus said it was Scripture that gave evidence of who He was (John 5:39-40). Also among John’s witnesses: God Himself (Matthew 3:17) and the Holy Spirit (John:26). John keeps pounding home the point that Jesus is the Son of God.
John does this for this reason: so that “you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have eternal life” (John 20:31). That was John’s whole point. He wanted to help every person, every reader, see the evidence, believe the evidence and turn from sin to the Lord Jesus. If you’ve never read the Bible, start with John. I pray that you might truly believe in Jesus, who is the Son of God, and in believing, give your life to Jesus and have eternal life. If you need prayer, if you need a Bible to start reading about Jesus, or you have questions, call me.
