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John 21:1-25 "A SOLEMN STATEMENT"

Day 365 – John 21

A SOLEMN STATEMENT

The Apostle John had finally come to the end of the Gospel he worked hard on to write. Would people receive his book well? Would they instead reject it as fictional? He could not determine how people would respond but that would not affect how he felt about his work. He had to add this word as he concluded his writing.

This is the disciple, who testifies of these things,
and wrote these things; and we know that his
testimony is true.”
John 21:24

He who claimed that he had been a Disciple of Jesus, that great Teacher of Truth, must write truthfully. He cannot embellish facts. He could not mitigate the seriousness of the errors committed by his fellow disciples!

John had been deeply impacted by Jesus! One cannot live in His proximity for three years and not have deep and indelible impressions made on one’s life. Jesus had called John the Baptizer as His witness. He also called upon His Father as an important witness. He had also appealed to the Scriptures and His works (sign-miracles) as witnesses! John humbly added his Gospel as further witness to Jesus and all He stood for.

There were others, who had been with him, and they had read his manuscript and they also testify that what John had written was indeed true. John interestingly called his Gospel a “testimony”.

A HUMBLE REFLECTION

When a writer begins his work, it always seems as if he has a lot of things to say, to write about. However, as the work draws to a close, the writer feels that the effort put in seems so small. There were lots of other things that could be said. Thus John ended the writing of his Gospel with this word.

“And there are also many other things that
Jesus did, which if they were written one by
one, I suppose that even the world itself
could not contain the books that would be
written. Amen.
John 21:25

1. “Many other things that Jesus did”

John’s statement was both humble and true! There were many other things that Jesus did. He was not unaware that others had worked hard on producing their observations of the life and teachings of Jesus. We have four canonical Gospels in the Bible and each one is slightly different from the other. Differences must be expected. One would omit a detail or two, while another would add extra material. There were so many things to weigh before they are finally chosen to be added into the Gospels. No single Gospel would ever be able to do justice to all that Jesus said and did!

2. “Even the whole world itself could not contain the books that would be written”

What a beautiful hyperbole John used! John had merely focused on some of the teachings of Jesus, and already a whole book had been written. His choice of focus was on the “sign-miracles” of Jesus and already many pages were written to explain the meaning and significance of what he had observed!

John understood and appreciated the tremendous depth and profundity that lay behind the simple expressions Jesus used. If every single word that Jesus spoke were to be thoroughly examined and expounded, then his hyperbole would not seem so stretched after all!

BUT WE SEE JESUS

How did John see Jesus? To attempt an answer to this question fully, would result in the writing of another lengthy Gospel! However, if we were to summarize how John felt, perhaps we should look at what John wrote in his first general epistle to believers. John was now an aged apostle, and yet there was no mistaking the power that is to be found in his letter. He began his epistle by recalling the years spent with Jesus. To John, the time spent with Jesus was not something to be relegated to the past, as a mere historical notation. Jesus was alive, not just historically, but in his heart!

“That which was from the beginning, which
we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,
which we have looked upon, and our hands
have handled, concerning the Word of life –
the life was manifested, and we have seen, and
bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life
which was with the Father and was manifested to us –
that which we have seen and heard we declare to you,
that you also may have fellowship with us;
and truly our fellowship is with the Father
and with His Son Jesus Christ.
And these things we write to you that your joy may
be full.”
1 John 1:1-4

1. John continued to affirm that he was speaking the truth

Many years had passed. However, time had not erased in the slightest the significance of his personal knowledge and experience with Jesus as His Disciple! He reaffirmed that Jesus was the Word of Life. He was the Son of God!

2. A Faith that transcended time and space

Others may not have had the privilege of seeing Jesus in the flesh! However, through genuine faith, a believer may still speak of enjoying fellowship with God in and through Jesus the Risen Saviour and Lord!

God meant us to have fullness of joy on earth! He had sent Jesus to bring about that joy through the redemption made through His death on the Cross! How wonderful it is to know and to believe that our faith in Jesus today can be as rich and meaningful!