Resurrection and John 20:30-31

[HKHaugan]

Easter 20 Resurrection and John 20:30-31

Before we launch into the next Resurrection appearance we need to put an exclamation point on the closing words of Chapter 20, “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.”

This passage does five things.

First, it keeps the door open for the miracles Jesus does in every generation. His work did not stop in the 1st Century. He continues His presence through the Holy Spirit. Remember, He did say that future believers would do even greater things because He is going to the Father (Jn.14:12).

Second, it underlines the centrality of Jesus as the focal point for three things, belief, belief as the gateway to life and belief as the gateway to eternal life. So the nature of faith is the spiritual contact it provides with the ever-present God in a relational eternity.

Third, it lifts Jesus up as the Messiah, the Person who is the promise of Israel fulfilled, the Law personalized and Israel’s historic destiny completed.

Fourth, Jesus is not only the promised Messiah, He is God the Son, the only One who could accomplish the necessary work of sacrifice for sin once and for all for all people. That work was the work of the Cross that set the pattern for our daily living experience.

Fifth, His name is the name above all names. A name identifies a person. A name gives the word ‘person’ its living, breathing, thinking and feeling meaning and purpose as an image of God. Jesus is THE image of God, the standard by which we measure what it means to be a person, an individual, a human being.