Day 742: Why the gospel of John? - John 20 vs 24 - 31

24-25 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

26-28 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

30-31 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so 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 20:24-31 English Standard Version

Having finished the gospel according to Luke we start today with what, God willing, will be a series of posts on the gospel as written by the apostle John. Some might ask why the Holy Spirit led John to write a gospel when there were already versions by Matthew, Mark and Luke. What’s the reason John himself gave for compiling his account of Jesus' life? (vs 30-31)

He deeply wanted people who, like Thomas, had questions and doubts about Jesus’ resurrection, to come to see by faith that Jesus is truly the Son of God, the long awaited Messiah. And the reason why that is so important is that it’s through seeing who Jesus is, and by believing upon Him, that men and women can experience the fullness of life that Jesus gives. So in Chapter 10 vs 9-10 of this gospel John tells us that Jesus said: “I am the door - if anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

The incident John describes in vs 24-25 of Thomas's scepticism is a glimpse of the way many people respond when they are told that Jesus has risen from the grave. “Unless I see Jesus with my own eyes I will not believe that He came back from the dead and is alive today!” They are demanding what scientists call 'empirical evidence'. That's evidence which we can directly observe and experience through our senses. It's seeing, touching and feeling. But what is the challenge to us of the reply Jesus gave to Thomas after he confessed that he now believed that Jesus was his Lord and God? (vs 29)

I think there is a rebuke in Jesus' words. Thomas was a man who had already seen the miracles Jesus had done for some three years. Those miracles ought to have already signified to Thomas who Jesus was. Who else but God could quieten a raging sea by a word of command? Who else but God could feed thousands of people from a few fishes and some loaves of bread. Who else but God could regularly heal people with incurable health issues, and even raise a man like Lazarus, who had been in the grave for four days? Yes, some great prophets had done miracles in the past through God's power, but none compared with the abundance of what the disciples had seen in Jesus.

That's why John wrote. His gospel is different from the others in that he zeroes in on a small selection of some very significant things Jesus did in front of His disciples that clearly point to who He is. The empirical evidence was set out before them, and they have passed it on in their writings so that people like you and me can believe on Jesus too. You don't need to have a physical vision of Jesus to be saved. Jesus said “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed.”