Friends in Faith

Have you ever skipped to the end of a book to find out what happens? Normally, we would say you shouldn’t do that because you would spoil the ending! However, in the book of John, if we skip to the ending, we find out why John wrote the book, which helps us understand the entire book better.

Based on John 20:30-31, John wrote his Gospel so that people would believe in Jesus. This is so important because belief in Jesus is the means by which a person receives eternal life. As we travel through the book of John, we pick up on this theme time and time again.

In John 1:1-14, John discusses how Jesus, who is God, became a human to save humans from the darkness of sin and death. In John 3:16-18, Jesus teaches that whoever looks to Him in faith will never perish but will instead have eternal life. In John 6:47-51, Jesus declares Himself to be the bread of life. Those who believe in Him won’t receive the sustenance of bread that only lasts one day; instead, they will receive eternal life. In John 8, Jesus claims to be God. When the Jews question Jesus concerning His identity, Jesus states, “Before Abraham was, I am†(verse 58). The Hebrew word for “I am†was theologically loaded. In the Old Testament, God revealed His personal name to Moses as “I AM.†By declaring to be “I AM,†Jesus claims to be God.

John sought to show that Jesus is the long-promised, fully-God-and- fully-human Savior from sin and death. Jesus dwelled among us on the earth, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again three days later. Those who believe “that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God…by believing…may have life in his name†(John 20:31). • Jonathon Fuller

• John records several statements Jesus made about His identity. Jesus declared Himself to be the bread of life (6:35); the light of the world (8:12); the gate (10:7); the good shepherd (10:11); the way, the truth, and the life (14:6); and the true vine (15:1). How do these statements show Jesus is the Son of God who offers eternal life to all who believe in Him?

• To learn more about what it means to get eternal life by believing in Jesus, check out our “Know Jesus” page.

But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31 (CSB)

Read Verses:

1 Samuel 18:1-3; John 11:32-44; 15:13-17