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 20:30-31, ESV)
Since 1991, GOLF Magazine has compiled a list of the Top 100 Golf Instructors in the United States twice a year. These instructors are the best of the best and are recognized as “the most accomplished, innovative and dedicated golf teachers” in America.
If you are serious about improving your game, these are the elite instructors. There are many other golf teachers outside the Top 100 who are excellent coaches and can help you improve.
In any golf lesson, the instructor will look at the three essentials of a golf swing – your grip, your setup (alignment, ball position, posture), and how you swing the club. They’ll make adjustments and provide guidance. That’s the purpose of any golf lesson – to help you improve so you can enjoy the game more.
In John 20:30-31, John gives us the purpose for his gospel account of the life of Jesus— the purpose statement.
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; (v.30)
He points his readers back to the life of Jesus and to many of His miracles. He also notes that not all of Jesus’ miracles are recorded in his writing. Only heaven knows all that Jesus did in His perfect, sinless life and ministry. John tells us about seven of His messianic signs:
His turning water into wine, His first miracle (2:1-10); the healing of the royal official’s son (4:46-54); the disabled man (5:1-15); the blind man (9:1-12); the feeding of the 5,000 (6:1-14); Jesus walking on water (6:16-21); and raising Lazarus from the dead (11:38-44)
John’s purpose wasn’t merely to educate or be a historian for the sake of obtaining knowledge. He says in v.21, 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.
Believe means to trust, rely upon, and give one’s allegiance to. Jesus performed these miraculous acts so that we might trust that He is the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, and the Savior of our souls. By trusting in Him, we are given life (10:10), both here and forevermore.
Believing in Jesus is more than being familiar with Him—knowing about Christmas and Easter, and that He did certain things. Believing means fully relying on Him for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Trusting that He is my only hope of not being separated from the loving God forever (see John 3:1-16; Numbers 21:4-9).
We must all ask ourselves this question: Do I believe that Jesus is my only hope for salvation from my sins, or am I merely familiar with what Jesus has done in history? Sadly, many did not believe then (12:37), and tragically, many still do not believe today.
May our purpose be the same as John’s – we share the acts of Jesus so that many might believe in Him and be saved.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I confess you are the Christ, the Son of God, and I thank you that you have given me life in you. Amen