The Purpose of John’s Gospel Account John 20:30-31

Text:  “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His Name.”

John 20:31.

Good morning, Gospel-believing Christian!  God’s Eternal purpose, in the inspiration of John’s account of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is clearly evidenced in our text for today - "…that ye (all who would receive faith to believe and receive Salvation through Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross, as Divinely chosen to do so by God) might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His Name."  (John 20:31)

Our truly gracious Lord God provided His dear and sinless Son, Jesus Christ, to be a once-for-all-time Sacrificial Lamb, to suffer on the Cross, in order to pay the terrible penalty for your sins and for mine, and to grant us His forgiveness and Eternal life. 

“For the life of the flesh is in the Blood; and I (God the Father) have given it to you upon the altar (the Cross at Calvary) to make an atonement (at-one-ment between a Holy God and sinful mankind) for your souls; for it is the Blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”  (Leviticus 17:11)

The apostle John was then inspired by God the Spirit to faithfully record in a written account the events of Christ’s birth, life, and atonement Sacrifice that  he had witnessed with his own eyes .  The purpose of John’s Gospel account, therefore, is clearly understood: it was written down as a faithful record that all sinners who would later read the Gospel account would - by God’s free grace and Divine election - receive the necessary faith to fully believe, repent from our sins; and be Eternally saved.  Hallelujah!  What a Saviour Lord!

The epistles (letters) later written by the apostle John to the early church believers, clearly reaffirm the purpose of his initial writing of his Gospel account.

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us Eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He that hath the Son (Jesus Christ) hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.  These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have Eternal life, and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God.”  (1 John 5:11-13)

These things were written by the eye-witness apostle John, not that we might feel that we have Eternal life; not that we might hope that we have Eternal life; not that we might guess, or desire, or wish for Eternal life.  But that we might KNOW that we have this Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Saviour and our Lord!  Glory…glory…glory! 

We are completely certain and sure that we have Eternal life - IF we fully believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He suffered, died, and arose again in order to pay the penalty for our gross sins and grant us life Eternal.  Now, that’s the Gospel truth! 

“And ye shall know the TRUTH, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)

“Jesus saith unto him (Thomas), I am the way the TRUTH, and the life; no man/woman cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”  (John 14:6)

“Sanctify them (true believers) through Thy Truth; Thy Word is Truth.”   (John 17:17)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we (the Gospel writers) beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”    (John 1:1;14)

“And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in Blood; and His Name is called The Word of God.”  (Revelation 19:13)

I truly believe that, in some deeply Spiritual manner, Jesus is the literal Word of God; the literal Truth of God, sent to us by God the Father - in order to be born of the Spirit of God in a sinless incarnation of God; to live a totally sinless life; to suffer and to die as a Sacrifice for our sins; and to rise again to Justify us in the sight of our truly Holy and Heavenly Father who cannot abide sin in any form.

Therefore, the purpose of the Gospel accounts are open and clear:  these are God-breathed records, inspired by God the Spirit and written by men; that we might believe God’s Word, believe in God’s Word - Jesus Christ - and be gloriously redeemed by Him for Eternity.  Now, that’s Divinely inspired truth.  Bless the Lord, oh my soul!  Praise be to the Name of King Jesus!

Thought: “If the Son (Christ Jesus) therefore (a conclusion) shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”  (John 8:36)  You are free - stay free from sin!