LESSON 13

THE RISEN LORD
(JOHN 20-21)

The word "GOSPEL" means "good news" or "glad tidings." We have been studying the GOSPEL according to John. As we came to the end of John chapter 19 we learned that Jesus really died and that His lifeless body was placed in a garden tomb (John 19:33-42). If the GOSPEL of John had ended with Chapter 19, it would be no GOSPEL! There would be no GOOD NEWS. If Christ had remained in the tomb then there would have been no salvation, no Christianity and no message of hope for men (compare 1 Corinthians 15:14-19). There would be no good news to believe in and there would be no good news to share with others.

Thankfully, the Gospel of John does not end with Chapter 19.There are two final chapters that set forth the glorious truth that the Lord is risen indeed! The One who died in Chapter 19 is seen alive in Chapters 20 and 21! A biography is a written story of a person's life. If you have read many biographies about famous people, then you know that the last chapter in a biography usually tells about the person's death. After the person dies, there is nothing more to say about the person. The writing of the life ends where the life ends. After death the person will do no more and say no more. The man (or woman) is gone and no other chapter is possible. The last chapter has been written. Sometimes additional chapters are written about the influence that the person's life had on society, etc., but nothing more can be said about the person.  The person has left the scene.

The biography of Jesus Christ is amazingly different than any other biography! The story of His death is not the last chapter. After the story of His death, we read more. We find this Man doing certain things and saying certain things. There are new chapters because the One who had been dead now lives again. His biography continues on!

The last two Chapters in John's Gospel can be outlined as follows:

1A. THE EMPTY TOMB (John 20:1-10).
2A. THE RESURRECTION APPEARANCES (John 20:11-21:23).

1B. Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18).
2B. Jesus Appears to the Disciples With Thomas Absent (John 20:19-25).
3B. Jesus Appears to the Disciples With Thomas Present (John 20:26-31).
4B. Jesus Appears to the Disciples at the Sea of Galilee (John 20:1-23).

3A. JOHN'S CLOSING WORDS (John 21:24-25).
4A. JOHN'S PURPOSE IN WRITING (John 20:30-31).

THE EMPTY TOMB

        Consider the following:
 

            Who discovered that the tomb of Jesus was empty (John 20:1-2)? _____________________________________  She came on the first day of the week which is SUNDAY, and she came very early in the morning: "when it was yet _____________" (John 20:1). She was amazed to find that the ____________________ had been taken away from the sepulcher (John 20:1 and compare Matthew 27:62-66). Was this a big stone (Mark 16:4)? _________  According to Matthew 28:2, who moved the stone?
 

 Jesus did not need to have the stone rolled away from the door (compare John 20:19,26), but God wanted others to be able to see that the tomb was EMPTY!   The stone was rolled away, not to let Jesus out, but to let others in!  The Lord had already vacated the tomb by the time the stone was rolled away.

Mary ran quickly to Peter and John to tell them the news (John 20:2). Did Mary Magdalene believe that Jesus had risen from the dead or did she believe that someone had come and removed the dead body to another place (John 20:2)? ___________________________________________________________________

Peter and "that other disciple" (John) ran to the tomb to see for themselves. Which disciple won the race (John 20:4)? _____________ Did he go into the tomb (John 20:5)? ________ Then along came Peter. Did he run right in (John 20:6)? _________ [Peter had an impulsive character trait in contrast to John who was more pensive and thoughtful.  Peter was like the man who would first dive off the diving board and later check to see if pool had any water in it!]

Peter and John must have been amazed by what they saw (see John 20:6-7). The graveclothes (linen wrappings) were lying in a very neat pile, perhaps in the very position in which the body had lain. How could this be? If someone had stolen the body they probably would have taken the graveclothes and all. Why would they take time to unwrap the body? If someone had removed the body by first stripping it of the linen wrappings, then why were not the wrappings lying about in disarray or piled in a disorderly heap somewhere on the floor? How could the body of Jesus have been removed without disturbing the wrappings?   These linen wrappings were found in a very orderly manner as if Christ had passed out of them without their being un-wrapped! When John saw this, the Bible says he B_________________________ (John 20:8).

There was much that John did not yet understand (John 20:9), but he was beginning to see the light. He saw and investigated these amazing graveciothes and he believed that the only explanation was that GOD, not man, must have done something! Something very wonderful had happened and John knew it!
 

THE RESURRECTION APPEARANCES
 

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

            According to Mark 16:9, who was the first person to see the risen Christ? ____________________________________________ Christ appeared to many people after His resurrection. He was seen by men for a period of ________ days (Acts 1:3). On one occasion he was seen by over __________ brethren (1 Corinthians15:6), and according to this verse over 250 of these people were still alive when Paul wrote this first letter to the Corinthians which would have been about 55 A.D. or 25 years after the resurrection took place. Christ appeared to many, but the very first person to see the risen Lord was a humble woman--Mary Magdalene. It is the Gospel of John which gives us the most information about Christ's appearance to Mary (John 20:11-18).

What was the first thing that Mary saw as she looked into the tomb (John 20:11-12)? _____________________________________ What was Mary's explanation for the empty tomb (John 20:13 and compare verse 15)? _________________________________________________________________ Who did she see after she had turned around (John 20:14)? __________________ Did she recognize Him (John 20:14)? ______ Who did she mistake Him for (John 20:15)? _________________________ What made her finally recognize Him (John 20:16)? _________________________________

The words of Jesus in John 20:17 have often been misunderstood. The Lord said, "TOUCH ME _______" (John 20:17). Jesus was not saying, "Don't touch me at all," as if something terrible would happen to Mary if she were even to touch Him with one finger. This is not really what Jesus meant or said. The word "touch" can often mean "fasten oneself to, cling to, hang on, grasp, lay hold of." Instead of "touch me not," a better translation of this phrase would be something like this: "STOP CLINGING TO ME."

Apparently when Mary finally knew that it was Jesus she was so filled with joy and excitement that she grabbed the Lord and started clinging to Him, possibly holding Him by the feet (compare Matthew 28:9). Jesus made it very clear to Mary that He was going to A___________________ to His Father (John 20:17). He was going to go back to heaven. In fact, Jesus was still in the process of "departing out of this world unto the Father" (John 13:1). Before returning to heaven He appeared to certain people as proof of His resurrection, and Mary was one of those who was privileged to see the risen Lord.

Mary may have thought something like this: "Jesus is here! He's alive! Everything is now alright because I have the Lord's bodily presence right here."  But does this imply that if the Lord's body is absent from earth everything is not alright? [Some people even today carry this to the extreme. They feel that everything is alright as long as they have a picture of Jesus in every room and carry a picture of Jesus with them in their wallet or pocketbook!]  Earlier Jesus had taught the disciples how necessary it was for Him to go away and return to the Father (John 16:7).  A believer's relationship with the Lord does not depend on His bodily presence, and Mary needed to understand this.

            Did the risen Christ allow people to "touch" and handle His body (see Matthew 28:9, John 20:27; Luke 24:39)? _______ Today however, this is not longer possible. Jesus today is at the right hand of God in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:20-21). Believers today cannot touch Him nor can they even see Him, but they can love Him and believe in Him and "rejoice with __________unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:8). Has Christ promised to be WITH His believers even though He is not with them in a bodily way (Matthew 28:20; Mark 16:20)? ______  Today we cannot cling to Jesus as Mary did, but we can cling to His faithful and true WORD which never fails, because we walk by _______________ and not by ________________ (2 Corinthians 5:7).

            According to John 20:17 ("STOP CLINGING TO ME") and 20:18, the resurrection of Christ was confirmed to Mary by three of her senses: She saw Him! She heard Him! She touched Him! She immediately went to tell the disciples the good news (John 20:17).
 

Jesus Appears to the Disciples With Thomas Absent

On that very first Easter Sunday evening the disciples were assembled together in a certain place, with the doors S____________ and probably locked (John 20:19). The same risen Christ who had no problem making an exit from a tomb that was sealed with a stone also had no problem making an entrance into a room whose doors were closed shut. What was the emotional state of the disciples after Jesus had given them visual proof of His resurrection (John 20:20)? The Lord's resurrected and glorified body still bore the marks and scars of His death (John 20:20,27), as a vivid reminder of what He did for us.

In John 20:21 Jesus spoke some very important words to His disciples. We might call this the "GREAT COMMISSI0N ACCORDING TO JOHN."  Jesus said, "As my Father hath ______________ Me, even so ____________ I you."  This same truth was expressed by Jesus in His prayer found in John 17:18. Consider the following diagram:
 

 "As my Father hath sent Me .. ..................................even so send I you" (John 20:21)
"As thou hast sent Me into the world ..........................even so have I sent them into the world" (John 17:18).
 

The Father sent the Son and in the same way the Son sent His disciples. If we are to understand what it means to be sent by Christ, we must first understand what it means for Christ to have been sent by the Father. How was our Lord sent?  What was His relationship to the One who sent Him (His Sender)? The Gospel of John clearly delineates the meaning of this relationship. The following passages (listed under 10 categories) are found in the Gospel of John and speak of Christ being SENT by His Father:

1. Christ was sent not to do His own will, but the will of His Sender (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38).

This is what our Lord hungered for more than anything else: not to do what He wanted, but to do what the Father wanted. Not what He desired, but only what the Father desired. Even so, we ought to be able to say, "My food is to do the will of Christ my Sender--to do only what Christ wants and desires. Not my will, but Christ's will be done!"

2. Christ was sent not to please Himself, but to please His Sender (John 8:29).

Even so, may we be able to say, "For I do always those things that please Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:9-l1; Ephesians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 7:32; Philippians 3:7-8). Paul's great concern was not to please ___________, but to please ________________ whom he served (Galatians 1:10).

3. Christ was not sent to seek His own glory, but to seek the glory of His Sender (John 7:18).

Christ did not want recognition, praise or attention to come to Himself. He wanted the Father to receive the attention. He was God the Father's witness--pointing clearly and consistently to the One who had sent Him. Even so, we should not want recognition and praise to be heaped upon ourselves. We want our lives to draw attention, not to the ugliness of self, but to the beauty of our Lord Jesus Christ who has sent us. We are His W_______________________ (Acts 1:8) and our lives are to point clearly to Him. As John the Baptist once said, "He must ________________________ but I must_________________" (John 3:30).

4. Christ was sent into the world to represent His invisible Sender (John 5:37 and compare John 1:18).

Men could not see the Father, but they could see Christ. Christ represented the invisible God! Even so, we have been sent into the world to represent the invisible Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). The world cannot see Jesus today (John 16:10--"I go to my __________________, and ye see me ______      ____________ ),but they can see His believers who are still on the earth. If the world is to see Christ today, they must see Him portrayed in the lives of believers.

5. Christ was sent into the world so that men, in seeing Him, would see His Sender (John 12:44-45).

According to John 14:9, as people saw Christ, they were really seeing God the Father. Even so, as men and women look at our lives they should see our Sender, even our Lord Jesus (see Galatians 2:20-"Christ __________________ in ______  and Galatians 4:19--"Christ be ___________________ in you"). May we reflect the image and likeness of the One who has sent us into the world. The world needs to see CHRIST-LIKE believers!

6. Christ was sent into the world by His living Father and He lived by (through) His Sender (John 6:57).

Even so, the living Christ has sent us and we live by Him. Christ is our L_____________ (Colossians 3:3-4). Paul said, "For to me to ________________ is ____________________ " (Philippians 1:21). Our life is centered in Him (Galatians 2:20) even as His life was centered in the Father. Remember, our primary function as a WITNESS is to make known and manifest the "L___________ of J___________________"(2 Corinthians 4:10-11).

7. Christ was sent into the world, not with His own words and doctrine, but with the words and doctrine of His Sender (John 3:34; 7:16; 12:49-50).

The Lord Jesus Christ was a very unoriginal Teacher. Everything He taught came from the Father! Even so, Christ has sent us into the world, not with our own message but with the gospel of Christ, "teaching them to observe _______      ___________________ whatsoever I (Christ) have commanded you" (Matthew 28:20). A herald's task is not to be original but to simply announce the message of the king. He is not to make up his own message. We are merely HERALDS OF THE KING OF KINGS bearing His message (Mark 16:15; 2 Corinthians 5:19-20). The message comes from God. We just deliver it!

8. Christ could do nothing apart from His Sender (John 5:30).

The Lord was totally dependent upon His Heavenly Father. Even so, we are totally dependent upon our Sender. The One who sent us into the world has said, "Without ______ ye can do_______________" (John 15:5).

9. Christ was not alone, His Sender was with Him (John 8:16,29).

Even so, the One who has sent us is constantly with us. Jesus said, "Lo, I am ___________ you ________________, even unto the end of the world (age)" (Matthew 28:20 and compare Mark 16:20 and Hebrews 13:5). We have all the blessings and benefits of His presence, even though we do not have His bodily presence.

10. Christ was busy in doing the work of His Sender (John 4:34; 9:4) and when His work was done, He went home to be with His Sender (John 7:33; 16:5).

Even so, we are to be always A________________________ in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:58), and when our work is finished we will go home to be with our Sender (John 14:3; 17:24; Philippians 1:23; 2 Tim.4:6-8).

As we consider this great commission as found in John 20:21, what can we say? The humble believer should say something like this: "Lord, how can I do these things? Who is sufficient for these things? How could I ever have the power to perform these things and to live in this way?"

Here is the key. As we study the Gospel of John we make a wonderful discovery. Not only has Christ sent us, but He has also sent Someone else!  "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart I WILL __________ HIM UNTO YOU" (John 16:7).  Apart from the Holy Spirit we could never do it! He alone can supply the needed POWER (Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8). Jesus wanted to remind His disciples that their mission would be a complete failure apart from the Holy Spirit. This is why after Jesus said "SO SEND I YOU" we are told that He breathed on the disciples and said, "Receive, ye the ________________ Ghost (Spirit)" (John 20:22). It was as if Jesus were saying, "I want you never to forget that it will never be done apart from Him (the Holy Spirit)!  You will never do it on your own!"

Fifty days later (on the day of Pentecost) the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in an even greater and more special way (see Acts chapter 2). This was the great promise that the disciples were waiting for (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4,8). We learned about this precious promise much earlier in our study of the Gospel of John (see John 7:37-39). Today EVERY BELIEVER has the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9; John 7:38-39). It is in the Spirit's fullness and power that we go forth to fulfill our Lord's words: "AS THE FATHER HATH SENT ME, SO SEND I YOU" (Jn.20:21).

The words of the risen Christ found in John 20:23 have also been misunderstood. Jesus said, "Whose soever sins ye remit (forgive), they are remitted (forgiven) unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain (this is the opposite of forgiveness), they are retained." Does this mean that Christ gave men the power to forgive sins? Does this mean that people need to go to certain men in order to have their sins forgiven (such as "priests")?

According to Mark 2:7, who is the only Person who can forgive sins? _______ The Apostles were not able to do that which only God can do. The Apostles were not able to forgive sins. There was something, however, that they could do. They were able to declare or pronounce with authority whose sins were forgiven and whose sins were not forgiven.

The Apostles did not go around forgiving men of their sins. The Apostles did go around telling people whose sins would be forgiven and whose sins would not be forgiven. For example, in Acts 3:19 Peter made it very clear that whoever should R__________________ and be C_________________________ would have his sins __________________________ out. What about those who refuse to repent? Can they claim this promise? Consider carefully Acts 10:43 (the word "remission" means "forgiveness"). According to this verse, whose sins will be remitted or forgiven?  "whosoever ___________________________ in Him (Jesus Christ)." Whose sins will be retained? ____________________________________________________ Peter did not go around forgiving sins, but he did go around proclaiming the good news that there is complete forgiveness of sins to all who repent and believe in Christ. Those who accepted the message of the apostles and believed in Christ had their sins remitted (forgiven). Those who rejected the message of the apostles had their sins retained, even as Jesus said in John 8:24--"for if ye ____________________ not that I am He, ye shall die in your _________." What about you? Have your sins been remitted or retained?

Who was not among the disciples when Jesus appeared to them on that first Sunday evening (John 20: 24)? _________________________ Did Thomas believe the testimony of his friends (John 20:25)?  ______ According to Thomas, what would be needed to convince him of the reality of the resurrection (John 20:25)? _________________________________________________________ "I will not take your word for it. I will only believe if I can SEE and even TOUCH!" It is for this reason he has been given the nickname of "DOUBTING THOMAS."
 

Jesus Appears to the Disciples With Thomas Present

The expression "after eight days" (John 20:26) is the Jewish way of saying "one week later." Jesus first appeared to His disciples on a Sunday. On the following Sunday He appeared to them again and this time ____________________ was with them (John 20:26). The Lord could have appeared to them on some other day, but from the very beginning it seems as if the Lord wanted to show His disciples that Sunday was a very special day for believers to assemble together.  Christians have been meeting together on this day ever since.

The first individual that Jesus spoke to was Thomas. The Lord invited Thomas to put his finger in the print of the nails and to thrust his hand into His side! The Lord was echoing the very words that Thomas had said a week earlier (see John 20:25). The words that we say or think are always known to God! Did Thomas actually do what Jesus invited him to do (John 20: 27-28)? ________ Seeing and hearing was all that Thomas needed. Touching was not necessary. DOUBTING THOMAS instantly became CONVINCED THOMAS! At the end of John 20:27 Jesus rebuked the unbelief of Thomas: DO NOT BE FAITHLESS (without faith) BUT BE FAITHFUL (full of faith)! DO NOT BE UNBELIEVING BUT BE BELIEVING!

As Thomas saw the risen Lord there was only one thing he could say: "MY _____________ AND MY____________" (John 20:28). There are many religious groups end cults today who do not believe that Jesus Christ is God. It is important to realize that Thomas called Jesus "GOD" in no uncertain words. Also Jesus did not correct Thomas or rebuke him for saying these words. Jesus did not say, "Thomas, you must never call me GOD! I am your Teacher and your Master, but I am not God and it is a great mistake to call me that." No, Jesus did not say this. He did not say, "Thomas you are wrong!" but instead He said, "Thomas . . . thou hast B_________________________ "(John 20:29). Thomas believed that Jesus Christ was God and he was absolutely correct! Do you believe this? Are you able to say from your heart what Thomas said--"MY LORD AND MY GOD"?

Why did Thomas believe in the resurrection (John 20:29)? ___________________________________________________________ Thomas had an advantage which no one living today has. Thomas was able to see the risen Christ with his eyes. Can we do this today (compare John 16:10)? _______  Today if a person refuses to believe until he sees the risen Lord, then be is going to wait a long time! When he finally does see the risen Lord it will be too late. There must be something better than a faith that is based on sight. How happy are those whose faith is based upon the written Word of God! Jesus said, "Blessed (happy) are they that have not ______________, and yet have _________________________" (John 20:29). Such happy people are described by Peter in 1 Peter 1:8. Did these people see? ________ Did they believe? ______ Thomas refused to believe the testimony of the Apostles. They told him the good news: "We have seen the Lord!" (John 20:25) and he refused to believe their word. The Gospel of John was written by one of these apostles. It was written by a man who personally saw the risen Lord and who knew from first hand experience the reality of the resurrection. This man has written certain important things about Christ and put them in a book (John 20:31). These were written "that ye might ___________________________ that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that ______________________ ye might have __________ through his name" (John 20:31). Are you willing to receive the testimony of the Apostle John? Are you willing to believe on Christ through His Word (compare John 17:20)?  Remember, "his testimony is________________" (John 21:24)! Blessed and happy is the man who believes (John 20:29). He will be the possessor of eternal L____________ (John 20:31)!
 

Jesus Appears to the Disciples at the Sea

The Sea of Tiberias (John 21:1) is another name for the Sea of _______________________ (John 6:1). John chapter 21 gives us the account of the THIRD resurrection appearance that Jesus made to His disciples as a group (see John 21:14). We have already learned about the first two appearances (John 20:19 and John 20:26).

How many disciples were together on this occasion (John 21:2)7 ________ Whose idea was it to go fishing (John 21:3)? __________________ How successful were they (John 21:3)? __________________________________________ That which took place here in John 21 is very similar to what had happened several years earlier (see Luke 5:4-11). What were some of the similarities between what happened in Luke 5 and what happened in John 21? In Luke 5:10 Jesus had said to Simon Peter, "From henceforth (from now on) thou shalt catch __________." In John 21 we find that Peter had gone back to catching fish!

In John 21:7 we are told something about Peter and John. Which disciple was the first to recognize Jesus? ______________ Which disciple was fast to act and quick to jump in? ________________ When all of the disciples arrived at the shore, who already had breakfast cooking (John 21:9)? __________________ Who served the meal (John 21:13)? ____________ The proof of our Lord's resurrection is here abundant. Seven grown-up men saw him with their own eyes in the light of the morning sun. We see the Lord sitting, talking and eating on the shore of the sea of Galilee. Could any stronger proof of the resurrection be given? Peter was totally convinced and satisfied by this because years later he said to Cornelius, WE DID "eat and drink with Him after He _________________ from the ______________" (Acts 10:41). Those today who say they are not convinced that Jesus is alive need to take an honest look at the clear evidence!

In the next section of this chapter we see the tender way in which the Saviour dealt with Peter.  Not too long ago, Peter had shamefully denied His Lord. Notice the following similarities as we compare Peter's denial with this passage in John 21:
 

Read John 21:15-17 and notice the last three words found in each verse. What was the one thing that Peter was told to do in order to show that he really loved Jesus? ________________________________________ John Chapter 21 tells us the story of how Peter went from a FISHERMAN to a SHEPHERD!

Peter's life's ministry was to work, not among fish, but among men (see Luke 22:31-32). He was to take care of God's flock, and as we have already learned in John 10:27, God's sheep are those who hear the voice of Christ and follow Him and believe on Him. Peter learned his lesson well because later in his life he understood the importance of feeding the flock and being the right kind of leader over God's sheep (1 Peter 5:1-4)! If a Pastor is not taking good care of God's flock and not feeding them the truth of God's Word, is he really showing that he loves the Saviour? ________

In John 21:18 the Lord Jesus told Peter something about his future. Jesus told Peter about something that would happen to him as an old man What was the Lord referring to (John 21:19)? _____________________________________ The Lord knew all about Peter, even about the manner of his death. The book of 2 Peter was written when Peter was old and about to die. In 2 Peter 1:14 notice how Peter spoke about his coming death: "Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle (tent, temporary dwelling place), even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath _______________     ______." Long before it ever happened Jesus showed Peter and told him about his death. Historical tradition tells us that the Apostle Peter was crucified by the Romans during the days of Emperor Nero. Thus, not only by his life but also by his death Peter glorified _________ (John 21:19 and compare Philippians 1:20-21).

It is comforting to know that the Lord knows all about our future. We do not know what the coming days may bring but God certainly does. We need to F__________________ Him (John 21:19) and trust Him to take care of our living and our dying.

Peter then turned about and became very interested in the Lord's future plans for John (John 21:20-21 and compare John 13:23-26).  "WHAT SHALL THIS MAN DO?", Peter asked. Jesus answered, "What is that to thee?" (John 21:22), the idea being, "Mind your own business!"  Jesus had a plan for Peter and Jesus had a plan for John. If Jesus had so desired He could have allowed the Apostle John to tarry or remain on the earth until the day of His coming. The early Christians were looking for Christ's coming and they believed that Christ might come even during John's lifetime. As things turned out, John did outlive all of the other Apostles and died as an old man. John lived many years longer than Peter did, but both of these men were faithful servants of Christ and God used both of these men in special ways. Peter did not need to concentrate on what would happen to John. Peter needed to concentrate on following Christ. The real issue is not HOW LONG a person lives but HOW WELL a person lives!
 

JOHN'S CLOSING WORDS

The Apostle John speaks of himself in John 21:24. Throughout this Book John never refers to himself by name. He usually calls himself  "that disciple,"    "the other disciple,"   or   "the disciple whom Jesus loved."  John is the author of the book we have been studying and "we know that his ________________________ is ____________" (John 21:24). The Gospel of John is a TRUE and ACCURATE account of the words and works of Jesus Christ!

Did the Apostle John write down everything that could have been written about the Lord Jesus Christ (John 21:25)? ______ John was very selective in what he wrote. Men who carefully study the Bible tell us that all the incidents reported in the four Gospels fall on only about 35 days throughout a period of some three and a half years. Thus there are more than a thousand days concerning which nothing is written. There were many more things that John could have written down on paper. But John did give us everything we need to know in order to understand WHO JESUS CHRIST IS and WHAT JESUS CHRIST HAS DONE FOR US. We do not need more information about Christ but we need to believe the information that God has given to us in His Word.

The last verse of the Gospel of John has stirred someone to write the following poem that was penciled on the wall of a narrow room of an asylum:

 
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky!

 

JOHN'S PURPOSE IN WRITING

To find the reason why John wrote his gospel we must go back again to John 20:30-31. John was selective in the things which he included in his book, but under God's direction and under God's inspiration he wrote down just what we needed: "But these are written that ye might _________________________ that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have  _________ through His Name" (John 20:31).

This ends the study of the 21 chapters found in John's Gospel. As you think back upon this book, what is your conclusion? Who do you think Jesus Christ really is?

Is He a LIAR?

A LUNATIC?

THE LORD GOD?

Was the Apostle John a liar and a deceiver, or did he write that which was true and accurate? Have you believed his message? According to the Gospel of John, what must a person do to have everlasting life (John 3:16,18,36; 5:24; 6:35-37; 11:25-26; etc.)? _______________________________________________________________________________

Have you done this? ________God wants men and women and boys and girls to believe on His Son and those who do believe have ETERNAL LIFE!

The writers of this set of Bible study notes urge you to join the happy crowd of those who have believed on Christ, such as the following:

John 1:41             (Andrew)
John 1:45             (Philip)
John 1:49             (Nathanael)
John 4:42             (the Samaritans)
John 6:68-69        (Peter)
John 9:35-38        (the man born blind)
John 20:8             (John)
John 20:28-29      (Thomas)

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

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