“…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 20:31 (ESV)
In this phrase we have the entire purpose of the gospel (good news) of John: that we might have eternal life through Jesus the Christ. Chapter 20 is the climax of John’s writing, the resurrection of Jesus. Yet the point of Jesus’ coming to earth, becoming a human baby, growing to manhood, and dying as a human comes to completion with the resurrection.
Jesus’ resurrection is different from the previous resuscitations of people like Lazarus who would die again.
Jesus’ resurrection has at least three implications for those who believe in Him: a new life, new relationships and a new purpose.
Jesus’ resurrection confirms that those who believe in him receive eternal life. In John 3:14-16, Jesus states twice that those who believe in Him will have eternal life. In John 10:27-28, Jesus goes further and states that those who believe in Him will never perish, nor can they be removed from His protection.
Yet, we need to note in John 14:6, as he was speaking to His disciples before the crucifixion, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
Jesus makes it clear there is NO other way to obtain eternal life.
Notice also the resurrected Jesus first appeared to a woman, Mary Magdalene. She was among His most devoted followers, yet culturally, she was a second-class person, a woman.
Jesus is clearly indicating a new order of things, the first shall be last and the last first. Secondly, Jesus refers to His disciples as His BROTHERS. He refers to the Father as MY God and YOUR God, placing Himself on the same ‘level’ as the disciples, as ourselves.
The crucifixion and resurrection has bound us to Jesus as ‘equals,’ though Jesus is still divine.
1 John 3:2 “... We know that whenever he is revealed we will be like him, ...”
With the resurrection of Jesus, we will receive new life: new bodies (in time), new relationships and finally, a new purpose.
Once more, Jesus emphasizes that our new life, our salvation is not for us alone. He reminds us, no he commissions us with a purpose: We are sent into the world, just as the Father sent Jesus into the world.
While we cannot die for the world as Jesus died for the world, we are sent to proclaim that same message that Jesus lived a perfect life, died a sacrificial death for our sins, and was resurrected by the Father to validate that Jesus was sufficient for our sins.
We are sent to share the message of HOPE that our sins, which separate us from God the Father, have been atoned for, paid for, by Jesus. We have the purpose of seeing broken, rebellious sinners restored, reconciled, made right with their Creator.
By Bill Emmerling
Pastor-Gallup Christian Church