We've reached the last episode in our series, Make Way for The King. Why did Jesus choose to make His very first post resurrection appearance to Mary Magdalene? Who else did He appear to and why? Why does Jesus still bear the scars of His crucifixion? What does it mean that the Apostles spoke in tongues at Pentecost? Does Jesus bodily appear on earth now? And why did Peter throw himself into the sea? Join us as we delve into what happened immediately following Jesus’ resurrection, during the 40 days He walked the earth after, His ascension, Pentecost, and what all this means for us?
Thanks for tuning in! Be sure to check out everything Proverbs 9:10 on our website, www.proverbs910ministries.com! You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Rumble, YouTube, Twitter, Truth Social, and Gettr!
We've reached the last episode in our series, Make Way for The King. Why did Jesus choose to make His very first post resurrection appearance to Mary Magdalene? Who else did He appear to and why? Why does Jesus still bear the scars of His crucifixion? What does it mean that the Apostles spoke in tongues at Pentecost? Does Jesus bodily appear on earth now? And why did Peter throw himself into the sea? Join us as we delve into what happened immediately following Jesus’ resurrection, during the 40 days He walked the earth after, His ascension, Pentecost, and what all this means for us?
Thanks for tuning in! Be sure to check out everything Proverbs 9:10 on our website, www.proverbs910ministries.com! You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Rumble, YouTube, Twitter, Truth Social, and Gettr!
Go Tell It On the Mountain
Welcome back! First, we hope you all had a blessed Christmas. I don’t know about you, Rose, but I think studying Jesus the last 6 weeks just made Christmas so much richer.
I agree. And, now, today, not only are we coming to the end of 2021, and maybe some of you are thankful for that, but we are also coming to the end of this series. Although admittedly, there is no end to studying Jesus. Last week, we whipped through Jesus’ last week on earth. And that’s because there’s just so much there.
And although we weren’t able to touch on so much that we wanted to – like really delving into some of the events of Jesus’ last week and Jesus’ resurrection – which is arguably the most significant event of Jesus’ earthly life. But that’s exactly why it deserves special treatment, and we promise to give it special treatment in the near future.
That’s right, so rest assured, we will be delving into aspects of Jesus’ life we weren’t able to get to in this series in the next series. But today, we are going to wrap up this series by looking at what happened immediately after Jesus’ resurrection, for the 40 days He walked the earth after, His ascension, Pentecost, and what all this means for us?
And next week, we are starting out the New Year with a new series called Be Transformed. So many people start out a new year making resolutions – some they keep, most they don’t. We invite you for 2022 to make a resolution that will truly change your life. Join us as we delve into some of the life transforming truths in Scripture.
It’s going to be intense at times, but we are very excited to do a series on some of the truths in Scripture that we need to know to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, as Paul instructs in Romans 12:2. So, we invite you to join us for that. But, now, lets finish, “Make Way for The King.” Last week, we looked at the difficult to hear and the glorious Scripture on the Last Supper and Jesus’ crucifixion. We ended with Jesus’ resurrection. So that’s where we pick up today.
Since we’ve been in the Gospels, a quick summary of how each Gospel ends. Matthew ends with Jesus’ resurrection and appearing to the women at His tomb and then fast forwarding to Jesus giving His Apostles the Great Commission right before He ascended into heaven. Mark is very similar but includes a reprimand Jesus gives the Apostles for not believing and having a hard heartedness. Mark includes a couple of appearances, and then ends with the Great Commission at Jesus’ ascension. Luke includes a narrative – that we will look at in a moment – about Jesus appearing to 2 men on the road to Emmaus. John includes Jesus appearing to His disciples several times. If we put Mark, Luke and John together, we can get a timeline of Jesus’ appearances.
Let’s start with His Resurrection Day – which we now know as Easter Sunday. Jesus was pretty busy on that first day. Mark 16:7 - 8 tells us that when some of the women who were disciples of Jesus went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body, one of the angels in the tomb – John tells us there were two angels there – but one instructs the women, “Go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Okay, so the first thing we see is that the angel instructs the women to go and tell Peter and the disciples that Jesus has risen and He will meet them in Galilee. Charles Spurgeon has a beautiful quote on this “(Jesus) is no sooner risen from the dead than He sends a message by an angel to say that He will meet His disciples. His delight is in them. He loves them with a very tender love, and He is happiest when He is in their midst. Do not think that you will have to entreat and persuade your Lord to come to you, He delights in near and dear fellowship. The heavenly Bridegroom finds solace in your company, if you are indeed espoused to Him. Oh, that you were more anxious to be with Him!”
We don’t often think about Jesus sending word to the disciples because He wants to be with them again. We tend to think Jesus’ whole intention is to get them ready to spread the Gospel and start the church – and it certainly is the main mission – but Jesus spent 3 years with the Apostles and with other disciples, including some of the women, who followed them. So it makes perfect sense that Jesus has a deep affection for them. It’s just like when, even while suffering hanging on the cross, He tells John to take care of His mother. And we should spend a lot of time meditating on the fact that Jesus has the same tender love for us as He does for His mother and His disciples.
And think about this. Jesus’ Apostles all let Him down when He needed them most. They kept falling asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane instead of keeping watch like Jesus asked them to do. When the soldiers came and arrested Him, Peter shows a little loyalty by trying to protect Jesus with force, but everyone of them fled. As soon as they saw their lives may be in danger, they bailed. Peter hung on the outskirts but was quick to deny Jesus when asked directly if He was one of His disciples. John shows up at the crucifixion, but there’s no account that he was around during the trial and beating. Bottom line, all of them failed. They failed Jesus as His Apostles, as His brothers, and as His friends. And what is the first thing Jesus does after His resurrection? He sends them a message that He will meet them. Jesus isn’t thinking about their past failure, He is thinking about their present grief and their future sanctification.
And this is exactly why Jesus – through the angel – singles Peter out. Peter was the biggest failure of them all. He openly denied Jesus 3 times – something he wept bitterly and repented of after. Jesus is saying to Peter – I know you failed, but you are still mine. I still love you. There is still work for you to do in the Kingdom of God. And, again, that is the same message He has for all of us who belong to Him, and have failed miserably. I read a great Charles Spurgeon quote on why Jesus uses wretched sinners to spread the Gospel and not, say, angels, who are sinless. He said, “An angel would try to be kind, as became his heavenly nature, but he would not be kinned, and you (would) necessarily miss the kindness which comes of kinship. I speak to you as bone of your bone, and flesh of your flesh; I speak to you, teacher, for I am a teacher. I speak to you, disciple, for I am a disciple, and I dare not think myself greater than the least of you.”
Love that! And Jesus gives the women a message that should have vanquished any grief the disciples were feeling. He – through the angel – tells them He will meet them in Galilee. This is exactly what He told them at the Last Supper. Mark 14:28 records it, Jesus told them, “But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” The women telling the disciples that Jesus said He would meet them in Galilee did 2 things – validated that the women did see that Jesus had resurrected because they had a message for them they could have never known had it not come from Jesus. And, it validated to the disciples that Jesus is exactly Who He said He was! But that’s not how it played out. Mark 16:10 – 11 tells us, “She (Mary) went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.”
And Jesus deals with their disbelief of the women the next time He appears to them, which we will get to shortly. But before the women get to the disciples, there is a scene recorded in John that we look at where Jesus appears specifically to Mary Magdalene. Flipping over to John chapter 20, John tells us that when the women found the tomb empty, Mary Magdalene cried because she thought someone had taken Jesus’ body. I’ll pick up with Scripture beginning at John 20, verse 14, 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.”
Why did Jesus appear specifically to Mary Magdalene? She did follow Jesus and the Apostles around during Jesus’ ministry, and even gave them some financial support. But so did other women? Why her? Well, Luke 8:2 tells us that Jesus healed Mary of Magdalene from having 7 demons in her. That’s a pretty bad demonic possession! In fact, several of the women who followed Jesus had had demons and evil spirits cast out of them according to Luke. But Scripture singles out Mary Magdalene, as does Jesus. There may be a few reasons. First, Mary is a beautiful picture of Jesus taking someone who is about as low as you can get – 7 demons living in you, can’t get much worse – and redeeming them for God’s purpose. We looked at this when we looked at the Apostles, but one of the ways God shows His power and is glorified, is by using those who everyone else would probably write off. Mary Magdalene experienced first-hand what Psalm 40:2 -3 tells us, “He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog,and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
Mary is also a perfect example of God doing all the work of salvation. Mary, in her state, obviously didn’t go “looking” for Jesus, nor did she have any inclination to. Nothing in her would have desired to go searching for a Savior. Jesus wasn’t lost, she was! Jesus finds her and calls her to be His. Many people have said that Jesus appearing to Mary is because as a woman, she would have been the lowest in society, and Jesus raises the lowly. And I’m not disputing that, but rarely are things with Jesus ever 1 dimensional. After being saved by Jesus, Mary not only physically followed Him during His ministry on earth, she provided for Him and the Apostles as she was able, and now, when the world looked darkest, and His Apostles are cowering in a locked room, Mary and the other women boldly go to Jesus’ tomb to anoint His body. Mary boldly asks Jesus (who she thinks is the gardener) if he has taken Jesus’ body and if he has, tell her so she can go get it.
I don’t think Mary Magdalene always gets the credit she deserves for all that. But Jesus certainly notices. Which is one of the reasons she gets a personal visit from the resurrected Jesus– His first visit.Okay, so sometime after Jesus sends the women to the disciples, Jesus heads to Galilee by way of the road to Emmaus. There’s been debate about where Emmaus is, as it’s only mentioned once in Scripture. Josephus, the Jewish historian, says that there was a town in Judea and Galilee that was called Emmaus. After the resurrection narrative, Luke 24 tells us, “ That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
Now, granted, these disciples of Jesus were kept from recognizing Him, but I love the ironic humor in this passage. Cleopas asks Jesus, “Are you the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on?” When in truth, Jesus was the only one who knew what was going on! Jesus plays along though and asks what were they talking about. The disciples tell Him about Himself and how the women found the tomb empty, and then say in Luke 24:24 – 27, “Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And (Jesus) said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Okay, so these disciples were kept from recognizing it was Jesus, but they were not kept from getting instruction from the Old Testament and Jesus Himself for the past 3 years! The fact that Jesus goes over everything written about Him in the Old Testament shows they were obtuse to it! If these men were Jews – like the Apostles – they would have had much of the Old Testament memorized so they should have known the prophecies about Jesus and recognized that all that had happened was exactly what was prophesied. And even if they weren’t Jews, Jesus had been teaching them for 3 years. And He told them what had to happen. That’s why he rebukes them for their ignorance. But then, He graciously reminds them of all they should have already known.
And most of us know how this encounter ends. The disciples ask Jesus (who they still don’t recognize) to stay with them. When Jesus blesses and breaks bread, their eyes are opened and Jesus disappears. Mark 16 tells us that after this, these 2 disciples went back and told the rest, but just like the women, they weren’t believed either. But Jesus is about to change that. That night, as they were talking about Jesus appearing to the women and the 2 disciples, Luke 24:46 – 43 says, “As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish,[b] 43 and he took it and ate before them.”
Jesus then goes on to remind them that from His own Words He told them and what was written about Him in the Old Testament, they should have known better. But then He does something amazing. Luke 24:45 – 49 says, “ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” John reiterates this narrative. First, let’s talk about Jesus showing them His scars. We all have scars, some physical, some mental, and some emotional. Jesus is showing His Apostles that even He wasn’t exempt from scars.
That’s right. And while Jesus does not have any mental or emotional scars because, well, He’s God! He does still bare the scars of His taking on flesh and becoming fully Man. We talked about what saving us cost Jesus – and He still bears the scars from it. Jesus was showing His Apostles then – and us now, that He finished the work of defeating sin, Satan, and death for His people, but that it came at a great cost, and He still bears the marks of it. Being resurrected didn’t erase all Jesus went through to secure our salvation. As one pastor so beautifully put, “The scars of Good Friday were still visible on Easter Sunday.” And Jesus knew His disciples acquired scars from all that had happened. He is showing them, He understands.
This is an important point. Sometimes people think that as a Christian we always need to be overflowing with joy and always be at peace no matter what is going on in our lives. And while on paper, that is absolutely true. If we belong to Jesus, our salvation and future is secure, and we know that our Sovereign God works everything in our lives – no matter how devastating – for our spiritual good. And, hopefully we all know that and do find joy and peace in it. But that doesn’t mean we don’t get broken by things that happen. We lose someone we love, we are the victim of a crime, we share in others pain, just to name a few examples. A man told this story. He woodenly smiled through his teenage daughter’s funeral because as he kept telling everyone, Christ is risen, no reason to be sad. He ignored the devastation he felt of losing his child. His younger daughter watched all this and never forgave him for not being there for her – sharing in her wounds and grief.
Life isn’t rainbows and unicorns for Christians. Even knowing we serve a sovereign, merciful, risen Lord, we still have horrific things happen in our lives. We feel pain, sadness, and grief. And although hopefully we fall at the feet of Jesus to begin healing, our hurt and anxiety aren’t automatically lifted. And further, the painful events of our past aren’t erased. Even when we can get past the initial devastation, we still bear the scars of the traumas in our life. Well guess what? So does Jesus. Now that is a God who truly was made like us in every way and understands any and everything we have to go through while we are on this earth. Our churches are not places full of perfectly adjusted, emotionally fortified people overflowing with joy no matter what comes. Our churches are places full of real people with real hurts and real scars who despite all that, still know their only hope is in their Lord and Savior Jesus and they worship and love Him no matter what.
We don’t have time to talk about Jesus’ other appearances. We did talk about Jesus’ appearance to Thomas in the episode, “A Thrill of Hope, the Weary World Rejoices,” if you want to check that out. And we will briefly mention Jesus’ appearance to 7 disciples on the sea of Galilee. The narrative is found in John 21. These guys go out fishing, see someone on the shore with a fire going. Not realizing it was Jesus, but obeying anyway when He says to throw their net over, they catch a monster load of fish. John realizes it Jesus and tells Peter, who then throws himself into the sea and runs through the water to get to Him. Gotta love Peter! We said in that “A Thrill of Hope” episode that while Judas Iscariot and Peter committed the same sin, their response was very different showing that one belonged to Jesus and one didn’t. And we see that here. Judas hung himself out of guilt, Peter is running back to Jesus. And Jesus fully and completely restores him by asking him 3 times (the number of times Peter denied Jesus and a number of completeness) if Peter loved Him. After every affirmative response by Peter, Jesus tells him to feed His sheep.
And this goes back to Jesus showing them His scars. He knows Peter has scars from his betrayal. Jesus completely understands, but our scars do not disqualify us or excuse us from doing the work God has for us. Okay, we need to move onto Jesus’ ascension now. It’s mentioned in the Gospels, but we are going to move onto the book of Acts to get the narrative. Jesus appeared to people for 40 days after His resurrection. And He appeared to a lot of people! As Paul tells us in 1 Cor 15:6, “Then he (Jesus) appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.” In Acts 1, Luke tells us that Jesus ordered His Apostles right before His ascension, “not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
And then a couple verses later, Luke tells us, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Okay. Let’s note the last thing the angels say – they said Jesus would come back in the same way they saw His go. Just as He ascended up into the clouds, when Jesus comes back, He will descend down from the clouds. And Rev. 1:7 confirms this, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.” In the Old Testament, a cloud signified the presence of God. God led the Israelites on their exodus from Egypt by being present in a cloud during the day and fire by night. In the Ark of the Covenant, the Lord’s presence was signified by a cloud over the mercy seat. And as Numbers 16:42 tells us, “It came about, however, when the congregation had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared.” So all this to say that Jesus ascending and descending with the clouds is again saying He is God and He is present with His people.
So let’s talk about why the ascension is so important. The ascension marks an end and a beginning. The end it marks is Jesus’ full bodily appearances on earth. This means any encounters with Jesus after His ascension would be in visions or dreams. This even includes Jesus appearing to Paul. Acts 9:3 – 4 confirms this, “Now as he(Paul) went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
Why is this point important? Throughout history, there have been claims that people have seen the Risen Jesus. These “sightings” are usually accompanied by new revelation given to them by Jesus. But Jesus’ ascension not only signifies the end of His physical earthly appearances, it also signifies the end of Jesus giving His followers (the church) new revelation.
And if you are skeptically asking right now, but what about the book of Revelation. That was given to John 60 or so years after Jesus ascended. Well, first, Jesus gave John visions in Revelation, and He did so through an angel – so Jesus did not return to earth bodily and appear to John. Second, nothing in Revelation is new revelation. The book of Revelation is the fulfillment of the other 65 books of Scripture. It shows exactly how God will accomplish all we have already been told He would – that is bring Jesus’ victory over sin, Satan and death to completion. Now understand, that it is physical appearances of the resurrected Jesus that came to an end when He ascended and won’t happen again until He comes back. But, of course, Jesus is everywhere spiritually. Just want to be clear we are not in any way saying that Jesus is not right at this moment here with us.
So what does the ascension mean for us? First, when Jesus took on flesh to be born of a baby, He forsook His glory. He was still God and still due glory, but He voluntarily put that aside and fully embraced being a human confined to flesh. At His ascension, Jesus is showing us He is fully glorified again and returned to sit at the right hand of God. His work on earth is complete and He is returning to take His rightful place as the Son of God. As Stephen Davis from The Reformed Journal puts it, “The Ascension was a graphic way for God to declare that Jesus is the one whom we should follow. It was a dramatic way for God to repeat what the voice from heaven had said at Jesus’ baptism: “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Another thing Jesus’ Ascension means for us is that it inaugurated the Holy Spirit indwelling in believers – and we will look at that official event which is Pentecost in a minute. As Jesus told His disciples in John 16:7, “I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” And one more thing the ascension means for us is that we will be exalted and have a place in heaven. Again, as Jesus told His disciples in John 14:2 – 3, “In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Okay, onto Pentecost. The account of it is found in Acts chapter 2. Pentecost makes the shift from the acts of Jesus (as we saw in the Gospels) to the acts of Jesus’ followers as they are empowered by the Holy Spirit. It is the beginning of the story of how the spread of the Gospel, Christianity and the Church began. Ten days after Jesus ascended into Heaven, the people of Jerusalem were celebrating Pentecost. Pentecost, also called the Festival of Weeks, was actually a festival from the Old Testament that God told Moses the people were to celebrate. It was on this day, when Jerusalem was filled with Jews from all over who had pilgrimed to the temple to celebrate, that the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles.
Acts 2:1-4 paints the picture for us, “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Now is not the time to get into a debate about exactly what speaking in “tongues” means. Suffice it to say that at Pentecost, Jesus’ disciples were not speaking in some unknown language – they were speaking in Aramaic. But the Holy Spirit caused a supernatural event where everyone there – who spoke several different languages – were able to understand exactly what the Apostles were saying in their own language. It was like they had one of those electronic interpreters that the UN uses in their ears. Only they didn’t.
All of us who are believers have had the Holy Spirit indwell in us, but no one has had the Holy Spirit come like this! That’s because this was one of those events that were unique to that particular time. The coming of the Holy Spirit to the apostles at Pentecost was a one-time only event never to be repeated. It was done this way to mark a new beginning. Remember miracles were done at the advent of something new and to get people’s attention. The New Covenant and the Kingdom of God were upon them, and God was letting everyone know it! Pentecost marks the beginning of the Holy Spirit permanently indwelling in believers. No longer would the Holy Spirit come and go in God’s people as He had in the Old Testament, or just be with God’s people. Beginning at Pentecost, believers have the Holy Spirit living in them!
And this extraordinary event had a secondary purpose. It was a reversal on the curse at the Tower of Babel. If you remember the story, the people all spoke one language and decided to build a tower up to Heaven. As punishment, they were scattered, and God confused their speech, making them speak different languages. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit allowed people of at least seventeen different languages to hear the apostles, who were speaking in Galilean which is Aramaic in their own language! This was a spectacular, supernatural feat of God!
So we wrap up this episode and this series with a takeaway for all of us. John gives us the purpose of His Gospel, which applies to everything we have looked at in this series, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 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.”
I want to quote something from Modern Reformation that applies to this. They say, “Our world makes a radical separation between the realms of “truth” (for example, fact, science, reason) and “values” (opinion, religion, emotion).1 Yet the Gospels make an intimate and unbreakable connection between true knowledge of Jesus and true belief in Jesus; there is no division between the “Jesus of history” and the “Christ of faith.” John wrote his Gospel account to lead the reader into the true belief in Jesus that is also true knowledge of Jesus.”
The world divides knowing about Jesus and belief in Jesus, but as Christians, we should not have that distinction. They are the same. Our purpose in studying the Gospels, the life of Jesus, and all of Scripture, is not to gain knowledge about Jesus, but to strengthen our faith in Jesus.
Chris, that’s not only a good place to end, its a great Segway into our next series, Be Transformed. We should always approach studying and learning Scripture, not just so we can get more head knowledge and sound intelligent when we are talking around other Christians. Our goal should always be to Make Way for Our King in our hearts so that the Holy Spirit can truly transform us to more and more resemble our King.
Thanks for joining us for this series. We hope you have been as blessed by it as we have. If you have, please leave a review on whatever platform you listen on. We would greatly appreciate it! And along those lines, if you have read and been blessed by either No Half Truths Allowed or the Bible Blueprint, please consider leaving a review on Amazon. Again, we would greatly appreciate it. Now, may “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” Have a blessed day, everyone!