147 John 21:24-25 JOHNS TESTIMONY ABOUT JESUS Introduction: These two verses close out John's testimony about Jesus as it is given in this book. They are still very much connected to the events of our preceding texts, but theyalso give a conclusion to the entire book. Therefore, in our study of the two verses, we should first seek to see their connection to the events described in the last few texts, but we should see their connection to all that has been said in the entire book of John. I. John identified as the disciple whom Jesus loved V. 24, "This is the disciple which testifieth of these things..." In previous verses John spoke about a disciple whom Jesus loved. Back in verse 20 we read, "Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved..." This disciple was further identified in that verse as the one who had leaned on the breast of Jesus at the Passover Supper and had inquired about who would betray Jesus into the hands of the enemy. The meaning of that statement is that Jesus showed more love and affection to this particular disciple than He did to any of the others. Out of the twelve apostles, there were actually three on whom Jesus showed special interest. He spent more time with these three than He spent with the others. He confided things to them that He did not confide to others. He carried only these three with Him when He was up on the Mt. of Transfiguration. He carried only these three with Him as He went deeper into the Garden of Gethsemane to engage in prayer. The three were Peter, James and John. But it was the Apostle John who showed more affection to Jesus than any of the others. It was his delight to lean his head on the breast and shoulder of Jesus as a token of his great love and affection for Jesus. And it was John to whom Jesus responded with a greater display of affection for Him. Jesus showed more time and attention and affection to John than He did to any of the others --- including Peter and James. We learn something right here that can be very beneficial to us. If you want to receive more love and affection from Jesus, then you need to give more love and affection to Jesus. There should be no doubt that Jesus loved all of His disciples, but He did show a greater love for those who showed a greater love toward Him. John's method of writing about the Lord's greater love for him has caught the special attention of most of us. Up until now, John never told who this disciple was. He just spoke of him as the disciple whom Jesus loved. When telling about the time this disciple asked who would betray Him, John did not call him by name. He just said that it was the disciple whom Jesus loved. When he wrote about this disciple following after Jesus and Simon Peter and Peter asking Jesus, "What are you going to ask this man to do?" John still did not call this disciple by name. Even in our text today, John still does not call him by name. But he does finally positively identify him. (V. 24), "...and wrote these things..." He identified him also as the disciple who wrote the book. He is the disciple who has related to us these events and who has put his account of these events on record by writing this book. This disciple whom Jesus loved is none other than the Apostle John who wrote the entire Book of John. II. The truthfulness of John's testimony (V. 24) "...and we know that his testimony is true." The word "we" has been a puzzle. Since John is the writer of the book, why did he not simply say, "I know that my word is true?" One possible explanation of this puzzle is that this was just one of the peculiarities of John. Why did John not call himself by name as the disciple whom Jesus loved? Why did he not call himself by name as the disciple who asked Jesus who would betray Him? Why did he not call himself by name as the disciple at whom the Apostle Peter had become jealous and had asked Jesus what plans He had for John? It could have just been John's peculiar way of saying things. However, it does appear to have been much more than that. This book had been written in the later years of John's life. There is some evidence in secular history that the Apostle John pastored the church at Ephesus which was organized by the Apostle Paul and that he pastored this church until he was about 90 years old. It was into the hands of this church that John placed this book. It was this church which preserved it and distributed it to other churches that they might have the benefit of what John had written. It appears that when John used the word "we" in this verse that he was including the elders of this church in his statement. He was not only saying, "I know that what I have written is true," but he was also saying, "These brethren in the church here at Ephesus also know that these things are true. John knew that these things were true because he was an eye witness to the things that he had written. The brethren of the church at Ephesus also knew that these things were true even thought they had not been eye witnesses to the events. They knew because they knew John. They had a long association with this man. They knew him to be a truthful man. They knew him to be a godly man who would not lie about these things. Furthermore, from time to time they had been visited by other Christian brethren such as the Apostle Paul, the Apostle Peter and other Christians from Judea. They, too, could vouch for the truthfulness of the things John had written. It was just as natural as could be for John to speak for those men and to include them in the statement of this verse by using the word "we." In a similar way I do not hesitate to use the word "we" here this morning. I say to you that not only did John know that these thing which he wrote are true, not only did the brethren at Ephesus know that they are true, but I say to you that "we" know that they are true. At the very least I can say to you that "I" know that they are true. I am just as certain in my own heart and mind that they are true as I am that I stand here before you this morning. Deep down in my heart I know that not only are the things written in the Book of John true, but I know that all of the Bible is true. It is the Holy inspired word of God. I know that these books were written by man, but I also know that they were inspired by the Holy Spirit of God and that they are true. I believe so strongly that you also know that they are true that I feel comfortable in saying, "We know that the things written in this entire Bible are true." I think that in your heart you know that these things are true. III. The many other things which Jesus did The Apostle John made no claim that he had written down all that Jesus did. He very clearly stated that he had not recorded all that Jesus had done. V. 25, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did..." There were many things that Jesus did which none of the gospel writers recorded. We know that very little was recorded about His life prior to the beginning of His public ministry. Very little about the childhood of Jesus was recorded. Almost nothing was recorded about His teen years. Almost nothing was said about His early adult life. We do know that Joseph trained Him to be a carpenter. We know also that He lived in Nazareth but very little was known about those years prior to His public ministry. But even if we consider that John was speaking only about the time of the ministry of Jesus, John still did not claim to have written all that Jesus did --- not even those things that He did during His public ministry. John did not even record everything that the other gospel writers recorded. Matthew, Mark and Luke recorded a number of things that John did not record. Likewise, John recorded a goodly number of things that they did not record. But John is saying that there were many things which Jesus did which none of the gospel writers recorded. For instance many of the cities and villages which Jesus visited during His public ministry were not mentioned by name. There is the mention people being healed by Him which were neither named nor described at all in the Scripture. We know not who they were or what their illnesses were. There were many sermons preached and many lessons without so much as a hint as to what Jesus said in them. According to the statement of John in the latter part of verse 25 it was not even possible for everything which Jesus said and did to be recorded. Not by John, not by the other gospel writers, and not by anyone. (V. 25), "...the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." John here used a figure of speech to emphasize a point. The point was that there were too many things that Jesus did during the three years of His ministry for everything to be recorded. We frequently use such figures of speech. We say, "I was on cloud nine." "I shouted to the high heavens." "I will tell it to the whole world." It is not that we were literally on a cloud or that we shouted so loudly that someone on the moon or stars could hear or that we told something literally to everybody in the world. But we use such figures of speech to emphasize a point and the Bible is written in the manner of speech that men commonly use so that they can understand its meaning. The meaning of what John said in this statement is very clear. It was not possible for men to record every little detail about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. There were too many deeds and too many details. Even if it had been possible, it would not have been practical to do so. There would have been too many books for us to read. Yet it was necessary for records to be made and preserved for the generations to come. It was necessary that these records be factual. It was necessary that they be true. It was necessary that they be sufficient to reveal to men, women, boys and girls the birth, the life, and the ministry of Jesus. It was needful that these records reveal clearly to us that even though Jesus is a man that He is not merely a man. It was needful that the record reveal to us that Jesus is Deity God dwelling in human flesh. It is needful that we be told the mission of Jesus here on earth. It is needful that we be informed that God has so loved the people of this world that He sent His Son, His only fleshly begotten Son to this world to die for lost sinners that they might be saved. It is needful that we be told what is necessary on our part to be saved. It is needful that we be made aware that not only did Jesus die for us so that we may be saved, but that He arose from the grave and is alive today. If He were not alive, He would not be able to save anybody. It is necessary that the saved be informed about New Testament churches and informed that it is the will of God for the saved to be active members in a Scriptural New Testament church. It is necessary that the saved be informed about the kind of lives which they need to live in order to please God. Let me say to you that there is no reason for anybody in the world to be uninformed about Jesus Christ and the way of salvation. There is no reason for any saved person in the world to be uninformed about the kind of life which they are to live. If anybody is uninformed it is not the fault of the Apostle John. It is not the fault of the God of heaven, for He has provided this book which gives the record of the life and ministry of Jesus and reveals to us the will of God for our lives. I will say this in closing, if anybody dies and goes out into eternity unprepared to meet God it is his own fault for failing to repent of his sin and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. If any saved person does not follow Jesus in baptism and unite with a New Testament church it is his own fault. If any church member does not live in a way that pleases God it is his own fault. Conclusion: What we are going to do at this time is to sing a hymn and I am going to call upon each person in this congregation to respond to the will of God. If you are unsaved, I do not need to persuade you that you need to be saved. I think that you know that already. But what I want to do is to impress upon you the need of getting saved now without further delay. No matter how much you intend to get right with God some day, if you keep putting it off until some other time, you will die unsaved and miss out on heaven. What you need to do is to get saved now. Every day that you put it off is wasted opportunity. If you are saved and you desire to unite with this church, I would likewise appeal to you to do it without delay. Every week that you delay is just wasted opportunity.