It has been about six decades since the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. The only surviving apostle, a very old man now, picks up his pen or is at least with a secretary. Its time to write his very own Gospel, the 4th Gospel. Surely it brought back some sweet memories to this man who frequently referred to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved".
He begins with an 18-verse prologue. With it, he tells his readers in very clear terms that Jesus has been existing from the very beginning; and that he was with God and he himself is God. He further tells his audience that this Jesus is Creator of all things we enjoy here on earth and that he is the author of life.
At verse 14, he writes about how this God became flesh and made his dwelling among men. But even when he was in this form of a servant, his glory cannot be hidden. John declares: "We have seen his glory".
By the time John wrote this, his Christology was already in its fullness. He fully understands who Jesus Christ is. Yet it was not always that way. John and the rest of the apostles were very slow in grasping the full deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When Andrew and Peter were newly acquainted with Jesus, they asked him,
"Where are you staying?" (John 1:38)
Jesus replied "Come and see".
He showed them the place where he was staying and they were with him the whole day. But three years after, they knew that Jesus doesn't even need a place built by human hands.He dwells at the Father's side since the beginning. Solomon says to God in the dedication of the temple: "Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house I built?" (1 Kings 8:27)
Nathanael's first response to Jesus was discrimination: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Yet he was surprised when he learned that Jesus saw him under the fig tree when he thought he was all alone. He therefore declared Jesus to be the Son of God. But he has not seen anything yet. Jesus told his that he will see the heavens opened and the angels of god ascending and descending on the Son of Man (John 1:51). The affairs between heaven and earth are so centered on this man that the angels of God ascend and descend on him.
At one point, the disciples asked "Who is this man that even winds and waves obey him". After ascension, one of his apostles wrote that in Jesus, all things hold together (Col. 1:17). He is the sustainer of the universe. The earth rotates on its axis because of Jesus Christ. The planets revolve around their orbits because of Jesus Christ. There is evaporation, condensation and precipitation because of Jesus Christ. Our hearts are beating and blood flows within our veins because of Jesus. We inhale and exhale unconsciously because of Jesus.
Thomas thought that when he died, it was game over (pardon me for using Nintendo language here). Later he understood that death cannot hold Jesus Christ. He laid down his life only to take it up again (John 10:17)
He turned ordinary water into the finest wine. He made the lame walk, he restored sight to the blind, he cleansed lepers, he raised the dead back to life. He fed thousands of people with fives loaves and two fish.
He begins with an 18-verse prologue. With it, he tells his readers in very clear terms that Jesus has been existing from the very beginning; and that he was with God and he himself is God. He further tells his audience that this Jesus is Creator of all things we enjoy here on earth and that he is the author of life.
At verse 14, he writes about how this God became flesh and made his dwelling among men. But even when he was in this form of a servant, his glory cannot be hidden. John declares: "We have seen his glory".
By the time John wrote this, his Christology was already in its fullness. He fully understands who Jesus Christ is. Yet it was not always that way. John and the rest of the apostles were very slow in grasping the full deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When Andrew and Peter were newly acquainted with Jesus, they asked him,
"Where are you staying?" (John 1:38)
Jesus replied "Come and see".
He showed them the place where he was staying and they were with him the whole day. But three years after, they knew that Jesus doesn't even need a place built by human hands.He dwells at the Father's side since the beginning. Solomon says to God in the dedication of the temple: "Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house I built?" (1 Kings 8:27)
Nathanael's first response to Jesus was discrimination: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Yet he was surprised when he learned that Jesus saw him under the fig tree when he thought he was all alone. He therefore declared Jesus to be the Son of God. But he has not seen anything yet. Jesus told his that he will see the heavens opened and the angels of god ascending and descending on the Son of Man (John 1:51). The affairs between heaven and earth are so centered on this man that the angels of God ascend and descend on him.
At one point, the disciples asked "Who is this man that even winds and waves obey him". After ascension, one of his apostles wrote that in Jesus, all things hold together (Col. 1:17). He is the sustainer of the universe. The earth rotates on its axis because of Jesus Christ. The planets revolve around their orbits because of Jesus Christ. There is evaporation, condensation and precipitation because of Jesus Christ. Our hearts are beating and blood flows within our veins because of Jesus. We inhale and exhale unconsciously because of Jesus.
Thomas thought that when he died, it was game over (pardon me for using Nintendo language here). Later he understood that death cannot hold Jesus Christ. He laid down his life only to take it up again (John 10:17)
He turned ordinary water into the finest wine. He made the lame walk, he restored sight to the blind, he cleansed lepers, he raised the dead back to life. He fed thousands of people with fives loaves and two fish.
Peter, James, and John saw with their very eyes how he transfigured. His face shone like the sun and his clothes as white as the light. Then they heard a voice from heaven declare: "This is my Son whom I love, with whom i am well pleased; listen to him." (Matthew 17)
The old man John looked back and he remembered all these things and much more he did not even bother to record them all (John 20:30). But the things recorded in Scripture are sufficient for us to see his glory too that we might believe in the Son of God and by believing, we may have life in his name (John 20:31)
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