"Don't Be Unbelieving But Believing"
by Anne Linington(148)
http://Faithwriters.com
Introduction
Yesterday I received a letter addressed to the Parent/ Guardian of A. Linington, which amused my husband no end. Inside was an invitation to have my poem “The Plough” included in a book to be published.. BUT to purchase one will cost £14.99. So the difficulty is whether the publisher is making money out of what could be described as “vanity press” or whether I trust God to use the poem I believe He gave me to reach a wider audience.
Today we are going to look at a book of the Bible, John's Gospel, a book that has a beginning and end and an overall purpose:
John the writer: Why did he write? What did he write about?
The person who wrote our Gospel reading, John, who had been a fisherman, not John the Baptist, had one purpose in writing: that people who read his re-telling of the life of Jesus, would come to believe in Him themselves. He was writing perhaps thirty years after the events of Jesus death and resurrection.
So as John sits thinking about what to include in his own telling of the Gospel, which would be in addition to those done by Mark and the others, every story and every word that he includes are there to help his first readers, and those of us who now read it
"These things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in His name." (Jn 20:31)
It is the same reason he gives for writing his letters to strengthen the faith of early Christian churches, especially concerning Jesus as God the Son.
"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." (I Jn 5:13)...
Later, John also wrote Revelation
Certain events John includes were seen as “signs” pointing to who Jesus really was: like the time he changed water into wine, and the disciples, his group of followers “believed in him”.
Then he carefully mentions some of the individual people that Jesus met:
Nicodemus ,
One of the Pharisees- Jewish leaders- who was afraid to be seen coming to talk with Jesus, so he came at night. To him Jesus said about the need to have a new kind of birth by the Spirit, so that we can be God's children.
It was also to Nicodemus that one of the most famous verses in the Bible was said, John 3:16
“ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life”.
The woman at the well
Someone else who met Jesus when no-one else was around was the woman at the well. This woman had made a real mess of her life and Jesus knew all about it, but gave her a new start. She was so happy about it that she went and told all her friends. They came and heard him for themselves, and they too believed.
The man born blind
Many people believed in Jesus because of the miracles he did: like the man who had been blind from the day he was born: Jesus healed him, and later when Jesus was talking to him, he believed in Jesus for himself.
John: the Witness
Unlike Luke who gathered information much like a newspaper reporter or historian by hearing first-hand accounts from others who were there, or Mark who tells his Gospel from having to listened to Peter, John was there.
He was a first-hand witness to the events of Jesus' teaching and miracles, his death and resurrection.
It is an amazing fact that in the whole of his gospel, John doesn't refer to himself once by name: He talks about John the Baptist, but not once does he mention himself by name.
He doesn't record how he and his brother James left their father Zebedee's fishing business to follow Jesus, though he does Simon Peter and his brother Andrew.
At the Last Supper, he refers to himself as “the disciple Jesus loved” leaning on Jesus to get as close to him as possible, and to catch every word he would say.
On the morning of the resurrection, he speaks of himself as “the other disciple” who went to the tomb with Peter.
It is only in Chapter 21 which people who have studied the Bible believe was added to
the original Gospel later, that “The sons of Zebedee” are mentioned. You have to go to other Gospel writers to find the name John .
John has made 100% effort not to draw any attention to himself.. none of this “ I was there.. I saw... I heard... he said to me.. All his efforts are on making Jesus central, it is in him that people need to believe- Jesus the Son of God.
Yet, John was there, as a witness to the miracles, seeing people healed, having their sins forgiven, and coming to faith in Christ.
Lazarus
He was there when Jesus delayed going to Lazarus when he was ill and dying, in order that a greater good might be served- raising him to life, and showing beyond doubt that Jesus was the Son of God so that people would believe:
This event produced belief in the disciples... in Mary, and Martha
11:25-27 Jesus said to her
“ I am the resurrection and the life.
Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live,
and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?”.
“ Yes Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
And many of the Jews, the mourners and those who would hear about the miracle believed in Jesus.
This miracle hastened the opposition of the Jews and Jesus death.
Last Supper
And John was there at the Last Supper, remembering all Jesus' final actions and words recorded in John 13-17
Crucifixion -
John was there when from the cross Jesus asked him to take care of Mary his mother
"He who saw this (ie John) has testified so that you also may believe." 19:35
John the believer
One of the most telling moments about John's own faith comes on the morning of the resurrection.
He and Peter hear from Mary that the stone has been moved away, and they run to the tomb.
John “the other disciple”- probably younger, outruns Peter getting there first; he looks in and sees the linen cloths that had been wrapped around Jesus' body, but he does not go in.
Peter, being Peter gets there and he goes in to take a look, seeing the same things as John.
Then John also goes into the tomb, and says of himself “he saw and believed”...
John writes his Gospel as a Writer.. as a Witness to all the narratives of Jesus' life.. but more than that as a Believer...
Up until then they hadn't understood all the times that Jesus said he would die and rise on the third day; now the pennies dropped; now things made sense in the light of the cross and the now empty tomb.
John believed.. like all the people he had written about... like all of us who have believed since that day.
There is nothing more convincing than hearing from someone who really believes in Jesus.. and this is what we have to offer others when we share our belief, our faith in Christ.
Thomas
My Granddad was a butler to Lord Clinton. On his estate there was a church. One time my Granddad accompanied Lord Clinton to a service. The only other people there were the Vicar and his wife who played the organ.
Granddad put up the hymn numbers.. he read the lesson.. and he took up the collection. After all that he said the Vicar had the nerve to preach on “Doubting Thomas”.. and my Granddad's name was.. Thomas! and incidentally he was also a twin.
The story that John tells of Thomas at the end of his Gospel has a number of purposes:
He shows that there is a possibility of believing or not believing: literally do not be unbelieving, but believing:
We too have that same choice, whether to be believe or not believe.
Thomas was one of Jesus Disciples, but when hard things came along he struggled- perhaps because he was a twin?
Some people, and perhaps especially twins, can suffer from separation anxiety..
When my sister adopted twins there was a recurrent refrain when one of them feared they were going to be left out..”And me!”
We don't know what happened to Thomas' twin, whether he may have died. He is not mentioned as being one of the disciples. Every time Thomas is faced with losing Jesus he struggles:
He had been outspoken when Jesus told them that he was going back to heaven to be with his Father, and prepare a place for his disciples to follow on. "We do not know where you are going so how can we know the way?” Thomas questioned.. “I am the way, the truth and the life, no-one comes to the Father except by me” was Jesus reply.(John 14)
Again at the raising of Lazarus , Thomas said that he was willing to die with Jesus... perhaps rather than face separation.
Again after the resurrection, Jesus death had hit Thomas really hard, maybe he had taken himself off alone not being able to be in the company of others...
And he was not easily going to believe the stories that the others told of having seen Jesus alive.
Perhaps he couldn't bear the thought of having his heart broken all over again, so he wasn't going to listen to these possibilities.
It was another eight days before Jesus appeared again- eight days in which Thomas wrestled with the possibility that Jesus was actually alive.
No doubt Jesus could have come to him earlier, but sometimes we have to work through our griefs, be open to new possibilities, perhaps even be at the end of our tether, and really wanting a fresh revelation before Christ reveals himself.
This time Thomas was with them. And Jesus already knew what Thomas had said about wanting to touch his hands and sides to be absolutely sure that this was the real Jesus.. he wasn't easily going to believe without proof...
But in the event all he could say was “My Lord and my God”. This was a personal affirmation of faith, a personal saying “yes” to Jesus. And it corresponded with the purpose of John's whole Gospel- to reveal Jesus as being divine, being God.. “My Lord and my God.”
Jesus says that those who believe without having seen him.. those in the years that would follow.. you and I.. are even more blessed because our belief is founded on faith not proof.
In John 17 Jesus prayed for those who would believe because of the words that his followers shared; now we must do the same. It is up to us to share the faith, the belief that we have in Jesus- that he is the Son of God, that he died for our sins, and that by believing we have life in his name-
abundant life now (John 10:10), and spiritual life that carries on throughout eternity spent in the presence of God.
“ Don't be unbelieving, but believing.”
Risen Christ
Almost imperceptibly, the risen Christ enters within the closed doors of my fears,
Penetrating the defensive armour that protects from further pain,
But of necessity, keeps one imprisoned and alone.
Gentle as a breath, Jesus speaks His word of “Peace…”
And I am comforted by His presence.
Unable to grant Him entry, He has taken the initiative
And comes into my world, as He once came two thousand years ago.
The historical Jesus, Word made flesh and Incarnate Son,
Still comes to frightened disciples, grief-stricken women,
Bewildered friends and guilt-ridden followers.
Jesus, manifest your risen self,
To all who long for that personal life changing encounter with you.
Anne Linington
Article submitted Sunday, April 11, 2010 & read 117 times.
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