John 20

Have you ever read a book and wondered....why was this written? Just what was the point of the author? Was he/she just trying to entertain? Where they trying to impart knowledge? Just what was the point?

I've had that.

And I know from talking with people, that sometimes they wonder what the point of the Bible is. It was written by lots of different people, and sometimes it seems to contradict itself and so on and so forth.

Well, I was reading from John 20 this morning and came across these lines.

30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but 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.

Here we are. Christ has died, has risen from the dead. He's appeared to lots of people and has done various signs and wonders. People believed it was him! Some took a bit more convincing (i.e. Thomas) but they knew that Christ had indeed been raised from the dead. Life has been restored. Hope has been restored. No more hiding out is needed.

And why?

Why were these things written down? 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."

This is why we have the word of God. It has been written down for us so that we can know that Jesus is THE CHRIST. Jesus is THE SON OF GOD. And in knowing this, that we can have life in his name. We don't have to stay dead in our sin. We can have life! And it's all been written down so that we can be saved.

I don't know about you...but I find that just absolutely marvellous! :) And it gives me an answer to those who wonder what the importance of the Bible is....to teach people who Jesus is, and that by knowing that, they can believe in him and have life anew! Cool eh? :)