Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Last Verse.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are considered the Gospels in the Bible.  Although every book in the Bible points to Christ, these four are the historic accounts of Jesus’ life as He walked on this earth as the God-Man.  There are so many instances in these books where Jesus performs a miracle or does something so gracious.  Those times when He was doing these great things for people around Him, He was earning our salvation for us.  He was fulfilling God’s perfect and Holy Law in our place.  For example, Jesus healing the blind man was Him helping the weak or handicapped.  He did this because He knew I would walk right past people like this most of the time in my life.  He also knew that the few times I did do something for someone, I would do it out of pride or to make myself feel or look like a better person.  Even our good deeds are tainted with sin.  It took Jesus performing and living out these miracles and perfectly obeying God’s laws to replace our sinful disobedience throughout our lives.  This is just one small example of how Jesus came to earth to live this way for us.  One big example of Jesus doing something in our place is on the Cross.  He took the punishment, the penalty for our Sin in our place.  Our disobedience had to be put to death and Jesus did this for us.  What an awesome act of GRACE.  Also by the gift of Faith, we can accept the Son’s perfect obedience and death in our place for eternal life.

That brings me to my main point of this post today.  I want to take you to John 21:25.  This verse is the final verse of the four gospels.  I think it packs a BIG punch to show us how small we are and how GREAT Jesus is. 

“Now there are also many other things that Jesus did.  Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”-John 21:25.

 I have never closely read this verse until this morning.  God’s Holy-inspired Word is perfect.  I think by ending the gospels in this way it leaves us with a large Hope for future glory.  Not only that, but when you finish reading the four books that precede this sentence you are amazed at all that Jesus graciously did in His life through obedience and miracles, all that He sacrificed on the Cross by punishment and death, and then the power shown at His resurrection to new life.  Then this verse says there is more!  The Bible can’t hold it all!  Jesus’ life was completely full of “good deeds”, “perfect obedience”, and was the fullness of God’s Grace, God’s Will and God’s Glory.  But still, the world cannot hold the rest of the great things Jesus did in His life on earth.  We only get a glimpse in the Bible of all the amazing things He did. 

That brings me to my final question.  If the Holy Bible doesn’t include even most of it and the world could not even hold the amount of books that would have to be written to tell us about them, then what CAN hold it?  Where will we find out more about how great He is?  I believe the answer is in Heaven.  If we read John 20:30 it says, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 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.” 
God knew what we needed to hear to believe.  He only gave us a glimpse of these “signs” of all that Jesus is.  Earlier in the book of John, in chapter 14 Jesus says:
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 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? 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. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.””

What a great and comforting verse for people to have that hope of a life with Christ in His father’s house.  The last chapters of John are full of places where Jesus speaks to give comfort and hope that He will return for His people.  I have peace knowing that ALL of Christ’s fullness and greatness will be held in Heaven.  When my death comes or when Christ returns we will, for eternity, be praising Him together.  I am sure, by grace alone, our sanctification will be completed at this time (Phil. 1:6).  We will see and understand everything that the Bible didn’t tell us and that this world couldn’t hold.  With this revelation, our eternity will be FULL of praise and thanksgiving to the One who is worthy of it.  I believe my Father’s House can hold it all! 
Because of Grace, go in Peace!  Amen.

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