Normal Christianity (33 of 34)
Series: Jesus, the One and Only
Zach Terry
John 21
Vance Havner once said, "The Church in America has been so sub-normal for so long, is she became normal, everyone would think that she was abnormal."
What the Bible presents as normal Christianity, the world considers fanatical and extreme. That's just because all she has known for the most part is sub-normal Christians.
I think that is why John gave us a 21st chapter to his Gospel.
There are basically two formal endings to the Gospel of John, what I call a soft ending and then a hard ending.
Here is what I mean - it seems that the story had reached a climax with the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus has a conversation with Thomas at the end of chapter 20, then we read -
John 20:30-31 (NASB95)
30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
So it seems that the story would end there. Sort of a, "and they lived happily ever after" But there is a 21st chapter.
20:30-31 Are sort of a soft ending then 21:24-25 are a hard ending.
24 This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.
It is as if John sat on his manuscript for a week or so, then came back and said, "You know I really need to tell more."
There is Chapter 21 the story of Jesus had reached a MAJOR climax with the resurrection from the dead. Rather than ending the story on a major high - John gives us one more day in the life. I think this chapter gives us tremendous insight as to what it looks like to walk with the risen Christ ...
Series: Jesus, the One and Only
Zach Terry
John 21
Vance Havner once said, "The Church in America has been so sub-normal for so long, is she became normal, everyone would think that she was abnormal."
What the Bible presents as normal Christianity, the world considers fanatical and extreme. That's just because all she has known for the most part is sub-normal Christians.
I think that is why John gave us a 21st chapter to his Gospel.
There are basically two formal endings to the Gospel of John, what I call a soft ending and then a hard ending.
Here is what I mean - it seems that the story had reached a climax with the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus has a conversation with Thomas at the end of chapter 20, then we read -
John 20:30-31 (NASB95)
30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
So it seems that the story would end there. Sort of a, "and they lived happily ever after" But there is a 21st chapter.
20:30-31 Are sort of a soft ending then 21:24-25 are a hard ending.
24 This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.
It is as if John sat on his manuscript for a week or so, then came back and said, "You know I really need to tell more."
There is Chapter 21 the story of Jesus had reached a MAJOR climax with the resurrection from the dead. Rather than ending the story on a major high - John gives us one more day in the life. I think this chapter gives us tremendous insight as to what it looks like to walk with the risen Christ ...
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