True Testimony

John 21:24-25 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. 25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
 
IN the beginning of his gospel, John wrote: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) This is John’s main reason for writing of Jesus’ ministry. When John wrote, he was an elderly man who had experienced many challenges to Jesus’ deity. His gospel and epistles 1, 2, 3 John and Revelation are messages to the church and the world that Jesus is the eternal Son of God. He has come in the flesh to display God’s glory in his resurrection and ascension. He will come again in glory.
   How do we know that (John’s) testimony is true? The truth is in Jon’s many facts of Jesus’ ministry. We know they are facts because Jesus was very public about his teachings and miracles. Thousands of eyewitnesses saw the healing and feeding miracles. The truth of Lazarus’ resurrection (John 11) forced the Pharisees to finalize their plans to kill Jesus. The wonder of Jesus’ resurrection became obvious to the hundreds who saw his risen body. John wrote truth to defend the truth and to exalt his Lord.
   Of course, there is very much we do not know about Jesus’ life. Other than Luke 1-2, the gospels cover just three brief years of his life on earth. John is mainly about the last six months Jesus ministered. There are certainly hundreds of incidents and teachings the gospel writers did not include.
   When John wrote the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written, he was using a literary technique called hyperbole. It is an exaggeration designed to emphasize a truth. An example of Jesus using hyperbole is Matthew 5:29 “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away.” Jesus does not want us to mutilate our bodies each time we sin. We wouldn’t last long. But this hyperbole is a strong statement to be actively opposed to sin.
   In a like manner, John knew the world was big enough to hold all the books that would tell of Jesus’ work on earth. But his point is to tell us there is much more about Jesus than we can know from all that had been written to that point in history.
   One faith challenge for some is a strong desire to understand everything about God. But he is too magnificent and eternal to know completely. We can be thankful we know he is Creator, Redeemer, Savior and King. His Bible tells us all we need to know to be his faithful disciples.