…but these [things] 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.
John 20:31
The purpose of the Gospel is to reveal Jesus to us that we might believe and be saved (see John 20:31 above). So as we read and study the Gospel of John together, our goal is to see Jesus; to see Him for Who He is; to understand why He came and why He alone can save! And then, upon seeing Him, to believe in Him, which means to entrust ourselves and all we are to Him for eternal life! That is our goal every time we gather in His name and open His Word.
But not only is that our goal when we gather, it should also be your goal every time you open your Bible and begin to read! Oh! How I hope you understand that! It is very easy to go through the motions of Bible reading and yet miss the point (and in the process miss the benefit and blessing and life-change that otherwise can come). Many read the Bible as they would a news magazine or a blog. They scan it for juicy tidbits, or items of interest. They read it to find help for a specific problem, or merely to have things they already believe confirmed. Worse yet, they read it to judge it’s message by their own assumptions rather than submitting to its truth. But in each case they miss seeing Him! Dear one, if you miss seeing Him, you will miss the while point of the Bible. The Bible exists to show you Jesus in all His saving power and glory!
In John 5:39, as Jesus is seeking to wake the Pharisees from their religious misreading of the Bible, he says to them, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” Let me urge you never to lose sight of this all-important truth: God’s word is not here to tell you more about you, but to introduce you to Christ! So before you read word, ask Him to help you see Jesus more clearly! For seeing Him is what brings life!
May the Lord show Himself to us daily in His Word!
Pastor Scott Lee