The Bullseye of Belief Text: John 20:30-31
Introduction: The Author's Stated Purpose
Every book worth reading has a purpose, a central aim that drives the entire project. The author of a cookbook wants you to be able to make a decent souffle. The author of a car manual wants you to be able to change your oil without ruining your engine. But the apostle John, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has an infinitely higher goal. He is not trying to make us smarter sinners or more competent rebels. He is aiming for our very life.
After twenty chapters of breathtaking theology, of signs and wonders, of confrontational dialogues and intimate discourses, John pauses, turns to his readers, and essentially tells us why he put the pen down. He gives us his thesis statement. These two verses are the interpretive key to the entire Gospel. If you don't understand these verses, you will misunderstand everything that came before them. You might be impressed by Jesus turning water into wine, you might be moved by the raising of Lazarus, you might be intellectually stimulated by the "I AM" statements. But if you miss the point of it all, you have missed everything. It would be like admiring the craftsmanship of a bow and arrow without ever understanding that it was designed to hit a target.
John tells us plainly that his book is not an exhaustive biography. It is a curated, theological, and evangelistic argument. He has selected his material with a laser focus. He is a prosecutor laying out his case, presenting his evidence exhibit by exhibit, all to secure a particular verdict from the jury, which is you. And the verdict he seeks is not just intellectual assent. He is not after a tip of the hat to the historical Jesus. He is after a verdict that changes everything, a verdict that results in life itself.
In our day, we are drowning in information but starved for meaning. We have access to endless data points about Jesus, but very little of the life He offers. People treat the gospels like a religious buffet, picking and choosing the bits they like, the sentimental sayings, the moral examples, while ignoring the central, non-negotiable claim. John will not allow this. He grabs us by the lapels and tells us precisely why he wrote, what we are to believe, and what the glorious consequence of that belief is. This is not complicated, but it is cosmic.
The Text
Therefore many other signs Jesus also did in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 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.
(John 20:30-31 LSB)
Selective Signs, Not Exhaustive History (v. 30)
We begin with the apostle's editorial disclaimer in verse 30:
"Therefore many other signs Jesus also did in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;" (John 20:30)
John begins by acknowledging the vastness of his subject. He was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of Jesus Christ. At the very end of his book, he says that if everything Jesus did were written down, the world itself could not contain the books. So, the first thing we must understand is that this Gospel is a work of deliberate selection. John is not just dumping his memory onto the page. He is an artist, not a court stenographer.
He calls the miracles of Jesus "signs." This is crucial. A sign is not an end in itself; it points to something beyond itself. A sign that says "Moscow" is not the city of Moscow. It points you to Moscow. The miracles of Jesus are not mere displays of raw power, designed to shock and awe. They are theological statements. They are enacted parables. Each one is a window into the very identity of Jesus. When He turns water into wine, it's a sign that He is the author of the new creation, bringing joy and celebration where there was only ritual purity and emptiness. When He heals the blind man, it's a sign that He is the light of the world. When He raises Lazarus, it's a sign that He is the resurrection and the life. John has carefully selected seven of these signs to build his case.
Notice also that these signs were done "in the presence of the disciples." This is a book of eyewitness testimony. John was there. He saw it. He touched the Word of life (1 John 1:1). This is not hearsay or legend. It is a sober, historical account from a man whose life was turned upside down by what he saw. But the signs were not just for the disciples' benefit then; they were recorded so that we, who were not there, could have the same foundation for our faith. The signs were public, verifiable, and recorded for posterity. God does not ask for blind faith. He provides evidence.
The Central Proposition (v. 31a)
Verse 31 lays out the purpose with perfect clarity. This is the bullseye of the entire book.
"but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God;" (John 20:31a)
Here is the reason for the book: "so that you may believe." The goal is faith. But what kind of faith? Not a vague, generic spirituality. John defines the object of our faith with razor-sharp precision. We are to believe a two-fold proposition about a specific person: that Jesus is the Christ, and that He is the Son of God.
First, that Jesus is the Christ. "Christ" is not Jesus' last name. It is His title. It is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew "Messiah," which means "Anointed One." To say that Jesus is the Christ is to say that He is the long-awaited King of Israel, the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies. He is the seed of the woman who crushes the serpent's head, the descendant of Abraham who blesses all nations, the prophet like Moses, the priest after the order of Melchizedek, and the Son of David who will reign on an eternal throne. This is a direct assault on the political and religious assumptions of the first-century Jews, who were expecting a political zealot to throw off the Romans. John's gospel presents a King, but one whose kingdom is not of this world, a King who conquers not with a sword, but with a cross.
Second, that Jesus is the Son of God. This is not just a statement of intimacy; it is a declaration of deity. Throughout John's Gospel, this is the central point of contention. The religious leaders wanted to stone Jesus not because He was a good teacher, but because, as they correctly understood, He was "making Himself equal with God" (John 5:18). He is the eternal Word who was with God and was God (John 1:1). He is the "I AM," the covenant name of God Himself (John 8:58). To believe in Jesus is to believe that the carpenter from Nazareth is the eternal, uncreated God in human flesh. This is the great stumbling block, the scandal of the faith. But it is the bedrock of everything. If Jesus is not God, then His death is just a tragedy. But if He is God, His death is our salvation.
The Glorious Result (v. 31b)
The verse concludes not with the proposition, but with the profound and glorious result of believing it.
"and that believing you may have life in His name." (John 20:31b)
The goal of right belief is not to win an argument or to pass a theology exam. The goal is life. And the life John speaks of is not simply continued biological existence. The Greek word is zoe, which refers to spiritual, eternal life. It is the very life of God Himself. It is a qualitative life, not just a quantitative one. It is fellowship with the Father and the Son. It is to know God (John 17:3).
This life is not something we get when we die. It is something we receive the moment we believe. "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:12). It is a present possession. Believing is not a down payment on a future inheritance; it is receiving the inheritance itself. The new creation begins in the heart of the believer now.
And how do we get this life? "In His name." In the Bible, a person's name represents their entire character, authority, and power. To have life "in His name" means to have it by virtue of who He is and what He has done. It is not by our works, our merit, or our religious performance. It is by His authority, His power, His finished work on the cross, and His triumphant resurrection. We are saved by trusting in Him, by taking refuge under His name. His name is the strong tower into which the righteous run and are safe.
Conclusion: The Verdict is Required
So John has rested his case. He has presented the signs. He has stated his purpose. He has laid out the central claim about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And he has told us the glorious result of belief: life in His name. He has done his part. Now the book is in your hands, and the verdict is up to you.
You cannot remain neutral. To refuse to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, is to render a verdict. It is to say that He is not the King, that He is not God, and that you will seek life elsewhere. And the world is full of other gospels, other promises of "life." The gospel of materialism promises life in possessions. The gospel of hedonism promises life in pleasure. The gospel of self-improvement promises life in personal achievement. But they are all liars. They are all dead ends. They all terminate in the grave.
John has written these things down so that you would not be fooled. He has written them so that you would abandon the dead-end streets and turn to the one who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The evidence has been presented. The signs point to one man. Do you believe that this Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed King? Do you believe that He is the Son of God, the Lord of heaven and earth? Your answer to that question is not an academic exercise. It is a matter of life and death. To believe is to have life, true zoe, in His name. And there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.