With Dale Ratzlaff
John 21:20-25
20 Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”
This verse references back to the supper recorded in John 13, and it identifies who the disciple is whom Jesus loved.
The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking. There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. So Simon Peter gestured to him, and said to him, “Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.” He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ bosom, said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus then answered, “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot (Jn. 13:22-26)
21 So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?”
The context of this section is just after Jesus had restored Peter’s ministry telling him to feed Jesus’ flock and tend His lambs. Jesus further told Peter what lay ahead of him. He was to honor God by crucifixion.
Peter and John had been and remained close friends. They were in the inner circle of Christ’s disciples during his ministry. They had been fishing partners. Therefore, it was only natural for Peter, after Jesus had outlined his future, to wonder how John was to serve Christ.
22 Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”
23 Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”
It is easy to see how this statement of Jesus could be interpreted to mean that John would be alive at the Second Coming. Those of us familiar with Adventist history can certainly relate to this. Here are several of Ellen G. White’s comments.
I was shown the company present at the Conference. Said the angel: “Some food for worms, some subjects of the seven last plagues, some will be alive and remain upon the earth to be translated at the coming of Jesus.” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 131, 132 (1856).
Because time is short, we should work with diligence and double energy. Our children may never enter college (Ibid. Vol. 3, p. 159 (1872).
It is really not wise to have children now. Time is short, the perils of the last days are upon us, and the little children will be largely swept off before this. Letter 48, 1876.
As the years went by this “prophecy” caused people to start counting how much longer time was to last based upon the aging of the people who were at that campmeeting who were to be alive when Jesus returned.
Now, we can see that her angel was a lying angel, and we need not give heed to what this “angel” told Ellen White, or what she wrote down.
If John had not clearly articulated exactly what Jesus said about his future, it would be easy to see how rumors in the early church could start associating his life with the timing of the Second Coming of Christ.
24 This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
The “we know” in verse 24 has been the center point for much discussion regarding the authorship and the veracity of the Gospel of John. Several suggestions have been made, including the following: first, some see the “we” as another hand that is writing. It has been suggested that perhaps it was one of the elders in the church of Ephesus where John served. Second, others contend that the “we” is the editorial “we” so often used by writers. After reading these and other suggestions, my conclusion is that John is the writer of verse 24 and is referring to himself. My reasoning for this is John’s usage of “we” in his other writings. He moves between “we” and “I” frequently. We note in the next verse (25) he uses “I” and not “we.”
I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.
Verses from 1 John help us see that it is John’s style of writing to intermingle “we” and “I.”
And the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us (1 Jn. 1:2).
These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete (1 Jn. 1:4).
This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all (1 Jn. 1:5).
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments (1 Jn. 2:1-3).
Based on John’s writing style, I hold that verse 24 is authentic, written by John himself. Now that John is concluding his Gospel, he lets his readers know two things. First, He is the disciple whom Jesus loved. Second, the Gospel of John was written by the disciple whom Jesus loved. This is John’s way of wanting to be out of sight, yet making it clear he is the writer, and he also adds his testimony to its truthfulness.
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.
Some would write off this verse as an exaggeration. But we cannot reach this conclusion without bringing contempt upon the whole Gospel. We know that John has not written everything he knows about the life and ministry of Jesus. He chose only those things that would engender faith so that we would believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and by believing have life in His name. He has given us seven signs to believe.
- Turning water into wine (Jn. 2:1-11).
- Healing the Noble man’s son (Jn. 4:46-54)
- Healing the man at the pool of Bethesda (Jn. 5:1-18).
- Feeding the 5000 (Jn. 6:5-14).
- Healing the man born blind (Jn. 9:1-41)
- Raising Lazarus from the dead (Jn. 11:1-51; 12:18).
- The resurrection of Christ (Jn. 19-20:30).
In addition to the signs, John has given us seven witnesses that serve as legal testimony upon which we can base saving faith.
- The Father (Jn. 5:31, 34, 37, 8:18).
- The Son (Jn. 8:14, 18, 37).
- The Holy Spirit (Jn. 15:26; 16:14).
- Works of Jesus (Jn. 5:36; 10:25; 14:11; 15:24).
- The Scriptures (Jn. 5:39, 45).
- John the Baptist (Jn. 1:29-34).
- The disciples (Jn. 15:27).
John has given us seven specific promises of eternal life based upon belief in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God.
- “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him (Jn. 3:16,17).
- He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (Jn. 3:36).
- Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life (Jn. 5:24).
- For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day (Jn. 6:40).
- Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life (Jn. 6:47).
- My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand (Jn. 10:27-28).
- This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (Jn. 17:3).
When we consider the prologue to the Gospel of John, we can understand why John said,
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 (Jn. 21:25).
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being (Jn. 1:1-3).
D.A. Carson makes this comment.
Jesus to whom he [John] bears witness is not only the obedient Son and the risen Lord, he is the incarnate Word, the one through whom the universe was created. If all his deeds were described, the world would be a very small and inadequate library indeed.
It is as if John has identified himself (v. 24), but is not content to focus on himself, not even on his veracity. He must close by saying his own work is only a minute part of all the honors due the Son (The Gospel of John, p. 686).
This lesson brings to a close this long study of John. It is my prayer that these studies have in some small way helped you see the glory and majesty of Jesus Christ, who is the eternal Son of God, the I AM who appeared to Moses at the burning bush, the Creator who became one with us in the flesh so that we could understand that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. We have given sufficient evidence for you to believe. Will you act upon that evidence so that you can know you now have eternal life?
Application
- We need not speculate about the authorship of the Gospel of John. There is an abundance of evidence that it was none other than John, the disciple whom Jesus loved.
- John, the closest human to the incarnate Word, testifies that he knows this gospel is true.
- Jesus challenged Peter to shepherd God’s flock until he would by his death glorify God. However, John was to serve God differently. He was to write the Gospel, which would bring the assurance of eternal life to millions.
- We are not to compare our ministry or witness with others. There are different gifts given by the Holy Spirit. There are different circumstances that shape our service to Christ. We are each to search the Word to find God’s call on our lives.
- There is more than sufficient evidence for belief in Jesus given in John.
Prayer
Father, thank you for the privilege of working contextually through this Gospel. It has been a blessing to me. I have seen things I did not understand before. I pray for those who have and will read these studies. Help me not to compare your will for me with others. I recommit myself to follow your will when you make it clear to me through your word enlightened by your Spirit.
In Jesus name. †
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