Believe That Jesus is the Son of God

John 20:30-31

These two verses are short and simple but very intentional. John takes a short break before the last chapter to insert these sentences that explain the purpose of this book. He has been telling us about the life of Jesus and showing us sign after sign to prove that He is the Messiah, and these few sentences act as His summary statement.

John explains in these few sentences that Jesus performed many more miracles than those recorded in his book, but he chose to focus on the ones that would bring his readers to have faith in Jesus. John asserts in these few verses that if you choose to “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,” you can have life in His name (v.31). But what does that mean? Life in His name?

We know that people who do not believe in Jesus still have life, but what John is getting at here is not mortal life but spiritual life. Spiritual life comes through belief, and people are completely transformed when they decide to follow Jesus. Life in His name means through His power. When you follow Jesus, you no longer have to try to do everything out of your strength. When you decide to follow Jesus, you give up trying to do things your own way and submit to the Lordship of Jesus, and then He gives you the Holy Spirit to teach and guide you. When you decide to follow Jesus, you are transformed and will never be alone.

The beauty of the gospel story is that our sin is deserving of death, but God loved us enough to send His only Son to earth to live a perfect life and take our place on the cross. Through His death and resurrection, we can live freely in a relationship with God, and our sins are forgiven. There is power in living in His name, which is the main point that John made in his gospel. Jesus Christ is God's Messiah and Son, and you can have life in His name.

Reflect on your story; who were you before Christ, and how has He given you life in His name?