"Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these 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 20:30-31
In the next chapter, John explains why he didn’t write down for us everything the Lord did: "Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” (John 21:25)
The Apostle wasn’t trying to report everything the Lord did; that was not even possible. Instead, he was reporting specific things that demonstrate who Jesus is, so that we would come to faith in Him and be saved.
This was God’s purpose in taking the form of a man, being born into His own creation and subjecting Himself to all the limitations of being one of us; He wants us to come to Him in faith.
Faith in Him causes us to turn from our sin and repent. By Faith He brings about the new birth in us and gives us a new heart, a new nature that wants to know Him more and be like Him, clean and righteous. But coming to faith requires not just an intellectual recognition of Who Jesus is, but a revelation to our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Today is the “Feast of Epiphany.” We celebrate the coming of the Magi, the “Wise Men,” to find Jesus. The word epiphany comes from an Ancient Greek word that meant a “sudden, striking revelation, resulting in understanding.” On the day of Epiphany we recognize that God was revealing His promised Savior to the Gentiles, non-Jewish people; in this case the Magi. God had brought them there so that they would meet Him and come to faith in their Savior.
Even though the Savior they met was a little child, they came away from that encounter having truly met Him, and their hearts were changed by faith. The Holy Spirit had revealed more to them than the facts of His miraculous birth. They had come to know Him, and trusted in His salvation.
Lord, I pray that You would reveal Yourself to the loved ones for whom I continue to pray, who still have not come through to that moment of epiphany, of knowing You. Speak to their hearts through Your Word, through Your Church, through my life, in Jesus’ name and for His sake, amen.
Pastor Dan Giles