By the time the apostle John wrote his gospel account of Jesus’ life, he had been a leader in the church for years. Jesus’ ascension back to heaven happened long ago. I’m guessing that over the years there were multitudes of people who questioned Jesus’ death and His resurrection. I wonder how often he sat with a group of people who kept firing questions at him… “I’m not sure He really died.” John tells us that he wrote his gospel account so that people would believe (John 20:30-31). Two things people were debating then and continue to debate in our world is Jesus’ death AND His resurrection.
Let’s talk about His death for a minute. John gives his listeners two proofs as we noticed in our key verses: 1) John’s eyewitness account; and 2) fulfilled prophecy. John says, Hey, I was there. I saw them pierce His side, which is a sure sign of death. I stood by and watched. How can you refute an eyewitness account? There are others who can also verify what I’m telling you because they, too, saw it. Don’t take my word for it, ask those other eyewitnesses as well. I am more inclined to believe something to be true when I hear it from those who witnessed it with their eyes.
John goes on… But if you still doubt and you’re having trouble believing what I’m saying then let’s look at it from the lens of Scripture. Hundreds of years before this happened, the psalmist writes about it. Is that a coincidence? I don’t think so. This fulfilled prophecy should bring you over the threshold of doubt. The Jewish people knew the Scriptures. They believed what the prophets said. This alone should cement the truth of His death into their hearts.
Here’s the thing… as Christians, our faith is based on the facts of Jesus’ death and His resurrection. I have given my life for this. You have too. But how can I know for sure? Would I be willing to go to my death for these things like the early believers? Is there still a tinge of doubt? I believe John brings out a valid point here… my eyewitness account is strong, but the fulfillment of Scripture is even stronger.
I heard a popular pastor once say, “I don’t base my beliefs on the Bible. I don’t say anymore … The Bible says. He went on to say that he bases his faith on the resurrection. But how can we know it’s true? Because it’s been written in Scripture. In fact, fulfilled prophecy is what makes the Bible trustworthy and authenticated as truth. I’ve been blown away by the prophecies and their fulfillment in the Book of Daniel. Studying prophecy only cements your belief. If I’m going to put all my eggs into one basket and anchor my life into Jesus, then I need to know He wasn’t just a good man or a prophet, but He was God Himself sent from heaven. The Bible tells me that it’s true, but God’s Word can be authenticated by fulfilled prophecy. There is nothing stronger that we should anchor our life in than His Word. Hope this encourages you today.