Exploring the Heart of Jesus in John's Gospel

Well, the interesting thing about John is that he tells us quite specifically why he wrote the gospel. He wrote it in order that those who read it or who probably in the first instance heard it might come to believe in the Lord Jesus. And people watching will probably remember that when he wrote his first letter, he also mentioned why he was writing that, and that was to bring assurance to people who had come to faith in Christ that they really did belong to Him. [00:11:19]

And I think one of the best ways to think about John's gospel is to remember that in the upper room when Jesus was with the disciples on the evening of his crucifixion, as they traditionally did, the kind of people tended to lie against each other on coaches at these meals. And John was lying towards Jesus. And actually, he uses in the gospel the same phraseology he uses in the very first verse, "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God." [00:02:31]

And so as a result, he gives us this gospel that is full of Jesus heart not just of his actions, but of his words and his disposition. And I think that comes to a climax in the farewell discourse. The gospel itself, I think, to describe it simply, is it's a book with a prologue with which most of us are familiar. And also in chapter 21 has an epilogue describing events after Jesus resurrection. [00:03:29]

And I think one of the things that has often struck me and moved me deeply is that John makes it very clear that there were 12 others in the room, and one of them was Judas. And the Lord Jesus must have washed his feet as well. And that really gives you, I think, a sense of the amazing love that the Lord Jesus had for these men. How He knew that Judas was going to betray Him. [00:07:44]

In some ways, in the upper room, He tells them wonderful truths about Himself and about God that it's actually hard to find anywhere else in the New Testament. So the heart of Jesus is set before us in these chapters. And then, of course, all kinds of ways in which this happens. But then right at the end in chapter 17, we hear Him pray the longest recorded prayer in the New Testament. [00:08:56]

And so for that crisis, all of them need to know the deep things of God which is, of course, Paul's expression to the Corinthians. And what will secure Jesus in his humanity through the next 24 hours is that He knows the Father trusts Him. And even in the darkness of Calvary, continues to express His faith and trust in Him even as he feels, in some profound sense, deserted. [00:16:22]

And I think, speaking for myself, one of the things that that has done for me-- and here I think I would need to pay tribute to another book I bought when I was a teenager by John Owen on Communion with God the Trinity. I think what this does for us as Christians, especially if we are brought up to think that the doctrine of the trinity is, A, speculative and B, impractical is that what this means is that we have communion with the Father as our Father, with the Son as our Savior, and with the spirit as our indweller. [00:18:21]

And I think the truth is we'll be admiring this and be astonished by it for all eternity. And I'm somewhere dipping my big toe into the edges of the waters. But I think the thing that it really underlines for us-- on Jesus actually explicitly says this in the farewell discourse. And I think this is almost the greatest statement a Christian could ever take on board when Jesus says the Father Himself loves you. [00:22:13]

And I think also it needs to be handled in the context of the fact that in the same section of John and John 15 1 to 11, Jesus speaks about the Father using the pruning knife. And I think sometimes-- at least I find sometimes if Christians don't understand that he will never let go of those he's called to himself. But whenever anything goes wrong or hurts, they immediately think, oh, I'm being cut off. [00:34:27]

And I think when you see, as you vary, it's so evident in these closing sections in John's gospel it is all about Jesus. And so when I see who He is, I see who He is for me. And that's where I fit into the story. If I'm just looking for me, then Jesus is going to fit into my story. And I'm only going to find the partial Jesus. But when I look for Jesus in John's gospel, then I'll find my place in the story as well. [00:37:50]

And I think one of the things the early fathers used to say about John was something like a lamb can play in it and an elephant can swim in it. And so all my life really since my teenage years I've been a lamb paddling in it, and sometimes as an elephant trying to swim in it. And I feel very much that I'm still in the shallow waters of it. It's such a great book. [00:11:47]

And I think if you think about what Hebrews says in Hebrews 13:8, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. Well, this is Jesus Christ yesterday. This is Jesus Christ, and in the few hours before his crucifixion. This is exactly what He was like, and he's opening his heart to you. But Hebrew says he's the same today. And He'll be the same tomorrow. [00:36:40]