Day 2194 The Gospel of John 43 Many Other Signs...Many Other Things Daily Wisdom

Published: Sept. 12, 2023, 7 a.m.

Welcome to Day 2194 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.\nThis is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom\nThe Gospel of John \u2013 43 \u2013 Our Weakness\u2026His Strength \u2013 Daily Wisdom\nPutnam Church Message \u2013 01/15/2023\nThe Gospel of John \u2013 Part 5: Vindication Of The Word \u2013 Many Other Signs\u2026Many Other Things\nLast week, in our series of messages of the Good News according to John the Apostle, we looked at \u201cOur Weakness\u2026His Strength.\u201d We ended with a focus on \u201cComing to Terms with Your Calling,\u201d and concluded that we must fully understand that all work is kingdom work. There is no difference between secular and sacred work. All work is holy when we are Christ\u2019s followers. After a year of studying the book of John, we have arrived at our last message. It will be a relatively short message, but the final two verses stand independently. Our scripture for today is John 21:24-25.\n\n\xa0This is the disciple who testifies to these things\xa0and who wrote them down. Therefore, we know that his testimony is true.\n\nJesus did many other things as well.\xa0If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.\n\nBefore our daughter Janet and her husband Rowan were married, they requested that the two fathers perform the marriage ceremony. I went through the process of certification to perform marriages in all states. I share this privilege with ship captains, judges, and justices of the peace. I am authorized to join two people in a state of marriage\u2014a holy union and a legal partnership. Before the big day, the couple must go to the courthouse and obtain a marriage license. Then, after the ceremony, I place my signature at the bottom of the license as a testimony to the court\u2014and, therefore, all who are concerned\u2014that two individuals have been united.\n\nFurthermore, two additional witnesses signed the document, testifying that I conducted the service and affirming that the officiator\u2019s signature was mine. It was also customary in Rome, and throughout the empire, to have all legal documents signed and sworn, testifying to their authenticity. So, as John blotted the ink on his original scroll and prepared to roll it up for distribution to the churches, he added his sworn statement, testifying to the truth of all he had written under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit. And he was joined by others, who witnessed his signature.\n\n21:24\n\nJohn\u2019s seal of authenticity affirmed three essential facts:\n\nFirst, every record in this scroll is an eyewitness account; not only as one of the Twelve/ but also as one of Jesus\u2019 closest friends. (Five times in his narrative, John refers to himself as \u2018the disciple Jesus loved) \u201cThis is the disciple\u201d refers to the individual present with Peter and Jesus on the shore (21:20\u201323), the same disciple rumored to be alive at the Lord\u2019s return.\n\nSecond, every word contained in this scroll was written by this same eyewitness. John likely prepared this statement in the first person plural, \u201cWe know that his testimony is true,\u201d which included the elders present with him as he completed the manuscript. Tradition holds John wrote his Gospel in Ephesus near the end of his life, after being exiled to the isle of Patmos. Ephesus was the home of the most influential church in Asia Minor, which...