Same Faith - Different Perspective

We continue in our series, dare to be different, and this month across our group of churches our focus is has been on faith.

At the start of the New Testament are the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Each of the Gospel writers had the same faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. But each of the four Gospels is written from a different perspective.

When you read the Gospel of Matthew, it is like looking through the eyes of a devout disciple.

When you read Mark & Luke, you look through the eyes of dedicated believers who knew and loved Jesus and a lot of their writing comes through the eyewitness testimony of others.

The Gospel of John was written by the Apostle John one of the closest disciples to Jesus.

When you read the Gospel of John, you read the words of the disciple who was one of the inner circle with James & Peter who were with Jesus in his most intimate circumstances and moments.

John was one of Jesus closest friends and he seems to have personally seen and heard more than the other Gospel writers.

The Gospel of John was one of the last books of the New Testament to be written.

Bible Scholars will tell you that the Gospel of John was written in the city of Ephesus, where John served as pastor after the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 AD.

John probably wrote these words toward the end of the 1st century.

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke had already been written and circulated around the early church - and the letters of Paul and Peter were also in circulation.

That’s probably why John does not retrace many of the events already described in the other Gospels.

John’s Gospel is not a chronological biography of the life of Jesus. John’s purpose is to provide specific important details about the ministry of Jesus. John is selective in what he includes, and his selections point to a distinct perspective, a distinct purpose, one he mentions in John 20:30-31, The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name.

The two primary reasons for John in writing was that those reading this letter, this book, might believe Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, and that in believing you may have eternal life.

The John centers on telling us who Jesus is and why we should believe in Him. Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and we should believe in Him because of who He is and because He provides life to those who believe in Him.

Right from the start, John addresses the question, “who is Jesus?” Listen to the first five verses of John Chapter 1, In the beginning, the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. (John 1:1-5)

If we continued on and read the first 18 verses of John Chapter 1 we would find a summary of who John knew Jesus was. John focuses upon the central fact of our Christian faith: Christianity is not a philosophy, it is about a Person, and that Person is fundamental to our faith.

Think about the religions in the world today. Religion focuses on the teachings, ideas, and philosophies of their founders and teachers. Christianity is about a personal relationship with a Person. That is why Jesus Christ is the most astonishing individual in human history.

More books have been written, more music composed, more pictures painted, and more drama performed about Jesus than any other person in history. Yet so many still don’t know who Jesus is and many refuse to find out for themselves the truth about who Jesus is.

Christianity is all about a personal relationship with Jesus and believing that Jesus is Lord and Saviour. Let me share with you 3 reasons why we should have faith in Jesus.

1st because He is God (1:1-2).

2nd because He is the Creator (3).

and 3rd because He is the Originator of light and life (4-5).

Have faith in Jesus because He is God (1:1-2).

John begins his Gospel in an unusual way. The other Gospel writers begin their account of Jesus in a historical context, John opens his Gospel in eternity.