Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 20:30

"Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book:" — John 20:30 (ASV)

The last two verses of this chapter are really the conclusion of the gospel. They summarize its strategy, subject, and purpose. The strategy is to use selected works of Jesus as “signs” (GK 4958) that illustrate his character, demonstrate his power, and relate him to human need. Seven of these signs have been narrated, exclusive of the final sign, the Resurrection. Each one involved a human personality and showed how the power of Jesus can be applied to human emergencies. These signs were performed in the presence of the disciples so that they were attested by sympathetic and competent witnesses as well as by those who happened to be present at the time, whether friendly or hostile to Jesus. The criteria for selection seem to be magnitude, varied individual significance, and effect on both the disciples and the public.

The signs, however, are not of primary intrinsic importance. The chief subject of the gospel is the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the author desires to present as the Christ (Messiah or Anointed One; see comments on Mt 1:1; Mark 8:29–30), the Son of God. Jesus was given this title “Messiah” by the earliest disciples (1:41), but it seldom appears in this gospel (cf. 4:25–26); and Jesus did not use it concerning himself because of its political overtones. This title also represented the deliverer from sin promised in the Old Testament as the fulfillment of the covenants with the patriarchs and David, the one who would consummate God’s purpose for the nation and the world. At that time the Jewish nation was still looking for the Messiah; John asserts that he had already come.

The title “Son of God” appears at intervals in the text of this gospel. John the Baptist introduced Jesus by this title (1:34); Nathanael applied it to him (1:49); and on several occasions Jesus applied it to himself (e.g., 5:25; 10:36; 11:4). This title would appeal to the Gentile world rather than to the Jew, for the Gentiles did not have the same reservations about it as the Jews did. The title does not, of course, imply biological descent like that of the Greco-Roman demigods; but the metaphor of sonship expresses the unity of nature, close fellowship, and unique intimacy between Jesus and the Father. To believe that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God involves the total acceptance of the revelation of God that he offers, the acknowledgment of his divine authority, and the fulfillment of the commission he entrusted to his disciples.

The total purpose of this belief is eternal life, a new and enduring experience of God by the believer. This conclusion ties together the three persistent themes of the gospel: the “signs” that demonstrate Christ’s nature and power; the response of “belief” that is exemplified in the crises and growth in the lives of the disciples; and the new “life” that is found in the relationship with Christ.