Official Blog of HIST/REL 492, Christian Apologetics
Monday, June 2, 2025
The Gospel of John
John's gospel is in part an extended meditation on belief and unbelief. Skim through the Gospel of John, reading more closely the first and last chapters. Cite here an example John uses to explain why some believe and some don't.
The Gospel of John is focused on a lot of the reason to believe. In the first chapter, we read on how John the Baptist is "preparing the way of the Lord", leading up to the coming of the Lord to John for His baptism, and many of John's followers go and follow the Lord. As for the last chapter, it demonstrates something that sets Christianity apart to an extent - the act of mercy and forgiveness. I especially point to Peter's re-instatement (after Peter disowned Jesus 3 times after the rooster crows) and that Christ, after asking him 3 times if he loves Him (coincidence? :) ) He is commissioned to lead the Church here on Earth. Kent Johnsen
John 20:29: “… because you have seen Me, you have believed …” Throughout John, there are multiple examples of people having personal encounters with Jesus. John 21:14 says, “This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples …”, while in the first chapter of John, Nathanael is convinced of Jesus when Jesus says he saw him under the fig tree even before Philip called to him.
Now, plenty of people saw Jesus while he was alive on earth, heard him speak, maybe even touched his body, and didn’t end up believing in Him. Seeing does not always equal believing. But for many people, it sure helps. I think a lot of people’s faith is affected by their experiences and what they *think* they have seen or encountered, and some, whether or not they are right, are convinced that they have not seen any evidence of Jesus/God.
I think in the first Chapter of John is a good example of the teaching and words of Christ spilling out of John the Baptist. In verses 19-28, John was approached by priests as well Pharisees. The first question they asked is are you the Messiah? He denies that his is the Messiah as well as the great prophet Elijah. John says "I am the voice shouting in the wilderness Clear the way for the Lord is coming". You can see here that even when the teachers are trying to get him to think that he is no one his belief in the Lord is guiding him to a greater purpose and he later is baptizing people in the name of the lord. Also, you can see how people don't believe like the Pharisees they only saw John as a crazy man who is spitting words that go against their laws.
Right away in John, I was met with an example of why people do not believe in God. In verse 18 it reads, "No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known." Not only does this lead a lot of people to be confused, since no body had actually seen God the Father, so they had no evidence to show that God actually exists. In chapter 21, a good example of why some people came to believe in Jesus is the fact that the fisherman did not catch anything one night, but then Jesus told them to cast their nets off of the right side of their boat and they caught a lot of fish. This helped people to believe in the Christ.
I want to point to John 1:29-36 to defend why many believe. Here John supports why he believes that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah. His evidence is based on the prophecy he has been given, which has taken place. In other words, John believes because he has seen what he needs to see to believe. Many believe simply because they have seen it. All self-claimed Christians can say they believe because they see. Of course, that depends on what you mean by seeing, but I think of the most straightforward nature once you turn to Christ, you change, and it is with struggle, but often in ways many could never change on will or self-thought alone.
However, on the contrary, I point to why some will not believe, and that is because they see, but sin gets in the way. Many walk away from the faith even though they know what religion brings. This is not generally because of what they have received but rather what they have yet to. John 21:21-25 is an excellent explanation for this. Of course, here, Peter struggles because he thinks Jesus has given him an unfavorable outcome. He was given a death which likely drove fear inside himself. Then turning to his companion, he says well, what of him? Jesus then offers John an outcome that sure seemed more favorable. So many today struggle to believe because while they can see, the lack of blessings dentures them. They know good exists, but they are unwilling to follow for the later reward because they do not have it now. A silly mistake not to offer a life of struggle for a reward of eternity. However, that is from me with a trusting heart; a heart without trust can see but may not be able to follow.
In John's testimony, it cites an example of when he was baptizing people with water. When approached by priests and Levites from Jerusalem, he denies being the Messiah and even outright states that the actual Messiah is someone who John is not worthy of untying his sandal for. Not only is he placing himself in a lesser position than the actual Messiah, he is placing himself lower than Elijah or other Prophets - because he isn't. He is merely doing the Lord's work, without fanfare and certainly without payment, because that is not what he is supposed to be doing. He is intended to spread the word of the Lord and wait for Jesus. He draws a clear line between them and him - while they have official titles and possibly complex religious laws or what have you, he does not. He is just a man yelling out in the wilderness. It is up to those listening to him on whether or not they believe and make way for the Lord, not some religious ceremony. That was never the point of it.
The purpose of John's book is found at John 20: 30-31. John states that many of Jesus's signs are not written in his book, yet that shouldn't dissuade you because the belief in him is what will save you. A common retort towards an agnostic is that the Christian religion requires faith, and to this day, knowledge of the Bible is seen as key to undertaking the mantle of a Christian. John is basically agreeing with this stance, and many that don't believe, and vice versa, are operating upon differing levels of faith. -Daxton Harmon
Jacob Geppert In the Gospel of John, one powerful example that illustrates why some believe and some do not come from John 3:19–21, where Jesus says, “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” This passage explains that unbelief often stems from a person's unwillingness to confront their own wrongdoing or change their way of life. People reject the “light” (Jesus and his truth) because it exposes their actions. In contrast, those who seek truth and live by it are drawn to the light and come to believe. Additionally, in John 20:29, after Thomas finally believes upon seeing the resurrected Jesus, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” This shows that belief often depends not on physical evidence but on a heart open to faith highlighting the tension between seeing and believing that runs throughout John’s gospel.
John’s Gospel really does focus a lot on belief and unbelief, and he gives several examples that show why people respond to Jesus in different ways. In John 1, it says, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him… he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:11–12). This shows that some rejected Jesus because they didn’t recognize who He truly was, while others believed because they were open to receiving Him.Then in John 20, after Jesus rises from the dead, we get the story of Thomas, who says he won’t believe unless he sees and touches Jesus for himself. When Jesus appears and shows him His wounds, Thomas believes and says, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus replies, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). This teaches that belief isn’t just about seeing with your eyes, it’s about being open in your heart. So, John seems to say that some people believe because they’re open to truth, while others reject it because of pride, fear, or spiritual blindness. Belief, for John, is both a gift and a choice.
The Gospel of John is focused on a lot of the reason to believe. In the first chapter, we read on how John the Baptist is "preparing the way of the Lord", leading up to the coming of the Lord to John for His baptism, and many of John's followers go and follow the Lord. As for the last chapter, it demonstrates something that sets Christianity apart to an extent - the act of mercy and forgiveness. I especially point to Peter's re-instatement (after Peter disowned Jesus 3 times after the rooster crows) and that Christ, after asking him 3 times if he loves Him (coincidence? :) ) He is commissioned to lead the Church here on Earth.
ReplyDeleteKent Johnsen
John 20:29: “… because you have seen Me, you have believed …” Throughout John, there are multiple examples of people having personal encounters with Jesus. John 21:14 says, “This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples …”, while in the first chapter of John, Nathanael is convinced of Jesus when Jesus says he saw him under the fig tree even before Philip called to him.
ReplyDeleteNow, plenty of people saw Jesus while he was alive on earth, heard him speak, maybe even touched his body, and didn’t end up believing in Him. Seeing does not always equal believing. But for many people, it sure helps. I think a lot of people’s faith is affected by their experiences and what they *think* they have seen or encountered, and some, whether or not they are right, are convinced that they have not seen any evidence of Jesus/God.
I think in the first Chapter of John is a good example of the teaching and words of Christ spilling out of John the Baptist. In verses 19-28, John was approached by priests as well Pharisees. The first question they asked is are you the Messiah? He denies that his is the Messiah as well as the great prophet Elijah. John says "I am the voice shouting in the wilderness Clear the way for the Lord is coming". You can see here that even when the teachers are trying to get him to think that he is no one his belief in the Lord is guiding him to a greater purpose and he later is baptizing people in the name of the lord. Also, you can see how people don't believe like the Pharisees they only saw John as a crazy man who is spitting words that go against their laws.
ReplyDeleteRight away in John, I was met with an example of why people do not believe in God. In verse 18 it reads, "No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known." Not only does this lead a lot of people to be confused, since no body had actually seen God the Father, so they had no evidence to show that God actually exists.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 21, a good example of why some people came to believe in Jesus is the fact that the fisherman did not catch anything one night, but then Jesus told them to cast their nets off of the right side of their boat and they caught a lot of fish. This helped people to believe in the Christ.
I want to point to John 1:29-36 to defend why many believe. Here John supports why he believes that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah. His evidence is based on the prophecy he has been given, which has taken place. In other words, John believes because he has seen what he needs to see to believe. Many believe simply because they have seen it. All self-claimed Christians can say they believe because they see. Of course, that depends on what you mean by seeing, but I think of the most straightforward nature once you turn to Christ, you change, and it is with struggle, but often in ways many could never change on will or self-thought alone.
ReplyDeleteHowever, on the contrary, I point to why some will not believe, and that is because they see, but sin gets in the way. Many walk away from the faith even though they know what religion brings. This is not generally because of what they have received but rather what they have yet to. John 21:21-25 is an excellent explanation for this. Of course, here, Peter struggles because he thinks Jesus has given him an unfavorable outcome. He was given a death which likely drove fear inside himself. Then turning to his companion, he says well, what of him? Jesus then offers John an outcome that sure seemed more favorable. So many today struggle to believe because while they can see, the lack of blessings dentures them. They know good exists, but they are unwilling to follow for the later reward because they do not have it now. A silly mistake not to offer a life of struggle for a reward of eternity. However, that is from me with a trusting heart; a heart without trust can see but may not be able to follow.
Tanner Simon
In John's testimony, it cites an example of when he was baptizing people with water. When approached by priests and Levites from Jerusalem, he denies being the Messiah and even outright states that the actual Messiah is someone who John is not worthy of untying his sandal for.
ReplyDeleteNot only is he placing himself in a lesser position than the actual Messiah, he is placing himself lower than Elijah or other Prophets - because he isn't.
He is merely doing the Lord's work, without fanfare and certainly without payment, because that is not what he is supposed to be doing. He is intended to spread the word of the Lord and wait for Jesus.
He draws a clear line between them and him - while they have official titles and possibly complex religious laws or what have you, he does not. He is just a man yelling out in the wilderness.
It is up to those listening to him on whether or not they believe and make way for the Lord, not some religious ceremony. That was never the point of it.
The purpose of John's book is found at John 20: 30-31. John states that many of Jesus's signs are not written in his book, yet that shouldn't dissuade you because the belief in him is what will save you. A common retort towards an agnostic is that the Christian religion requires faith, and to this day, knowledge of the Bible is seen as key to undertaking the mantle of a Christian. John is basically agreeing with this stance, and many that don't believe, and vice versa, are operating upon differing levels of faith.
ReplyDelete-Daxton Harmon
Jacob Geppert
ReplyDeleteIn the Gospel of John, one powerful example that illustrates why some believe and some do not come from John 3:19–21, where Jesus says, “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” This passage explains that unbelief often stems from a person's unwillingness to confront their own wrongdoing or change their way of life. People reject the “light” (Jesus and his truth) because it exposes their actions. In contrast, those who seek truth and live by it are drawn to the light and come to believe. Additionally, in John 20:29, after Thomas finally believes upon seeing the resurrected Jesus, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” This shows that belief often depends not on physical evidence but on a heart open to faith highlighting the tension between seeing and believing that runs throughout John’s gospel.
John’s Gospel really does focus a lot on belief and unbelief, and he gives several examples that show why people respond to Jesus in different ways. In John 1, it says, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him… he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:11–12). This shows that some rejected Jesus because they didn’t recognize who He truly was, while others believed because they were open to receiving Him.Then in John 20, after Jesus rises from the dead, we get the story of Thomas, who says he won’t believe unless he sees and touches Jesus for himself. When Jesus appears and shows him His wounds, Thomas believes and says, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus replies, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). This teaches that belief isn’t just about seeing with your eyes, it’s about being open in your heart.
ReplyDeleteSo, John seems to say that some people believe because they’re open to truth, while others reject it because of pride, fear, or spiritual blindness. Belief, for John, is both a gift and a choice.