We turn in our Bibles to Job chapter 26, Job chapter 26, and then to John chapter 21. Let's stand for the reading of the word. We're going to begin at verse 5 and read through verse 14. It's a description of God's creative and providential care of the universe. The dead tremble, those under the waters and those inhabiting them. Sheol is naked before him, and destruction has no covering. He stretches out the north over empty space. He hangs the earth on nothing. He binds up the water in his thick clouds, but the clouds are not broken under it. He covers the face of his throne and spreads his cloud over it. He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters at the boundary of light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his rebuke. He stirs up the sea with his power, and by his understanding, he breaks up the storm. By his spirit, he adorned the heavens. His hand pierced the fleeing serpent. Indeed, these are the mere edges of his ways. How small a whisper we hear of him, but the thunder of His power who can understand. Now to John chapter 21, verses 24 and 25. This is the disciple who testifies of these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen. We turn in the Gospel of John to John chapter 21, the last two verses of the last chapter in the Gospel of John, which means we're coming to the end of our study this morning, the Lord willing, at least at this time, to the study of the Gospel of John. These verses here serve as the epilogue to the Gospel of John. They are the Apostle's final reflections, as it were, his signature at the end of this Gospel. They are also his final instructions on how we should read receive and learn from the words that he wrote for us concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. They are the epilogue to the account he wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit concerning the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. And we are going to look at these final words to again be reminded of what we have studied And we're gonna look at two things from these last two verses, two things that perhaps are strangely contradictory at first hearing, but not so. We're gonna look at two things very simply, the sufficiency of the scriptures. the sufficiency of the scriptures, and particularly more narrowly here, the whole of the scriptures, certainly that's a great doctrine, but more narrowly here, John's understanding of the importance and sufficiency of his own work in writing down as an eyewitness to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ in writing this gospel, in finishing this particular work, this particular composition. But then we're gonna see a second thing, that as soon as the apostle says that, he also is gonna say something about the limitations of the work that he has done. And at the same time, this book is sufficient, but also limited. sufficient, but also limited. And that division is going to be between verses 24 and verses 25. The sufficiency of scripture, but then also John's deep understanding that what he has done, even by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he has not written everything that could be written about our Lord Jesus Christ. So let's study together first this idea of the sufficiency of the scriptures. Verse 24, this is the disciple who testifies of these things. Again, think of these verses as the epilogue, as it were, the closing words and signature of the apostle on the letter. This is the disciple. John is referring to himself. He is referring to himself, and in verse 24, we're gonna have four key elements to understand this verse. The context is the conversation between Peter and Jesus, present was the disciple whom Jesus loved, and now John is referring to himself in verse 24 as that disciple, this is the disciple. The beloved disciple, who was the subject of just in the verses before, the conversation between Jesus and Peter, where Jesus had told Peter, in essence, that he was gonna die a martyr's death. Peter had asked, what about John? And Jesus had said is, what is that to you? In other words, that's not your business. I've called you to this. I call him to what I call him to. Peter, stay focused on the mission I've given you. Out of that conversation, we have this disciple, John, now finishing the book. And he writes this, so first we have a specific man in verse 24, then we have a specific task. This is a disciple who testifies of these things. Now in the immediate context, it's the conversation between Peter and Jesus on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, but as the postscript or the epilogue to the book, it's his testimony to Jesus Christ in the whole of the gospel. This disciple, I am John, and I am testifying to these things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. The word testify is very important. It's a witness. And if you understand the Greek here, the language actually is, this is the witness who witnesses. This is the disciple who testifies. And it is doubly emphatic that he has been called to a ministry of witness concerning Jesus Christ. This is a major theme of the Gospel of John, the idea of witness to Jesus Christ. And Jesus has spoken of it regularly in the Gospel. He has said that he bears witness to himself, that the Father bears witness to him, that his works bear witness to him, that the Spirit bears witness to him. And then he has said to his disciples, he says it to them again and again, and you are my witnesses. And particularly he's told them that by the power of the Holy Spirit, as it comes upon them after Pentecost, that they will have the specific task of being those who bear special eyewitness, first-hand eyewitness accounts to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. This we read particularly in chapter 15. Chapter 15, we have the idea of these disciples being witnesses. But when the helper comes, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify of me. And you also will bear witness because you have been with me from the beginning. So the disciple. bears witness concerning Jesus, the disciple who testifies, he understands his prophetic calling to be an eyewitness to Jesus Christ. And then third, he has a specific mode for that witness, who testifies of these things and wrote these things. And this is important. Christianity is a religion grounded in the word. John understands his task to be a disciple, a follower of Jesus Christ with a particular Holy Spirit enabled witness ministry. You will be my witnesses when the Spirit comes, but that that ministry involves the writing down, the inscripturation of that witness. And this would have been for John, nothing surprising. He comes from, he is a Jew and he comes from the people of God who have the Bible. the written word of God, the Torah, and then the prophets, the wisdom writings, the Old Testament. And he would have been intimately familiar with a God who speaks in history through spirit-enabled men who in turn write down what is spoken in order that it would be communicated generation after generation to the people of God. This disciple, who bears witness, wrote these things down. Written here by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Christianity is a religion grounded on the written revelation of God from God to humanity. Matter of fact, you think about the gods, perhaps most vividly in the scriptures, the moment where we realize that this is God's particular mode is that he himself with the 10 commandments, they were written with the finger of God. You need to understand that God has chosen in history to communicate his glory in the way of salvation through the written word, inspired written word from these eyewitnesses. John sees his calling in line with God's revealed mode of communication in history. And so he witnessed these events, the water being turned into wine, and the feeding of the 5,000, and he knew Nicodemus, and he knew John the Baptist's ministry, and he saw the raising of Lazarus, and he was there at the Last Supper, and he was there at the Upper Room Discourse. And in all of these things, he was there witnessing the crucifixion. He saw the risen Jesus Christ. And you remember what he wrote at the beginning. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory. And by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, He puts pen to paper here so that you would know the glory of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ. He understands His mission. Finally, the quality of that witness. And we know that His testimony is true. John, again, is declaring the truth of this testimony. Now, who is the we? Perhaps it could be, as you read in his later writings, in 1 John, for example, John often uses the plural, first-person plural pronoun. He uses it sometimes in 1 John, apparently in reference to the apostolic witness as a whole. For example, in 1 John 1.1, that which we have heard, which we have seen, which we have handled concerning the word of life, these things we are transmitting to you, he's saying. So he's saying the apostolic witness comes through us to you concerning Jesus Christ. The second option is that there's a thought that in this period, John, his ministry was in relation to the church in Ephesus, and that he was talking about the whole body of Christ, that we receive the word, and we receive it understanding this eyewitness testimony to be true. It's hard to know which one is best in this context, though if you go to 1 John 1, if you think about the apostolic witness here, I think that that interpretation here is stronger. The idea here is very clear that the apostolic witness is true, and we know that it was received by the church as true. In other words, A man chosen to be a disciple with a task of bearing eyewitness testimony, not just verbally, but written, and not just written, but written and true as inspired by the Holy Spirit. This is the gospel of John. That's what you have in your hands right now. It's a plain statement of the quality and purpose of the finished book that John had written. It echoes what he says in chapter 20. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and believing you may have life in His name. These things are written that you might believe. And so here we have the principle of the sufficiency and authority of Scripture. What you have in your hands in the Gospel of John If someone in human history was simply to read the Gospel of John, and enabled by the Holy Spirit to understand the truth in it, John says, you read this, it was written that you might believe, and by believing you would have life in His name, everlasting life. The authority, veracity, And power of the word is what John is testifying to. The signature at the bottom of the letter is an emphatic declaration that you should receive this as God designed it in history to function. How does God speak in human history? Two ways. Works of creation and providence. General revelation. The heavens declare the glory of God. What can you know from that? Paul says in Romans 1, you can know that there is a God indisputably. You don't need to argue with people that there is a God. You don't have to spend your life convincing people there is a God. Everybody knows. Without exception. The heavens declare His glory. His invisible attributes are clearly seen. Mankind is without excuse. What is not written in the heavens? What is not revealed? The way of salvation. And so God has seen fit in history to move men by His Spirit, to take pen to paper, and to write a letter to humanity as it were. to declare the kingdom, power, person, and work and glory of Jesus Christ. That's what you have in your hands in the gospel of John. We have here the scriptures, let's use the language of Paul to Timothy, which are able to make you wise unto salvation. You have the message of God's saving grace in Jesus Christ written on paper in your hands, in which there is power, the power of the gospel, Paul, Romans 1.1. These are the words of our confession. You have the whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for salvation, faith, and life. You have the authoritative, the true declaration of God to humanity through his servants by the spirit. Simple question is what are you doing with the gospel of John? What have you been doing with the word preached week after week? Children, let me say something to you. Listen, children. You have Bibles. In the Bibles, there's the Gospel of John, but there's everything from Genesis to Revelation. And what you need to understand, children, is that this is the Word of the Living God, that He appointed men in history, chosen men, who wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to tell you of salvation through Jesus Christ. Children, read the Word. Parents, read the Word to your children and with your children. All of us, the treasure of the Word here. These things were written. His testimony is true concerning Jesus Christ. And if we're Christians, we read, we learn, we study, we immerse ourselves in the Scriptures, we get its content into our heart and mind, and we pray for the Spirit's work that we would understand. And when it's preached, we receive it as the Word of God. It's sufficient for your salvation. It contains everything you need to know to live and die happily. John says, I have been chosen as a disciple to bear witness to Jesus Christ. I have written it down, and this is true. And if you believe in this Jesus to whom I testify, you will have life in His name. This is the power, the authority, and the glory of the Word. Verse 25. Now this, there are also many other things that Jesus did which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that could be written. Wow. After that verse 24, verse 25 perhaps comes as a bit of surprise, doesn't it? We confess the sufficiency of Scripture, that the Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation, that there is nothing lacking in them concerning the way of salvation and the glory of God and everything you need to live and die happy. It's all there. But could it be possible that there's more about Jesus Christ that's not in the Gospel of John? Well, John says, yes. He said it before. He said it in verse 30 of chapter 20. And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. It's not the first time this theme, but here at the end of the gospel, the scope is bigger. It's bigger. It's broader. His closing reflection is this. He has in mind the literal Greek word here in verse 25 is the cosmos. It's his world here, and if you're reading the New King James, you're probably the ESV, but Cosmos can have a sense in the Scriptures of all that God has made, the universe, all created reality. And John says, I've written a clear, true testimony of Jesus Christ. You believe it, you will have life in his name. It's true, it's sufficient, nothing lacking. But I haven't finished writing all that could be written about the glories of Jesus Christ in these 21 chapters. As a matter of fact, his image is this. He says, take the cosmos, fill the whole earth. Children, if you were to erase all the oceans and just have land and stack books from the North Pole to the South Pole in a circle slowly around the whole earth, John says, not enough to convey to you all the things that Jesus Christ has done. And then let's fill that to the heavens and fill the cosmos. And he says, I suppose that the world itself couldn't contain. There's not enough room to convey the fullness of the glory of Jesus Christ. It can't be done. As a matter of fact, if we were to fill the land and the oceans and the skies and the heavens, it wouldn't be enough, he says. That's the picture. He's testifying, I have clearly, faithfully, and sufficiently, in writing, transmitted salvation through Jesus Christ to you in this eyewitness testimony. Yet in another sense, there is still more to be seen of the glory of Jesus Christ. A profound statement of his sense of his own limitations, even as inspired by the Holy Spirit. How do we understand this? He's saying that the one that I have come to know in these pages of whom I have written to you, his works in number and quality are indescribable. His greatness is unsearchable. And this ending now brings us back to the beginning. Because what John has come to see as he's gazed upon the life and ministry of Jesus is something that defies finite description. This brings us all the way back to chapter 1. I mentioned it earlier. This brings us all the way back to chapter 1. These words. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. See, when we gazed upon Jesus, somewhere in different times perhaps for different disciples, But we began to see and to understand, this is no mere man. This is the only begotten Son of God, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. And when we saw His glory, we were seeing the glory of the Father." That's what he's testifying to. Now, if you work your way up, all the way up in chapter one, back to verses three and four. He also came to this conclusion. The prologue, in a sense, is the explanation of the whole of the gospel. So let's work our way back up. The word became flesh. What is he thinking about when he thinks about the word? He says, all things were made through him. Without him, nothing was made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. This is important because now he's gazing up into the starry heavens of the cosmos. And as John does that, and he looks at the farthest stars, he's thinking of Isaiah 40, and he's thinking of the creator of the ends of the earth who never faints or grows weary, who knows the stars, who placed them in their courses, he knows them by name, and he's recognized that Jesus Christ is the agent of this creation, and his glory is greater than the cosmos that he has made. And so he says, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain all the books that could be written about the works of Jesus Christ. But we go up higher. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. you see where the Gospel of John begins and ends. It begins and ends with John's comprehension by the Spirit. If you think about this, in Ephesians 3, when Paul prays that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, it's in the context of something very important. He's praying that the Spirit would be at work in the church, in the Ephesian believers. so that they would be able to comprehend the love of Christ, its width, its length, its breadth, and its depth. And in so comprehending this, there's this staggering phrase, that they would be filled with all the fullness of God. When John gets to the end of his gospel, He has the grandest of themes concerning Jesus Christ. He brings us, as it were, all the way back to the beginning, all the way back to the eternal Word. He brings us back to the Lord Jesus Christ, the one to whom He is bearing witness that He's not only the obedient Son and the risen Lord, but that He is the incarnate Word, the one through whom the universe itself was created. And you hear this in the apostolic witness all through the scriptures. Peter, we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. We heard the voice from the divine glory when they're on the Mount of Transfiguration. This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased to hear him. The ending ties us back to the beginning. The apostles are testifying to this reality that they see the glory of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ. And there's a hunger in John and there should be in every believer like there was in Moses. Lord, show me more of that glory. Or like Job, I know that my Redeemer lives and he shall stand on the earth at the last. And in my flesh, I shall see God. John is giving us a sense here that they have seen God. And this is that to which He is bearing witness. There's more to know, more to see, more to learn, far beyond the bounds of my book. He's come to see something of the infinite dimensions of the glory of Jesus Christ. A few thoughts. This is the heart of true Christianity. This is the key to the Christian life. In the Gospel of John, You have been witness to the glory of the infinite, eternal, triune God shining in the face of Jesus Christ. Isn't that what Jesus prayed? Oh, Father, glorify me together with Yourself with the glory that I had before the world was. That's what John is bearing witness to. And in seeing something, it should make us counted and numbered amongst those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, who long for more. For some reason, perhaps it's because I've been meditating more on Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, I've been thinking, times of the day, it's come to mind the vivid realities of Jesus Christ as the God-man at the right hand of the Father and His second coming, that we're going to see Him. The second coming of Christ coming to mind again and again. There's a great New Testament emphasis between the already, what we have in Christ right now, and what the theologians call the not yet, the future glory. And that we have tasted and seen and participate now already by the Spirit in union with Christ with the life of heaven. But there's another sense where there's so much yet that will be revealed to us. John anticipated this. He says, when we see Him, we will be like Him as He is. The heart of Christianity is to long for more of the glory of God that you have seen in the face of Jesus Christ, and to know and understand that the thing that has been given to you, light and life through Jesus Christ, comes from God and the beauty and glory that you see in Jesus Christ at the cross and the glory that you see at the resurrection is the very glory of God being manifested in the Word who became flesh. And that once you've tasted a little bit of the living water, you will always long for more, number one. And number two, God will give more because the fountain is infinitely deep. It's inexhaustible. And you start to think of Jesus like the phrase in the Song of Solomon, my beloved is the chief amongst 10,000. There's no one like Jesus. No one. That's what John is saying. There's no one. He's indescribably glorious. John Owen. As we think of these things, we should then live in the constant contemplation of the glory of Jesus Christ. That virtue will proceed from Him to repair all our decays. that this will renew a right spirit within us, and that this view of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ will renew all our obedience. When the mind is filled with thoughts of Christ and His glory, when the soul clings to Him with the most intensive affections, this will cast out, will not give admittance to all those causes of spiritual weakness and indisposition, nothing, will excite and encourage our souls so much as a constant view of the unlimited glory of Jesus Christ. Now an inverse application. Doesn't this make our lethargy and prayerlessness shameful? John Edwards, 1737, rode out into the woods on one occasion to a place where he would walk and think and pray. And it was then, he said, that I had a view for me that was extraordinary of the glory of the Son of God. The person of Christ appeared to me to be gloriously excellent. with an excellency so great as to swallow up all thought and natural conception." That's Jonathan Edwards, meditating on the Word, longing for the glory of Jesus Christ. We fall for all the wrong things, the passing treasures and pleasures of the world. And God so loved the world that He gave us His own Son. And in His Son, life, everlasting life. and a boundless supply of goodness and mercy and glory. This is why to not want Jesus Christ is to be dead inside. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. Some believed on Him and some ignored Him. He realized to ignore Him is to ignore the beauty of the glory of God. You realize to see His glory is the gracious work of the Spirit of God. Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. But to see is to see the fullness, the glory, the majesty of our God. Christ is the light of the world, the resurrection and the life. If nothing in you, after hearing the Gospel of John preached, after reading it, if nothing in you causes you to stand back in awe and wonder, If you're still left cold, you need to be on your knees praying, Lord, show me your glory, and help me see and understand John's final words, that not even the universe could contain all the books that could be written about this one, the word who became flesh. And then finally, long for the full view of that glory one day. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. We just read from Job. Job contemplates the glory of God, and at the end of Job 26, maybe you missed it as we read it in passing, these are but the outskirts of his ways. Job says, I see something. I see his glory, I see it really. But at the same time, I have a sensation that I have not begun to see its fullness. That is the longing for heaven, where we will see Him as He is and be like Him. And our thirst will be satisfied from the streams of the river of life that flow from the throne and from the Lamb, Jesus Christ. And the pure in heart will one day see the fullness of the glory of God. Let's pray. Lord God, as we consider these things, we pray again for your Spirit to work in us, to strengthen us, to again open our eyes to see in Jesus, the one who is the chief among 10,000, our beloved, our Savior, our Lord, our King, the propitiatory sacrifice, the triumphant victor over death and the grave, the one who has ascended and is now at your right hand, has sat down as he has finished his work, the one who one day will come from glory with all his holy angels to judge the living and the dead. or that they would recognize that though we have seen by your Spirit truly and accurately His glory in the gospel, Lord, that sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us. That one day our faith will be turned to sight. all shadows will flee away, and we with unhindered vision, true spiritual understanding, Lord, with all of our faculties, will gaze upon that glory. Lord, help us to see Jesus presented to us in the Gospel of John and in all of the Scriptures as the Word who became flesh, the Word who was in the beginning, O Father, with you, the Father, in himself, together with you, the Father and the Spirit, the eternal God of creation, providence, and salvation. We ask for these things in Jesus' name. Amen.