A month ago, I said goodbye to a dear friend whose journey in this life ended.

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His name was John.  Without giving you my entire story with John, let’s just say we had been friends long enough to see the good, bad, and ugly in each other.

Just two days before he went home to be with Jesus, he made it clear what he wanted said at his funeral. “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.  He has been so good to us.  He has blessed me so much.  I want it sung and I want it said: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.”

This was John.  You couldn’t talk about him without talking about his wife and Jesus.  John’s life was a monument to the grace of Jesus.  He was proof of the power, presence, and peace of God in Jesus. And that’s just how he wanted it said.

We conclude Chapter 10 of John’s Gospel and the end of the second major section in this beautiful book with John 10:40-42.

Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” And in that place many believed in Jesus.

John 10:40-42
New International Version

John the Baptizer prepared the way for Jesus.  As Jesus’ public ministry ends, He returns to this place.  There, the people saw the steward of the good news of God.  In this place, far away from the politics of Jerusalem, the fond memories of John the Baptizer still testified about Jesus.  What a great epitaph of John’s life: “all that John said about this man was true.”

His testimony pointed to Jesus who WAS the Gospel to those people and look at verse 42 again: “and in that place many believed in Jesus.” The guardian of Holiness, Justice, Mercy, and Love distributed the glory of God on those people and provided them with eternal life.

This was the substance of Jesus’ unique function: to cause belief in Jesus as the Son, Signature, and Steward of God the Father.  We may wonder why Jesus didn’t dish out more of the judgment of God we read about in the Old Testament.  After all, that was part of the signature of God also, and Scripture teaches us Jesus is the steward of God’s judgment as well.

We are reminded in 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Jesus waits for you.  Jesus wants to show you the light and life in exchange for your loyalty.  Oh my friend, you are getting the much better end of that bargain. 

Dear fellow Jesus-follower, do you understand Who He really is, or are you still counting the cost of the sacrifice?  Money…time…If so, you don’t understand His worth.  May we live in such a way that those behind us say, “Everything they said about Jesus was true.”  May our lives show the dedication to His cause that Jesus had.

No, my sister or brother in Christ, you are not just a number to our Lord.  You aren’t just a face in the crowd.  You are so special to Him…you are worth a Son to Him.  You are valuable.  You are loved.

Image courtesy of Storyblocks and modified by the author.

To my reader who hasn’t committed their life to Jesus: Jesus doesn’t hunt you down so He can beat you up.  But make no mistake: He is in hot pursuit.  You are why He came and you are why Christians are here.  His dedication still inspires worship—that is, a life of surrender and dedication to Him.

Jesus is dedicated to the security of His true followers.  He is dedicated to the substance of His unique Function. All because He is dedicated to His cause of seeking and saving that which was lost.

Last month, my friend John closed his eyes on earth and opened them to the Savior whose name was always on his lips: Jesus.  His life told the story of Jesus. 

When our time comes, will others say the same about us?  I pray the lives we have lived will say the same thing: “Everything they said about Jesus was true.”