So turn with me in your Bibles to John chapter 21. I checked last night on Sermon Audio, and on the 14th day of March in 2021, we began our series of sermons on John's Gospel. And there have been 265 sermons on John over the last four and a half And we've come very close to the end. We're in the last section of John's Gospel, in the last couple of verses. And there are two particular themes that I would like us to ponder in these last verses. And one of them is in verse 23. So let's read these last verses. Verse 20. Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following, which also leaned on his breast at the supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter, seeing him, saith to Jesus, Lord, what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come. That's one of the passages, that phrase, till I come, I want to talk, speak on that next week. What is that to thee? Follow thou me. Then this, with this saying abroad among the brethren that the disciple should not die. Yet Jesus said not unto him he shall not die. But if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? This disciple This is our verse for this morning. This is the disciple which testifies of these things, and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did. The witch, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. I want us to contemplate that. What is it for us to know? And what do we know? And why do we know what we know? And Why is it so significant that John finishes his gospel this way? Why don't we turn back to the beginning of John's gospel and let's contemplate the who that we know. Because everything about the what that we know is determined by the who that we know. And this is John's glorious description of the Lord Jesus Christ. And everything in the rest of his Gospel account hangs on these glorious words here. This glorious declaration of the God whom John knew. And I pray that we know Him as well. Knowing Him is eternal life. Knowing Him is eternal life. Not knowing Him is eternal death. Let's read these verses. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light that all through him might believe. He was not that light, but was said to bear witness of that light. That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not, but as many as received him. To them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made 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. John bear witness of him and cry, saying, this was he of whom I spake. He that cometh after me is preferred before me, for he was before me. And of his fullness have all we received. Grace for grace. For, or because, the law was given by Moses, but Christ and truth. grace, electing grace, saving grace, sovereign grace. Embrace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found. ? Was grace that taught my heart to fear ? ? And grace my fears relieved ? ? How precious did that grace appear ? ? I first believed ? ? Through many dangers, toils, and snares ? ? I have already come ? ? Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far ? ? Will lead me home ? ? The Lord has promised good to me ? ? His word my hope secures ? ? He will my shield be ? ? And mortal life shall cease ? ? I shall possess with thee ? and peace. The earth shall soon dissolve like snow. The sun forbear to shine. By God who called 10,000 years bright shining as the sun We're all set to go. Is this working? Sorry. Technologically challenged is my story, and I'm sticking to it. But anyway. Thank you, Col. So turn back with me in your Bibles to John chapter 20. We know. We know. It's a statement that John makes repeatedly, and Paul makes repeatedly, and the other apostolic writers make repeatedly. We know. We know. In 1 John, I think it's 20 odd times or more that John says, we know. And Lord willing, we'll look at those later on. We know. We know. We know. John is a witness. John, as we read in 1 John 1, John handled the word of life. He touched the Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. What a remarkable thing to have this witness. What a remarkable thing that that Jesus is the same Jesus, this same Jesus that's coming again. is able to be known, is able to be touched, is able to be handled, not in the same way that John did, but these men bore witness to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ was the triumphant, resurrected Christ. This is the one that they know, we know. This is the whom we know, that which was from the beginning, that which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, our hands have handled the word of life. That which we have seen and heard we declare unto you. And that's what John is saying here. That's what is being declared at the end of John's gospel. We know, we know. This is the disciple He's a martyr. He sealed his testimony to the end of his life. And all the other apostles sealed their testimony to the reality of who the Lord Jesus Christ is, the one that they knew. They sealed it with their blood. This testifier wrote these things. They're written down, thank God for the word of God. We're not relying on the word of men, we are relying upon the word of God. God has written and God has sealed his writing with the blood of his dear and precious son. And his words are spirit and they are life to us. And we know, we know, we know, Testimony is true. Everything that believers believe, they believe in common with all believers throughout time. So if you go to the commentators, they'll tell you who the we might possibly have been. But I think that it is and should be taken as broadly as it possibly can. This is the testimony of all of God's witnesses. This is the testimony of all those that wrote down. These are God-sent, God-anointed, God-commissioned witnesses to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. We know, we know, We keep needing to be reminded that the Lord Jesus Christ came to a religious world who thought that they were there preparing for the coming of Christ and thought that they were going to be worshipping the Christ and thought that they were the servants and the witnesses of God to In the religious world, just as it was in the days of the Lord Jesus Christ, there are so many we-know groups of believers. Sometimes they're very tiny groups of believers. They know something that someone else doesn't know, and they hold on to the we-know of what they believe. And the Lord Jesus Christ came to that religious world. And he said, not one of you knows who I am. Not one of you. He didn't say the Pharisees are better because you've got stronger doctrine on the sovereignty of God and predestination and other things, and you Sadducees are a little bit worse off than you Zealots are. All of them. Even turn back to John Chapter 3. I love what John the Apostle says. How do we know what we know? No, sorry, John Chapter 1. It's the end of John Chapter 1. John 1.29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me, for he was before me. John knew about the eternality of the Lord Jesus Christ. And listen to what he says, And I knew him not. He was his cousin, he'd known him for 30 years. He'd known about the only man who'd ever walked on the face of this earth, who'd never ever sinned and only lived in perfect holiness. I knew him not. That's the testimony of all believers. There was a time when we knew him not. Some people say, well I've always believed. That's far too long. I knew him not, but that he should be made manifest. He should be revealed to Israel. Therefore, I am come baptizing with water. And John bare record saying, I saw the spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode on him. And I knew him not, but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, This is the Son of God. And how did John know? What's the testimony of John having known? Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. But I love what he says. Turn over with me to John chapter 3. He was manifested. John came, the Lord Jesus Christ would be manifested to people like John, who was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb, who leapt for joy when the presence of the Lord came to him in Elizabeth's house. He leapt for joy. John chapter 3 verse 22, John answered and said, A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. How do we know? It must be made manifest and it must be given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but I am sent What's John's great rejoicing? He had heard God speak from heaven. He had heard and seen the Holy Spirit descend on the Lord Jesus Christ. He had had the Christ that everyone was looking for since Adam left the garden. He had seen Him manifest. But what's his joy? What's his joy? He's rejoicing, listen to it at the end of verse 29. Rejoicing greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. The bridegroom's voice. This, my joy, is therefore fulfilled. He must increase and I must decrease. How do we know him? He's manifest. How do we know him? We've heard his voice. How do we know we know him? We've heard his voice. So knowing Him is the gift of God. Knowing Him is the manifestation of God. Knowing Him is Heaven's gift to sinners on this earth. Listen to how significant it is knowing Him, and I've quoted this verse so many times because it's so extraordinarily significant, because it's so extraordinarily simple. John 17, verse 3, that great high priest And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. Eternal life is knowing Him, as John the Baptist knew Him, as John the Apostle knew Him, as all of the saints throughout time have known Him. They've known Him because he has made himself manifest. They've known him because he's drawn them out of the religion of this world. They've known him because he has spoken to them. So let's nail down the importance of that. Let's go back to John Chapter 10. How do we know him? His manifestation is through a voice, and a voice that causes rejoicing. You know this passage well, it's this passage that explains so much of what Psalm 23 declares in such beauty, the Good Shepherd. He said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the port are openest, and the sheep hear his voice, and He calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him. for they know his voice. What do the sheep do? They have him manifested to them as he speaks to them, and they follow him, and they follow his voice. And verse five, and a stranger will they not follow but will debate with him, argue with him. They'll flee from him. They'll flee from him. For they know not the voice of strangers. Let's turn over in that same chapter, let's come down to verse 25, John chapter 10. Don't ask him a question. If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you. I told you, and you believe not, the works that I do in my Father's name, they be a witness of me. But you believe not, because you are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them. And they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all. No man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. My Father and I. No wonder John the Baptist was rejoicing. No wonder John in 1 John 1 says he's writing these things that your joy might be full. He gives unto them eternal life. I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. Neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. We can't even pluck ourselves out of his hand. No wonder John was rejoicing. No wonder he's bearing witness to this Christ. Every New Testament convert was saved out of a religion which proclaimed, we know. The world is full of them today, aren't they? Everywhere you go, everyone says, we know, we know, we know, we know we're right. And the Lord comes to his own, and he says, you come to me. And his sheep hear a voice. They hear a voice. And that voice is never, in ever, any way in discord with anything that's ever written in this book. He's the Word of God. This is his book. We know, we know because we've heard a voice. Turn with me in Matthew chapter 13. I want us to see. to hear the voice and to follow and to rejoice. Verse 10, you've heard the story, haven't you? The parable of the soils, parable of the soils. And the disciples came and said unto him, why speakest thou unto them in parables? And He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to Turn over with me to Matthew chapter 16. And it's a great question, isn't it? Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they said unto him, Some say that thou art John the Baptist, and some say Elias, and others Jeremias, and one of the prophets. They put him in some exalted company, don't they? and blaspheme him at the same time, and he saith unto them. This is the great question, isn't it? But who say you that I am? Who is the Lord Jesus Christ? Who is he? It's whom say you. If he has manifested And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Well done, Peter. No, it's not. Listen on. Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but thy Father which is in heaven. And I say unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock. This confession of Jesus Christ, this confession that is given, not by flesh and blood, not by indolence, it's given by a manifestation of the glory of God in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, by the word of God, coming with power and causing, causing all the glory of our great God to be seen. What do believers believe? It's completely and utterly dependent upon whom you believe. Not a single writer in this Bible, not a single writer sent from God who knew him and had him revealed to them in all of the glorious and many ways that spoke Not a single one even hinted that the Lord Jesus Christ was anything but the sovereign, successful, substitutionary sacrifice who is satisfied by God, the Saviour, His Lord. They all testified that God, who spoke at Sunday times Hebrews 1, and in diverse manners spoke in time past under the fathers by the prophets, but as in these last days has spoken by Son, the last word of God. The only word of God to this world is the Lord Jesus Christ, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom he also made the world. He's the creator, he's the sustainer, who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power is active. Jesus Christ that you love and adore, that he's upholding all things by the word of his power right now. The King's heart is in the Lord's hands and he can divert it as he will, like a river of water. He's Lord. He's Lord Jesus Christ. Upholding all things by the word of his power. And listen to this, this is one of the most glorious phrases in all of the scriptures, isn't it? When he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. He purged all of the sins of all of his people on the cross of Calvary. And they are purged. And he did it by himself. No wonder the apostles are rejoicing. He's writing these things that your joy might be fulfilled, your joy in fellowship with them, fellowship with these apostles. Who we know is determined, what we know is determined by the who that we know. I know I've repeated it many times, but Paul the apostle bore testimony to the Gentiles. He's our apostle in a sense, isn't he? And he's the one that bore witness to who the Lord Jesus Christ is. And he, in all of his religion, marched down that road to Damascus, thinking that he knew God, thinking that he was serving God, thinking that he was obeying God, and then he met God. He met God. In Acts chapter 9 the very first word that comes out of his mouth is, Who are you? He had no idea. He didn't know who God was. And he could write dissertations on the character of God and on the Christ of God and all that the Christ was going to do when he came. And he didn't know him. And he'd had three and a half years of witness of him and he didn't know him. He says in Acts chapter 26 verse 15, the Lord, he says, who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. But rise and stand upon thy feet, for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen and of those things in which I will appear unto thee, delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom thou Nothing's changed. To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they might receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. What a glorious description. If you'd asked Paul, told Paul that the Lord Jesus Christ was trying to do his best, and that he did the best he can, and he wants to save everyone, and he loves everyone, and he's died for everyone, and he's trying hard, what would Paul have said to you? Flee. Flee from that nonsense, and come to the Lord Jesus Christ. We know, we know a whom. All of God's children know and will know in this world a whom. So the we know is the language of faith. I know whom I have believed. You know this first world, but say, turn with me to 2 Timothy chapter one. It's just so glorious. and glorious description. In verse 8, he says, 2 Timothy 1, be thou not therefore ashamed of the testimony, the witness of our Lord Jesus Christ, that John is bearing witness to at the end of this gospel, nor of me, his prisoner, but be thou a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God. There are going to be afflictions that come because you bear this testimony. But don't you love the fact that the afflictions come according to the power of God? They're not outside of the power of God, but they are according to the power of God. And this is the description of God our Saviour. Listen to it, verse nine, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling. How do we know? He's called us and we've heard a voice. That's what we've been reading in John chapter 10, a holy calling. Every time I read that, I keep thinking of a fellow who said that the holy calling is a calling for you to live holy. is the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a holy calling. It's a calling into the fellowship of He who is holy. And how do you be in fellowship with He who is holy? He's purged you from your sins. If you have no sin, you're holy and unblameable in His eyes, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before Don't you love that? It was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and this is what he did, who hath abolished debt and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. What a glorious shepherd! What a glorious voice to hear! Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the witch cause I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed. I know whom I have believed. Eternal life is knowing the whom, the whom who is God Almighty in human flesh, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day. So it's echoes of what we're finishing John's Gospel with, isn't it? Committed is a word that means to place on deposit, as a deposit in a bank. All of us possibly have some money in the bank. I don't know how secure it is. I don't think it's very secure at all. And I don't think the pieces of paper are actually worth the piece of paper. I don't think they're worth the numbers that are written on the piece of paper. What have you committed unto him? We're persuaded about his ability. We're persuaded about his ability to keep, and we've committed everything unto him. How do we know we know him? We're committed. We're persuaded. We follow. We've heard a voice from heaven. We bear witness to the witness of God Almighty about His Son. This is the disciple which testifies these things and wrote these things and we know that his testimony is true. I love the testimony of John. We've had four and a half years. looking at probably all the words and some of them many times over in the Gospel of John and I look back on it now and it's more beautiful and it's more comforting and it's more rejoicing than it was four and a half years ago and I started daunted by the magnitude of the task that was before us and saying, God you've promised to be the teacher of us. Teachers such that we know Amen. May the Lord cause us to know as John was known, cause us to know as we are known.