By Ps Tan Hui Ru
In the last three months, we have been studying the Gospel of John. Throughout the gospel, John has presented to us through the account of Jesus’ life and ministry (including many miracles) that Jesus is God – the Word Incarnate, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the King of the world, our Lord, our Saviour, our God. And as the narrative develops, we are increasingly presented with the different responses that people have to the revelation of who Jesus is, starting from ambivalence but progressing towards total rejection of Jesus or a firm decision to follow Him. The unspoken question then hangs upon us: what will we do? How will we respond to Jesus?
While we’ve been studying the Gospel of John, we have also been living in a world which is going through a time of great uncertainty – things we have taken so much for granted before can no longer be counted on (e.g. walking around outside without masks on, meeting friends and families in large groups whether at home or outside, easy travel between countries). It’s been a surprise to me how much these seemingly small things have made a difference in my life and how much I had taken them for granted. And so it has also been an opportunity for me, for us, to reflect on who or what is most important in our lives.
Today is the last Sunday in 2020. Next week, we will begin a new series on Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. But before we end the year, and before we move to Paul’s teachings, let us consider together how our time in the Gospel of John has affected us. Are we convinced that Jesus is God, one with the Father and the Holy Spirit? What does that mean for us in our daily lives fraught with uncertainty? Are we convinced that Jesus, that God, is sovereign over all that is happening now? Will we place our trust in Him and follow Him fully? I pray that you will join me in reflection and re-dedication to following Jesus as we end 2020 and begin 2021. May our response be always to proclaim that Jesus is God, and may our lives always reflect our proclamation.