Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter

The Gospel for Dummies

Jesus cried out and said,

"Whoever believes in me believes not only in me

but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me
sees the one who sent me.

I came into the world as light, so that everyone who
believes in me might not remain in darkness.

And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them,

I do not condemn him, for I did not come to
condemn the world but to save the world.

Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words

has something to judge him: the word that I spoke,

it will condemn him on the last day, because I did
not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me
commanded me what to say and speak.

And I know that his commandment is eternal life.

So what I say, I say as the Father told me."
(Jn 12:44-50)

With these verses John ends his account of Jesus’ public teaching and presents us with a summary of those teachings—what has been called “The Essence of the Gospel.” Multiple chapters boiled down to seven verses. So what are we left with in this version of The Gospel for Dummies?

* To know and believe in Jesus is to know and believe in the Father who sent him.
* Jesus came in order to guide us out of the darkness of our sin and disbelief.
* If we believe in Him, even when we sin He will not condemn us—Jesus came not as judge but as Savior. (And if Jesus doesn’t condemn us neither does the Father!)
* God doesn’t condemn us but we can condemn ourselves by rejecting God and refusing to believe.
* To those who know and believe in Jesus and the Father who sent him, God offers eternal life.

What more do we need to know?

Natalie Borisovets