John 20:31 says the Gospel of John was written so that readers would come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and find life through trusting him. The verse is the author’s own statement of purpose, placed near the end of the book. It is the Gospel writer speaking directly to the people who will read his account.
But these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
John 20:31 (WEB)
What John 20:31 Means
The verse begins with “these are written,” which points to the whole book as a deliberate record. The writer selected what to include, and he says so plainly. Earlier in the same passage he notes that Jesus did many other signs not recorded here, so the book is a chosen set of events meant to lead somewhere.
The main goal is belief, and the verse names what to believe: that Jesus is the Christ, meaning the promised Messiah, and that he is the Son of God. The second half connects belief to life. The writer says that believing brings life “in his name,” which means life found through trusting who Jesus is and what he has done.
The verse does not promise that every reader will feel certain or that belief will remove every hardship. It describes the purpose of the book and the result that the writer hopes belief will produce. It places the weight on trust in Jesus rather than on a formula or a feeling.
The Context of John 20:31
The Gospel of John is traditionally attributed to the apostle John, and most readers take the book to have been written late in the first century. Its audience is generally understood to be Christians and others who were hearing about Jesus and needed a clear account of who he was. The book is organized around a series of signs and extended conversations that reveal his identity.
The verses just before John 20:31 show Thomas, after seeing the risen Jesus, confessing “My Lord and my God.” Jesus then says that those who believe without seeing are blessed. Verse 31 follows that moment and speaks to readers who were not present, which is why the writer says the book was written for “you.” Read this way, the verse is an invitation to believe on the basis of the testimony the book provides.
Key Phrases in John 20:31
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
(WEB)
This verse expresses the same connection between belief in the Son and receiving eternal life. Reading it alongside John 20:31 shows how central trust in Jesus is to the whole Gospel.
1 John 5:13
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
(WEB)
John writes here that he wrote these things to those who believe in the name of the Son of God, so they may know they have eternal life. It echoes the purpose stated in John 20:31 and shows the same writer’s concern.
A Short Prayer From John 20:31
Lord Jesus, thank you that the Gospel was written so that people like me could come to believe that you are the Christ and the Son of God. Help me trust you more fully today, not only with what I know about you but with what I bring to you. Where my faith feels weak, meet me there and strengthen it.
Give me life in your name, a life that is rooted in who you are rather than in my own efforts. Teach me to read your Word with open eyes and a willing heart. Amen.
