John 21:25

The Biggest Biography

And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that should be written. John 21:25.

I wonder how many of you could tell me what a biography is? A biography is just a history of somebody's life. Sometimes, when a great man dies, a friend or acquaintance writes an account of his life and that account is called a biography. Our text says that, if Jesus' biography were written, it would occupy so many books that the world would not contain them. That seems a very extraordinary thing to say, does it not? I wonder what it means.

Well, first you must understand that this is an Eastern way of speaking. People in the East don't speak or think quite as we do. When they want to impress a certain point very much on anybody's mind, they put it in a striking way. They exaggerate it so as to make it appear real and vivid. John had been trying to tell something of what Jesus said and did, and when he came to the end he found that he had just put down a tiny fragment of all that his Master had accomplished. If he had done it thoroughly he would have had to note every look and word and act of Jesus, for everything that Christ said or did was worth recording. And he would have had to relate all that Jesus said, not only to the disciples, but to everyone He ever met. So in a sort of despair the apostle exclaimed that if all the things Jesus had done were written, the world itself would not contain the books that should be written.

Sometimes we think we should like to know a little more about Jesus and we are sorry that more was not written about Him. We should like to know a little more about His boyhood. We have only one story about that the story of His visit to the Temple at Jerusalem when He was twelve years old. We should like to know what He said to the children when He took them in His arms, or when He watched them at their games. We should like to know more about the sick people He made well, and the bad people He made good.

Some years ago there was found among the ruins of an Egyptian city one page from a book containing sayings which were supposed to have been uttered by Jesus. All over the world people were interested and excited about it, and long articles were written on the subject in many of the chief newspapers and periodicals. Fancy all that interest about one page, and try to imagine what excitement there would be if a whole new Gospel were found!

But after the newness of the discovery had worn off perhaps we should think no more about the new Gospel than we do about the four Gospels we already have. I wonder if we really value them as we should. Do we read them and know them as we ought? God has given us just four short Gospels, but He has told us in them all that we really need to know about Jesus. He has told us enough to show us how much we need Jesus' help, how much Jesus loves us, and how He lived and died for our sakes. He has told us enough to lead us to love and follow Jesus. I wonder if we are really learning all that those four stories teach us.

There is another thing I want you to remember. The writer of this verse was nearer the truth than he knew. For the work of Jesus did not end on earth. Will you look at the very next verse after our text the first verse in the Book of Acts? St. Luke, who wrote the Book of Acts, speaks to his friend Theophilus about a “former treatise” which he had written. That “former treatise” is just the Gospel of St. Luke, and he says that in it he told all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day in which He was taken up to Heaven. That means that Jesus' work on earth was just a beginning; it was just the beginning of what He has been doing in the world ever since; and if all the things were written down that Jesus has done since He went back to live with His Father in Heaven, the world itself would not contain the books that should be written.

What are some of the things Jesus has done in the world?

Well, first He has changed the natures of millions and millions of people. He has made bad people good, restless people patient, cruel people kind, rough people gentle, angry people self-controlled, selfish people self- sacrificing, hard people loving, timid people brave.

And then He has brought light into many dark places. The world was a very dark place when He came. People were dying without hope, and because they had no hope beyond the grave they said, “Let us eat, and drink, and be merry; for tomorrow we die.” But it was only a very small number who could enjoy life, for a great part were miserable slaves, and of the rest many were so poor that they could do little more than just exist. If one man received an injury from another he never rested till that injury was avenged, because nobody had taught men to forgive. The poor, and the weak, and the helpless were downtrodden and oppressed, because nobody had taught men to love.

But Jesus brought light, and love, and joy, and hope into men's hearts. By His life and death He gave them new views of life and death, and new ideas of duty. And the light He brought is still shining; and it will shine brighter and brighter until it has lit up all the dark places of the earth and all men come to know Him and to love Him.

And then Jesus has worked through those people whom He has filled with His love. He has put it into their hearts to think and feel for others, and to help the suffering and the sad.

Let me tell you how a little girl helped. She lived in a cottage by the side of a country road. Near her home was a convict prison, and every day the prisoners marched past her cottage to their work in a quarry some distance away. They were chained together and were accompanied by six warders two in front, one on either side, and two behind.

Now the work in the quarry was very hard, and in the summer-time the convicts used to return in the evening looking hot and tired and dusty and depressed. The little girl felt very, very sorry for them and wondered what she could do to help. One evening a brilliant idea struck her.

In her garden was a well of sweet, cool spring water. She ran for a bucket and filled it at the well. Then she carried it out to the road and waited.

Soon she heard the sound of the men coming tramp, tramp, tramp, tramp. On they came, and when the officer in command saw the child standing in the middle of the road with her bucket he called to her to stand aside. But she held her ground and the officer yelled out “Halt!”

Then very timidly the little girl asked, “Please, may I give your men a drink?” The officer was so surprised that he gave a gruff “yes”; but when he saw how heavy the bucket was he ordered two of the prisoners to help her to carry it.

All down the line she went, and wherever she went a wonderful change came over the faces of the men. One said, “Thank you, missy”; another exclaimed, “God bless your blue eyes!”; while his companion added, “and your kind heart.” One man who had a little girl of his own at home lifted her up and kissed her, and then put her down quickly and looked straight ahead.

Every evening through that hot, dusty summer the child was at her post on the road. And every evening the men stopped and drank from her bucket of water. They came to see in her, not just a little girl with blue eyes and fair curls, but the very likeness of Jesus Christ Himself, and their hard hearts were wonderfully softened.

That little girl was adding her bit to the biography of Jesus. Boys and girls, are we?