[I]n [John] chapter 20, verses 30 and 31, you’ll remember we’ve been reading this every week: “Therefore many other signs” – or miracles – “Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written” – the miracles that John includes in his gospel – “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,” – the Messiah – “the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” So John gives us all these miracles so that we may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing that we have eternal life in His name. So that the goal of all of this writing is that you might have eternal life. The way you have eternal life is to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.
Now we’ve talked a lot about the Son of God idea, the notion that He is God’s Son, the second member of the Trinity, eternal God, God the Son; but we haven’t really talked a lot about what it says when it says He’s the Christ. You have to believe that He is the Christ, that’s the New Testament corresponding word to the Old Testament word Messiah. So in order to receive eternal life you have to believe that Jesus is the Messiah.
What does that mean? What exactly is it to be the Messiah? We know what it is to be the Son of God,because we’ve talked about that. But what is it to be the Messiah? Really an important thing, because way back in the 1st chapter, the first disciples, after they spent time with Jesus, came and declared, “We have found the Messiah.” This was a eureka moment of all moments for them in their life and historically throughout Jewish history. “We have found the Messiah.”
Later on, Peter’s speaking for the rest, said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And so the question arises, “What is it to believe that Jesus is the Messiah? What are we saying?” It’s essential for us,because it’s part of believing what we need to believe to have eternal life.
Read more + listen: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/81-3