Among the four Gospels there are two which indicate how greatly Christ is versus religion—Matthew and John. Why do Matthew and John record so much concerning this matter? It is because Matthew declares that Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. He was not only a man, but also God. As such He was absolutely other than religion; as such He had nothing to do with religion. As a man He might have religious associations and relationships, but as God with us He is absolutely outside of religion. This is Matthew. John then tells us that Jesus was the Word in the beginning, God Himself, incarnated to be a man. He was not just a man, but a God-man. Thus, because of His essential being, He had nothing to do with religion.
Another matter peculiar to Matthew and John is that neither mentioned anything regarding the ascension of the Lord Jesus. The Gospels of Mark and Luke, on the other hand, both mention it. The ascension of the Lord means that He has departed from us. But Matthew tells us that He is Emmanuel, God with us. As such, He could never depart. Therefore He said, "Lo, I am with you all the days, even unto the completion of the age" (Matt. 28:20). The Bible tells us Jesus ascended, but Matthew and John do not say so. There is no closing to the Gospel of Matthew; neither is there a conclusion to the Gospel of John. The record of John concerning the Lord Jesus meeting on this earth with His disciples has not ended. The Gospel of John in the heavens may already be of two thousand and twenty-two chapters. Now, perhaps, we are in the two thousand and twenty-third chapter. Such a Jesus certainly could not be in any religion. He must be outside of religion.
The Gospel of John, undoubtedly, is the most wonderful book in the Bible concerning life. When I was young, I appreciated the first chapter of this Gospel very much. It has a glorious start: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...in Him was life; and the life was the light of men." It is exceedingly high and profound. But when I came to the last chapter of John, chapter 21, I was amazed and confounded. That did not sound like a chapter of John. It says, "Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also come with thee." Then they all went fishing, and through the whole night they caught nothing. Suddenly Jesus was there and spoke with them concerning the matter of eating, etc., etc. What kind of a chapter is this? John 14 about the Comforter and the Spirit of reality, John 15 concerning the vine and the branches, and John 17, the Lord's high priestly prayer, are all marvelous, wonderful, and profound. Could you believe that such a book as John would contain a chapter like chapter 21? When I was young I thought that something must be wrong. In my opinion this chapter simply did not fit.
Let us look at the last two verses of chapter 20, verses 30 and 31: "Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in His name." These verses are truly wonderful. They are an appropriate conclusion to the book. We may say that at this point the book is really closed. But after this, there is still another chapter. We might call it an appendix, a "P.S."