John 21:24 identifies "this" disciple—the beloved disciple just discussed—as the one who testifies concerning these things and who wrote them.
Jesus in Context
The Disciple Who Testifies and Wrote These Things
The Gospel identifies the beloved disciple with the testimony behind the narrative and states that he wrote these things.
Introduction
Historical and Cultural Context
Testimony is a major concept throughout the Fourth Gospel. John repeatedly presents claims about Jesus through the language of witnesses, testimony, seeing, hearing, and truthful reporting. The closing statement connects the beloved disciple directly with that testimonial foundation.
The verse has played an important role in discussions of the Gospel's authorship and composition. Whatever model is proposed for the final literary history of the book, the text itself claims a direct relationship between the beloved disciple, testimony about Jesus, and the writing of "these things."
Why It Matters
The Gospel closes by asking readers to receive its presentation of Jesus as testimony, not anonymous religious reflection. The narrator anchors the written account in the witness of the disciple repeatedly present at crucial events.