A Quick Introduction to the Gospel of John

If a person would press me to choose one book of the Bible as my favorite, I would have to choose the Gospel of John. I hope you have decided to join me as I read the Gospel of John in 21 days. As you begin reading John’s Gospel, I wanted to give you a few simple insights on this wonderful Gospel. The first thing you will notice is how different John’s Gospel is compared to the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke). It is believed John wrote at a time after the other three gospels were being circulated and he wanted to create unique and different gospel. Over 90% of its material is unique. Clement of Alexandria (ca AD 150-215) calls John’s gospel a “Spiritual Gospel” (MacArthur). When you begin to read the gospel, you will notice it is an anonymous gospel. External evidence is one way scholars attempt to authenticate the author. Early church tradition identifies the Apostle John as its creator. Irenaeus (ca AD 130-200) writes “John, the disciple of the Lord, who leaned on his breast, also published the Gospel while living in Ephesus” (Dictionary of Jesus pg 369). Irrenaeus was a disciple of Polycarp who was a disciple of John and Polycarp testified to the Apostle John as the book’s author. Clement of Alexadria (ca AD 155-220) asserts, “John, perceiving that the bodily facts had been made plain in the Gospels, being urged by his friends, composed a spiritual gospel” (Dictionary of Jesus pg 369). While some have disputed this quote as legendary, there can be no mistake, “Subsequent to Irenaeus, all the church fathers assumed John to be the gospel’s author” (John MacArthur pg 339). We can also examine internal evidence to pinpoint the author. John 21:24 tells us that a disciple testified to the things he wrote down. I find it interesting that the Synoptic Gospels are filled with references to John while the Gospel of John never names him directly. Could it be that John is the “disciple who Jesus loved?” The absence of John’s name in the Gospel is amazing when one considers the prominent role John played in the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples. As John MacArthur writes, “Since the gospel’s author is exacting in mentioning the names of other characters in the book, if the author had been someone other than John the apostle, he would not have omitted John’s name” (MacArthur). While we can’t be completely dogmatic on John as the author, I think the witness of church history and the fact that an unnamed disciple, with apparent knowledge of the “inner circle,” wrote the Gospel point to John the apostle as its author. The timing of the writing of the Gospel is under some debate. Generally, it is accepted that John wrote the Gospel sometime between ca 80-90 AD. This would place the writing after the fall of the Temple, the martyrdom of Paul and Peter, and during the time of Domitian. There are a few noticeable inner verses which may help us date the gospel. The fact that John used the phrase “Sea of Tiberias” referring the Sea of Galilee point to a later date as this phrase was ony widely used toward the end of the first century. Also, John 21:19 says, “He said this to signify by what kind of death he would glorify God.” This statement has a ring of hindsight. It seems to me John is writing this verse with knowledge of the type of martyrdom Peter received. Finally, Thomas’ great confession “My Lord and my God” could be a statement against emperor worship during Domitian’s reign. Furthermore, the lack of reference to the Sadducees which ceased to be a Jewish religious group after AD 70 supports a later date for the gospel. As you study the book this month, here are a few other notable helps: Purpose: John 20:31 “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” The gospel is both evangelistic and apologetic. Its primary purpose was to identify Jesus as the Son of God and that by doing so people would believe in Him and turn to faith and eternal life. It is the most theological of the gospels. He goes to great lengths to show the deity of Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, and importance of personal belief. Seven Signs: the Gospel of John revolves around 7 signs before His crucifixion to “display His glory” and to make sure “His disciples believed in Him” (John 2:11). Take a moment to look up the seven signs: Water into wine (2:1-2), Healing a nobleman’s son (4:46-54), Healing of a lame man (5:1-17), Feeds 5000 (6:1-14), Walks on water (6:15-21), Heals a blind man (9:1-14), Raises Lazarus from the dead (11:17-45). I am Statements: John also confirms Jesus’ deity through 7 “I am” statements. In Greek, it is ego eimi or literally “self-identify in self-sufficiency.” In a phrase Jesus proclaims his pre-existence and his deity. You can see for instance the Jew’s reaction to Jesus when he said, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). They picked up stones to kill him because of blaspheme. Take a look at the seven “I am” statements: (I am the bread of life (6:35, 41, 48, 51), I am the light of the world (8:12), I am the Door (10:7,9), I am the Good Shepherd (10:11,14), I am the Resurrection and the Life (11:25), I am the way, the truth, and the life (14:6), I am the true vine (15:1,5). Key Words: Believe, Word, Eternal life, Lamb of God, born again My favorite verse: This changes year by year. Currently I pray John 3:30 for myself every day. I realize John said these profound words and then received a beheading. Amazing! He prayed to decrease and Herod cut his head off. Probably not the way I want to decrease but an amazing statement of John’s faithfulness to God and His Kingdom. What have you lost for the sake of the Kingdom? What are you losing? Is there really any way to follow Christ without losing or without decreasing? Names of Christ in John 1: I know most of you have already read chapter 1. It might be worth reading again. As you do, try and find the different names or descriptions of Christ. Here is my list (Don’t look yet. Compare to what you have. If you find others, let me know): Word, God, Life, Light, One and Only, full of grace and truth, Jesus, Christ (Messiah), Lord, Lamb of God, Son of God, Rabbi, one Moses wrote about, Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph, King of Israel, Son of man. The gospel of John is so very rich. It’s depth cannot be fully mined in years of reading much less in one reading. Venture into the deep end as you examine the riches of the Gospel. Each day read the corresponding chapter and post the verse God uses in your life for that day. Write a short commentary to bless your reader. Here is list of great questions to ask yourself as you read: Operation Lydia Plan 1. What did you like about the passage you read? 2. What did you no like about it? What bothered you? 3. What did you not understand about it? (Email me if you have questions) 4. What did you learn about God from it? 5. What do you personally need to do about it? 6. What phrase or sentence from this passage would you like to think about this week? As you dive into the Gospel of John, here is something very simple to remember: Years of Jesus’ Ministry: 3-3.5 years Period 1: Baptism – John’s Imprisonment – The Synoptic Gospels spend very little time in this period. John spends the first five chapters in the time period. Period 2: John’s Imprisonment – Peter’s Confession – This is the bulk of information in the Synoptic Gospels and only chapter 6 in the Gospel of John. Period 3: Peter’s Confession – Jesus’ Ascension – All Gospels have much to say about this period of Jesus’ life. In John, this last period begins in chapter 7. After Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ, it was time for Jesus to teach them more about His death and resurrection and move toward Jerusalem and his impending death. I pray you will be blessed as you read the Gospel of John. Enjoy your time in scripture. Don’t worry about read too fast. Slow down. Enjoy the Gospel at the same speed of drinking a wonderful cup of coffee instead of drinking in the word as one would drink out of a fire hydrant. If you have questions about the gospel, please contact me. If I don’t know the answer, I will do some research and get back with you. Remember, we read not to get something from the Father, but we read because it is the Father. Short Bibliography The MacArthur Bible Handbook Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels Holman Bible Atlas Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts Jesus and the Gospels Craig Blomberg