Thrust Statement: The Gospel of John presents Jesus as the personification of God’s love.

Scripture Reading: John 1:1-14

OBSERVATIONS ABOUT JOHN’S GOSPEL

This study begins with some observations about the Gospel of John. Even though this essay is an introduction to the Gospel, nevertheless, it is not the traditional introduction. The primary objective of this study is simply to acquaint one with the thrust of John’s Gospel in order to bring about an acquaintance of John’s unique approach to the life of Christ on earth. This study also employs a number of charts to facilitate a quick grasp of the matchless format that John sets forth for his readers. A reading of the Gospel of John quickly reveals that this Gospel differs in tone from Matthew, Mark, or Luke. Just a perusal of Matthew’s Gospel reveals that his literary work was written to the Jews; Mark’ s Gospel for the Romans; Luke’s Gospel for the Greeks; and John’s Gospel for the Church. The Gospel of John is a priceless document—written that individuals might believe in the name of God’s One and only Son (John 20:31). A cursory reading of Luke indicates that Luke writes to show that Jesus is the Son of Man, but, on the other hand, John writes to demonstrate that Jesus is the Son of God. Matthew’s focus in writing his Gospel appears to be to emphasize His kingship. On the other hand, Mark draws attention to His servanthood. Again, Luke places accent on His manhood, but John places importance on His Godhead.

SCHEMA OF THE FOUR GOSPELS

Matthew	Jews	Kingship
Mark	Romans	Servanthood
Luke	Greeks	Son of Man—Manhood
John	Jews & Gentiles Church	Son of God—Godhead

            As stated above, John’s Gospel was written for the church. By the expression “church,” this essay includes both Jews and Gentiles. In this Gospel, John frequently interprets certain words for his readers, which gives the impression that John also had a Gentile readership in addition to a Jewish readership. For example, the following Scriptures set forth this assumption of a Gentile audience:

SCHEMA OF WORD INTERPRETATIONS

JOHN 1:37-38	JOHN 1:41-42
37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.  38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” [1]	The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).  42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

 

JOHN 5:2	JOHN 9:7
Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades.	“Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
JOHN 19:13, 17	JOHN 20:16
When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).	Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

            Then again, John also calls attention to Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies as well as the fulfillment of the types in the Old Testament. For instance, John writes that Jesus is the “Lamb of God” (John 1:29), the Temple of God (2:19-21), the Serpent lifted up (3:14-15), and the Bread of God that came down from heaven (6:35). The following chart is given in order to facilitate the ease of comprehending the context of these citations:

SCHEMA OF THE FULFILLMENT OF

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES

JOHN 1:29	JOHN 2:19-21
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!	19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?”  21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body.
JOHN 3:14-15	JOHN 6:32-35
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,  15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.	Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.  33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

            It is attention-grabbing that John is the only one who records the sermon on The Bread of Life. The Gospel of John is filled with some of the best-known and best-loved Scriptures in all of God’s written revelation. To make obvious this statement, one is invited to carefully reflect upon the following Scriptures set forth in tables to display the strength of this declaration:

SCHEMA OF THE BEST-KNOWN AND

BEST-KNOWN SCRIPTURES

JOHN 3:16-17	JOHN 6:35
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.	Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
JOHN 10:11	JOHN 11:25-26
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.	Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
JOHN 14:1-4, 6	JOHN 15:1
. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.  2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.  3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”   Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”	“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

UNIQUENESS OF JOHN’S GOSPEL

            It is obvious that the Gospel of John is just one of four Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all report of the life of Christ on earth. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as synoptic Gospels because these three authors employ similar viewpoints and identical language. In contrast, John omits many things that the other authors include in their accounts. Such as the birth of Christ, His baptism, the healing of people possessed by demons, the Lord’s Supper, Gethsemane, the ascension, and parables. What's more, unlike the Gospels, the speeches of Jesus, as reported by John, are rather long. One exception to this statement about length is the Sermon on the Mount as detailed by Matthew.

John is the one who speaks of turning water into wine at Cana (John 2:1-11). The beloved apostle alone reports the night meeting of Jesus with Nicodemus (3:1-2). It is in this Gospel that one discovers one of the most popular stories related in Scripture—the woman of Samaria (4:1-26).  John is the solitary one of the Gospel writers who leaves a record of the raising of Lazarus (11:1-44). Also, John is the one who makes known the story about Jesus washing the disciples feet (13:1-17). It is John, and no one else, who unfolds Thomas’ conversations (11:16; 14:4; 20:24-29). Furthermore, one discerns in this Gospel the personality of Andrew (1:40-41; 6:8-9; 12:22). Little details about the travels of Jesus with His apostles abound in this Gospel. The details are so intimate that one can only surmise that John was there.

SCHEMA OF UNIQUE EVENTS IN

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

Water into Wine	John 2:1-11
Nicodemus	John 3:1-2
Woman of Samaria	John 4:1-26
Resurrection of Lazarus	John 11:1-44
Jesus Washes the Disciples Feet	John 13:1-17
The Apostle Thomas Expresses Doubt And Other Conversations	John 20:24-29 John 11:16; 14:5
Andrew—the Brother of Peter	John 1:40-41; 6:8-9; 12:22

JOHN’S PURPOSE IN WRITING

            As one embarks upon the Gospel of John, one observes John as he swirls away his readers into the eternal ages to meet head-on the One who was and is from everlasting to everlasting, the One who is eternal, the One who is immortal, the One who is invisible, the One who is the only wise God, and the One who is the Lord and Savior of all who put their trust in Him.  John, as he concludes his Gospel, reveals the purpose of his writing this account of the life of Jesus. He writes:

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.  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 (John 20:31).

SIGNS

Three words stand out in this verse—signs, believe, and life. John selects seven specific miracles to set forth evidence that Jesus is God. These seven miracles illustrate different areas of His power and bear witness to the deity of Jesus Christ. These miracles confirm what John says in the beginning of His Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1). It is in this same regard that Jesus informs two of John’s disciples as to the validity of miracles that attest to His deity. Matthew tells his readers that when John was in prison that two of his disciples told him about all the things that Jesus was doing. Whereupon John sent these two individuals to inquire of Jesus as to whether or not He was the One to come. Matthew’s account reads as follows:

After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. ² When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples ³ to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” ⁴ Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see:  ⁵ The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. ⁶ Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me” (Matthew 11:1-6).

            The seven miracles that John records only touch the hem of the garment. But John selects seven of the many miracles to illustrate that Jesus is Lord over nature. Jesus performed miracles that were beyond the ability of man to execute. Jesus proves Himself to be powerful where man is powerless. One cannot read these miracles without exclaiming as Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, did concerning Jesus and the miraculous:

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.  ² He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him” (John 3:1-2).

 The following chart organizes, for easy reference, the seven specialized miracles in the Gospel of John:

SCHEMA OF SEVEN MIRACLES

The Changing of Water into Wine	John 2:1-11
The Healing of the Nobleman’s Son	John 4:46-54
The Healing of the Impotent Man	John 5:1-9
The Feeding of the Five Thousand	John 6:1-14
The Walking on the Water	John 6:16-21
The Healing of the Blind Man	John 9:1-12
The Raising of Lazarus	John 11:1-46

BELIEVE

            John informs his readers that Jesus went up to Jerusalem to attend the Passover (John 2:13). It was on this occasion that Jesus drove out the sellers of sheep and doves as well as the exchangers of money from the Temple (2:14-16). Immediately, the Jews demanded signs of Him to prove that He had the authority to take such drastic actions against those who had turned the Father’s house into a market (2:18). Following this episode with the Jews, John alerts his readers: “while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name.  ²⁴ But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men” (2:23-24). 

            Nicodemus, too, a ruler of the Sanhedrin, believed on Jesus as “a teacher who has come from God” because of the miracles (3:1-2). Following the feeding of five thousand, John says, “After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world” (6:14). On one occasion, the Jews picked up stones to stone Him, but Jesus asked: “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me” (10:32)? How did they respond? Listen to their response: “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God” (10:33). The miracles should have convinced them of Christ’s deity, but they did not. Jesus rebukes them for their refusal to accept Him, especially in the face of the miraculous:

Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’?  ³⁵ If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken—³⁶ what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?  ³⁷ Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. ³⁸ But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father” (10:34-38).

            Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world? Are you willing to put your trust in Him? Following the miracle of changing water to wine (2:1-11), Jesus cleanses the Temple (2:12-16) and responds to the Jews lack of belief in requesting a miraculous sign to demonstrate that He had the authority to cleanse the Temple (2:18). Jesus informs them that if they destroy this temple that He would raise it again in three days (2:20). But they failed to understand that He was talking about His resurrection. It is significant that John the apostle reminds his readers that after the resurrection that “they recalled what he had said” and “believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken” (2:20-22).  In other words, they committed themselves to Him.

This word belief stands for complete faithfulness of the individual to Christ. John characterizes belief as the positive reaction to Jesus as God. Faith is dedication; faith is allegiance; faith is trust. Listen to John as he elaborates on the meaning of belief:

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in (eij") his name (toi'" pisteuvousin eij" toV o[noma aujtou', toijs pisteuousin eis to onoma autou) he gave the right to become children of God—¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God (1:12-13).

When one believes into his name, then one places his entire confidence, his complete trust, or his total hope into that person. The very act of placing faith into Christ must denote surrender to Him; otherwise, one cannot be spoken of as having put one’s total trust in Him. One cannot accept Jesus by faith and not have the idea of commitment to Him. Are you committed to Him?

It is not uncommon for believers to accept the notion that faith in Christ is little more than accepting the facts of His deity and atonement apart from any idea of obeying Him. One is justified by faith, but the faith that justifies is not alone. True faith will express itself by its living nature. It is in this vein that James writes:

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  ¹⁶ If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. ¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. ²⁰ You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?  ²¹ Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  ²² You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.  ²⁴ You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. ²⁵ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?  ²⁶ As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead (James 2:14-26).

            Good works are evidence of one’s justification. Too many today profess faith in Christ, but they live as if He does not exist. Paul expresses this same thought to Titus: They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good (Titus 2:16). Empty faith is not saving faith. Through the power of God, every believer is resurrected and made alive. Listen to Paul as he reminds the Romans:

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?  ² By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?  ³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life (Romans 6:1-4).

            When God through Christ rescues individuals from the dominion of sin and death, He sets that person in the new context of righteousness and life that creates a totally new creation of one’s whole life. Paul states this truth to the Corinthians: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17)!  In Christ, everything receives a new meaning. The consequences of that new meaning reach into every chapter of one’s existence. Trust in Jesus requires obedience.  The Gospel message is not faith plus works, but rather a faith that works in and through repentance. Again, Paul encourages the Romans to remember who they are and how they are to live:

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³ Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.  ¹⁴ For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace (Romans 6:11-14).

In order for you to enjoy the victory, you must cooperate with God and you must determine that sin will not be sovereign over you. Whatever you do in life must be characteristic of your holy calling. Paul, again, addresses this outlook to the Corinthians:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.  ²⁷ No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

An athlete will bring his body into subjection in order to keep fit for the fight or the race or sport activities he/she is engaged in. Can the believer do less in order to gain victory over sin? Are you “running aimlessly”? Do you “fight like a man beating the air”? Do you allow sin to control your life? Does sin reign in your body? Once more, Paul says, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires” (Romans 6:12).  It appears that Paul is seeking to drive this point home about not letting sin control one’s life: “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness” (6:13). This brings us to the third important element in John 20:31—“life.”

LIFE

            As one contemplates this new life, one must be conscious that the new life is God’s gift to every believer. The life that John speaks of is the life that is only available in and through Jesus Christ. Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Do you have eternal life? Do you want to live forever? If so, then you must believe into (eij") Jesus.  The words of Peter to  Cornelius and his household should ring loud and clear to every believer. Listen to Peter as he explains salvation: “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in (eij") him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:43). Once more, the words of Paul to the Romans is also quite revealing concerning faith:

New International Version

The New King James Version

But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:  9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  11 As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame” (Romans 10:8-11)

8But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes unto (eij") righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto (eij") salvation. 11For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame” (Romans 10:8-11).[2]

In the above citation, one observes that belief and confession are both associated with the Greek word eij". Since Jesus is life, one can have eternal life only in Jesus. John begins his Gospel with the following words:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of men (John 1:1-4).

To whom will the Son of God give life? John records the following words of Jesus as He gives explanation about the Father, the Son, and the “life”: “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it” (5:21). The question is: To whom is the Son pleased to give life? Again Jesus gives the answer: “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (5:24). Those who “hear” and “believe” are the ones to whom Jesus gives life. These three words—signs, believe, and life—provide a logical organization for the Gospel of John. As one peruses the Gospel of John, one is immediately confronted with a structure that centers on “belief”—from beginning to end.

³⁰ Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.  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 (John 20:30-31).

CONCLUSION

            One’s observation of the Gospel of John is that it is more of a spiritual gospel than it is of an historical gospel. John wants his readers to understand that Jesus is the One person who possesses reality instead of shadows.  Jesus is the One who can lead men into the real world of which Plato and others only dreamed. John carefully selects seven miracles out of hundreds that he could have called forth to give validity to the assertion that Jesus is God.  

John describes the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:1-14) as a launching pad to call attention to Jesus’ discourse on the bread of life (6:25-59). Again, the miracle of healing a blind man (9:1-12) is used by John to call attention to a statement that Jesus makes: “I am the light of the world” (9:5). Even the raising of Lazarus from the dead (11:1-46) sets the tone for Jesus’ famous statement: “I am the resurrection and the life” (11:25). As one studies the miracles Jesus performs, one soon discovers that the miracles were windows into the reality of God. Jesus did not just feed five thousand, for He is the “real” bread that came down from heaven. He did not simply open the eyes of a blind man, for Jesus Himself is the “true” light of the world. For John, the miracles of Christ are not just acts, but rather windows into the reality of who Jesus is. The miracles were not just events in time, but rather they were windows into eternity. The miracles give credence to the words of Jesus, and, at the same time, stress the spiritual meaning of the miraculous.^[3]

What does John 20:30-31 mean to you? How do you interpret the miracles? What do the words signs, belief, and life conjure up in your own mind? Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the world? Are you willing to put your trust in Him? Remember that the word belief is more than just mental assent. Belief stands for dedication, allegiance, and trust. Are you conscious that you are a “new creation” in Christ Jesus? Are you still offering the parts of your body to sin? Or are you yielding your bodies to God? Do you want eternal life? If so, then you should remember the words of Jesus: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).