LE: Overview of John's Gospel

John's Gospel

Title: The Gospel According to John, or more usually John's Gospel

Place in bible: New Testament (fourth book), 43^rd book of the Bible, fourth of the Four Gospel books of the Bible.

Author: The Apostle John, an eye witness of the life of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:1, 2), the son of Zebedee and Salome, the brother of James the greater, a disciple of Jesus Christ, Yeshua the Messiah.

Date: Dating this book is not altogether clear. Various attempts have been made, often to bolster human preconceived ideas. Most likely the book was written prior to The Revelation (also written by the Apostle John) perhaps around the year 90 AD.

Genre: Gospel of unique character, in that it is not a synoptic gospel, that is, is not an historic record of Jesus' life, but rather, it extracts concise excerpts from the life of Jesus Christ, in order to show that "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (20:31).

Written to: All people, in particular gentiles.

Main idea: The main idea conveyed is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; and over all the book concerns salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Application to Christians: All gospels are for Christians: this one proves Christ is the Son of God.

Divisions: It is hard to divide the book into sections, although there are three clear sections, with the second being some 15 chapters, or most of the book.

Division I: 1:1 - 2:22 The Son of God, the Eternal Word, is Glory is made manifest

Division II: 2:23 - 17 Jesus Christ, the Son of God; eternal life

Division III: 18 - 21 Jesus Christ lays down his life for the sheep, that he may take it up again.

Key verse: John 20:30, 31

And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

Key events:

Chapter 1

Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, the Light of the World, come to save His own, but was rejected; indeed, come to save the world, not condemn it. He made it possible to become a child of God.

Chapter 2

The first sign is performed demonstrating although he was born of a woman he was the Son of God. He afterward threw the thieves and robbers out from the temple.

Chapter 3

The essence of salvation is in new birth, and the old has to be done away with; the corrupt is to be replaced by the incorruptible, not by the hands of man, but by the resurrection of the Son of Man. If you believe in Christ you will be saved. Christ came to save, He will return sometime soon to condemn.

Chapter 4

Christ also revealed he was far greater than the Jew's forefathers - for Christ came to provide an everlasting spring of living water, which if drunk will render a person thirstless. Eventually both Jew and Gentile will worship the Lord, not in a temple made of earthly hands but in the Spirit and truth.

Chapter 5

The wickedness of the Jews is exposed, for although outwardly pure, their hearts were corrupt. Jesus also presents abundant evidence - a fourfold testimony - when three would have sufficed - that he was the Son of God. Jesus came to do His fathers will.

The chapter shows that a person believing the words of Jesus will pass from death into life.

Chapter 6

Only by eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus will you have life. That is, only by believing the words of Jesus and obeying his precepts will you know Jesus. Only through the Holy Spirit will you be sustained.

Chapter 7

The words of Jesus are of the Father. Be-careful about unspiritual advisers - if one thirsts, go to Jesus, for nothing else will satisfy. The wicked attempt to persecute Christ.

Chapter 8

The wages of sin is death - and everyone deserves death, for all have sinned. Jesus states "I am the light of the world" and darkness is in every one's heart, until he or she has been reborn. Christ is able to free us from slavery of sin, and bring us into the light. Chapter 8 also tells us emphatically that before Abraham was, I AM meaning that Jesus was indeed God.

Chapter 9

A theme in the gospel is light and darkness, epitomised by blindness and sightedness demonstrated in the miracle of the restored site of a blind man. The newly sighted blind man is contrasted with the blind Pharisees, who could not see they required salvation, and hence were metaphorically as blind as this man was when he was born.

Chapter 10

The chapter introduces us to Christ the Good Shepherd and to the concept that there is one way to heaven. There is no use trying any other route except through the Father, for all others will fail. This Shepherd loves his flock so much that he is willing to lay down his life for them.

Chapter 11

Introduces us to two themes: 1) Christ was truly man with all human emotions - he had friends who he grieved when they suffered, and thus shows the true perspective of the ravages of sin, and, 2) Christ was truly the resurrection and life.

Chapter 12

Jesus triumphantly rides into Jerusalem: all in all Christ came to glorify His Father - this should be our chief end: to bring glory to the Father.

Chapter 13

A new command is given, demonstrated amply by Jesus who washes the feet of his disciples - the master is the servant of all.

Chapter 14

The discourse of Jesus continues with a new theme, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). This chapter details again the fact that we have the Holy Spirit as our Counsellor, our Helper, and our Friend.

Chapter 15

Believers are grafted onto a new vine. The mystery of the Church is not yet revealed, but this is the core essence of this chapter. Abide in Christ and he will abide in you. This is contrasted with the hatred of the world, firstly for God, then for believers.

Chapter 16

Jesus came forth from the Father to overcome the world which he did, through overcoming death. Jesus also gives hope to all - he is gone for a little while but he will be back soon - in the between time the Holy Spirit will be a witness to believers. He encourages his disciples.

Chapter 17

The prayer of Christ the Advocate (1 John 2:1) to his Father on the eve of his crucifixion. Surely Christ glorified God, and the Father will glorify the Son. The mystery of the church is unveiled a little- the unity that epitomises the bride waiting for her bridegroom and the fact there is no Jew or Gentile, servant or free in the Church - we are all one in Christ.

Chapter 18

Scripture is fulfilled to the letter - Christ was falsely accused, arrested and handed over to be crucified. He was truly a bond-servant, for there was no legion of angels called to save Him (Matthew 26:53).

Chapter 19

Christ became sin for our sake; He came to his own, but his own knew him not. Mankind crucified the king. Christ finished the work that His father had sent him to do - to bear the sins of many (Hebrews 9:28).

Chapter 20

Christ arose; death could not hold him down and he appears first to his disciples then to many others. The purpose of the book is revealed (30, 31).

Chapter 21

Not only did Christ arise as a man, truly the Son of Man, but he ensured that we would know.

Key words:

Abide	Occurs 17 times in 12 versus, always concerning the believer abiding in Christ, e.g. John 15:5
Commandment	Jesus 6 times speaks of either the new commandment or the commandments. The new commandment was to love one another as Christ had love us e.g. John 13:34, 15:12.
Life	The gospel of John is very much about life (light), in contrast to death (darkness). It is mentioned in 39 verses, 47 times, e.g. John 17:3)
Love	Occurs in 20 verses and when spoken of by Christ is agapé¬ (the love that lays down a life) else phileó ¨¡ friend - see John 21 - discourse between Christ and Simon Peter).
Sign(s)	Occurs in 18 verses - as part of the evidence of Christ's divinity he did many signs and wonders (John 4:48), so many, John writes, that they could not be written in the book (John 20:30).
Witness	John demonstrates the divinity of Christ, therefore evokes a number of witnesses, nonetheleast, Christ himself and his Father. Eighteen verses speak of his witnesses e.g. John 1:17 where he comes as the light.

Key prophecies:

This books is not prophetic in the sense that we see in some Old Testament books, but rather, it is the fulfilment of the prophecies of the Messiah, the Son of God. Throughout the book Jesus prophecies his own death and resurrection in order to add weight to the over whelming evidence he was the Son of God, e.g. John 2:19.

Key characters:

John the Baptist	Son of Zacharias and Elisabeth (tribe of Aaron), the greatest prophet according to Jesus (Luke 7:28), and forerunner to the Messiah (John 1:19-28. He preached and baptised under the banner of repentance (Matt 3:1, Mark 1:4) and heralded Jesus Christ (John 1:29). Due to the jealousy of Herodias, the wife of the brother of Herod Antipas, whom he had taken for his own, John was beheaded.
Disciples	Men chosen by Jesus, in whom the Holy Spirit would work mightily to testify to the fact the Jesus Christ was the Son of God (John 14:26; John 15:26-27; John 16:13-14).
Nicodemus	A member of the ruling class and secret believer - who comes to Jesus in the night (chapter 3), who clearly was an enquirer of the truth, but timid. However, in John we see his growth so by chapter 7 he is remonstrating with the bigoted crowd. Finally we find him boldly and publicly caring for the body of Jesus (19:39), where John notes his spiritual growth.
Lazarus	A friend of Jesus and brother or Mary and Martha (John 11:1) who dies, and is raised by Jesus four days later (John 11:38-44).
Woman of Samaria	An adulteress, but with an open heart, comes to an understanding and conviction that Christ is the Messiah, unlike the Jews, who ought to have believed; yet this Samarian woman, despised by the Jews, believes. This is a forerunner of the make up of the church (See Romans 9-11).
Man with illness for 38 years	Many of John's characters are not names, but form part of the narrative that provides evidence of the Messiah-ship of Jesus. This man had no way to enter the Pool of Bethesda, because he was crippled with no friends, and thus was not be healed. (this alone speaks to us of our responsibilities towards others less fortunate)Jesus heals him on the Sabbath, being the Lord of the Sabbath, much to the wrath of the Pharisees (chapter 5).
Man born blind	He was blind because Adam had sinned, not because he had been punished due to some particular sin he had committed (John 9:3-5); Jesus heals him on the Sabbath, for which the Pharisees persecute him (chapter 9).

Key places:

Cana	A small town not far from Capernaum which was on the Sea of Galilee. Four times Cana is mentioned, the first time when Jesus performed his first miracle of turning water into wine. Nathaniel, a disciple, came from Cana.
Capernaum	The most populous and prosperous town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee mentioned five times in John. Jesus spent a lot of time in Capernaum along with his disciples. (Much of the ruins can be seen today).
Galilee	A province of Palestine, an area in the north eastern region of Israel that was centred on the Sea of Galilee. The area can be divide into Lower Galilee and Upper Galilee - which was also called the Galilee of the Gentiles. Jesus spent much of his ministry in Galilee.
Jerusalem (Zion)	The centre of religious fervour - but without knowledge of Jehovah. As required by law, Jesus went to Jerusalem three times a year, the final time for Passover and his crucifixion. The city is mentioned 14 times in John.
Judea	Compared with Samaria, Judea was a dangerous place for Jesus, and he avoided the area (John 7:1). The area was west of the Jordan and south of Samaria.
Samaria	Samaria a city, sat on a mountain, which became desolate, in accordance to prophecy (2 Kings 21:13, Micah 1:6) due to idol worship. But they slowly moved away from idol worship, built a temple on Mount Gerizim, and learnt the rudiments of Jehovah, enough for the woman at the well to understand who Jesus was. Samaritans were ostracised by Jews, and lay somewhere between Judea (Jews) and Galilee (Gentiles) physically and spiritually. John mentions them seven times.

David L Simon
John's Gospel
Posted: 17 Nov 2024