‘
This is the work of God,
that you believe in Him
whom He sent
(John 6:29)
The disciple whom
Jesus loved
The gospel of John introduces
Jesus Christ,
not from His birth, but from
“the beginning,” before creation
John calls Jesus “the Word” (Logos)
who, as God Himself,
was involved in every aspect of creation
(John 1:1–3)
and who later became flesh (verse 14) in order that He might
take away our sins as the spotless Lamb of God
(verse 29).
The gospel of John
includes several spiritual conversations,
such as Jesus’ talk with the Samaritan woman
that shows Him as the Messiah
(John 4:26)
and Jesus’ meeting with Nicodemus
that explains
salvation through His vicarious death
on the cross
(John 3:14–16)
In the
gospel of John, Jesus repeatedly
angers the Jewish leaders by correcting them
(John 2:13–16);
healing on the Sabbath, and claiming traits
belonging only to God
(John 5:18; 8:56–59; 9:6, 16; 10:33)
The gospel of John shares much about the
approaching ministry
of the
Holy Spirit after Jesus’ ascension.
There are certain words or phrases that create a
recurring theme in the gospel of John:
believe, witness,
Comforter, life – death, light – darkness,
I am, and love
"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”
(John 20:31)
The gospel of John’s portrayal of Jesus as the God of the
Old Testament is seen most emphatically in the
seven “I Am” statements of Jesus.
He is the “Bread of life” (John 6:35),
provided by God to feed the souls of His people, just as
He provided manna from heaven to
feed the Israelites in the wilderness
(Exodus 16:11–36).
Jesus is the “Light of the world” (John 8:12),
the same Light
that God promised-to His people in the Old Testament
(Isaiah 30:26; 60:19–22)
and which will find its culmination in the
New Jerusalem
when Christ the Lamb will be its Light
(Revelation 21:23).
Two of the “I Am” statements refer to Jesus as
both the “Good Shepherd” and the “Door of the sheep.”
Here are clear references to Jesus as the God of the Old Testament, the Shepherd of Israel (Psalm 23:1; 80:1; Jeremiah 31:10; Ezekiel 34:23) and,
as the only Door into the sheepfold,
the only way of salvation.
The Jews believed in the resurrection and, in fact, used the
doctrine to try to trick Jesus into
making statements they could use against Him.
But His statement at the
tomb of Lazarus,
“I am the resurrection and the life”
(John 11:25),
must have astounded them.
He was claiming to be the
cause of resurrection and in possession of the
power of life and death.
None other than God Himself could claim such a thing.
Similarly, Jesus’ claim to be “the way, the truth
and the life”
(John 14:6)
linked Him unmistakably to the Old Testament. His is
the “Way of Holiness”
prophesied in Isaiah 35:8;
He established the City of Truth of Zechariah 8:3 when
He was in Jerusalem and preached the
truths of the gospel.
As “the Life,”
Jesus affirms His deity, the Creator of life,
God incarnate
(John 1:1–3; Genesis 2:7).
Finally, as the “true Vine” (John 15:1, 5),
Jesus identifies Himself with the nation of Israel, who are
called the vineyard of the Lord
in many Old Testament passages.
As the
true Vine of the vineyard of Israel,
He portrays Himself as the Lord of
the “true Israel”
all those who would come to Him in faith
(cf. Romans 9:6).
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.
He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.
Do you believe this?’”
(John 11:25–26)
John’s Gospel stresses the role of the Holy Spirit, mentioning that
the Holy Spirit is promised by Jesus
(7:37-39; 14:16-17),
shows truth (16:13),
and enables believers to continue the
work of Jesus
(14:16), among other things.
John first met Jesus when he was fishing with his brother James on the Sea of Galilee. After an entire night of fruitless efforts, they were dubious when Jesus told them to lower their nets into the water once more.
Yet they complied and were astonished to watch as they caught more fish than they could keep in their boat (Luke 5:1-11). After this miracle, Jesus asked them to follow him, saying he would make them fishers of men
(Matthew 4:18-22).
Immediately, they cast aside their nets to follow him,
and did not look back.
What is striking about this account is that there was
no hesitation on their part.
James and John’s response to the
call to follow Christ was immediate,
unquestioning, and complete.
John was one of Jesus’ closest disciples and was present for
some of the critical moments of Jesus’ time on earth –
witnessing the Transfiguration and the raising of Jairus’ daughter,
and accompanying Jesus the
night before his crucifixion in the garden of Gethsemane.
He was also the only disciple to be present at Jesus’ crucifixion.
During the Last Supper, John is described as having
his head resting on Jesus,
in a posture customary of the Eastern dining tradition
and indicative of their close friendship.
“Jesus said to him,
"Have I been with you so long, and yet you have
not known Me, Philip?
He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say,
“Show us the Father”?’”
“Sanctify them by Your truth.
Your word is truth”
(John 17:17).
“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’
And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit”
(John 19:30)
“Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me,
you have believed.
Blessed are those who have not seen and
yet have believed’”
(John 20:29)