THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
Introduction:
“The theme of John’s Gospel is the Deity of the Savior. Here, as nowhere else in
Scripture so fully, the Godhood of Christ is presented to our view. That which is outstanding in this fourth Gospel is the Divine Sonship of the Lord Jesus. In this book we are shown that the One who was heralded by the angels to the Bethlehem shepherds, who walked this earth for thirty-three years, who was crucified at Calvary, who rose in triumph from the grave, and who forty days later departed from these scenes, was none other than the Lord of glory. The evidence for this is overwhelming, the proofs almost without number, and the effect of contemplating them must be to bow our hearts in worship before “the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).” — Arthur Pink in Pink’s Gleanings.
Writer, John, the son of Zebedee and Salome, the brother of James the greater; he outlived the rest of the disciples, and wrote this Gospel after the other evangelists.
Date: The date of John’s Gospel falls between A.D. 85 and 90; probably the latter.
To whom written: “As to the readers for whom it was more immediately designed, that they were Gentiles we might naturally presume from the lateness of the date; but the multitude of explanations of things familiar to every Jew puts this beyond all question.” — Jamieson, Fausset, Brown.
Key Verse: John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
THEME: This is indicated both in the Prologue (1:1-14), and in the last verse of the Gospel proper (20:31), and is: The incarnation of the eternal Word, and Son of life; that as many as believe on Him as “the Christ, the Son of God” (20:31) may have eternal life. The prominent words are, “believed” and “life.”
s the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
Distinctive Features:
1) It is considered by many to be the deepest and most spiritual book in the Bible.
2) In it Christ gives a more complete revelation of himself, and of God, than in either of the Synoptic Gospels.
a. Of his person and attributes.
b. Of his Divinity, John 1:1; 10:30-38; 12:45; 14:7-9; 16:15.
c. Of the work of the Holy Spirit.
d. Of his own divine commission. For example in the fifth chapter he declares himself to be sent from God six times consecutively, John 5:23, 24, 30, 36, 37-38.
e. Of the Fatherhood of God:
1. Christ speaks of God as “The Father” over one hundred times.
2. God is the Spiritual Father, John 4:23.
i. The true worshippers.
ii. The one true God.
iii. All must worship him in spirit and in truth.
3. He is the Life-giving Father, John 5:21.
4. The Message is the Father’s, John 7:16.
5. The Father is Greater than all, John 10:29.
6. The Works are the Father’s, John 14:10.
7. God is the Indwelling Father, John 14:23.
8. The Eternal Father, John 17:5.
9. he Holy Father, John 17:11.
10. The Righteous Father, John 17:2.
3) Perhaps the most notable of all the peculiarities of this gospel is the fact that over one half of the space in the book is given to events of Christ’s life, and his sayings during his last days.
4) Discourses and conversations found only in John:
a. The talk with Nicodemus, John 3:1-21.
b. The talk with the woman of Samaria, John 4:1-26.
c. The discourse to the Jews at the Feast of Tabernacles, John 7:14-39 8:3-58,
d. The parable of The Good Shepherd, John 10.
e. The series of private instructions to the disciples, his comforting words and intercessory prayer, John 14:1-17:26,
f. His meeting with the disciples at the Sea of Galilee, John 21.
5) John records eight miracles of Christ (beside his own resurrection) to prove his divinity. Six of these are found only in this gospel:
a. The water made wine, John 2:1-11.
b. The healing the nobleman’s son, John 4:46-54.
c. The healing the man at the pool, John 5:1-9.
d. The man born blind, John 9:1-7.
e. The raising of Lazarus, John 11.
f. The second draught of fishes, John 21:1-6.
6) There are two great currents of thought flowing through the book which it is profitable to follow:
a. Faith, John 3:16-18; 5:24; 6:29, 40; 7:38; 8:24; 10:37-38; 11:25-27; 12:46; John 14:12.
b. Eternal life, John 3:15-16, 36; 4:14; 5:24; 6:27, 51; 11:26; 12:50; 17:3; John 20:31.
Synopsis: The book may be divided into five parts:
1) The Introduction: the Eternal Word Incarnate, John 1:1-18.
2) The Manifestation of Christ’s Divinity to the world accompanied by a Six-fold Testimony, John 1:19-12:50:
a. That of John the Baptist.
b. That of the Holy Spirit.
c. That of the disciples.
d. That of Christ’s mighty works.
e. That of the Father.
f. That of the Scriptures.
3) The Private Revelation and Instruction to the Disciples, John 13:1-17:26.
4) The Savior’s Humiliation and Triumph over Death, John 18:1-20:31.
5) The Conclusion, the times and manner in which Jesus showed Himself after His resurrection, John 21:1-23.