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Introduction
to the John
The Gospel according to the apostle John ("the
beloved disciple") stands apart from the other
gospel accounts on several counts: (1) It gives a
clear statement of purpose in John 20:31 - "But
these are written that you may believe that Jesus
is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing
you may have life in his name." - (2) It's focus
is to demonstrate that Jesus is the Son of God, (3)
it contains many unique events (turning water into
wine (John 2), interview with Nicodemus (John 3),
dialogue with the Samaritan woman (John 4), Jesus'
high priestly prayer (John 17), long discursis on
the Holy Spirit (John 14), etc. (4) it was likely
the last of the Gospels written, and (5) it is perhaps
the most theologically deep of all the Gospel accounts.
The
Gospel of John is an argument for the deity of Jesus.
It presents Jesus as the Word, that is, God (1:1),
who became a man (1:14). John meticulously records
the statements and miracles of Jesus that can only
be attributed to God Himself.
Seven
Statements of Jesus' Deity
In Jesus' seven "I am" statements ("the
bread of life" 6:35, 48; "the light of the
world" 8:12; "the door" 10:7, 9; "the
good shepherd" 10:11, 14; "the resurrection
and the life" 11:25; "the way, the truth,
and the life" 14:6; "the true vine"
15:1), John represents Jesus' identification with
the covenant name of Yahweh (cf. Exodus 3:14; John
8:58). These are Jesus' clear claims to deity. He
was not a mere man.
Seven
Signs of Jesus' Deity
Then there are the signs of Jesus' deity. Miracles
in the Gospel of John are called "signs"
because they point to Jesus' divine nature. John records
seven such signs: changing water into wine (2:1-11),
healing a man's son (4:46-54), healing a lame man
(5:1-9), multiplying bread and fish (6:1-14), walking
on water (6:15-21), healing a blind man (9:1-7), and
raising Lazarus (11:38-44).
Seven
Testimonies of Jesus' Deity
Along with these signs, there are seven testimonies
of Jesus' deity: By John the Baptist (1:32-34), Nathanael
(1:49), the blind man (9:35-38), Martha (11:27), Thomas
(20:28), Jesus Himself (5:19-26), and God the Father
(5:37).
The
apostle John also wrote 1,2,3 John and the Book of
Revelation. He is the disciple that Jesus, while on
the cross, gave charge over His mother Mary. Tradition
tells us that John was the last surviving apostle.
All the others were martyred while John likely spent
the remainder of his days in exile on the island of
Patmos, where he had his great visions of the future
and wrote the Book of Revelation.
I
encourage all of you to read this Gospel meditatively.
Some very well-known texts:
John
1:1 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God."
John 1:14 - "The Word became flesh and made
his dwelling among us"
John 3:16 - "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."
John 8:28 - "Before Abraham was born, I am!"
John 11:35 - "Jesus wept" (shortest verse
in the Bible)
John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me."
John 15:5 - ""I am the vine; you are the
branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you
will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
John 16:33 - "In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world."
John 19:30 - "It is finished."
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