The Gospel of John – Part One

For many believers in Jesus Christ, the Gospel of John is their favorite of the four gospels we find in the New Testament. But even for those who do not claim a favorite gospel, the Gospel of John holds a special place in their hearts and lives. Believers who read, meditate, and study the book find it to be rich in deep, life-changing truth. Because of the richness of the Gospel of John, this blog will be the first of six on the book.

The Gospel of John is unique among the four gospels. While the synoptics (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) are different from one another in various ways, they are similar in many other ways. The differences we see in John compared to the synoptic gospels are striking. The fourth gospel is different in what it tells and what it does not tell about Jesus. A number of important events in the life of Jesus are not mentioned or merely given a passing reference. John does not tell the story of the baptism of Jesus as do the Synoptics but only gives John the Baptist’s account of it. Neither does John mention the forty days of fasting and temptation by the devil. When it comes to the ministry of Jesus, John does not show the extent of Jesus’ healing ministry, though he does give seven miraculous signs, and no mention is given of his casting out demons. Also, John’s omission of Jesus’ widespread use of parables in his teaching is surprising. The parables are what makes Jesus’ teaching so compelling. At the end of Jesus’ life and ministry, John gives only minimal details of the Last Supper and nothing of the institution of the Lord’s Supper. John does mention Jesus and his disciples going to a garden where he was betrayed by Judas, but there is no mention of the great prayer struggle in Gethsemane.

On the other hand, John does give us information and greater insight about certain aspects of Jesus that the Synoptics do not. From John, we learn that Jesus had a more extensive Judean ministry than is seen in the other Gospels. The Synoptics focus on the Galilean ministry, while John focuses on the Judean ministry. In this Judean focus, John mentions various feasts that Jesus attended in Jerusalem, showing that Jesus’ public ministry lasted about three to three and a half years. From this Judean emphasis, we get helpful insight into Jesus’ early ministry and contact with his first disciples, who were connected to John the Baptist and his ministry at the Jordan River. Before Jesus’ extensive ministry in Galilee, he had a Judean ministry located around the Jordan with baptisms by his disciples. We hear nothing about this in the other Gospels. And finally, we see only in John the extensive and profound teaching of Jesus after the Last Supper (chapters 14-17). These chapters add so much to our understanding of the ministry of Jesus and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

There is a reason for the great differences between John and the Synoptics, and it is a theological reason. God communicated to us in Scripture everything we need to know about him and his plan of salvation. The Gospel of John is a rich theological treasure house and fills out our understanding of the person and work of Jesus.

Key Words in the Gospel of John

The gospel of John is also unique in the way John uses terminology. John uses many words repeatedly in an almost technical sense. This repeated use of many words in various contexts gives the book a rich texture and theological depth. John uses eighteen different words and phrases this way. Other theologically neutral words and some theologically rich words, like Father (136 times) and Son (55 times), are used more often.

Word	Usage	Meaning
1. Believe	98 times	Faith in Jesus, the Father & the Gospel
2. World	78 times	The world of people opposed to God
3. Give	76 times	John’s vision of God’s Grace
4. The Jews	70 times	Jewish Religious Leadership
5. Sent	59 times	On Mission with God
6. Know	56 times	Intimate Relational Knowledge
7. Witness	47 times	Testimony to Jesus
8. Word	40 times	The Revelation of God
9. Abide	39 times	Connection with Jesus
10. Life	36 times	The Life of God, Eternal Life
11. Love	35 times	The Heart of God
12. Truth	25 times	The Reality of God in Jesus
13. Light	23 times	The Radiant Presence of God in Jesus
14. Spirit	21 times	The Holy Spirit
15. Glory	19 times	The Majesty of God
16. Eternal	18 times	The Life of God Given through Jesus
17. Hour	16 times	The times of Jesus’ Passion
18. True	9 times	The Genuine as Oppose to the False

Seven I Am Statements of Jesus In the Gospel of John

Jesus makes seven profound statements about his identity using the words, “I am,” which would be significant to the Jews since it is the divine name Yahweh. The first hearers of Jesus would have recognized this reference to the true identity of Jesus.

1. The Bread of Life (6:35)
2. The Light of the World (8:12)
3. Before Abraham was I Am (8:58)
4. The Good Shepherd/Door (10:7,9,11,14)
5. The Resurrection & the Life (11:25)
6. The Way, the Truth & the Life (14:6)
7. The True Vine (15:1)

Seven Miraculous Signs of Jesus

John does not refer to the miraculous acts of Jesus as miracles, but he calls them signs, emphasizing the testimonial nature of Jesus’ miracles as they point to the divine person. John gives us seven miraculous signs of Jesus in his book. The number seven plays a big role in biblical numerology, especially in the Gospel of John.

1. Turns Water into Wine  (2:1-11)
2. Healing an Official’s Son  (4:43-54)
3. Healing a Paralytic  (5:1-9)
4. Feeding Five Thousand  (6:1-14)
5. Walking on Water  (6:16-21)
6. Healing a Blind Man  (9:1-41)
7. Raising Lazarus  (11:1-44)

The Flow of the Gospel of John

The Gospel of John begins in a dramatic fashion which harkens back to the first words of the Bible, “In the beginning.” John sets up his Gospel with a beginning section that is historically called the Prologue (1:1-18). In these few verses, we find some of the most profound words in the Bible. In this opening section, John introduces everything he wants to discuss in the rest of the book.

The second section is often called the Book of Signs (1:19-12:50). In this section, there are seven miraculous signs pointing to Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. We see in this section large blocks of Jesus’ teaching, which also are signs pointing to his true identity. This is a section of ministry and opposition that will culminate in Jesus’ death in Jerusalem.

The third section is the Book of Glory (ch.13-20). This section is only two days packed into eight chapters, and the largest part of this section covers just a few hours (chapters 15-17). This is the last days of Jesus’ life. He meets with the disciples for the Passover meal. After the meal, he washes their feet and gives them an extended teaching to prepare them for what is about to happen. Early the next morning, he is arrested, tried, and crucified. But early on Sunday morning, the tomb where he was put is found to be empty. Jesus then appears to his followers, showing them that he is indeed alive.

The final section is the Epilogue (ch. 21). The book closes with Jesus appearing to seven of his disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. He restores Peter, who had betrayed him and commissions him to feed his sheep. This encounter with Simon Peter is a deeply moving conclusion to the book.

Conclusion

In this first article on the Gospel of John, we have examined the book in an overview fashion. The book is so deep and has so many subtle nuances, that before we dive into the actual text, we must get a feel of the whole book and begin understanding its contours. The Bible speaks to believers in wonderful and unique ways, but the Gospel of John does so in a special way. It should be a book that every believer in Jesus Christ dedicates themselves to spend a great deal of time seeking to understand its message and being mastered by the Master of that message, Jesus Christ. Living in the Gospel of John will reap the rich reward of knowing Jesus and fellowshipping with him as he reveals the truth that is his person and work. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).