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The Gospel according to the Apostle John was written around 85-90 A.D. In this Gospel, the writer identifies himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” John shows great knowledge of the Jewish customs making him a Palestinian Jew who was an eyewitness to the things surrounding Christ’s life. John gives details about Christ from an eyewitness point of view.
John the Apostle was the son of Zebedee and Salome. John was also the elder brother of James. The two were known as the ‘Sons of Thunder.’ John played a key role in the early church at Jerusalem, later John went to Ephesus, and then at a later time, he was exiled to the island of Patmos.
John’s Gospel is the most theological of the four Gospels dealing with the nature and person of Christ in relation to the amount of faith within Him. John depicts Christ as the divine Son of God giving Him such titles as:
· The Word was God
· The Lamb of God
· The Messiah
· The Son of God
· The King of Israel
· The Savior of the world
· Lord and God
John also writes referencing the deity of Christ through the words, “I am.” Christ made it very implicit that He was the great ‘I AM.’ He was Yahweh spoken of in the Old Testament. This Gospel contains no parables and only gives reference to seven miracles of which five are only recorded in John. John points out the physical side of Christ showing His hunger, weariness, thirst, pain and His death. This shows both His human nature and His spiritual nature.
John’s purpose in writing this Gospel is given to us in John 20:30-31: "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 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." John’s Gospel is often referred to as the “Book of seven signs,” because John chose seven miracles to write about:
1. Turning water into wine
2. Curing the nobleman’s son
3. Curing the paralytic
4. Feeding the multitude
5. Walking on water
6. Giving sight to the blind
7. Bringing Lazarus back from the dead
The Gospel of John contains four other main topics:
1. The Holy Spirit
2. The world and Satan
3. The Word
4. The new birth
An Outline to the Gospel of John:
I. Manifestation of the Son of God 1:1-18
A. In the beginning was the Word and it was God 1:1-5
B. John the Baptist 1:6-13
C. The Word became flesh and dwelt among the people 1:14-16
D. Law given through Moses 1:17-18
II. The announcement of the Son of God 1:19 – 4:54
A. John the Baptist announces His coming to all 1:19-51
B. Announced at the wedding in Cana of Galilee 2:1-11
C. Announced in the Temple at Jerusalem 2:12-25
D. Announced to Nicodemus 3:1-21
E. Announced again by John the Baptist 3:22-36
F. Announced to the Samaritan woman 4:1-42
G. Announced to an official at Capernaum 4:43-54
III. Places the Son of God went 5:1 – 12:50
A. To a feast in Jerusalem 5:1-47
1. A miraculous sign
2. The reaction to the sign
3. A discourse of Christ’s authority
B. To Galilee at Passover time 6:1-71
1. A miraculous sign
2. A discourse given
3. The reactions to the discourse and sign
C. At a feast in Jerusalem 7:1 – 10:21
1. The feast of booths and reactions to them
2. A discourse on carrying of water and reactions to it
3. The discourse from the mount of Olives
4. Jesus is the light of the world
5. The son shall make you free
6. Reactions to the discourse
7. A miraculous sign and the reactions to it
8. A discourse on the Good Shepherd and reactions to it
9. A discourse on the feast of dedication and a rejection
10. A miraculous sign at Bethany and reactions to it
11. Mary anoints Christ and the reaction to this
D. At Jerusalem
1. Christ enters the city
2. Christ teaches of judgment and the world to come
3. Christ says the Son of Man must be lifted up
4. Approval of God should be more important than approval by man
IV. Teaching or instruction given by the Son of God 13:1 – 16:33
A. Instruction on forgiveness 13:1-20
B. Words about His betrayal 13:21-30
C. Instruction about His departure 13:31-38
D. Teaching about Heaven 14:1-14
E. Words about the Holy Spirit 14:15-26
F. Teaching about peace 14:27-31
G. Instructions fruitfulness and the world 15:1 – 16:6
H. Instruction on the Holy Spirit 16:7-15
I. Teaching on His return 16:16-33
V. The intercession of the Son of God 17:1-26
A. Christ prays an intercessory prayer 17:1-26
1. For His own glorification
2. For the protection of believers
3. For the sanctification of believers
4. For the unity of believers
5. For the glorification of believers
B. Christ wants the scripture to be fulfilled
C. Christ wants all believers to be in one body—in unity
VI. Crucifixion and Resurrection of the Son of God 18:1 – 21:25
A. The arrest of Christ 18:1-11
B. The trials of Christ 18:12 – 19:15
1. His trial before Annas
2. His trial before Caiaphas
3. His trial before Pilate
C. The crucifixion of Christ 19:17-37
D. The burial of Christ 19:38:42
E. The resurrection of Christ—the tomb is found empty 20:1-10
F. Christ appears 20:11 – 21:25
1. To Mary Magdalene
2. To all the disciples except Thomas
3. To all the disciples including Thomas
4. To only seven disciples
5. To Peter and to the beloved disciple John
Resources:
KJV Holy Bible
NIV Holy Bible, Thompson Chain Study Reference
New Jerusalem Bible
Matthew Henry Commentary
Darby Commentary
RSV Holy Bible
Barclay’s Commentary
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