The Gospel of John- Introduction

There are four written accounts of the Gospel, the Good News, the word and works of Jesus Christ – these are found in the new Testament and, in order, are: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. When reading each of these accounts you will find some difficulty to create a harmonious, chronological account of the life of Jesus Christ, but it’s not impossible. I believe it is possible and valuable to reconstruct the life of Christ with all four Gospels. We won’t have a perfect reconstruction, but it will give a great sequence of events in Jesus’ life.

The purpose of this post, and those that follow, is to recount the Gospel of John.

Gospel Authors

But first some background on the authors of the four Gospels. This will serve to demonstrate how God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary feats.

Matthew – He went from a publican, crooked tax collector to a follower of Jesus.

Mark – The youngest of the Gospel writers and prominent follower of Jesus Christ. Although he was not one of the 12 disciples, he most likely wrote the Mark account from Peter’s accounts of Jesus life.

Luke – He was a Greek Gentile physician and the only known Gentile author of the New Testament. He became a follower after Jesus’ death when Paul taught him the Gospel.

John – Also known as John the Beloved, served as one of the Apostles

So why focus on the Gospel according to John? It is special in that it presents a special theological character and is considered to have had a profound and lasting influence on the development of early Christianity. John has the most unique material in his book, 90% of the information is not in the other three Gospels.

Key Themes of John

Today’s post will present the key themes of the Gospel of John. The posts that follow will dive deeper into his writings and how it helps us and applies to us today.

1. Jesus is God
2. Jesus existed before the creation of the world
3. Jesus has supernatural knowledge
4. Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God
5. Jesus is the “I Am”
6. Jesus, the sent Son, reflects the sender
7. Jesus is the fulfillment of Jewish festivals and institutions (including the temple)
8. Jesus is the giver of eternal life
9. The signs of Jesus show that He is the Messiah
10. The witnesses to Jesus testify that He is the Messiah
11. Father, Son, and Spirit are united in their work of revelation and redemption
12. Jesus’s death is the basis of salvation
13. God is sovereign in salvation
14. Salvation is obtained through believing in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God
15. Believers can experience the benefits of salvation already in the here and now, during this present evil age.
16. Believers are called to continue Jesus’s mission

Jesus was the greatest teacher, leader, redeemer of all time. But the best part is that He lead with a servants heart. He lead in such a way that he serves others first before himself, thereby setting an example of how we should live our lives.

In a demonstration of this heart of servanthood, Jesus washes the Apostles feet at the last supper.

¹² When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³ “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. John 13:12-17

Journey with me, and Jesus, as I take you through The Gospel of St John.