John’s gospel is an independent account from the other three. It is a deeply spiritual and theological work wherein Jesus often speaks in long discourses, whereas he uses short sayings and parables in the other Gospels. John introduces us to Jesus as the Word, the One who expresses and communicates God, is God, and has always existed. He is the Word of God made flesh and living amongst us. John uses the number 7, the perfect number for the Jews to establish Jesus as God’s Son. These seven signs are:
Jesus’ ‘I am’ sayings are introduced in this gospel.
Whilst John gives an account of the disciples and Jesus in the upper room, where the Last Supper took place, there is no account of the sharing of the bread and wine, but instead Jesus washes the disciples’ feet. Also, there is an additional story in the gospel that is not part of the early manuscripts, but fits perfectly in the gospel, and this is the story of the woman that had committed adultery.
To prove conclusively that Jesus is the Son of God and that all who believe in him will have eternal life, seeking to communicate the Jewish Messiah to a Gentile audience.
Appears to be John the apostle, son of Zebedee, brother of Jame.
To the new community of early Christians and beyond, possibly at Ephesus.
Probably AD 85-90
It is written after the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and before John’s exile to the Island of Patmos.
Jesus in John is the eternal Word of God made flesh, the new Temple in person, and the One who can speak with Divine authority as ‘I am…’ Yet, this God-man really was flesh and blood and really died on the cross.
“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.” (3:16)
Who is this Jesus?