Previously we have studied John’s Gospel in a multi-year SERIES.
Please read today’s overview of the Gospel of Jesus Christ written by John with an eye toward its fit with his three Apostolic Epistles.
The Purpose of John’s Book
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book.
But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.
John 20:30-31 Berean Standard Bible ·
One Last Gospel
We introduced John, Son of Zebedee in our Apostolic faith SERIES as a young man in his twenties. John, along with his older brother James and Andrew (brother of Simon), had been discipled by John the Baptist.
Our own impression of Jesus’ youngest Disciple may come from the mount of transfiguration..
Or even more likely we view John beside the Lord (at a long table) at the Last Supper, in a painting of the Italian Renaissance painter, Leonardo DaVinci.
And some Christians picture the young man John with the women at the foot of the Cross of our crucified Lord..
.. or running to the empty tomb of their risen friend JESUS along with Simon Peter.
Recalling John’s witness as a young man
Some Christians wonder why John’s Gospel is so different from the three synoptic gospels.
In fact, John wrote his Gospel of these historic events many years after they took place.
For a better picture of several decades of the Apostle’s life after his thirties and leading up to John writing his Gospel (and then three Epistles), let’s look at what the Elder chose to write about his earlier days in the context of ~A.D 30-85.
The Apostle reveals his purpose [John 20:30-31, above] near the end of his gospel. A quick look at some events at the time of the writing of all four Gospels should help.
We will add a few more details next time in the context of ACTS of the APOSTLES.
Timeline leading to John’s Gospel
John wrote his gospel ca. A.D. 80–90, about 50 years after he witnessed Jesus’ earthly ministry.
- ~ A.D. 30 – Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection and ascension
- Beginning of the events recorded in ACTS of the Apostles
- John would be in his early 30’s
- ~ A.D. 40 – Peter brings the Gospel to the Gentiles
- ~ A.D. 44 – James, older brother of John is martyred
- It’s now about fifteen years after Jesus’ ascension
- The Apostle John [b. ~ A.D. 6] is a man in his upper 30’s
- ~ A.D. 47-57 – Paul’s three missionary journeys to the Gentiles
- James, son of Joseph (half-brother of Jesus) and the Apostle Paul write several Epistles to churches
- John is in his 40’s
- A.D. 50’s – Mark, who had accompanied Paul and Barnabas and received Peter’s account of Jesus writes his Gospel
- The Apostle John (a man older than Mark) is in his 50’s
- A.D. 60’s – Luke, a gentile physician accompanying Paul on his missions writes his Gospel
- Matthew, one of the Twelve (who is older than his fellow Disciple, John) writes his Gospel
- ALL of the other Epistles (with the possible exception of Jude, half-brother of Jesus) are written
- James, brother of Jude, is martyred [A.D. 62]
- Peter and Paul are martyred in Jerusalem [~ A.D. 68]
- John is now about age 62
- ALL of the remaining Apostles are martyred in various places throughout the world
- A.D. 70 – Rome destroys Jerusalem and the temple
- ~ A.D. 85 – John writes his Gospel
- The Elder John is now about eighty [80] years old.
John’s Good News for those who will believe
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος
Gospel of John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The Apostle John realized that in seeking the Messiah of Israel — he had met ALMIGHTY GOD — in the flesh, in the Person of JESUS!
Moses’ account of Genesis was simply a Beginning of adam — a beginning of the heavens and the earth and of all the LORD had created — but NOT the Beginning of God.
John also reminds that the Beginning was NOT the beginning of the Spirit or of the Person of Jesus, the Son of God before all time.
And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)
full of grace and truth.
Gospel of John 1:14 KJV
Then the Apostle moves from that which was before time and all creation, to his own discovery as a young disciple of John the Baptist, of JESUS, the only begotten of the Father.
Begotten, not made; as the Apostolic creeds of the faith confess.
b. from above
Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
ἄνωθεν - ánōthen - from above, from a higher place
- (born) of things which come from heaven or God
In addition to signs and miracles witnessed by many men in several places, John’s gospel presents evidence that some Bible scholars among the Pharisees became convinced to worship Jesus Christ.
He provides other proofs of Jesus as the Messiah — the Christ of Scripture promised by Moses and the Prophets, from a private conversation known to this Disciple John of the Lord’s inner circle.
Jesus’ beloved Disciple clearly connects the Spirit of God the Father with the Son and and Holy Spirit, as well as those who the Father has chosen for eternal life.
“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born [from above] again G509.’
Gospel of John 3:7 LSB
“He who comes from above G509 is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.
John 3:31 LSB
Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above G509; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
John 19:11
The Apostle John makes clear that Jesus and the Spirit who gives life are ‘from above.’
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Gospel of John 4:24 King James Version
Christ Taught from and Fulfilled Scripture
Imagine John, the women embalming their crucified Lord and others discovering an empty tomb of JESUS, who had been executed so mercilessly on a bloody Cross!
John recalls:
The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this sanctuary, and will You raise it up in three days?”
But He was speaking about the sanctuary of His body.
So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
Gospel of John 2:20-22 LSB
The Apostle recalls in his Gospel the most important facts, that JESUS had been raised from the dead after three days — and Jesus had prophesied his resurrection very pubically in fulfillment of Scripture.
“Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”
Gospel of John 7:42 LSB
Prior to the Lord’s betrayal, Jesus had even revealed fulfillment of Scripture by Judas.
My enemies speak evil against me,
“When will he die, and his name perish?”
And when he comes to see me, he speaks worthlessness;
His heart gathers wickedness to itself;
When he goes outside, he speaks it.
All who hate me whisper together against me;
Against me, they devise for me calamity, saying,
“A vile thing is poured out upon him,
That when he lies down, he will not rise up again.”
Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me.
Psalm 31:5-9 LSB
“I do not speak about all of you. I know the ones I have chosen;
but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’
Gospel of John 13:18 LSB
And John recalls Jesus’ prayer in an upper room of Jerusalem when Christ celebrated a new covenant about to fulfill the redemption of blood by this Lamb of God.
“Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent…
“While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
Gospel of John 17:1b-3, 12 LSB
It’s hard to believe
So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb.
.. he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb.
So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.
For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
Gospel of John 20 excerpt LSB
John, the other disciple who like Simon Peter still did not fully get what JESUS had taught all along, even to these men of His inner circle, witnesses now, decades later in the writing of his Gospel, that it was not until they witnessed the risen Lord and touched Him and ate with Him that they believed all that JESUS had taught.
If I want him to remain…
Again, fifty some years later, John writes how Peter’s doubting and denials remained with John’s near friend and Apostle and how Jesus restored this Rock upon which He would build His Church.
“Feed My sheep.
Then John recalls their proximity to Jesus at that last Passover meal in Jerusalem. The Lord had just said to Peter once again:
Follow me.
from John 21:19
Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them;
the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”
So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?”
Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”
Gospel of John 21:20-22 LSB
NOT all are called to salvation.
Some betray Jesus even though called to the hope of glory.
The Lord Jesus makes His call Personal — to Peter.. to John..
— to you (if the Father has chosen you for eternal life).
John’s witness of these fifty years prior to recording his Gospel and the three Epistles the Elder is about to write to a troubled and persecuted Church is both corporate and personal.
JESUS had called this Apostle to remain in order that others would answer the Personal call of Jesus to, “Follow Me.”
John’s Signature as Witness
This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his witness is true.
Gospel of John 21:24 LSB
And almost as a Post Script John adds (fifty years after these History-changing events) his purpose in writing his Good News:
ἔστιν δὲ καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ ἃ ἐποίησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἅτινα ἐὰν γράφηται καθ᾽ ἕν οὐδ᾽ αὐτὸν οἶμαι τὸν κόσμον χωρῆσαι τὰ γραφόμενα βιβλία
But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.Gospel of John 21:25 – Greek New Testament; Revised Standard Version
NEXT: John – Elder of the First Century Church
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