John: Meet the Son
The gospel of John is so poetic, only a sonnet is fit to describe it!
In the beginning, Word eternal shone,
A light that pierced the dark of ancient skies.
Through signs and wonders hath His glory grown,
And called men’s hearts to see through veiled eyes.
Behold the Lamb, whose blood doth cleanse the stain,
The Passover fulfilled in Him alone.
In "I am" truths, His might and love are plain,
To draw all souls to bow before His throne.
No parables adorn this Gospel’s tale,
But speeches rich with wisdom, deep and pure.
Three feasts doth mark redemption’s holy trail,
Where mercy’s work in Him shall e'er endure.
Take up this tome, and read of heav’n’s design,
The Word made flesh, eternal and divine.
The Context of John:
Who wrote John? The book doesn't say, but evidence points to the disciple John, who discipled Polycarp, who discipled Irenaeus. Irenaeus said that the disciple John wrote the book of John.
When was John written? Probably 85-90 AD.
Who was it written to? Gentiles and Jews - which was a wide range of people!
Why was John written? John 20:30-31 says, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the 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.”
This book beckons people to have faith in Jesus. It’s a great resource for new believers and for evangelism. John does a great job of showing that Jesus is Christ the Messiah.
What we love about John:
It’s so poetic! “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” - what a great opening line! John covers a lot of ground but slows down and takes his time in seven key moments.
Every gospel has a high view of Jesus, but John’s mission is to convince you that Jesus is God! He starts at the beginning of time! Jesus was there at the creation of the world. Then, this infinite deity comes down in the flesh as the Son of God.
As you read John, you should highlight the seven major signs and the “I am” statements. These “I am” statements reveal to us who Jesus is: “I am the bread of life”, “I am the good shepherd”, etc.
Challenges to reading John:
John also makes it clear that God gets the credit for the salvation of believers. It ain’t about us here…
John 6:44 says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
How did you come to Christ? Did you have a feeling that this is something you should or need to do? According to this verse, this feeling is God drawing you to Himself!
Let’s look at John 10:6, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me”
Then in verse 16, “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”
God is sovereign as He builds His church! God claims the credit for our salvation! We praise Him for His gift!!
God’s sovereignty over our lives is both a challenge and a comfort.
Another challenge to reading John is its slower pace. It contains a lot of dialogue and not as much action as other Gospels. This is clearly for our benefit. But as modern-day readers, it requires patience. 💡 Helpful tip: highlight each person’s dialogue in different colors to help you understand it better.
What should we remember about John:
Clearly Quotable: “John shows us that Jesus isn’t only the Christ; He’s the Christ who accomplished redemption. He’s the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” - Jimmy Needham
John is the only gospel writer who structures his letter around three Passovers. Jesus ministered for three years leading up to His death and resurrection. John goes out of his way to point out each instance of the Passover during each of those three years:
John 2
John 6
John 11
🐑 The Passover was a critical practice that began in the Old Testament but was fulfilled when Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb dying once for all on the cross. They had been practicing this ritual for thousands and thousands of years! John beautifully articulates that Jesus is who they were anticipating and that Jesus was the Lamb of God!
“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
Application questions:
When was the last time you read John?
What stood out to you in this podcast episode? What questions are you wondering about the book of John? (Great! Now go read it!)
Take some time to read through John and double-underline the “I am” statements.
Jot down the seven miracles of Jesus documented in John.
How does God’s sovereignty over salvation challenge your understanding of who He is? How does it comfort you?
Find each mention of the Passover in John and draw a stick figure lamb in your margin next to the passage.
Dedicate some time to memorizing John 1:29.
Love these application questions? You gotta check out the Clearly One-Pager!
Want to ask us a question? Email question@clearlypodcast.com.
Our Recommendations:
Did you miss our episode on apostolicity? Check it out here!
Check out some ancient Biblical manuscripts here: csntm.org
🧠 Resources:
✝️ Sermon: The Sovereignty of God
📖 Reading: The Doctrine of Election Saved Me from Depression
👨👩👧👦 Teaching for children: Inside Bad vs. Outside Bad
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