Bible Overview: John

Author: John

“The disciple whom Jesus loved”

“The other disciple”

Clearly an eyewitness account from one of Jesus’s closest apostles. The closeness of the author to Peter in ch. 20-21 suggests it was John, since John and Peter were often together in the books of Luke and Acts.

Date: 80s A.D.

Almost certainly the last Gospel written; many indications it was written between A.D. 70 - 100. (Death of Peter foretold, no mention of Sadducees who were no longer around after A.D. 70, title “Sea of Tiberias” for Sea of Galilee which became common in the late first century, testimony of early church fathers).

Audience: Unbelievers

perhaps especially Jews

clearly written to convince people of the identity of Jesus and to persuade them to trust in him

Purpose: to demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God and to compel you to believe

John 20:30–31 ESV

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 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.

Themes and key verses

7 Signs

Water to wine at Cana (2)

John 2:11 ESV

11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

Healing the official’s son (4)

Healing the lame man (5)

Feeding of the 5000 (6)

Walking on water (6)

Healing the blind man (9)

Raising Lazarus (11)

Rejection of the signs by the majority of the Jews:

John 12:37 ESV

37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,

7 “I AM” statements

I am the Bread of Life (6:35)

I am the Light of the World (8:12)

I am the Door of the Sheep (10:7)

I am the Good Shepherd (10:11)

I am the Resurrection and the Life (11:25)

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (14:6)

I am the True Vine (15:1)

The Deity of Jesus Christ

John 1:1 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 8:58 ESV

58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

John 10:30 ESV

30 I and the Father are one.”

Knowing and believing

“Know” and “Believe” together: 4:42, 6:69, 10:38, 17:8

John 6:69 ESV

69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

John 17:8 ESV

8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.

“Know” (or some form of it) used 106x in John’s Gospel

“Believe” (or some form of it) used 96x in John’s Gospel

Eternal life through knowing and believing Jesus

John 17:3 ESV

3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

John 20:31 ESV

31 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.

Application

Believe that Jesus is who he says he is, and call others to trust him too.