John: An Introduction
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Today we are beginning a new series of sermons. We are going to study the book of encourage you to open your bibles there.
Why study John?
For some of you, you were here when we were studying Matthew, just about 1 1/2 years ago. We just studied the life of Christ. Why are we going to another gospel?
Well, I have a few reasons. Some of which will come out as we go through this introduction today.
When beginning to study a book, it is good to look at the background. Who is writing this book? Who are they addressing, or writing it for? Where were they? What is the purpose of their writing.
Who?
Who?
When beginning to study a book, it is good to look at the background. Who is writing this book? Who are they addressing, or writing it for? Where were they? What is the purpose of their writing.
So, who wrote this Gospel?
There have been those who have questioned this, and some ‘scholars’ question if John wrote this. Why? Well, honestly, it never says, “I, John,” am writing to you. In fact, John is not named in this gospel. Instead, we find this ‘unnamed disciple’ throughout the book.
From the 1st chapter when two disciples of John the Baptist first follow Jesus, through the end. This is the one that is described as the disciple that Jesus loved. He is the one that leaned on Jesus during the last supper, at Peter’s request, to know who Jesus was talking about when he spoke of one of the disciples betraying him. It was this disciple that apparently knew the high priest and gained entry for himself and Peter when Jesus was on trial. It was this unnamed disciple that Jesus spoke to on the cross, telling him to care for his mother. It was this unnamed disciple who went fishing with Peter and recognized Jesus when he was on the shore in . In that passage, it is obvious that is it one of the sons of Zebedee (Jams or John), or one of two other unnamed disciples. Then, this disciple was the one that was following Peter and Jesus while they talked, and Jesus restored Peter. It was he that was thought by many to live until Jesus came to establish the kingdom. And...
...
This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.
John 21:24 who was the one who testified to these things...
So, who was this disciple? It is obvious that this disciple was intimate with Jesus, and with Peter.
John 20:
This disciple knew things that no one else would have been privy to.
And, since he was at the last supper, which only the twelve disciples were attending, it had to be one of the sons of Zebedee. James was martyred early on in . That leaves… John.
Not only that, but outside of the scriptures, an early church father who was a disciple of a disciple of John, Irenaeus specifically named John as writing this gospel.
That brings us to the second question.
To Whom
To Whom
To whom was this written. From the gospel, we can see that it was written to Jews and Gentiles.
Matthew wrote his gospel to Jews to show that Jesus fulfilled the scriptures, and was indeed the Messiah.
Mark wrote his gospel for the gentiles in Rome to know who Jesus was and what he did. He emphasized Jesus as the Son of God, and a servant.
Luke wrote his ‘orderly’ account to make sure they knew it was an accurate account, and that they would see Jesus, the Son of Man.
John wrote to Gentiles, explaining Jewish words of customs ( “rabbi - which means teacher...”)
He also included a lot of Jewish types and showed that Jesus fulfilled them, like the lamb, the temple, the new birth, the serpent lifted up, the bread from heaven.
John focuses on Jesus, who He was, and the meaning of what he did. He focuses on understanding Jesus.
Irenaeus tells us that John wrote this gospel while in Ephesus, where this mixed audience of Jewish and Gentile believers lived.
We know it was mixed from the accounts in Acts, and from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.
, while he was in Ephesus.
I think knowing ‘to whom’ can help us understand why he wrote.
Who were the Ephesians? Well, John has a specific message to them in another of his writings. .
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Why?
Why?
John wrote this gospel to this group of people who had good deeds. They had hard work. They had perseverance. They had shown false teachers to be false. They knew their bible and their doctrine. They had the answers...
John wrote this gospel to this group of people who had good deeds. They had hard work. They had perseverance. They had shown false teachers to be false. They knew their bible and their doctrine. They had the answers...
But they had lost their love for Jesus.
Paul writes about love in his letter to the Ephesians.
John writes this message from God. (Granted, I believe Revelation was likely written after the gospel. However, John lived among the am sure he knew this to be the case from his own experience while he lived there. And, the Ephesians are not unique. This is a trap all Christians can fall into.)
They had knowledge. They knew facts. But they lost their love.
So why does he write his gospel? He wrote so they would know Jesus.
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
He wrote because he wanted them to know more than the facts of what Jesus did. He wanted them to know Jesus. To believe he is the promised one, the hope of all, the Son of God. He wanted them to ‘be believing’ and thus have life in his name.
How many Christians, how many of us know the facts, know the answers, and yet now have no life… Yes, we are alive, and living day to day. But, where is the life? Where is the abundant life as Jesus says in ?
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Do you fell like you have life to the full? Or, as the New Living Translation puts it, ‘rich and satisfying’?
So, why are we studying John? Because I want to have life! How about you?
I want to know Jesus, and be believing in his name. How about you?
Let’s begin...
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word
In the beginning was the Word
beginning - goes back to Creation…
was, not became, or came into being ,
“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
NLT - was already existing
The Word was with God
The Word was with God
Distinct from God the Father. Two persons.
And the Word was God
And the Word was God
Literally, in the Greek “God was The Word.” But the Word is the subject. The predicate nominative, God is thrown to the front of the sentence (something you would not do in English). Putting it in the front gives the emphasized meaning that, Everything God was, The Word was.
It is not possible to translate this with an indefinite article, grammatically. (As do the Jehovah witnesses.)
John goes on to say, again, that though he is everything God is, he was a distinct person. He was with God in the beginning (not created by God in the beginning. WITH God in the beginning.)
And, through him all things were created
He gave life
He was the light
He gave life in the beginning.
He rested … Not he finished...
He gives life now to those who believe.
Are you ready? Are you ready to see the light of life? Are you ready to fall in love with Jesus again, and enjoy the life he wants to give you?
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
Life and Light are two themes in the gospel of John.
We will see where Jesus claims to be the way, the truth and the life...
Jesus came that we could have abundant, rich, full life
He shines as the light to show the way. The way to have the peace, the purpose, the joy and richness of life as God intended us to have. He is shining still. He is speaking still. He wants to give life still.
Are you ready? Are you ready to see the light of life? Are you ready to fall in love with Jesus again, and enjoy the life he wants to give you?
Why Study John?
Why Study John?
Homework:
Today, go to ptl.org, and sign up for the 21-Day challenge. To read through John, 1 chapter a day, for 21 days. They will send you an email each day with a devotional study to go along with the reading. Begin the Study on Monday morning.
Read the entire Gospel of John this week to quickly see the ‘big picture’. If you ready 3 chapters a day, you will get through the entire book in one week. If you can, take the time to read it through in as few sittings as possible. The idea is to get an overview of the book.
What is your favorite verse in John? Why?
Read . In your own words, what is the point? Why should we take the time to study through this book?
Read . What is John trying to get across about Jesus? Who is he, according to John?
John’s gospel wants us to know, and believe in Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God. John uses 7 signs, and many ‘I am’ statements. However, there were 7 specific ‘I am’ statements that Jesus used to convey something about himself, where he said ‘I am ______.’ Can you find the signs and the ‘I am statements? What do all of signs and ‘I am’ statements tell us about Jesus?
Write out a prayer, asking God to speak to you, and to the rest of the church, that we might all be knowing, and continuing to believe in Jesus, and that through believing, we would have life!