Intro to John

Today we start a brand new series called The Gospel According to John. As a pastor it seems that the calendar dictates what we will be teaching - Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and several others. Sometimes you just need to buck the system.

For example, one of my former pastors forever left a mark when his first Mother’s Day, he chose instead to preach on HELL. Not the wisest decision.

Over the last several Christmas seasons we have done Christmas series using most every passage in the Scriptures. THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON, we will do something different, tracking through the Gospel of John while weaving in the significance of Jesus’ birth. Steve and I taught John over 10 years ago, and it’s time to revisit what I consider to be, one of the most important writings in all the Scriptures - the Gospel According to John. Here’s why.

Over the course of my life I’ve had several talks with folks who follow a different faith than many of us. I’ve told you of several stories of conversations I’ve had with Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, who use much of the same biblical terminology, but often mean something very different. Similarly, many Americans, even those who claim to be “Christian”, follow in their footsteps by mishandling the IDENTITY of Jesus. And then you have the cultural mish-mash that allows you to make Jesus any way you want Him - “build-a-bear-Jesus” - the sweet and cuddly, non-judgmental and tolerant of all, always with a smile on His face. But is that really how it works? Do we get to build OUR FAVORITE VERSION of Jesus?

And what about opposing claims about Jesus - like those of Islam? While Islam honors Jesus as a great prophet, miracle worker, and even sinless, it also says Jesus never died on a cross, never rose from the dead, and never claimed to be the Son of God. Of course that’s the OPPOSITE of what the Bible claims. So, in conversations with folks who tell me they believe the Koran over the Bible, I like to ask a question: “Do you know when the Koran was written?” Most have no clue. The Answer: about 600 years AFTER the Bible was written. In other words, you’ve got someone writing about Jesus who never met Jesus, someone who lived about 600 years later….versus folks who lived during the time and Jesus and KNEW HIM personally.

A lot of us were at last year’s game (2017) where our Madison Cowboys won the State Championship in football. Those who were at the game remember that battle between Madison and Blountstown. 50 years from now, people who weren’t at the game could make the claim that Madison lost. But when the people who WEREN’T there said something different from those who WERE there, whose story are you more likely to trust? The Koran’s claims about Jesus NOT dying nor resurrecting was written by someone who WASN’T ‘at the game’, about 600 years after Jesus lived. The Gospel of John, [PIC] on the other hand, was written by someone who was ‘at the game’ and he focuses on the IDENTITY of Jesus - WHO Jesus is and WHY Jesus was born.

PRAY

AUTHOR

The oldest handwritten copies we have (called manuscripts - p66 and p75 - both from around A.D. 200) start with “The Gospel According to John”. Many still say this gospel was originally anonymous and the author’s name was added later, but the evidence for this is scarce. So how do we come up with which “John” this is and why does it matter, you ask - and you always ask such great questions!

Internal Evidence

First, we consider the internal evidence - what claims are actually IN the text?

The writer is assumed to be the unnamed “disciple whom Jesus loved” (cf. 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20). Here are a couple of examples seen in this gospel.

(ESV) One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side,

(ESV) 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

If this is the author of the letter, then this is one of the closest apostles of Jesus. Sitting next to Jesus at the last supper, at a place of honor, so trusted by Jesus that this disciple will now take Mary into his home and treat her as his own!

2.This unnamed disciple is often in the presence of Simon Peter (18:15-16; 20:1-10; 21:4-8). The Synoptics (referring to Matt, Mark, Luke, seeing together) and Acts point to the apostle whom is most often with Simon Peter as John (; ). 3.Most interesting, although all the apostles are mentioned by name in the Synoptics, only 2 are not named in the Gospel of John - 2 brothers - James and John. This is super strange, unless the author chose to purposefully veil the name of his brother and himself. In fact, it is interesting that John’s Gospel is different from the Synoptics in that he features “the disciple whom Jesus loves” while the other gospel writers do not.

External Evidence

Next we consider the EXTERNAL EVIDENCE - outside of the writing itself, what did early Christians say about this gospel?

Irenaeus (125-202), disciple of Polycarp (70-156) who was a disciple of the apostle John, wrote: “John the disciple of the Lord, who leaned back on his breast, published the Gospel while he was resident at Ephesus in Asia” (Against Heresies iii. 1. 2).Early church leaders after Irenaeus consistently cite the apostle John as the author of this gospel (including the Muratorian Canon [a second-century list of New Testament books], Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Dionysius of Alexandria, and Eusebius).

AUDIENCE & PURPOSE

While no specific audience is mentioned, it seems that John expects his readers to understand the Jewish customs, culture, and land of first-century Palestine. His purpose is clearly stated at the end of the writing.

(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.

Important terms in this Gospel:

Signs. Although the writer could have used many other examples, John gives 7 signs to demonstrate Jesus is the Messiah to the Jewish people. Beyond the signs, John also points to 7 “I AM” claims that set Jesus apart from any prophet of all time, often in the face of his angry enemies. You are going to be BLOWN AWAY when you see the significance of these signs & statements. Believe. While this word is used a TOTAL of 241 times in the entire NT, it is used 90 times in John’s Gospel - in other words. BELIEVE is a really big deal to John. The term for believe (Greek pisteuō) = TOTAL TRUST. This is not a wish or hope like I believe the Madison Cowboys will win the State Championship. This is pushing all your chips in, staking your life on WHO Jesus is and what Jesus says. When you substitute believe with TRUST in , it becomes much more significant. In a moment we’ll see a video of what this like of BELIEF/TRUST looks like.Christ/Son of God. John didn’t write this so you and I can believe that Jesus existed, taught some great stuff, and did some mighty miracles. Nope. He wants his audience to BELIEVE, to put total trust in Jesus as the Christ (Jewish Messiah), the Son of God. As we will discover throughout this study, these titles can only be fulfilled in ONE PERSON, and it’s by believing (trusting) Him that we my have life in his name.

This kind of belief WILL COST you something. It can cost you friendships. It could cost you some fun times. But by believing/trusting in JESUS, you will find LIFE!

That is the story of Micah Wilder, now a former Mormon missionary. Micah was on his 2 year missions and spoke with a Baptist pastor who challenged him to read the Gospels, one of which was The Gospel According to John. Wanting to prove the pastor wrong, he began to read for over a year, and came to see that Jesus of the Scriptures was different than the Jesus he had been telling others about. He came to the fork in the road and BELIEVED/trusted Jesus. Some of you have seen some of his story. Listen to what it COST him AND what he has gained. Spoiler alert - the piano in the background is being played by his brother, also a former Mormon who read the Scriptures and chose to BELIEVE in Jesus.Micah Wilder video

I hope you will join us on our journey through The Gospel According to invite you to read it over and over, memorize it, marinate in it during the day, and share what you are reading & learning with others.

Also, INVITE SOMEONE to join us! 80% of people will show up, IF...you invite them.

Want to talk further? Please contact Jackie (850-673-1582), Justin (704-618-6144), or another follower of Jesus soon! Here are our deacons and wives - you can contact them as well - here to serve you.

Fain & Linda, Tom & Martha, Steve & Debbie, Freddy & Joyce (pray for him), Alan & Christy, Willy & Melissa