Join us as we begin our new series through The Gospel of John. This week, Pastor Marty Baker will help set the stage for our journey by introducing us to John, exploring the historical setting and timeframe in which the Gospel was written, and providing helpful background that will deepen our understanding of the powerful story ahead.
Today we begin a new series in the Gospel of John, the fourth book of the New Testament. I must say I’m quite excited because this well-worn book has taught many saints what it means to know Christ as Savior and how to walk in new life with Him. Who among us has not been touched by some of its more familiar verses? Verses like …
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. (John 5:24)
Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” (John 8:58)
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27)
I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” (John 14:6)
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:7)
This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)
Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee.” (John 17:1)
We could go on and on, but I’m sure you get the picture. Every chapter in John drips with wonderful words from Jesus, words which mold, challenge, and shape you into His glorious image, words which, once read, are never to be forgotten no matter how old you are.
John’s gospel is so magnificent that some of the greatest scholars in the world, who have made it a major study of their lives, grope for words to describe its impact:
William Hendriksen: “The Gospel of John is the most amazing book that was ever written. ‘Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.’ This may well be the attitude of anyone who steps upon the threshold of the study of this book; for if its testimony is true, the faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God has received glorious confirmation” (The New Testament Commentary: John, p. 3).
Martin Luther: “…that the Gospel of John is unique in loveliness, and of a truth the principal gospel, far, far superior to the other three, and much to be preferred.”
Alfred Plummer, British scholar of the 19th century: “….this gospel is a book which stands alone in Christian literature, as its author stands alone among Christian teachers.”
Origen, the great biblical scholar of the 3rd century, summed up John’s value with these words: “The Gospels are the first fruits of all the Scriptures, but of the Gospels that of John is the first fruits.”
We approach the study of the book of John, therefore, with a great spiritual expectancy, combined with a deep sense of awe and humility. It is, indeed, holy ground on which we tread, for within these pages we’re going to learn firsthand not only who Jesus is, but what it personally cost Him to secure our eternal salvation from the wrath of the Father. So, I invite you to join me on a journey into the marvelous mountain range of spiritual truth known as The Gospel of John.
And as you’d expect with any trip, there are essentials you’ve got to have with you before heading up the trail. Should you head into a mountain range, no doubt, you’re going to want things like: a compass, a lightweight pack, food, water, a sleeping bag, mosquito repellent, a flashlight, some matches, and perhaps a can or two of bear spray. It’s the same with a trek into the trails of John. There are essentials we must have in hand before we ever place one boot on the dirt of the first trailhead called chapter one.
Spiritual Hikers Need Spiritual Essentials For The Lofty Peak Called John
Before we consider these essentials, let me give you a few pointers:
- Our thoughts today will not be in any order of importance, or listed from the greater to the lesser or vice versa.
- Spiritual application may not necessarily be readily apparent within each essential, but this does not diminish its value for interpretation and understanding of the book later.
- Understanding these essentials is essential in getting a firm handle on this magnificent book, so bear with me.
Essential #1: The Author
Although his name is not mentioned in the book, John, the brother of James and the son of Zebedee, has historically been understood to be the author of the gospel of John. In chapter 21:20, 23-24, the author distinctly identifies himself as the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” Similar words are repeated throughout the book in 13: 23; 19:26; 20:2; and 21:7. Who might this particular disciple be? More importantly, why didn’t he name himself? To answer the first question, you must understand the dynamic of the circle of the Twelve. To answer the second, you need to understand the man, John.
Of the famous Twelve, there was an inner core who were extremely close to Christ: Peter, James, and John (Mark. 5:37; Matt. 17:1; Mark 14:33). Matthew was part of the “outer” nine, and Mark and Luke were not part of the twelve, hence, it would be John who could easily write, as we see in John, about the intimate details in the life of Jesus. James couldn’t have written the book because he was martyred by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1) between AD 41-44, some forty years before the book is believed to be written. Peter couldn’t be the author because the beloved disciple is clearly distinguished from Peter (John 21:7). Hence, we are left to look to John as the author of the Gospel of John, and he was well equipped for the task, having been extremely close to the Lord.
What do we know about John?
- He and his brother, James, owned a fishing business and worked alongside Peter and Andrew (Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 1:19). He knew what it meant to work hard to make ends meet, and what kind of personal dedication it took to make a business profitable.
- John was the son of Zebedee (John 21:2) and Salome (Matt. 27:56; John 19:25), and since his mother was the sister of Jesus’ mother, Mary, Jesus and John were first cousins. Who says that God can’t work within families?
- John was the younger brother of the apostle James (also called James the Great), the first apostle to be martyred. King Herod Agrippa (Tetrarch from 37-41 A.D.; King of Judea from 41-44 A.D.) had James beheaded around 44 A.D (Acts 12:2).
- John was a Palestinian Jew, which is apparent from knowledge of the geography of the land (John 5:2; 19:13).
- John was an eyewitness to the ministry of Jesus. His attention to numbers reveals this (Jon 2:6; 6:13, 19; 21:8, 11).
- John was the author of First, Second, and Third John and the book of Revelation.
- John, according to Galatians 2:9, became a leader in the Jerusalem church. Speaking about how God called him to preach primarily to Gentiles, Paul offers this relational information about who helped him after he became a believer: “9 and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
- John was Peter’s preaching/teaching companion in the initial stages of the formation of the Church in Acts: “1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer” (Acts 3).
- John was one of the first disciples to see the empty tomb. He literally outran Peter to see the results of the resurrection himself (John 20:1-10).
- John was present at four important spiritual events: the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus agonized over the prospects of the cross (Mark 14:33); the Last Supper (John 13:23); near the foot of the cross of Christ with Christ’s mother, Mary (John 19:26); and at the empty tomb (John 20:2-10). He was, as you can see, always where a spiritual man, a true disciple, needed to be.
- John, along with his brother, James, were called “Sons of Thunder” by Jesus (Mark 3:17). Why? Because they were emotionally volatile men, prone to outbursts of passionate, consuming anger. We might say they had hot tempers. It was James and John who, when the Samaritans didn’t receive the messengers of Jesus, said to Jesus when they found out about the intransigence of the Samaritans: “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” (Luke (9:54). Jesus turned and rebuked them, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:55-56). “Just nuke ‘em, God,” was their immediate, volatile response to those who’d dare offend Jesus. And not only did James and John have questionable tempers, but they were also very self-centered, overly aggressive, and self-serving. For instance, when Jesus poured out His heart about what His mission truly required, they asked Him to do whatever they asked of Him (Mark 10:35). What was their “humble” request? I’ll let them tell you, “Grant that we may sit in Your glory, one on Your right, and one on Your left” (Mark 10:37). Talk about thinking about yourself first and the other guy last! Talk about a living illustration of chutzpah (a Hebrew term for self-confidence and nerve). They, along with Peter and Andrew, their close fishing buddies, also tried to get one step ahead of the other disciples by getting the inside scoop on when He would bring His prophetic wrath against mankind (Mark 13:1-4). Can you believe the audacity?
Now, what do we learn from all of this? A couple of profound spiritual truths.
First, yes, even family members can do some of the most powerful work for God as they work together. Perhaps you’ve got a cousin or two you need to challenge, as Jesus did, to become fishers of men. Who knows, you, along with their friends, may just become the next spiritual powerhouse to turn many souls to Christ. When many of us would rather seek the non-Christians outside of our family units because of all the baggage we know about them and they about us, we are perhaps missing our greatest spiritual opportunities. What are you waiting for? If you want to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, then follow those feet over to the house of your unsaved cousin(s) and introduce them to the Master.
Second, we learn that God can and will use … and tame … a hot-tempered, overly passionate, highly impulsive, totally egotistical, and pushy person for the benefit of His gospel and kingdom. If He can take an explosive, self-serving, vindictive man and change him into a mild, selfless, and forgiving man, He can do the same in and through you when you turn your life, by faith, over to Him as John did when he dropped his nets. Think of it: John went from being a man who would scream harshly at you to a man who would speak humbly to you, in love, as a devoted Christian brother. How did this happen? How could this happen? He met the Master and his life was forever changed. The same outcome awaits some of you seated here today.
John turned his life and emotions over to Jesus and left us the legacy of the gospel of John, which has, in turn, reached and impacted millions of souls for Jesus. Who knows what God waits to do through you as well. Let us dream before the living Lord who knows how to help us with our bad baggage, and we’ve all got some, right?
Back to our second question: Why didn’t John name himself in his book? Could it be that the self-serving man became the humble man? Could it be he couldn’t bring himself to use his name in light of the rich truths about servanthood Jesus had taught him? I think so.
Essential #2: Date
John was about twenty-five years old when the events of this book transpired, and he lived to be about one hundred. Think about it. John’s exposure to Christ in his twenties would have made him a Generation Z of his day (Ages 14-29). Who says that the Lord cannot use people in this age range in a profound fashion?
Further, John’s twilight years were spent in and around Ephesus, located in Asia Minor (Modern Turkey). The advanced theological nature of his gospel clearly demonstrates that the other gospels had long been in circulation before he wrote John. By the time John wrote his gospel, the Church was in dire need of a restatement and a further illumination of the person and work of Christ. He gave it to them probably around A.D. 85, some 54 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus (Christ died on April 3, 31 A.D.). Ten years after this date (A.D. 95), Emperor Domitian had John arrested and exiled to a rugged, isolated penal colony on the island of Patmos. While here, God gave him the final prophecy of your Bible, the book of Revelation. Learn from this how tough trying times can be when God shows up and reveals the most profound spiritual truths to you.
What do we learn from the date? Two things:
(1) What the younger generation needs, especially today, is for the older saints to share with them what they’ve learned about Jesus and the triumphs and tragedies of the Christian walk, so they’ll be equipped to walk farther than we ever did. This also means the younger people must slow down long enough to sit and listen carefully to older saints. Young people, listen to me: old saints have a wealth of information you’re going to need to know sometime in your lifetime. Never fail to make the most of the time spent with them. Learn from them.
(2) We also learn that some of God’s greatest works in our lives happen when we are older. Remember Moses? He was eighty when God decided to use him. John was approaching one hundred when God opened his mind, eyes, and heart up to the final battle for this old earth between God and Satan. What’s the upshot? If you’re 75 today, then realize the best is yet to come! Your Lord is NEVER finished with you. Did you get that? Spiritual retirement is not an option. You may feel old and tired, but that doesn’t mean you’ve lived to see it all, spiritually speaking. God may have some rich truths in store for you, truths you’ll receive and then need to share with Generation X (ages 46-61), Millennials (ages 30-45), Generation Z (ages 14-29), and Generation Alpha (ages 2-13). So, pray daily for God to renew your spirit of expectancy! Ask Him to forgive you for coasting into glory, thinking the major work in your spiritual life is ready for a history book. No way! Go and learn from John.
Essential #3: The Purpose
Why did John write this book? Good question. He answers this question in 20:30-31:
“30 Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”
John’s main goal can’t be missed: He wrote to win non-Christians, Jew and Gentile alike, to Christ. As we’ll see in a moment, when we look at the structure of the book, John is more concerned than any other gospel writer with the miraculous signs of Jesus. From chapters 2 through 11, he presents seven choice ones:
- Water to wine (chapter 2)
- Heals a son (chapter 4)
- Heals a man (chapter 5)
- Feeds five thousand (chapter 6)
- Walks on water (chapter 6)
- Heals the blind (chapter 9)
- Raises the dead (chapter 11)
These signs were specifically included as historical fact to convince the unbeliever that Jesus was who He said He was, God in the flesh, for only God could say and do what He did. Anyone could, and did, claim to be the Messiah, but only God Himself could back up the claim with undeniable miracles which defied or circumvented the laws of nature. Only God could take ordinary well water and turn it instantly into the best-tasting Zinfandel you’ve ever tasted. Only God could take a man who had never seen and give him a new set of eyes. Yes, John is specifically fashioned and crafted to persuade the non-Christian that Jesus is both God and Savior, and that they must, in turn, trust Him as their Way to heaven.
If you are sitting here this morning, and you know deep in your heart that you’re clueless about Jesus, that you don’t have an inkling as to why He came to earth, or that you’re not convinced He really is the God above all other gods, then I’m here today to tell you John is the book for you. It will answer the questions that are gnawing at your soul. Questions like:
“How do I know there is no other Savior in a world full of supposed paths to God?”
“What makes Jesus different from all the other Messiahs our world has to offer?”
“Does a man really have to be born again to see God?”
“Does mere faith in the person and work save a man from God’s wrath?
“Doesn’t He want more from me to secure this salvation?”
Yes, John is going to hit you right between the spiritual eyes, leaving you with an either-or decision about Christ. I’ll be praying for you to make the right eternal choice.
If you’re a Christian approaching this study, then please learn from John and his purpose. Even as he approached 100 years old, he remained focused on one thing: winning souls for Christ! Your goal is not to focus solely on golf, loan closures, game scores, video game purchases, the next weight you’re shooting for on the bench, the latest talk in People Magazine, or the most recent postings on Instagram. No. If you’re a saint, each beat of your heart should be pumping out a love and desire for sharing the wonderful words of life. As I think about the elder John, I can’t help but think of the old hymn He Touched Me. I think John would have loved it:
Verse 1: Shackled by a heavy burden, ‘neath a load of guilt and shame–then the hand of Jesus touched me, and now I am no longer the same.
Verse 2: Since I met this blessed Savior, since He cleansed and made me whole, I will never cease to praise Him–I’ll shout it while eternity rolls.”
Shout what? The power of the gospel in a man’s life:
He touched me, O He touched me, and O the joy that floods my soul; something happened, and now I know, He touched me and made me whole.
Can’t you see an old white-bearded, weathered-skinned man, singing these words? Can you see yourself joining in with him?
Essential #4: The Structure
I don’t know how you put a puzzle together, but I have an inkling I know.
First, you place all the puzzle pieces on the table. Next, you look for all the straight-edge pieces, then position the picture on the lid right in front of you so you can get the big idea of what you are doing.
As you approach a book like John, our approach must be the same if we are to understand how all its pieces fit together to build its magnificent picture of the God-man, Jesus. So, let us set the “lid” before us so we’ll be better equipped to understand this particular spiritual puzzle.
With the opening twelve chapters, John seeks to confirm unequivocally that Jesus is the Messiah, God in the flesh, as prophesied, by showing us the miracles He performed in His public ministry. He also shows in this vast section how His message was opposed by the very ones who were supposed to receive it.
The last half of the book switches to a large amount of information about Jesus’ personal teaching time with the saints, a time designed to prepare them for His soon departure and the coming of the Holy Spirit to fill them. John’s book closes with Christ’s resurrection, demonstrating His divine status, and His final words of counsel to His saints (chapter 21).
Once more, one cannot help but see that the author so arranged his material to convince a non-Christian, be he Jew or Gentile, of the divinity of Jesus Christ and His present position as Savior and Lord of all who come to Him in faith.
Essential #5: The Perspective
The last item we want to study before we step onto the trailhead of John is this: Why are there four gospels? Why didn’t God tell us what He wanted and needed to tell us about His Son’s earthly mission in one book? Why four? Well, I think the answer is simple: God wanted to give us four different viewpoints of how different people saw Jesus. We who love variety should totally understand this point.
J. Sidlow Baxter points out in his great book, Explore the Book, that the gospels reflect Jesus as He is represented in the faces of the cherubim class of angels that surround His magnificent, awe-inspiring throne (Ezek. 1:10; 10:14). Matthew gives us the Messiah-King, reminiscent of the lion of Genesis 49:9-10. Mark introduces us to Jesus as the Servant of all servants, again corresponding to the ox or bull of Ezekiel 1:10. In turn, this animal was known for its profound service. Hence, the Suffering Servant descriptions of the Messiah in Isaiah (Isa. 42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-11; 52:13-53:12) speak directly of Jesus. Luke tells us about the Son of Man, who, in turn, represents the face of the man on the four-faced cherubim. Daniel speaks openly about Him in his prophetic book (Dan. 7:13-14). Lastly, John ushers us into the presence of the Son of God, or the eagle of Ezekiel’s vision. Interesting, isn’t it, how the very angels in God’s presence are reflected not only in the gospels but in the person and work of God’s dear Son, Jesus Christ. Again, the various gospels help us understand more fully who Jesus was and is by giving us these detailed perspectives.
In addition, whereas the first three gospels stand together, John stands alone. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are always linked together and called the synoptic gospels. Why? Synoptic means to see things the same way, and that’s exactly what they do as they look at Jesus. Among these three books, there is considerable overlap in information about the life and ministry of Jesus.
John, conversely, doesn’t see things the same way. His book is highly unusual and different insofar as he includes things the other three don’t address. Here’s a list of new information John gives us about Jesus:
- Jesus as the Creator (John 1).
- Jesus as the “only begotten” of the Father (John 1).
- Jesus as the Lamb of God (John 1).
- Jesus as the great I Am (bread of life, 6:35; light of the world, 8:12; door of the sheep, 10:7, 9; good shepherd, 10:11, 14; resurrection and the life, 11:25; the way, the truth, and the life, 14:6; and the true vine, 15:1, 5).
- Jesus’ miraculous power to turn water to wine, 2:1-11; heal a nobleman’s son, 4:46-54; heal an impotent man at the pool of Bethesda, 5:1-9; give eyesight to a blind man, 9:1-7; raise Lazarus from the dead, 11:17-44; and the massive catch of fish, 21:1-14, at the wrong time of day, I might add.
- Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus (John 3).
- Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well (John 4).
- Jesus and the woman caught in adultery (John 8).
- Jesus washing the disciples’ feet (John 13).
- Jesus’ Upper Room Discourse (John 14-17).
- Jesus’ teaching on the coming of the Comforter (John 14-17).
- Jesus’ High Priestly prayer (John 17).
When all is said and done, over 90% of what John wrote about was new to John. Further, John, more than the synoptic gospels, spends more time on the actual words of Jesus, making sure mankind knew exactly what He said on many occasions so there would be no doubt about His divine identity, the purpose of His divine mission, and what He desires from us.
Again, what are we to make of this from a personal, pragmatic value? Here’s my observation: Jesus wants each of us to share our perspective of what we know about Him to those we meet. Did not Matthew, Mark, Luke, and finally, John do this each in their own way? Yes, that is the answer. Faithfully, they stepped up to the plate and said with their quill pens: “Here is what we understand about the person and work of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and it’s a message we not only want you to hear but to believe for yourself so you might be saved.”
Each Christian sitting in this audience is one of these four men. Each one of you has a story to tell, a perspective of Christ, a snapshot of what Jesus has done in your life. What does God want from you? What answer does John give you? We are latently told through his pen to share what you see of the Messiah! Will you do that? This is what our ol’ sinful world needs. It needs a John to step up to the mic and say, “Let me tell you the story of Jesus Christ in my own words.”
As you might guess, there is much more we could study in this introduction today, but this is enough information to get us on the right footing as we head up the trail into John’s mountains next week.
To make sure we collectively understand the importance of John, I’d like to share a little information about how a suspension bridge is constructed. Tall towers are constructed at various points of the bridge. Over these are draped massive iron cables, secured to the road deck by multiple vertical cables. The large cables are, in turn, secured to massive counterweights buried at each end of the bridge. The weight of the road deck pulls down on the vertical tension cables, and the resulting tension is transferred upward to the towers, keeping the bridge standing securely. This is, of course, a simplified description of a very complex mathematical process; however, this is how bridges like this operate worldwide.
What has this got to do with the book of John? Everything. To appreciate this great book, let us think of the first cable run from the left to the right as the book of Matthew, the second as Mark, and the third as Luke. All of these books combined give us the support we need to prove who Jesus Christ was and is. But it is the book of John, which I’d liken unto the counterweight(s), which makes the whole bridge hang together, thus permitting you and me, the sinners, to cross the chasm of sin, into the Father’s glory.
Let us close today by thanking the Lord for giving us a book of such monumental value. Let us also pray for those whom He will sovereignly bring here in the months ahead, who will come to find that He is, most certainly, “the way, the truth, and the life.”
