How Is Jesus Portrayed In The Gospel Of John

The Gospel of John

Matthew, Mark, and Luke are the first three Gospels, and the Gospel of John stands out significantly from the others. When compared to the Gospel of John, these three gospels, together referred to as the synoptic gospels, are strikingly similar to one another. In contrast to the ideas found in other early Christian works, the themes found in John stand out. John claims that Jesus is the word of God, a claim that is not found in any other Gospel, and he also refers to him as the creator of the universe, a claim that is not found in any other Gospel.

The words and acts recounted in the book of John are unique to John.

Long discourses and dialogues, as as the discussion with Nicodemus, are peculiar to John’s style of storytelling.

There is also no messianic secret to be discovered.

  • He wishes to make a statement about who he is.
  • The connection between Jesus and Judas is shown very differently in the gospel of John than it is in the gospel of Mark.
  • Jesus was well aware of the events that were about to unfold.
  • Mark’s gospel describes Jesus as being concerned and irritated at many points during his ministry.
  • As a result of the disciples falling asleep in the middle of Jesus’ prayer, Jesus became enraged with them.
  • The next section depicts Jesus’ journey to the site of his death.
  • The next part is about Jesus’ death on the cross.
  • The Gospel of Mark records Jesus’ exclamation, “My God, my God, why have you left me?” In Mark, Jesus does not accept his fate in the same way as he does in John.
  • When Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter, and the beloved disciple saw the empty tomb in the book of John, there were angles seated in the area where Jesus had been, and they were not alarmed by what they discovered.
  • Because they were terrified, they did not inform anybody about what they had witnessed.

In John, those who discover Jesus’ empty tomb and those who see Jesus appear do not dread him in the same way that they do in Mark. If individuals who saw Jesus’ resurrection were terrified, it would be far more difficult to persuade others of his resurrection.

The Story Of The Storytellers – The Gospel Of John

Among the four canonical gospels, the so-called “spiritual gospel,” which portrays Jesus as a “Stranger from Heaven,” distinguishes apart from the others. authored by Marilyn Mellowes “Beginning with the creation of the Word, and with God from the beginning of time, the Word became God. He was there in the beginning with God, and it was through him that all things were created.” The first lines of the fourth gospel’s prologue give a clue as to the nature of this work: it is distinct from the other three synoptic gospels in that it is written in Greek.

  • If Matthew’s Jesus resembles Moses, and Luke’s Jesus like a Greek philosopher or a semi-divine hero, John’s Jesus resembles the Jewish ideal of heavenly Wisdom, and Matthew’s Jesus resembles the Jewish ideal of heavenly Wisdom.
  • This Wisdom, who is shown as a lovely lady, dwelt beside God and took part in the process of creation.
  • However, she was rejected, and as a result, she returned to God.
  • This is a unique characteristic of the Bible.
  • In the gospel of John, there are recurring themes of light and darkness: they are not only literary tactics, but rather methods that provide information about the society for whom John’s gospel was written.
  • As shown by the gospel itself, its adherents were at odds with the disciples of John the Baptist and were going through a difficult process of separating themselves from Judaism.
  • Traditionally, the authorship of the fourth gospel has been attributed to John, the son of Zebedee and an apostle of Jesus, according to tradition.

According to tradition, the city of Ephesus was the site of its composition, while lower Syria or Lebanon are more plausible sites.

The concept of ascension and decline serves as the major motif of this work.

“The Stranger from Heaven,” as Wayne Meeks has described him, is a fictional character.

The believers in John’s community have the ability to look into this spiritual and redemptive universe, whilst their adversaries do not.

The author of John purposefully writes a narrative that may be viewed on two different levels at the same time.

The conflicts between John’s group and its contemporaneous Jewish opponents are purposefully paralleled in this play.

They frequently inquire as to “where you are from?” and “where you are heading.” They believe that Jesus wants to depart overseas, so he reacts by declaring that they are unable to accompany him where he is going.

This narrative explains that the Jews are unable to understand because they are from the darkness, but Jesus and his disciples are from the light: “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this universe, I am not of this universe.” (8:23) The crucifixion of Jesus brings together these ideas of light and darkness, knowing and not knowing, knowledge and not knowing.

  • As with the other gospels, the conclusion is not the conclusion.
  • Thomas continues to have questions about whether or not the man in front of him is indeed Jesus.
  • “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe,” Jesus says in a revealing allusion to people who trust in him.
  • He also provides them with reassurance: “Now, in addition to the signs that Jesus performed in the presence of his followers, which are not recorded in this book.

According to Paula Fredriksen’s writing, “They were able to view themselves as they saw their Savior: alone in the darkness, yet the light of the world.

h2g2 – The Presentation of Jesus in John’s Gospel – Edited Entry

The New Testament of the Bible is primarily comprised of the four gospels, which each present a distinct narrative of the life of Jesus as told by four separate authors. The gospel of John differs significantly from the other three, which were authored by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Because they are identical in style, aim, and theology, these three gospels are together referred to as the synoptic gospels – synoptic meaning’seeing together.’ The author of John’s gospel, who has generally been identified as the Apostle John, took a different approach to the subject matter, however.

Style

The synoptic gospels were written to be historical accounts of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and they were intended to be read as such. The events are documented, the sayings are recorded, and the teachings of Jesus are made available to the entire world. The authors of the synoptic gospels wished to demonstrate that Jesus was the Messiah of Jewish anticipation, as well as to demonstrate how He interacted with people on the planet. – AE Harvey & Associates, Inc. They are willing to just document Jesus’ life and activities, believing that this will be sufficient evidence to persuade others of his status as the Messiah.

  1. Although he wishes for his audience to see Jesus as the Messiah of Jewish anticipation, he also wishes for them to recognize Jesus as an inherent aspect of the created cosmos from the very beginning of time.
  2. He wishes to draw attention to Jesus’ divinity.
  3. There are several places in the Bible where the disciples themselves reflect on Jesus, his life, and its relationship to the Hebrew Scriptures, such as the following: It was his followers who remembered that it is written, ‘Zeal for your home will devour me,’ according to John 2:17.
  4. – John 12:16 (NIV)

Structure

When comparing the structural similarities and differences between John’s gospel and the synoptic gospels, one of the most noticeable discrepancies is that John both omits material that is found in the synoptic gospels and adds additional material that is not found in Matthew, Mark, or Luke. Some notable absences from the Bible include Jesus’ temptation by Satan, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Sermon on the Mount. The content from John chapters 2 – 4 as well as the resurrection of Lazarus have been included as additions (John 11:1 – 12:19).

A prologue and an epilogue are used by John to sandwich a primary narrative structure centered on the introduction of and development on new, essential ideas between two sections of text. Scholar Stephen Smalley asserts that the book is broken into four sections, which are as follows:

  1. A prologue (Chapter 1)
  2. A series of lectures, signs, and sayings (Chapters 2 – 12)
  3. And a conclusion. 13 – 20: The Passion story (Jesus’ trial and crucifixion). In the epilogue (Chapter 21), we say

The author claims that each section of the gospel is deliberately chosen by John in order to illustrate the relevance of Jesus as a human being.

Theology and Christology in John’s Gospel

Theology and Christology1 are two different things. In John’s gospel, the level of sophistication or complexity is believed to be far higher than that of the synoptic gospels. When you compare the beginning of John’s gospel with the beginnings of the synoptic gospels, you will notice a significant divergence in theology and style. Although Jesus is depicted as thelogos (the pre-existent and divine), the synoptic writers present him in an earthly environment – with his birth (Matthew and Luke), orbaptism (Mark), and death (Mark).

The Word, orLogos

Beginning with the creation of the Word, and with God from the beginning of time, the Word became God. He was in the beginning with God, according to John 1:1-2. John 1:14 says that the Word became human and made his residence among us. The concept of Jesus as the Word initially occurs in the first chapter of John’s gospel, which is sometimes seen as a prologue to the remainder of the book of John. In terms of the way in which John utilizes it to establish the divinity of Jesus and His place in the cosmos, the prologue might be thought of as a smaller version of John’s gospel.

  • (verse 51).
  • Literature of Wise Advice (Psalms and Proverbs).
  • Throughout the Bible, Jesus is proved to have existed with God from the beginning of time.
  • Old Testament/Hebrew Bible: According to the Hebrew Bible God created the universe by speaking words into existence.
  • These beliefs would have most likely been picked up on by the Jewish readers of John’s gospel, and they would have served to cement their belief in Jesus’ divinity.

Greek thinking placed a high value on the notion of logos, which encompassed much more than the concept of a “word” in the sense that we would understand it in English: That which gave order and shape to the process of thinking was articulate thought, any logical and meaningful utterance; that which gave proportion in mathematics, rational intelligibility in the study of nature, an ordered account of human affairs were all examples of what was meant by articulate thought.

It was virtually the same as the word ‘rationality.’ – AE Harvey & Associates, Inc.

Furthermore, it seems probable that the Stoics’ usage of the word logos had begun to be utilized in everyday conversation by the average Greek speaker, whether or not he or she was familiar with the principles of Stoicism in general.

Glory

One of the ways in which John attempts to explain Jesus’ divinity and the relationship that exists between Jesus and God is through the concept of Jesus’ splendor, which is used throughout the book of Revelation. Glory is considered as the external manifestation of God’s strength from a theological perspective. God is unseen, yet his splendor expresses itself on earth in the form of natural disasters like as storms, fires, and earthquakes, among other things. For example, in Exodus 13:21, God manifests himself as a pillar of fire, and in Exodus 24:17, ‘the glory of the LORD’ is described as resting on Mount Sinai’like a consuming fire,’ as if it were a consuming fire.

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It appears that he is there with God, and the notions of him being present from the beginning of creation and even being the “cause” that directs creation reveal him to be magnificent – just as magnificent as John’s Jewish audience would have considered God to be.

A excellent indication of one manner in which John’s picture of Jesus differs from the synoptic gospels is seen in this reference to his splendor at this point in the narrative, which may be found in other places throughout the gospel.

In numerous other passages of John’s gospel, Jesus speaks of his impending death in glory, saying: “Father, the hour has come.” John 17:1 says, “Glorify the Son so that the Son may glorify you.” ‘The hour has arrived for the Son of Man to be exalted,’ Jesus responded, according to John 12:23.

Messiah

When translated into Greek, the Hebrew term moshiach (Messiah), which means anointed, is rendered as Christos (Christ), which means the anointed one. It is most often used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to kings who were anointed with oil as part of their coronation procedures, which are described in detail here (see Judges 9:8-15, 2 Samuel 5:3, etc). These monarchs were given the title “the Lord’s anointed” because they were chosen by the Lord (see for example 1 Samuel 2:10). Eventually, the phrase evolved to be used less to refer to real current kings and more to refer to a hoped-for future monarch whose reign would be characterized by security, justice, and peace, rather than actual existing kings (see, for example Isaiah 11:1-5, 32:1) – John F.

Sawyer is an American author and journalist.

He is crucified in the role of an earthly king — the so-called King of the Jews – and he dies in this role (John 19:19).

The identity of Jesus is kept a secret throughout the synoptic gospels.

The identify of Jesus as the Messiah, on the other hand, is revealed quite early on in the gospel of John. In John 4:26, Jesus expresses his belief that he is the Messiah. According to John, he wrote the gospel in order for people to believe that Jesus is the Christ, or the Messianic figure (20:31).

Salvation

Though the concept of redemption via the Kingdom of God appears throughout the synoptic gospels, it does not appear to be an overarching subject in John’s gospel. The word “kingdom of God” appears just twice in the gospel of Matthew (3:3). John is more concerned with redemption via eternal life than with anything else. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to rescue the world through him, as John 3:17 demonstrates. in order for you to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and in order for you to have life in his name- John 20:31

Eschatology

“Eschatology” refers to the branch of systematic theology that is concerned with the ultimate fate of both the human soul and mankind as a whole, according to EA Livingstone. With the completion of John’s gospel, the eschatology presented therein comes to pass. By hearing Jesus’ words and believing in him, those who do so are granted eternal life:.whoever hears my word and trusts him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.- John 5:24 On the other hand, in other portions of John’s gospel, and even later in the same chapter of John’s gospel, the concept of future eschatological is the order of the day.

As previously stated, Christ is scheduled to return to earth in the future, and it is at that time that individuals will be judged: “a time is coming, and it has already come, when those who have died will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” – John 5:25 (New International Version) .

– John 5:28-29 It is possible to alleviate some of the tension that exists between these two divergent ‘eschatologies,’ the realized and the future.

However, there is now more to the concept of life as opposed to the concept of death.

The death that Jesus speaks of is a miserable type of existence on this planet, as Jesus explains it.

The Signs, Sayings and Discourses

There are six incidents in John’s gospel that are regarded to be signs, and they are used to demonstrate that God and Jesus are essentially related. These six events are known as the signs. They will be provided in the next section in tabular format. According to John himself, the objective of writing down the signals was so that people would believe and be rescued from the consequences of their actions. Researchers believe the indications are linked to specific and significant’sayings,’ or Christological declarations that Jesus makes about himself, which are themselves contained in and explained by ‘discourses, with other characters in the narrative,’ according to the scholars.

The link between the signs, sayings, and discourses is illustrated in the table below, which also includes a brief summary of the meaning that academics feel may be attributed to each set of connected texts from the gospel of Matthew.

Signs Sayings Discourse Interpretation
Jesus turnswaterintowine(2:1-11) ‘I am the true vine’ (15:1) Discussion between Jesus and Nicodemus (3:1-31) The use of wine could be seen as a reference to the Eucharist
Jesus heals the officer’s son (4:46-54) Discussion between Jesus and theSamaritanwoman about what is meant by water (4:4-26) Jesus as the water of life. Jesus gives life – if you believe, you will have life. The officer believes in the words of Jesus (verse 50) and his son is healed.
Jesus heals the crippled man (5:2-15) ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life’ (14:6) Discussion between Jesus and the Jewish authorities (5:16-47) Jesus as life giver
Jesus feeds the 5,000 (6:1-15) ‘I am the bread of life’ (6:35) Jesus is referred to as thebreadand water of life – analogy of Jesus as bread and wine
Jesus heals the man born blind (9:1-7) ‘I am the light of the world’ (8:12) Discussion between Jesus and the Jewish authorities. Antagonism between Jesus and thePharisees(9:35-41 onwards) Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)- light. The blind man is led to ‘enlightenment’
Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead (11:41-44) ‘I am the sheep gate’ (10:7)/’I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.’ (10:11) ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ (11:25) Discussion of Jesus as the shepherd of Israel (chapter 10) Reference to the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Conclusion

The author employs the style, structure, and substance of John’s gospel to support John’s theology, and especially his Christology, in order to make his point. John wishes for his audience to recognize Jesus for who he believes he is: the Messiah of Jewish anticipation, but far more so, the bringer of eternal life, the divine saviour, as John believes he is. It is not just Jesus as John saw him that is shown in John’s gospel, but also John as a man who is straining to portray the enormity of what Jesus’ arrival means to mankind that is presented in John’s gospel.

John wants his readers to have a complete knowledge of who Jesus is, and he does not hold back from utilizing highly developed ideas to aid them in their comprehension.

Further Reading

Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1972. Harvey, A.E., The New English Bible Companion to the Gospels (New English Bible Companion to the Gospels). Evangelical Alliance (EA) and The Oxford Concise Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford University Press: Oxford) published by Oxford University Press in 1996. “The Oxford Companion to the Bible,” Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1993; Metzger, B., and Coogan, MD (editors). Paternoster Press: Carlisle, 1998. Smalley, S.S., John: Evangelist and Interpreter, Paternoster Press: Carlisle, 1998.

3 That is, everlasting life after death, as well as the fullness of life right now and in the future.

The Jesus Portrait in the Gospel of John

During one of their songs, the songwriter ofSanctus Real expresses his amazement at having seen the face of Jesus on stained-glass windows and represented in a thousand various ways, yet he continues to be perplexed as to what Jesus is like. In the study of Jesus, there are many various depictions of Jesus found in both canonical and apocryphal Jesus literature, which is why it is important to be open-minded when studying Jesus. When confronted with such a wide range of variations in stories, it is understandable that a desire to find a single, consistent picture of Jesus across all sources arises.

We want to recognize that each source concerning Jesus is an individual “picture” of Jesus and as such, each source has its own personality.

John’s gospel is distinguished by three distinctive characteristics, which will be discussed in detail: the explicit claims about Jesus’ divinity, the highly interpretative style of writing, and the text’s inward-focus.

John’s Gospel (also known as the Gospel of John) is a book written by the apostle John.

Given its status as an official Christian text by the Church, the Gospel of John is now widely regarded as a normative Christian text by many Christians, as evidenced by the popularity of verses such as Jn 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (NIV)” and Jn 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life.

  1. While evidence shows that John’s gospel was well received by more ‘orthodox’ or mainstream Christian societies when it was originally written and spread, other evidence implies that it was not so welcomed.
  2. While reading John’s gospel, readers have discovered substantial disparities between it and the other three Gospels of Mark, Luke, and Matthew.
  3. It is because of this that Mark, Luke, and Matthew have been ‘grouped’ asSynopticgospels (meaning ‘to be examined together’), while John’s gospel has been referred to as the’spiritual gospel,’ respectively (Nickle, 2001).
  4. These include the author’s presentation of Jesus’ divinity as well as the author’s use of a highly interpretive style of writing.
  5. It opens with the words, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with the Father, and the Word was God.” The Prologue continues, The Bible states that “He was in the beginning with God.” Later, it states that “the Word became man and established his residence among us” (Jn 1:14).
  6. Examples include the passage from Ps 33:6, which describes the heavens as having been created ‘by the word of the Lord” (Need, 2007: 7).
  7. It accomplishes this by clearly establishing the “proper viewpoint” on Jesus’ divinity and by serving as a “lens through which the reader is expected to perceive the chapters that follow” (Prologue) (Stanton, 1989: 113).
  8. This is in contrast to the Synoptic gospels, in which Jesus “rarely makes overt claims about his own significance but instead focuses on the teachings on God,” according to the New International Version (Stanton, 1989: 105).
  9. The usage of “I am” statements by Jesus in John’s gospel is a clear message that Jesus recognizes himself as God and intends for others to recognize him in the same way.
  10. In response, Jesus declares, “I am he” (which means “I am” in Hebrew), causing his captors to fall to the ground.
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When Jesus informs Nicodemus in John 3:3, he is saying the following: “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he has been born again.” Nicodemus then inquires as to how one may be physically reborn again, providing Jesus with the chance to elaborate on his point of view for the remainder of the chapter.

  • “Jesus in the gospel of John is difficult to rebuild as a historical person, because his role in the gospel is in full voice, providing well developed theological soliloquies about himself,” writes Fredriksen (1998:n.p.).
  • “Behold, the Lamb of God who wipes away the sin of the world!” exclaims John the Baptist as he first sees Jesus, which occurs quite early in the gospel account.
  • Therefore, Jesus does not partake in the Passover dinner because he is not present at the Passover feast and his crucifixion occurs during the Passover.
  • Like the Prologue, the author appears to be less concerned in collecting Jesus tales and more interested in offering symbolic interpretations of their meaning and importance, which is similar to the Prologue.
  • According to the textual analysis, this Johannine community was a faith group of Jesus-followers who felt isolated from the Jewish synagogue, other Jesus communities, and the rest of society in general, according to the text.
  • According to John’s gospel, the new commandment is exclusive, and members are expected to “love one another” in their society as well as within themselves (Jn 13:34).
  • Because there are no discourses on marriage and divorce in the Johannine community and no discourses about other modern difficulties, it is possible that the Johannine community was more concerned with issues pertaining to the cohesiveness and identity of their group (Stanton, 1989).
  • In the opinion of scholars, the Johannine community in Northern Palestine felt neglected by the Jesus groups in the region.

Callaham explains this by stating that the gospels were written from “various points of view and distinct strata of Palestinine society.” It appears that the Jerusalem-based Johannine group felt excluded and rejected by the Northern Palestinian Jesus communities in Galilee who followed the Synoptic gospels, as opposed to the Synoptic communities.

In John’s gospel, on the other hand, Jesus begins his career in Jerusalem and appears to spend a greater amount of time there than he does in Galilee.

In the Jewish tradition, disagreements among the various communities were not unusual, and each gospel writer wrote for his or her own “social strata of people and their problems” (Callaham, 1998; Fredriksen, 1998).

It has been suggested by Fredriksen (1998) that the Johannine community was in the process of “creating its own identity in relation to the synagogue just across the street.” After receiving harsh criticism from the Jews on a number of occasions, the latter respond by picking up stones and attempting to stone Jesus.

When Jesus inquires of ‘the Jews’ about whether they are stoning him because of the miracles he has performed, they respond, “We are not stoning you for any of them.

The verses Jn 6:53 and Jn 6:54 provide more proof of the Jewish people’s animosity toward Jesus.

In view of the dietary limitations imposed by the Torah, Jesus had the audacity to talk of drinking blood, which would have been offensive to ‘the Jews.’ For example, according to White (1998), “John’s gospel gives witness to a Christianity that is moving away from the Jewish tradition.” However, there is disagreement not just between the Johannine community and other Jesus communities, but also between Jesus followers and those who identify as ‘the Jews’ inside the Johannine community, as previously stated.

  1. Jn 15:18-25 contains a series of ‘farewell talks’ by Jesus, which suggests that the Johannine community as a whole felt persecuted by the world in general (Stanton, 1989).
  2. The gospel of John contains no ‘agony scene’ in which Jesus looks to suffer.
  3. Furthermore, although the proclamation of God’s kingdom is at the center of Jesus’ message in the other gospels, the word ‘kingdom’ appears just three times in John’s gospel: in Jn 3:3, 5, and 18:36,38, respectively.
  4. Other scholars, on the other hand, are skeptical of the Gnostic argument because the text does not contain any references to the Gnostic concept of salvation.
  5. Simply put: each of the gospel authors has specific issues that he must address, certain questions that he must answer, and specific crises that he must traverse (Callaham, 1998: n.p.).

To be more specific, this essay discussed the unique way in which John’s gospel establishes Jesus’ divinity explicitly from the outset and throughout the text, employs a highly interpretative style of writing, and was most likely written for an inward-focused community of believers, among other things.

  1. If every source of information about Jesus is a ‘picture,’ and we are seeking to understand who Jesus was and who Jesus is, the Gospel of John is merely one stained-glass window amid a plethora of other stained-glass windows.
  2. D.
  3. D.
  4. D.
  5. The gospel of John and John’s feelings about Jerusalem.
  6. Fredriksen’s article dated June 5, 2010 was retrieved (1998).
  7. (2010).

(1998).

On June 5, 2010, I was able to obtain information from S.

Need, S.

Need, S.

Need (2007).

Nickle, K.

A brief introduction to the synoptic gospels, published by Westminster John Knox Press in London.

G. N. Stanton, ed (1989). Oxford University Press published The Gospels and Jesus in New York. White, M. L., et al (1998). The spiritual message of the gospel. On June 5, 2010, I was able to obtain information from

Book of John Overview – Insight for Living Ministries

It should come as no surprise that the gospel of John never mentions the author’s name. Such identifications were not made in any of the other three gospels of the Bible, which is also a surprise. Two key factors, on the other hand, point to John as the author as being the one who wrote it. On top of everything else, the author of the book is explicitly identified as being the disciple whom Jesus cherished. For three reasons, this description pointed to John: the author had to be one of the twelve disciples because he was an eyewitness to the events in the gospel (John 21:24); he was probably one of the inner circle of three disciples (James, John, and Peter) because he was among the first to tell Mary about the resurrection (20:1–10); and this disciple is distinguished from Peter in the book, because James died too soon after the resurrection to be the author.

John’s authorship is also supported by the unified testimony of early Christians, including the second-century Christian Irenaeus, who said that John was the disciple “whom Jesus loved” (13:23) and the author of the gospel, and that he was the disciple who placed his head on Jesus’s bosom.

Where are we?

In Christian tradition, John’s gospel has traditionally been referred to as the fourth gospel, indicating that it was written after the previous three gospels were completed. Polycarp, a second-century Christian martyr who knew John personally, told Irenaeus that the apostle had written the book while serving the church at Ephesus, according to Polycarp. These considerations lead us to believe that John authored the book between AD 85 and AD 95.

Why is John so important?

Because John did not include the birth account in his gospel, he began his book by tracing the history of humanity even further back in time than usual. With the use of Genesis 1:1’s phrase of “in the beginning,” the apostle John established a clear connection between the essence of God and that of the Word, Jesus Christ. The focus on Christ’s Godhead is one of the most remarkable characteristics of John’s gospel. Furthermore, it is evident throughout the book, most notably in John 8:58, when Jesus claimed the divine name—”I am”—for Himself, prompting an enraged crowd of Jews to attempt to murder Him for blasphemy.

What’s the big idea?

Jesus is depicted as the Son of God by John, in contrast to the other three gospels which present him as King of Kings, Servant of Kings, and Son of Man, respectively. The apostle John expressed his point of view more succinctly than any of the other gospel writers. he wrote in order for his readers to “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,” and in order for them to be able to enjoy life in His name (John 20:31). John’s gospel, in order to achieve this goal, presents a riveting and distinctive portrait of Jesus Christ, one that is completely consistent with those depicted in the other three gospel accounts, but one that also significantly contributes to the revelation of Jesus Christ, the God-man, as revealed in the Bible.

There are seven “I am” statements made by Jesus, in which He refers to Himself as such things as “the Light of the world” (8:12), “the resurrection and the life” (11:25), and “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

Much of John’s gospel (chapters 2–12) may be referred to as “the Book of Signs,” because it chronicles Jesus’ performance of seven separate miracles, including the turning of water into wine at Cana and the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead at Bethany, among other things.

These miracles serve to demonstrate His divine nature as the Son of God.

How do I apply this?

The fact that Jesus is the divine Son of God distinguishes Him from every other human being who has ever lived. He bears with Him the transcendence that can only be found in the presence of God Himself. As a result, His labor on our behalf ensures that we will live forever. In contrast to the limited effect of animal offerings in the Old Testament, Christ’s death on the cross has everlasting ramifications because He is God, whereas animal sacrifices had only a temporary effect. Jesus, the God-man, has atoned for our sins by dying on the cross.

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For readers of John’s gospel, the question is a straightforward, if momentous, one: Do you believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God?

Jesus is the Son of God. Proof From the Gospel of John

According to the Gospel of John, the fundamental focus is the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. One of the most striking examples of this is the method in which John builds a case for Christ’s deity from the very first verse all the way to the very conclusion of this book. According to John’s gospel, “In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God” (In the beginning, the Word was with God) (John 1:1). This assertion argues that Christ has always been one with God and will continue to be so throughout eternity.

  • A part of him desires for the non-believing person, particularly the Jew, to come to the knowledge and faith necessary to accept that Jesus was God Himself, sent as the Messiah to dwell among His people (John 1:14).
  • ” The Gospel of John refers to God as “the son (of God)” twenty-nine times and refers to God as “Father” more than one hundred times.
  • When it comes to the Gospel of John, it stands apart from the other synoptic Gospels because of the way it emphasizes this point.
  • Christ existed prior to the creation of humanity, demonstrating His divinity.

As stated in John chapter 8:48-59, Jesus is described as speaking to Abraham concerning His preexistence, referring to Himself in the same language or using the same term for Himself as God refers to Himself in Exodus chapter 3:14 – “I Am.” This guy claiming deity or equality with God, as well as the fact that He talked with confidence about His oneness with the Father, are all things that Jews abhor.

  1. His words were: “Truly, truly, I tell to you that before Abraham was, I Am” (John 8:58).
  2. He prays: “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed” (John 17:5).
  3. His words in this chapter were on the Father’s love for Him, which existed before the creation of the universe (John 17:24).
  4. No one will ever be good enough to assuage God’s wrath, and it is for this reason that God had to offer His own son as a sacrifice to atone for mankind’s transgressions against Him.
  5. He had no choice but to send the pre-existent Christ into the world in order to bear the weight of God’s anger on our behalf, and He did so because He cared about us.
  6. As a result, we might conclude that Jesus Christ, the second part of the Trinity, came to earth to take on a human nature while maintaining his divine character in all other respects.
  7. In the same way that an earthly son will frequently resemble his earthly parent, the same is true of Christ resembling the Heavenly Father in appearance.

The purpose of Jesus’ presence to mankind was to unveil the things of the Father to our darkened hearts and thoughts (John 1:18).

His divine nature was further demonstrated by His moral conduct while on earth.

He never failed to meet God’s expectations or fell short of God’s standard of holiness.

To be our sacrifice and entire propitiation, Christ had to be perfect in every manner, and he had to be perfect in order to do so.

His sinlessness was demonstrated by the fact that he flawlessly followed the Father throughout his whole life (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38; 7:28), including his entry into the world in the first place (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38; 7:28).

We also witnessed Jesus demonstrate additional heavenly characteristics that can only be attributed to the Almighty.

By accomplishing several miracles, such as the transformation of water into wine in John 2:1–11, Christ demonstrated His omnipotence, among other things.

In John 1:48, Jesus describes how he was able to observe Nathaniel under the fig tree despite being a long distance away.

(See also John 6:64.) After Jesus Christ’s earthly career ended, those who were with him, particularly the disciples, expressed their belief that Christ was all-knowing by saying, “now we know that you know all things” (John 16:30).

No one other than God Himself, via His own Son, would have been capable of bearing such a burden or accepting such a duty.

This form of assertion affirms his royal authority over the souls of all men.

Jesus also claimed to be immortal and to have the ability to control death.

It is clear from John’s explanation that He was not referring to the temple built with stones in Jerusalem, but rather to the temple within his own body.

In order to placate His own wrath, God is the only one who has the sovereign ability to take away life and do so in the process.

His Supernatural Ability was a physical manifestation of his heavenly origin.

He never did anything without the Father’s permission (John 5:19), including doing supernatural activities that only God was capable of performing.

For whatever the Father does, the Son will do in like manner” (John 5:19).

In the eleventh chapter of John, we witness Him bringing the dead back to life.

He also displayed a diving ability to restore in chapters 4, 5, and 9.

These two actions, in particular – providing life and awarding forgiveness or punishment – are only activities that God Himself is capable of performing perfectly.

He used a tiny amount of food to feed almost five thousand people, demonstrating that he has the divine ability to produce and multiply (John 6:1-14).

All of these deeds are evidence that He was God Himself, and as He explains in John chapters 5, 9, and 10, it is the Father’s acts, including judgment, that are being carried out through Him as Son.

In order to communicate the level of friendship he enjoyed with Christ, John detailed his closeness with Christ as the beloved disciple in the Gospel of John.

The apostle John describes Jesus as being “in the heart of the Father” (John 1:18), which means that He knew the Father as intimately as anybody could possible know him. Three characteristics of Christ’s closeness with the Father should be noticed in the Gospel of John, and they are as follows:

  1. He was aware of the Father and of His will. His actions were not taken without the Father’s approval or prodding, as we have seen in earlier chapters. Throughout His earthly ministry, He claimed equality with God (John 6:45–47
  2. 8:55
  3. 15:15)
  4. He shared in all things with the Father (John 6:45–47
  5. 15:15). In John 16:15, Christ declared, “I have taken all that the Father has given me.” Because they were one, there were no exceptions to the Father’s sharing of his thoughts and feelings with the Son. The Father granted him particular access and influence into the souls of men and those who were reconciled to Him via Christ (John 6:37)
  6. As a result, He had extraordinary access and influence with the Father. There were no boundaries to what Jesus might ask of the Father in terms of prayer. This is due to the fact that their wills are aligned and that they are of same mind in every regard. When Jesus replied, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will accomplish, so that the Father may be exalted in the Son,” He described how He gained access to the Father and how we should ask for everything we desire out of confidence in Him. “If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13)
  7. “If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14)

All of these traits of Jesus Christ in His connection with the Father are merely attributes of Jesus Christ. Despite the fact that we are His adopted offspring, our relationship with God does not have the same characteristics. According to John, Jesus is the “only” Son of God who is the only real Son (John 1:14, 18; 3:16). The disciples or Christ’s followers are never referred to as “sons” or addressed as “father” in the gospel of John, nor do they ever refer to God as “father.” This is done on purpose by the author, who refers to Jesus as the only begotten Son of God in his description of Jesus.

Jesus Christ was the messiah who had been spoken of by the prophets, and He came to earth in order to reconcile man to God as the ultimate atonement for sin.

Hundreds of prophesies were fulfilled immediately upon His arrival and during His life.

The Jews, as well as God’s own creation, were seen to have rejected the Messiah who had been sent, as recorded in John 1:11.

All three of John’s gospels (11:11, 8:58, and 14:9) testify of His divine character and eternal life.

As we read in John 18, we see that Caiaphas hurried the death penalty procedure for Jesus, stating in doing doing, “one man would die for his people” (v.14), and thereby fulfilling prophecy.

According to the Gospel of John, all of these things are predicted in prophecy in the Old Testament and subsequently fulfilled by Christ as reported in the New Testament.

This is possibly one of the most impressive demonstrations of Christ’s deity that anyone has ever witnessed.

Jesus did not just partially fulfill a handful of predictions, but He completely fulfilled every single prophecy that God had stated about Him, and He will return again in the future to fully fulfill all of the end-time prophesies that have been made regarding His return.

The proclamation of this gospel compel the reader to make a decision regarding his or her religious affiliation.

The only thing that God requires of us in order to be saved and receive the gift of everlasting life is that we believe in the Son of God.

If we accomplish this, we shall be saved (John 5:34) and will receive the gift of life (John 10:10).

It is the divine presence of Christ, who has come into our life now via the power of the Holy Spirit to share our experiences (John 6:40, 47: 20:31).

I believe that He is the source of life (see 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3) and the sustainer of life (see 1 Corinthians 8:6).

He is the ruler of certain people right now and of everyone in the future (Matt.

14:9; Rev 1:5).

Scripture asserted that Christ was totally divine, and to interpret Scripture in any other manner would be to portray Scripture as gibberish and wrong.

Howard Marshall have published a paper in Science.

Grudem, Wayne A.

“Chapter 26: The Person of Christ.” Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1992. 774. Print. An introduction to biblical theory is provided through systematic theology. pp. 547-549 in Inter-Varsity Press, Leicester, United Kingdom, 1994. Grudem, p. 548 (printable version). Page 775 of Green’s book

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