John

About John

John tells the story of Jesus differently from the other three Gospels, beginning not in Bethlehem but in eternity: the Word who was with God and was God became flesh and lived among us. Built around seven signs and a series of 'I am' sayings, the book was written, John says plainly, so that readers may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and have life in His name. It is the Bible's deepest sustained answer to the question of who Jesus really is.

Written by

Church tradition attributes this Gospel to the apostle John; the book itself credits an unnamed 'disciple whom Jesus loved,' and scholars continue to discuss exactly who that was.

When

Most scholars date John to around AD 80 to 100, making it likely the last of the four Gospels to be written.

Themes

• The Word became flesh
• Believing and eternal life
• The 'I am' sayings
• Light, life, and love
• Signs that reveal Jesus' glory

Key verses

• John 1:14The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
• John 3:16For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
• John 20:30-31Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. 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.