Gospel of John Final Exam

PURPOSE of JOHN

John 20:30-31 - That all may believe that Jesus is the eternally divine Son of God, the bringer of light, life, love, truth and true abiding. And that by believing you may have life in His name. Refuting Gnostic heresy.

Place of Writing

likely in Ephesus

DIFFERENCES to SYNOPTICS

No genealogies, structured around feasts, heavy theological focus and includes many new stories and discourses.

AUDIENCE of John

The world in general; that all might believe.

Purpose of the SIGNS in John

Demonstrate that Jesus has complete that which man has no control. His superiority is proof of His deity.

All 8 signs in the Gospel of John - in order

Water into wine, healing of the nobleman’s son, healing of the leper, feeding of the 5000, walking on the water, sight to the blind man, raising of Lazarus, the last catch of fish.

I AM statements (7)

The bread of life, light of the world, the door, the good shepherd, the resurrection and the life, the way, the truth and the life, the true vine.

John 1

Prologue - Deity of the Word made flesh, John bears witness, Jesus calls 2 disciples of John, Simon, Philip and Nathanael

John 2

First sign - Jesus turns water into wine at Cana, FIRST PASSOVER and cleansing of the temple; Jesus knows what is in the heart of man.

John 3

Discourse with Nicodemus - You must be born again! Begins a pattern of man misunderstand spiritual things; John the Baptist magnifies Christ

John 4

Discourse with woman at the well - water of life, Jesus declares Himself as the Messiah. Second sign - healing nobleman’s son (SECOND PASSOVER alluded in 4:35)

John 5

Unnamed feast, third sign - healing impotent invalid, pharisees oppose healing on sabbath. Discourse on Jesus’ claim to be equal with God to raise the dead and judge, witnesses to Jesus.

John 6

13 MONTH GAP and THIRD PASSOVER, fourth sign - feeding of 5000, fifth sign - walking on water, discourse including I AM the bread of life, you must eat my flesh and drink my blood. false disciples desert and Peter declares that Jesus has the words of eternal life.

John 7

Jesus’ brothers go up to the feast. Discourse at the FEAST OF BOOTHS- teaches the crowd and they wonder, Pharisees seek to arrest Jesus. Declaration of living water (the Holy Spirit).

John 8

Forgiving the woman caught in adultery, discourse on I AM the light of the world (feast reference, looked forward to the Messiah’s guiding light as God once did in the wilderness, Jesus claims to fulfill that), and the before Abraham was, I am discourse.

John 9

Sixth sign - healing the man born blind, who testifies before the religious leaders before believing in Jesus as his Lord.

John 10

I AM the Door and the Good Shepherd; he lays down his life for the sheep. Discourse at the Feast of dedication - I and the father are one. They stone him.

John 11

I AM the resurrection and the life, Jesus weeps, The seventh sign - raising Lazarus, the report to the Pharisees and Caiaphas’ prophecy that someone should die for the people.

John 12

FOURTH PASSOVER, Mary anoints Jesus’ feet, Pharisee plot to kill Lazarus, triumphal entry, Greeks seek Jesus and the hour has come. The people do not believe.

John 13

Satan puts betrayal in Judas’ heart, washing the Disciples’ Feet, commanding them to follow in his example, someone will betray, command to love, Peter’s denial predicted.

John 14

Jesus prepares a place, I AM the way the truth and the life, through Christ you have seen the Father, there is a Helper who is coming to manifest Christ to the world through their obedience and to teach them all things

John 15

I AM the Vine, the Father is the vinedresser, he prunes and burns or cultivates and causes to bear fruit, greater love (in Jesus’ example), the world will hate you

John 16

He says these things to keep them from falling away. The Spirit only comes when Jesus goes, sorrow before joy, overcomes the world

John 18

The betrayal and arrest of Jesus, Peter denies Christ once, Annas questions Jesus, Peter denies twice more, Jesus goes before Pilate (high priests want to humiliate Jesus, won’t enter the Praetorium), Jews call for Barabbas to be released

John 19

Jesus is flogged, robed and crowned. Pilate cowers before the Jews who finally reveal WHY they want to kill Jesus. Pilate delivers Jesus to be crucified. He is crucified, his clothes divided and his mother is given to John to protect. Then Jesus dies, he declares that it is finished, his side is pierced. And he is lavishly buried (royal connontations)

John 20

Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb and runs to tell Peter and John, who go as well. Mary sees the angels and then encounters the risen Jesus. She tells the disciples before Jesus appears to them. Thomas is not present and does not believe them. Jesus appears to Thomas 8 days later and he declares, “My Lord and My God.” John tells of the purpose of the book.

John 21 - Epilogue

disciples go fishing, eighth sign -the last catch of fish, Jesus restores Peter and John says that this Gospel is only a small snippet of Jesus' life

Genesis Parallels

CREATION (John 1) - “in the beginning”, Jesus is continuously declared as the pre-existent Word of God made flesh, through which ALL was spoken into creation.

PROVISION (John 6) - Jesus compares Himself as the bread of life with the temporary manna of the wilderness; He is eternal satisfaction and sustenance for man.

GARDEN (John 20) - Adam failed and sinned in the Garden, Jesus conquered death and was raised in the garden.

Author

the Apostle John (eyewitness, appears at the Last Supper) who was in the Inner Circle of Jesus

I AM the bread of life

Ultimate satisfaction and provision; He was the one providing in the wilderness

I AM the light of the world

reference to the first act of creation, He is the glory of God. (Heb. 1:3)

I AM the Door.

He is the only way to salvation.

I AM the good shepherd.

Uniquely good in a way no one else is good, he cares for and tends his sheep.

I AM the resurrection and the life.

the ultimate, eternal life and final triumph.

I AM the way the truth and the life.

He shows the way to true, everlasting life.

I AM the true vine.

The final connection between God and believers.

Witnesses to Christ in Chapter 5

The Father, John the Baptist, His miracles, the Scriptures

Jesus’ arguments in John 5 with the crowd

He has the authority to work as God does, he has the authority in judgement and resurrection life. Four witnesses validate these claims.

Jesus’ arguments in John 7

They accuse him of teaching on the Sabbath and He points out their hypocrisy. Wonder at his lack of teaching. At the last day of the feast, Jesus calls people to come to him and drink of living waters (the Holy Spirit).

Jesus’ arguments in John 8

Whoever walks with him will not walk in darkness, they will be freed from their slavery to sin. Those who are enslaved to sin are children of the devil and not Abraham. Before Abraham was, I AM.

Jesus’ arguments in John 10

False shepherds deceive and harm the sheep, climbing in by another way, but Jesus is the door who provides the way to salvation and the good shepherd who tends and cares for his sheep. At the feast of dedication, Jesus declares that He and the Father are one.