The Gospel of John

Pastor Jason Armold

• John’s intention is stated with perfect clarity:
“but these (signs) are written that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that believing you may have life in His
name.” (20:31)
• Belief in the Son who came from the Father.
• Written around 85 A.D. – 90 A.D. last of the
four gospels to be written
• The Gospel of John is a powerful presentation
and a persuasive argument for the deity of
Christ.
• Believing that Jesus is the Son of God, the
Savior of the world, is the beginning of eternal
life. (3:14-17)
• This is why John is a must read for the people
we are trying to reach, and the new believer!
• The first three gospels center on Jesus’ ministry in
Galilee. John centers his gospel on what Jesus said and
did in Jerusalem.
• Each of the gospels emphasizes a different origin if
Jesus:
– Matthew shows Jesus came from Abraham through David,
and demonstrates that He is the Messiah promised in the
Old Testament (Matthew 1:1-17).
– Mark shows Jesus came from Nazareth, demonstrating
that Jesus is a Servant (Mark 1:9).
– Luke shows Jesus came from Adam, demonstrating that
Jesus is the Perfect Man (Luke 3:23-38).
– John shows Jesus came from heaven, demonstrating that
Jesus is God.
• Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the
synoptic gospels. Synoptic means “see-
together” and the first three gospels present
Jesus’ life in pretty much the same format.
The first three gospels focus more on what
Jesus taught and did; John focuses more on
who Jesus is.
• John shows us who Jesus is by highlighting seven
signs (miracles) of Jesus. Six of these miracles are
not mentioned in the first three gospels.
– Water into wine (2:1-12)
– Heals the officials son in Capernaum (4:43-54)
– Heals a paralytic man (5:1-47)
– Feeds five thousand (6:1-15)
– Walks on water (6:16-21)
– Heals a man born blind (9:1-41)
– Brings Lazarus back to life (11:1-57)
• John shows us who Jesus is by allowing Jesus to
speak for Himself in seven dramatic I AM
statements.
– The Bread of life (6:35,41,48,51)
– The Light of the world (8:12; 9:5)
– The door for the sheep (10:7,9)
– The good Shepherd (10:11,14)
– The resurrection and the life (11:25)
– The way, the truth, and the life (14:6)
– The true vine (15:1,5)
• Parallel these statements with Exodus 3:14.
14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And
He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of
Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
Jesus did not say He gave bread, He said He is the
bread that gives life.
Jesus did not say He would teach the way, the truth
and the life; He said He is the Way, the Truth and
the Life!
These were Jesus’ clear claims to deity: He was not
a mere man!
• John 1:1-5 (New King James Version)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word

was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He

was in the beginning with God. 3 All things
were made through Him, and without Him
nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him
was life, and the life was the light of men. 5
And the light shines in the darkness, and the
darkness did not comprehend it.
• Word – logos – “the Personal Word”, a title of the Son of
God; declaring His distinct and superfinite Personality and
His relation in the Godhead (not mere company, but the
most intimate communion) vv. 1,2
• His creative power v.3
• His incarnation (“became flesh”, expressing His voluntary
act), the reality and totality of His human nature, and His
glory, shekinah (the visible manifestation of the presence of
God) glory, in open manifestation v.14
• Consummates the identification: “the only-begotten Son”
v.18
• This fulfills the significance of the title “Logos”, the “Word”
the personal manifestation, not of a part of the divine
nature, but of the whole deity
• The Greek philosophers saw the logos as the
power which puts sense into the world, making
the world orderly instead of chaotic. The logos
was the power that set the world in perfect order
and kept it going in perfect order. They saw the
logos as the “Ultimate Reason” that controlled all
things.
• John says to both Jews and Greeks: “For centuries
you’ve been talking, thinking, and writing about
the Word (the logos). Now I will tell you who HE
is.”
• Vv. 1-5
– Jesus is eternal
– Jesus is a person distinct from God the Father, and yet
one with Him
– Jesus is very God
– Jesus is the Creator of ALL things
– Jesus is the source of all spiritual life and light

Creation of light was the beginning of the original

creation (Genesis 1:3) so when believers receive the
light, they become part of the new creation (2 Cor.
4:3-6)
• V.3a “without Him nothing was made that was
made.”
• The Word created all things. Therefore He
Himself is an uncreated being. Colossians 1:16
16 For by Him all things were created that are in

heaven and that are on earth, visible and

invisible, whether thrones or dominions or
principalities or powers. All things were created
through Him and for Him.
• V.4 “In Him was life” the Word is the source of all
life. The ancient Greek word translated life is zoe,
which means “the principle life,” not bios, which
means biological life. This life is “the light of
men”, speaking of spiritual life as well as natural
life. The Word doesn’t contain life and light; HE is
life and light.
• Without Jesus, we are dead and in darkness. We
are lost. Hence man’s fear of death and darkness.
• V.5 “And the light shines in the darkness, and the
darkness did not comprehend it.”
• Comprehend can also be translated did not
overcome. The light can not lose against the
darkness; the darkness will never overcome it!

• This is the message we need to take to a lost and

dying world. The message of a personal God,
who has revealed Himself to sinful man, in order
that man may be reconciled to God by His dear
Son, Jesus Christ.