Introduction to the Gospel of John

The gospel of John is the favorite of many people. It is the most unique of the 4 gospels. John does not have accounts of Jesus birth, baptism or temptation. John is the only gospel to include stories of the wedding at Cana, Nicodemus and the women at the well. These are only a few of the items that make John unique. The result is that John has received a lot of attention in modern Biblical scholarship. This blog will not go into those debates. Instead I will focus on how John speaks to us at Grace Lutheran Church in 2012.

I will refer to some aspects of the scholarship when it impacts how we understand John. For example, there is often an attempt to harmonize the 4 gospels into one. I agree with those who say that each gospel is unique for a reason. Each writer bears a unique witness to the work of Jesus Christ. When they differ from one another it is for a theological reason. John’s uniqueness is not a contradiction to the other gospels. It is a unique witness to the work of Jesus Christ on earth. We need not explain the differences, We should hear the differences as a more complete witness of the incredible things God has done for us in Christ.

That brings me to a second point. The gospel is not a biography. Not one of the 4 writers attempted to write a chronological account of the events in Jesus life. The gospels are a testimony to the meaning of Jesus life. The “truth” of the gospels does not come from their historical accuracy. It comes from their faithful witness of what God has done for us in Jesus. That is not to say that the events written about in the gospels did not happen. It is t say that the order they are written in and the way they are told is for an accurate theology not an accurate chronology. Hence, I will not try to figure out whether Jesus cleared the Temple at the beginning of his public ministry as it does in John or at the end as in Matthew, Mark and Luke. I will only ask what the clearing of the Temple means placed where it is in the book of John.

I hope that you will enjoy this journey through the gospel of John.

Outline of John

Chapter 1 - Introduction
Chapters 2 - 12 Book of SIgns
Chapters 13-17 Farewell Discourses
Chapters 18-19 The Trial and Crucifixion
Chapters 20-21 Easter