John's Gospel is not one of the synoptic Gospels. His view of Jesus is fresh and different. Jesus is presented as Son of God, Light of the World and Creator.
Of the four Gospels in the New Testament, John's is the one that stands out from the others. Matthew, Mark and Luke are referred to as the "synoptic" gospels because they cover most of the same events. There are many incidents that occur in John and nowhere else. As a result, early Bible scholars tended to question the authenticity of the fourth Gospel. It was thought for many years that John's work was a second century composition by a Gentile Christian living in Ephesus. Papyrus fragments found in Egypt helped scientists to date the writing at around 100 AD.
Tradition claims that this John is the son of Zebedee whom Jesus called to be a disciple. John and Jesus' mother were at the crucifixion. (John19: 26) By putting three references together, Matt. 27:56, Mark 15:40 and John 19:25, we can deduce that John's mother was also at the cross. John was a disciple of John the Baptist until Jesus called him. (John 1: 35,40) Jesus called him "son of thunder" and John, with Peter and James formed an inner circle with The Lord. It was those three who witnessed the Transfiguration. (Matt. 17: 1-8)
Matthew, Mark and Luke covered the nuts and bolts of what Jesus said and did in His life. John has captured the essence of who Jesus is and his focus is quite different. John bypasses the genealogies, the announcements, the birth and even the temptation in the desert. This Gospel opens with the declaration that Jesus is the Son of God, the Creator, the Source of life, the Light, the Father's only Son and the Word. "The Word became a human being and"¦lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father's only Son." (John 1: 14) He doesn't mince his words.
John focuses on the person of Jesus as the Son of God and the unity of the Father and the Son. There is a much greater emphasis on Jesus' words. This is a complete picture of Jesus rather than a collection of sayings and miracles. Of the four Gospel writers, John seems to have the best understanding of Jesus. Miracles do not get priority treatment unless they serve to accent Jesus identity as the Son.
His first miracle takes place at a wedding in Cana. Despite his protests to his mother that his time had not yet come, he heeded her request to augment the supply of wine at the banquet. This miracle actually required creative power, to turn water into wine. The guests commented to the host that the new wine was better than the old that he ran out of. Symbolically, this could be the new wine of Christianity replacing the old wine of Judaism. John mentions the cleansing of the Temple in chapter 2, at the beginning of Jesus ministry. This action focuses the attention and anger of the religious authorities towards Him.
The encounter with Nicodemus, a Pharisee, is presented in chapter 3. This is not a fight or challenge by the cleric but a deep theological discussion. Nicodemus is searching for answers. He is a highly respected religious authority and he risks his position within the community by meeting with Jesus. This is where He says to Nicodemus, "you must all be born again". (John 3: 7) John 3:16 is part of Jesus lesson for the Pharisee: "For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life."
The revelation of the real Jesus to the world is the point of much of John's account. "The Father loves his Son and has put everything in his power. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life"¦" (John 3: 35,36) Jesus explains very carefully how close he and the Father are, how he gets his authority from Him. Jesus is the bread of life (John 6: 35), the light of the world (John 8: 12), the "I Am" (John 8: 58), the Good Shepherd (John 10: 11), the Resurrection and the Life (John 11: 25) and the real vine (John 15: 1).
In Jesus' final week John relates the touching story of Mary washing Jesus' feet with expensive perfume. The women in the Gospels were always sensitive to what was really going on. Judas castigated her for wasting money but Jesus intervened and commented that she was preparing him for burial. Next comes the triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey (Palm Sunday). Jesus shows his great humility as he takes a servant's position and washes the disciple's feet before the Last Supper.
Once Judas has left the supper to betray him, Jesus began a long farewell to the eleven. He taught them that he is "˜the way" to the Father, promised to send the Holy Spirit and tried to make them understand that he was going to be crucified. John 17 is a touching prayer of Jesus for his disciples and followers. These chapters, from 14 through 17, are worthy or reading and rereading if we want to understand the truth of the Gospel and the heart of Jesus.
Finally, Jesus is arrested, tried and crucified. Peter denies three times that he knows Jesus. Christ received the cruel type of humiliating punishment that the Romans were infamous for. The authorities wanted the bodies off of the crosses before the Sabbath so the soldiers broke the legs of the two criminals executed with Jesus. Jesus was already dead so one of the Romans pierced his side with a spear. "Water and blood poured out". (John 19: 34) Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took the body down and prepared it for burial in Joseph's own tomb.
Mary Magdalene went early Sunday morning to the tomb. She saw that the stone which had sealed it had been rolled away. She told Peter and John who ran to inspect it. They were the first witnesses of the resurrection. Jesus then appeared to Mary and to the disciples. Thomas was absent and doubted their story. When Jesus showed himself, Thomas exclaimed "My Lord and my God". (John 20: 28)
And so the Gospel ends much the same way as it began, with a declaration of Jesus' divinity. There can be no question that John believed in it despite the apparent thick headedness of the Apostles throughout the Gospels. They all came to a full understanding and belief after the experience of Pentecost when they really got bold and began preaching to the world.
Sources:
Good News Bible, Canadian Bible Society, 1992
Halley's Bible Handbook, Zondervan, 2000
William Neil's One Volume Bible Commentary, Hodder & Stoughton, 1962
