Book 43 - John

John is the fourth Gospel, and it feels very different from the other three.

While Matthew, Mark, and Luke overlap heavily in structure and content, John tells the story of Jesus with a different purpose and tone. Fewer parables and miracle accounts. Much longer conversations, more reflection, more symbolism.

John is less concerned with what happened next and more concerned with who Jesus is.

What kind of book is this?

John is a narrative account of Jesus’ life, focused on selected signs, teachings, and encounters.

It is not a chronological biography. John openly shapes his material to make a theological point, choosing certain events and expanding them in detail while leaving out others that appear in the other Gospels.

The book moves slowly, often lingering on a single conversation for an entire chapter.

Who is speaking?

The book is traditionally attributed to John, one of Jesus’ closest followers.

The author never names himself directly. Instead, he refers to “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” positioning himself as an eyewitness rather than a distant reporter.

John writes later than the other Gospels and assumes his readers already know the basic outline of Jesus’ life. His goal is not repetition, but interpretation.

Who is this written for?

John appears to be written for a broader audience than the other Gospels.

Unlike Matthew, it does not assume deep familiarity with Jewish law or custom. Unlike Mark, it is not fast-moving or action-driven. Unlike Luke, it is not structured like a historical investigation.

John often pauses to explain Jewish festivals, cultural customs and geographic details.

This suggests an audience that may include non-Jews or readers less familiar with Israel’s history.

At the same time, John is more reflective and theological in tone. Long conversations replace short sayings. Ideas are revisited and layered rather than introduced once and moved past.

John is not written simply to report events. It is written to persuade readers to consider who Jesus is and what His life, death, and resurrection mean.

How John is structured

One way John organizes his account is through a series of public actions he refers to as “signs.”

These are not presented as random miracles or acts of compassion alone. John selects and arranges them deliberately. Each sign is meant to point beyond the action itself and raise questions about who Jesus is and what authority He carries.

Alongside these signs, John records a series of statements where Jesus speaks about Himself using the phrase “I am.” These statements appear in moments of confusion, challenge, or conflict, and they are unique to John’s Gospel.

Together, the signs and the “I am” statements shape how John tells the story. Rather than moving quickly from event to event, he slows the reader down and repeatedly brings the focus back to identity. Who Jesus is, and how people respond to that question, becomes the central focus of the book.

What John focuses on

Across the book, several themes dominate:

• Jesus’ identity as the Son of God

• Belief versus misunderstanding

• Light and darkness

• Life, rebirth, and eternal life

• Love, relationship, and trust

How John ends

John closes with the resurrection, followed by a personal scene between Jesus and Peter. The ending is reflective rather than triumphant.

The final line states the purpose of the book plainly:

“These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

John is not subtle about why it was written.

Why John is often read last

John is frequently read after the other Gospels because it assumes familiarity and invites reflection.

It doesn’t rush or summarize. It presses the reader to consider questions of belief and trust.

If Matthew explains why Jesus fits into Israel’s story, Mark shows what He did, and Luke highlights who He cared for, John asks the most direct question of all:

Who do you think He was?

Spotlight: Water into Wine (John 2)

John opens Jesus’ public ministry with an unexpected miracle.

At a wedding in Cana, the hosts run out of wine, a serious social failure in that culture. Jesus’ mother mentions the problem to Him. At first, He seems reluctant. Then He tells the servants to fill large jars with water.

The water becomes wine. Not just any wine, but better than what had been served before.

This is the first of Jesus’ “signs” in John. It happens privately, without announcement, and helps no one prove a theological point. It simply saves a family from embarrassment and quietly reveals Jesus’ power to His closest followers.

The phrase “turning water into wine” has become shorthand for transformation, even among people unfamiliar with the Gospel of John.

Spotlight: “For God So Loved the World” (John 3)

In John 3, Jesus speaks with Nicodemus, a religious leader who comes to Him at night, likely to avoid attention.

Their conversation turns toward rebirth, belief, and life beyond religious status. In the middle of this exchange appears one of the most quoted sentences in the Bible:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…”

This verse is often quoted in isolation, but in context it addresses fear, uncertainty, and the question of whether belief is about performance or trust.

John 3:16 has become one of the most widely recognized Bible verses in the world, frequently seen on signs, clothing, and in popular culture.

Spotlight: The Raising of Lazarus (John 11)

Lazarus was a close friend of Jesus, along with his sisters Martha and Mary. When Lazarus becomes seriously ill, the sisters send word to Jesus, expecting Him to come immediately.

He doesn’t.

By the time Jesus arrives, Lazarus has been dead for four days. The family is grieving, and the surrounding community has already gathered to mourn with them. When Martha meets Jesus, she tells Him plainly that if He had arrived sooner, her brother would still be alive. Mary says the same thing later.

John records that Jesus is deeply moved by the scene. He weeps. This is one of the few moments where the Gospel pauses to show Jesus openly grieving alongside others.

Jesus then goes to the tomb. It is a cave sealed with a stone. He orders the stone to be rolled away, despite protests about the smell and the time that has passed. Standing outside the tomb, Jesus calls Lazarus by name and tells him to come out.

Lazarus walks out alive, still wrapped in burial cloths.

This scene has immediate consequences. Many who witness it believe. Others report it to the authorities. From this point forward, opposition toward Jesus shifts from concern to action. John notes that plans to put Him to death intensify after this event.

The story of Lazarus is one of the most widely recognized scenes in the Gospel of John, even among people unfamiliar with the Bible. Phrases like “Lazarus, come out” and the idea of someone being called back from death have echoed through art, literature, and everyday language for centuries.

Within John’s account, the raising of Lazarus stands as a turning point. It is both a public sign and the moment that sets the final events of the Gospel in motion.

Spotlight: The Crucifixion and Resurrection (John 18–20)

John’s account of Jesus’ death is noticeably different in tone from the other Gospels.

The narrative is calm and deliberate. There is less focus on physical suffering and more emphasis on intention and control. Jesus is not portrayed as overwhelmed by events. He moves through them knowingly.

Before Pilate, Jesus speaks at length about truth and authority. He does not plead or defend Himself. When soldiers come to arrest Him, He identifies Himself and they step back and fall to the ground. The story repeatedly emphasizes that what is happening is not accidental.

At the cross, John includes details that highlight relationship and completion. Jesus entrusts His mother to the care of a disciple. He speaks deliberately. His final words are not a cry of despair but a statement: “It is finished.” The moment is framed as fulfillment rather than defeat.

After the crucifixion, John slows the story even further.

The resurrection is revealed through personal encounters, not public spectacle. Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb alone. She mistakes Jesus for a gardener until He speaks her name. Recognition comes through relationship, not shock.

Thomas refuses to believe without evidence. When he sees Jesus and touches the wounds, his response is quiet and direct. There is no rebuke for the doubt itself.

John ends these chapters not with celebration but with reflection. The resurrection is presented as real, physical, and personal, and as the turning point around which everything else in the book revolves.

In John’s telling, the crucifixion and resurrection are not simply events to record. They are the culmination of everything Jesus has been saying about who He is.