Introduction to the Bible Lesson 22 - John 1.
Introduction a. Clement of Alexandria said that John set out to write a spiritual gospel. Matthew, Mark, and Luke can be described as factual gospels. They are called synoptic gospels (synoptic means “looks the same”). John goes a different direction. b. John is written primarily to the church to combat heresy that had been stirring regarding the nature of Jesus Christ. c. As opposed to Luke, John puts his purpose at the end. John 20:31 – But 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. d. Important terms i. “Son of God” is used 29 times. ii. “Son of Man” is used 12 times. iii. “Eternal life” is used 17 times.
2.
John a. John was the youngest of the twelve disciples. He may have been no older than 10 when Jesus called him. b. John was related to the family of the high priest which gave him access to the trial of Jesus that no other disciple had. This is one reason why John gives us the longest and most detailed account of the trial (John 18). c. It is widely believed that John was the “disciple whom Jesus loved” and the “other disciple” who raced to the tomb with Peter in John 20. d. John was the only apostle to die a natural death in exile on the prison island of Patmos.
3.
Jesus as God and Man a. John 1:1-18 are some of the most important verses in the Bible. i. Jesus is the Word of God. Just as a word is an expression of thought, so Christ is the expression of God’s desire to bring His people back to Himself. ii. He is shown in relationship: 1. To God (He is eternal and divine). 2. To the created order (He is the Source of life). 3. To humanity (He is the Light of humankind, both physical and spiritual). b. The crowning verse – John 1:14.