The Gospel of John has the most direct challenge to the reader to believe and accept that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. This gospel more than any other book of the Bible reveals the mind of Christ.

1. “That You Might
Believe”
The Gospel of John
Bible Readings:
Colossians 1:9-23 (page 833)
John 4:43-54 (page 753)
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Wednesday, 19 March 2014

2. The Gospel of John was written to help
people believe Jesus is the Son of God.
“And truly Jesus did many
other signs in the presence
of His disciples, which are
not written in this book; but
these 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.”
(John 20:30–31, NKJV)
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3. The Gospel of John was written to help
people believe Jesus is the Son of God.
Jesus’ offer of forgiveness
of sin and promise of
eternal life is more clearly
stated in John’s Gospel
than any other.
“that whoever believes in
Him should not perish but
have eternal life.”
(John 3:15, NKJV)
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4. What makes John’s Gospel so different?
John the son of Zebedee
and brother of James.
One of the first disciples.
(1:37)
Youngest of the inner circle
of 12 disciples. (He sat on
Jesus right hand at the
Passover.)
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First reason: the
character of the writer.
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5. What makes John’s Gospel so different?
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First reason: the
character of the writer.
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6. What makes John’s Gospel so different?
Jesus called James and John “boanerges” = “sons
of thunder!”
“And when His disciples James and John saw this,
they said, “Lord, do You want us to command
fire to come down from heaven and consume
them, just as Elijah did?”” (Luke 9:54, NKJV)
Wanted to be number One and Two in the
kingdom.
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First reason: the
character of the writer.
Wednesday, 19 March 2014

7. What makes John’s Gospel so different?
“The disciple whom Jesus
loved” (21:7)
John shows us the way Jesus
thought.
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First reason: the
character of the writer.
Wednesday, 19 March 2014

8. What makes John’s Gospel so different?
Gospel of Mark 40‐50 AD
Gospel of Ma^hew 50‐60 AD
Gospel of Luke 50‐60 AD
Gospel of John 60‐70 AD or later.
Paul’s Le^ers 40‐50 AD
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Second reason: the last
of the four Gospels to be
written.
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9. What makes John’s Gospel so different?
John assumed most of his
readers already knew the
basic facts about Jesus.
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Second reason: the last
of the four Gospels to be
written.
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10. What makes John’s Gospel so different?
To encourage people to
believe that Jesus was
Who He said He was ‐ the
Son of God.
To strengthen believers
threatened by dangerous
wrong teaching about
Jesus that He wasn’t fully
human. (Gnosbcism) 9
Why John wrote the
Gospel.
Wednesday, 19 March 2014

11. What makes John’s Gospel so different?
John highlights that he knew
Jesus personally and witnessed
that Jesus was a real human
being.
“And the Word became flesh
and dwelt among us, and we
beheld His glory, the glory as
of the only bego^en of the
Father, full of grace and
truth.” (John 1:14, NKJV) 10
Why John wrote the
Gospel.
Wednesday, 19 March 2014

12. What makes John’s Gospel so different?
“But one of the soldiers
pierced His side with a spear,
and immediately blood and
water came out. And he who
has seen has tesbfied, and
his tesbmony is true; and he
knows that he is telling the
truth, so that you may
believe.” (John 19:34–35,
NKJV) 11
Why John wrote the
Gospel.
Wednesday, 19 March 2014

13. What makes John’s Gospel so different?
The synopbc gospels
(Ma^hew, Mark Luke) mostly
record Jesus teaching the
crowds of ordinary people.
John records the debates
Jesus had with the highly
educated religious leaders.
John records no parables. 12
Third reason:The style of
teaching.
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14. What makes John’s Gospel so different?
“Aher these things Jesus walked
in Galilee; for He did not want
to walk in Judea, because the
Jews sought to kill Him. Now
the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles
was at hand.” (John 7:1–2,
NKJV)
“Jews” = Jewish authoribes
“Jews’ Feast” = Jewish peoples 13
How John used the word
“Jews”
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15. What makes John’s Gospel so different?
John contrasts the hardness of the
leaders with the readiness of others to
believe.
The disciples believed because they
saw the signs.
The Samaritan woman believed
because she met Jesus.
Nicodemus struggles to believe even
aher the signs and meebng Jesus.14
The Challenge to Believe
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16. What makes John’s Gospel so different?
The Samaritan woman ( lowest and most humble
believer) progressively discovers and believes the
truth hidden from the religious authoribes.
4:9 “a Jew”
4:11 “Sir”
4:19 “a prophet”
4:25 “Messiah”
4:26 “I am” God revealed.
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The Challenge to Believe
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17. The Challenge to Believe
The religious leaders demand a “sign”.
Jesus gives signs that get progressively
greater through the Gospel.
Water into wine
Healing the paralysed man.
Feeding the 5000.
Healing the man born blind.
Raising Lazarus from the dead.16
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18. The Challenge to Believe
“Then many of the Jews
who had come to Mary, and
had seen the things Jesus
did, believed in Him. But
some of them went away to
the Pharisees and told them
the things Jesus did.” (John
11:45–46, NKJV)
“Jews” = Jewish leaders
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19. The Light and the Darkness
In the first 12 chapters we see
the light of belief in Jesus shining
in the darkness of unbelief and
doubt.
“I have come as a light into the
world, that whoever believes in
Me should not abide in darkness.
And if anyone hears My words
and does not believe, I do not
judge him; for I did not come to
judge the world but to save the
world.” (John 12:46–47, NKJV)
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20. The Light and the Darkness
In the second half (chapters
13‐21) we see the a^empt of
darkness to overcome the
light and the glorious victory
of the light.
The Gospel shows the clear
choice of between
belief and rejecbon:
light and darkness.
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Wednesday, 19 March 2014