| The Gospel (Good News) according to John
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Introduction
N.B. ‘Matthew 1:1’; means ‘the book of Matthew (in the New Testament), Chapter 1, verse 1’.
The Author
| • | one of the 12 disciples of Jesus (Matthew 4: 18-22; 10: 2-4)
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| • | part of the “inner circle” of 3 disciples (Mark 5: 21-43; Matthew 17: 1-3; 26: 36-38)
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| • | an eye-witness of Jesus' life, death and resurrection (I John 1:1-4)
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How John changed after having been with Jesus
| • | original nickname which reflected his character: “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17)
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| • | request for honour (Mark 10: 35-45)
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| • | intolerance, anger (Luke 9: 46-56)
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| • | transformed into someone who never stopped emphasising the love of God and love for others (I John 3: 1, 10; 4: 7-21)
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Aim in writing his Gospel
“... so that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing we may have life in His name.” (John 20: 30-31)
Key Themes in John
John's Gospel shows that Jesus was not only human but that he is also divine (God). He makes this very clear in the opening lines of his book. John stresses the revelation of the truth about God. Only in Jesus Christ can we know what God is like. Key words in John's Gospel include “believe”, “life”, and “truth”.
Jesus' Claims about Himself
| I am... |
| The bread of life (6:35) | He satisfies and sustains us |
| The light of the world (8:12) | He guides and directs us |
| The door (10:7) | He gives us true security |
| The good shepherd (10:11) | He loves and cares for us |
| The resurrection and the life (11:25) | He gives us true life |
| The way, the truth and the life (14:6) | He is the ultimate authority |
| The vine 15:1 | He enables us to bear fruit |
Key verses
| John 1:12 | Those who receive and believe in Jesus have the right to become God's children. |
| John 3:16 | This is how God showed his love for the world – He gave his only Son, so that anyone who believes in him will not die but will live forever. |
| John 7:37,38 | If anyone is thirsty, he can come to me and drink. Then streams of living water will flow from within him. |
| John 10:10 | Jesus has come so that we can live life to the full. |
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