THE BOOK OF JOHN

INTRODUCTION
• John's theme is Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God.
• His book deals with the signs Chríst gave during His ministry…signs that
prove His deity.
• These signs were seen by the dependable witnesses (his disciples) and
therefore are trustworthy.
• John wants men to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and receive new life
through His name.
• Gleaming over its portal is the inscription "No man hath seen God at
anytime,the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the father, He hath
declared Him.”…John 1v18
• The Greek verb- “form” translated declared is the word 'exegeresato' which
is the root word for the English word exegesis, which means that in the
visible Jesus, the invisible God is brought forth to view.
• The incomprehensible concept of God is objectively elucidated (made
clear) in Jesus Christ.
• The very heart of the eternal is livingly exegeted for the only begotten Son
comes even from the bosom of the Father.
• Heb 1:1-3: 1God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time
past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2has in these last days spoken unto
us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he
made the worlds; 3Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express
image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power,
when he had by himself půrged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the
Majesty on high.
• The same thought is echoed in the phrase - "being the brightness of His
glory and the express image of His person".
• The term the 'express image’ is used only in this scripture in the NT
• In extra biblical literature, it was employed for an engraving on wood, an
etching in metal, a being on animal hide, an impression in clay, and a
stamped image on coins.
• Person is a word expressing nature of being or essence.
• The Son is the perfect imprint, the exact represantation of the nature and
essence of God in time and space.
• John 14:9-Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and
yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the
Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
• Col 1:15-Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every
creature
• Col 2:9-For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
 COMPARISON TO THE OTHER GOSPELS
• The first three are called "The Synoptic Gospels" from the Greek word that
means to see together.
• Matthew, Mark and Luke all view the life of Christ in a similar way, each
with his own emphasis.
a. Matthew pictures Christ as the King of the Jews and writes for the Jews.
b. Mark shows Christ as the servant and writes for the Romans.
c. Luke views Christ as the Son of man, writing for the Greeks.
d. John presents Christ as the Son of God, and writes for the whole world.
 While the first three Gospels deal primarily with the events in Christ's life,
John deals with the spiritual meaning of these events.
 The synoptic gospels show us what he did and what He is, but John
interprets who He is.
• The synoptic gospels are a presentation of Jesus, the fourth is an
interpretation of Jesus.
• The other three show Jesus outwardly, John interprets Him inwardly.
• The three emphasize the human aspects while the book of John unveils
the Divine.
• The other three correspond with the lion (Matthew) and the ox (Mark) and
the man (Luke) in Ezekiel's vision, this fourth with the eagle (John).
• The other three concen themselves with the Lord's public discourses, this
fourth gives larger place to His private conversation, His verbal conflicts
with the Jews and His closer teachings in seclusion to His inner circle.
• The other three are mainly devoted to his Galilean ministry, the fourth is
almost wholly devoted to His Judean ministry.
• The other three are purely factual, John is also doctrinal.
• The other three begin with a human geneology and a fulfilment to a Jewish
prophecy, John begins with a direct Divine revelation of that which was pre-
mundane and eternal.
• It is this interpretative emphasis on the inward and Divine which explains
the different “feel” about our Gospel according to John.
• He also creates an interesting problem, for at certain points it is not easy to
decide where reporting gives place to John's comments or explanations.
• John 3:16-For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
• Did Jesus himself speak those immortal words to Nicodemus, or has John's
reporting of Jesus now given place to His own reflective commenting?
• John's gospel does not furnish us with anything like the diary of factual
detail which we have in the other three.
• There is no account of our Lord's birth, no description of His baptism, or His
ascension.
• Over against 20 miracles in Matthew, 18 in Mark and 20 in Luke, there are
only 8 in John.
• Against 16 parables in Matthew, 5 in Mark and 20 in Luke there is scarcely
one parable in John.
• John 10:6-"This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not
what things they were which he spake unto them.
• There is nothing like the running succession of major and minor incidents,
or the interweaving of miracle and parable which we have found in the
synoptics.
• John himself of course is fully cognisant of these spacious omissions and
would have us know it.
• John 20:30-And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his
disciples, which are not written in this book
• These are not neglected areas, they are purposely by-passed for the sake
of concentration on the significances of what he has selected.
• John 20:31-'But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his
name.
• Most of what John has recorded is omitted by the other three.
• Moreover it throws a flood of light on them.
• When the synoptics tell of our Lord's “follow me” to Peter and Andrew,
James and John it could almost seem as though He had not met them
before, which makes their immediate abandonment of all else to follow Him
so surprising as to seem almost artificial; but in the book of John we find
that they had met
• Jesus earlier at John the Baptist's gathering along the winding Jordan
valley, but had a conversation with Him both in Judea and in Galilea.
• John 1:40-One of the two which heard John speak,and followed him, was
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.He first findeth his own brother Simon, and
saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted,
the Christ.And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he
said, Thou art Simon the Son of Jonah: thou shalt be called Cephas, which
is by interpretation, A stone.
• John 1:47-Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold
an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! The day following Jesus would go
forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
• In reading the three gospels, one cannot help but wonder how such fame
and vast crowds could have happened the minute Jesus began to preach
in Galilea.
• Matt 4:17-"From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for
the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
• However in John we find that before He ever started there, He had worked
miracles in Jerusalem.
• These are the miracles which had become big news up in Galilea, and
caused people to come when He began to preach in Galilea.
• John 2:23-Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast
day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
• John 4:45-Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galileans received
him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for
they also went unto the feast.
• There had also been the turning of water into wine, at Cana in Galilea,
where He thus "manifested forth His glory and His disciples believed on
Him."
• John 2:11-This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and
manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
• All these things happened before our Lord begun His preaching circuit in
Galilea, because John (the baptist) was not yet cast into prison and it was
not until after John was imprisoned that Jesus begun in Galilea.
• John 3:24-For John was not yet cast into prison.
• Matthew 4:12-"Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison,
he departed into Galilee;
• John's writing and observant noting of dates and places corrects certain
misimpressions as to our Lord's movements.
• After the Lord's baptism our Lord was at least 5-6 months in Jerusalem
and Judea with goings to and from between there and Galilea before, ever
His main Galilean ministry began.
• There was also another time break between the end of His Galilean
minisry and His triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
• Going only by synoptic record we might easily assume that the triumphant
entry climaxed without interruption from the journey from Galilea to
Jerusalem.
• The fourth gospel does not narrate the baptism nor the temptation.
• Many mistakenly assume that the forerunner's words were spoken at the
baptism.
• John 3:15-That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have
eternal life.
• John 3:26-And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that
was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the
same baptizeth., and all men come to him.
• John 3:32-33-And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no
man receiveth his testimony.
• He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
• However these verses are record of what John the Baptist said later to a
delegation of enquiry from Jerusalem.
• John 1:19-And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and
Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
• John 1:24-That is why he uses the past tense each time.
• John 1:15-John bare witness of him, and cried,saying,this was he of whom
spake,He that cometh after me is prefèrred before me for he was before me
• John 1:32-33-And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending
from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him."And I knew him not: but he
that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou
shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which
• John 1:26-John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there
standeth one among you, whom ye know not.
• When John the Baptist says "there standeth one among you, whom you
know not" he so speaks because Jesus has already been among those
crowds and has been baptized there some fourty days earlier.
• John 1:29-The next day John seethJesus coming unto him, and saith,
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
• When John the Baptist sees Jesus the next day, we are to understand that
Jesus has now returned after His forty days of temptation in the wilderness
when John continues "l saw the Spirit descending and remaining on Him".
• He is describing in retrospect what he had witnessed some 40 days earlier
• This is because the ensuing paragraph begins "The next day after …”.
• Andrew and another “abode with Jesus" and verse 43 adds "the day
following".
• Jesus started for Galilea where He called Phillip and in chapter 2 he tells
us that "the third day" after this He was at the wedding in Cana.
• All this could not have taken place between the Lord's Baptism and His
temptation for the synopsis show that the temptation followed
immeddiately.
• The activities narrated in John's opening chapters must have been
subsequent to the temptation which means that the Baptism's witness to
the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus was spoken in retrospect, over
forty days later, when Jesus had returned from the temptation.
• After the Cana wedding Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover-His first
appearance after the Baptism.
• He publicly actèd as one conscious of prophetic vocation and with
resistless godly wrathfulness drove the traffickers from the temple.
• Read John 2:13-22
• John 2:23-Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast
day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
• John 3:5-Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be
born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
• He is interviewed by a Pharisee Nicodemus and the conversation implies
that our Lord must already have uttered teaching about the "Kingdom of
God" and that He must have made a deep impression on the public.
• John 3:3-4-Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto
thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.ʻ
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can
he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
• We know that all this preceded the Galilean ministry because John 3:24
now says that "John the Baptist was not yet cast into prison.
• Chapter 4 tells us that Jesus returmed yet again to Galilea.
• He "returned" because at this time His home was still there, & it was still at
Nazareth for he did not move to Capernaum until after John was imprisoned
• Matt 4:13-And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capermaum, which i
upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthali.
• On the way back to Galilea, He must needs go through Samaria, and He ha
incident at Jacobs's well with the woman of Samaria-Read John 4:4-42
• Afterwards He performs His second miracle at Cana i;e the healing of the
nobleman's Son…Read John 4:43-54
• Chap 5-relates a further excursion to Jerusalem, for a feast of the Jews& the
healing of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda, followed by a powerful
discourse in reply to the Jews, who now fanatically sought to kill Him for
healing the paralytic on the Sabbath & "for making Himself equal with God".
• The first five chapters of John are peculiar to John's gospel and they all
preceede the Galilea preachings.
 THE STYLE

• In Matthew's account we have impressionist groupings, in Mark a rapid

succession of camera-shots, in Luke a beautiful unfolding story.
• In John everything subserves the developing of certain recurrent ideas.
• Those are assembled in the prologue, and then developed through to the
end.
• These ideas are abstractions of John's own producing, and are spiritual
truths outgrowing from strong facts.
• The structural characteristic of this forth Gospel is that of recurrent ideas.
• Among these is one which is center-most namely eternal life by believing
on Jesus as the Son of God and Saviour of men.
 GRAND PLAN OF JOHN’S GOSPEL

• Prologue: John 1:1-18-The word became flesh.

1. Public ministry of Jesus to the Jews: John 1:19-John 12
• First "signs" witness and contacts: John l:19 -John 4
• Further "signs witness and conflicts: John 5- John 10
• Final signs" witness and cleveage: John l1-John 12
2. Private ministry of Jesus to his own :John 13 - John 17
• Presage (foretell) of His departure:John 13 -John 14:15
• Promise of the coming Spirit: John 14:16 –John 16
• Prayer for them to God the Father: John 17
3. Paschal Climax: Tragedy and triumph
• Apprehension and Prosecution John 18– John 19:15
• Crucifixion and entombment John 19: 16 - 42
• Resurrection and Reappearance John 20:1-31
• Epilogue 21: Till I come
• Key Verse-The Epistle is set in the gloomy background of Jewish unbelief,
reminding us of Chapter 1:11 “He came unto His own and His own received
Him not”
• In the fore ground is the compensating succession of interviews with
individuals who did receive Him reminding us John 1:12 "But as many as
received Him, to them gave He power to become the Sons of God."
• Closely associated with these foreground figures is a chain of eight
remarkable signs for miracles which demonstrate with never to be forgotten
vividness the transforming power of Christ reminding us of yet again of 1:12
• The word translated power is rightly rendered authority but this does not
distract from the dynàmic sense.
• The right'" or "authority" to become the Sons of God implies the power to do
so, for it is not merely the right to be but to become"genesthai"implying the
transforming moral power to become so and to live as such.
 THE EIGHT MIRACLES
• There are eight miracles around which the narrative gathers.
1.The turning of the water into wine.
2.The healing of the nobleman's Son.
3.The curing of the Bethesda paralytic.
4. The feeding of the five thousand.
5.The walking over the sea of Galilea.
6.The giving of sight to the blind man.
7.The raising of Lazarus from death.
8.The miraculous draught of fishes.
• These miracles are comprehended in an octaves, The first of the strikes
the key note John 2:11 “The beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of
Galilea and manifested forth His glory and His disciples believed on Him."
• This does not occur again until we come to the eight miracles.
• “That ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that
believing ye might have through His name”.
• There are three features about John's eight miracles which should be noted
a.He numbers the first two, so there is sequence.
b.There is no duplication as in synoptics, so there is careful selection.
c.There is an over all purpose John 2:11 – so there is specialty.
• There is a unifying idea traceable through all of them i.e the idea of
transformation.
• Passing through them successively we find transformation.
1.From sadness to gladness.
2.From disease to health.
3.From paralysis to energy.
4.From hunger to fullness.
5.From agitation to tranquility.
6.From darkness to light.
7.From death to life.
8.From frustration and failure to copious success.
• These eight supernatural transformations provide not only evidential"signs
of our Lord's deity but striking illustrations of that transforming “power to
become," which operates in "as many as received Him."
 AS MANY AS RECEIVE HIM
• The Lord had private interviews with individuals or small groups.
• John reviews eight of them.
1. Peter, Nathaniel. John 1:35-51
2. The ruler Nicodemus. John 3:1-21
3. The Sychar woman at the well. John 4:6-26
4. The man born blind. John 9:35-41
5. Martha and Mary, Bethany, John 11
6. The eleven Apostles John 13 - John l6
7. Mary Magadelene John 20:1-18
8. The Apostle Peter John 21:15-23
• These eight represent "as many as received Him."
• It may be thought that John the Baptist and the Bethesda paralytic are
included.
• However there are no recorded conversations of Jesus with them.
• In the case of the paralytic Jesus says nothing more beyond the bare words
which uttered cure and warning.
The first of the eight shows the "power to become" in John 1:39
• John 1:39-He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where
he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.
• The emphasis is on what Jesus said to Simon and Nathaniel.
• "Thou art --- thou shalt be---.”
• Thou shalt see greater things than these.
• This is the promise involute (spiral) in that protoplasmic "power to become"
• In the following interviews we see illustrated the new life power operating
on "as many as received Him."
• 1. In the interview with Nicodemus its power operates in with a being "born
anew."
• 2. In the interview with the Sachar woman it becomes an inner spring of life
and satisfaction.
• 3. In the man born blind it is an inward as well as outward eye opening to
see Jesus as the Son of God
• John 9:35-Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found
him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
• 4. In the conversation with the Bethany sisters it is an energy which in
answer to faith conquers seemingly impossible situations and is laden with
resurrection power
• John 11:40-Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest
believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
• John 13 - John 16
• 5. In the long and touching conversation with the eleven we learn by direct
information that the new power life is the Divine Parable.
• 6. In the pathetic but yet thrilling interview with Mary Magadalene we see
how it brings individual manifestation of the risen Lord to His loved ones
transforming heartbreak into joy.
• 7. In the epilogue interview with Peter, we see it bringing restoration and
new commission to ministry for the saviour.
 A REMARKABLE PARALLEL
• The book is also set in a parallel to the furniture of the long tabernacle.
• The old time Tabernacle had seven pieces of most significant objects. i.e
• 1. In the outer court there was the Brazen Altar of sacrifice and the
brazen laver of cleansing.
• 2. In the Holy place there was the table of the shewbread (on the right
hand or northside) with its oblations and libations.
• Exodus 25:29-Food and drink offerings typifying Christ the bread of God
and nourisher of the christian's life as a believer-priest.
• Lev 24:9
• On the left hand or south side of the Holy Place was the 7 thronged golden
candlestick typifying Christ our Light shining in the fullness of power of the
seven fold Holy Spirit who is represented in the oil which feeds the light.
• Still in the Holy place standing before the veil into the Holy of Holies was the
Golden Altar of incense which speaks typically of Christ as our intercessor
and of the believer-priestly prayer made fragrant by the all perfect merits of
the precious name in which he prays.
• 3. In the Holy of Holies is the Ark the most sacred gold covered acacia
chest about 3 feet and nine inches long by 2 feet three inches wide & high
• Containing the 2 stone tablets of the law, a golden pot of manna and
Aaron's rod typifying Christ as the all perfect ground and center of covenant
relationship with God.
• Upon this there stood the solid gold Mercy Seat overached by the
outstretched wing of the two cherubim which stood one at each side ofit,
facing each other.
• The Mercy Seat typified the throne of God.
• It was a throne of grace instead of a judgement seat because of the blood of
atonement which was sprinkled upon it on behalfof the sinning Israelites.
• The final consummation of the mysterious Glory was the Shekinah, the
indefinable, unearthly light which glowed above the Mercy Seat between the
arching wings of the two cherubim.
• The book of John corresponds to this true order of approach to God as set
out in the seven articles of the Tabernacle furniture, to the great spiritual
realities which they typify.
• John begins by leading us to the brazen altar of sacrifice for in Chapter 1 he
bids us to behold the lamb of God-John 1:29
• In Chap 3 he takes us to the brazen laver of cleansing/renewal telling us
"except a man be born of water &of Spirit,he cannot enter the K/dom of God
• In Chap 4 to 6 he takes us to the brazen table of the showbread with its food
& drink recording for us our Lord's converse with the Sychar woman
concerning the living water of which if a man drink he shall never thirst again
and our Lord's great discourse on Himself as the “living Bread" of which if a
man eat he shall live forever.
•
the Lord declares that "He is the light of the world and "he that followeth Him
shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life"
• He crowned it by giving sight to the man born blind in chap 9.
• In Chapters 14 to 16 in the long discourse to the eleven he takes us to the
Altar of incense learning the praying way and by a Name unknown before,
learning how to offer prayers in the name of Jesus, prayer which become as
fragrant as incense when perfumed by the breathing of the Name which,
above all others is dear to the heart of God.
• Phil 2:9-10
• In Chapter 17 there is Jesus`s moving intercessory prayer which we are
allowed to overhear as it falls from the lips of our dear High Priest.
• We are taken through the veil into the very Holy of Holies, we are permitted a
glimpse into the high priestly ministry of intercession which He exercises for
us in the presence of God.
• In Chapter 18 and 19 we see the heart subduing climax of Calvary, we see
Jesus as the very Ark of the covenant and the Mercy Seat sprinkled with the
holy blood of His own vicarious self-offering.
• In Chap 20 the risen Lord announces our new covenant relationship with
God.
• "I ascend unto my Father and your Father, unto my God and your God"
• Finally after the resurrection Jesus appears to the eleven with the
tranquilizing greeting “Peace be unto you" showing them His wounded
hands and side and speaking assuring words.
• Before He disappeared again He breathed on them and said "Receive ye
the Holy Spirit".
• This is a new Shekinah of christian experience.
 THE PROLOGUE
• John 1: 1-18 is the primordial nucleus of the whole book.
• There are four designations of our Lord which capture our attention: the
WORD, the LIFE, the LIGHT and the SON.
• Two of these declare His relationship to God the Father, the two indicate
function towards the human race.
• In relation to God, even the Father, He is the WORD, and the SON.
• These terms are so vastly meaningful, and illuminatingly significant.
• Our Lord is the Word, the expression of God, not only towards man, not
only from pre-mundane antiquity, but before all creation fundamentally,
eternally and indivisibly.
• John 1:2-3-The same was in the beginning with God.'All things were made
by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.
• He was not merely from the beginning, He already was "in the beginning".
• John 1:1-In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God.
• He was not only "with God", He “was God"
• Although the Father is distinguishable from the Son, they are inseparably
indivisible.
• Our Lord is the Son.
• The concept of Logos in relation to Theos warms into that of the Son in
relation to the Father.
• The Logos is simply "with God" John 1: 1, but the Son is “in the bosom" of
the Father.
• The two metaphors the "Word" and the "Son" supplement and protect each
other.
• To think of the Lord as only the eternal "Word” might suggest merely an
impersonal quality or faculty in God.
• To think of Him only as the Son might falsely limit us to the concept of a
personal yet created being.
• The two terms combined ensure both aspects of the truth to us, and at the
same time guard us from error.
• In them they proclaim the dual nature of Jesus.
• He is both God and Man, deity and human.
• He is the LIFE and the LIGHT in relation to us.
• From Him all creature life derives, both physical and psychical.
• From Him imidiates all true illumination, both intellectual and spiritul.
• John 1:4-In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
• John 1:9 -"That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh
into the world.
• As the word, He is the expresser, the revealer, the illuminator, the Light.
• As the Son He is the personal executive, quickener, imparter, the Life.
• John 1:14-17-"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and
we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of
grace and truth. "John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he
of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he
was before me.And of his fullnes have all we received, and grace for grace.
"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ.
• The incamate one is full of Grace and Truth, He is full of grace to redeem
man and full of truth to reveal God.
• He is the God-Man Revealer - Redeemer
• In this prologue John assembles all the main aspects which he is to
develop in the ensuing chapters.
1.The Word
• John 1:1-In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God.
• John 1:14-"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we
beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of
grace and truth.
2.The Life
• John 1:3-4-'All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing
made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men
3. The Light
• John 1:5-And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness
comprehended it not.
• John 1:9 -'That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh
into the world.
4. The Son
• John 1:14-And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we
beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace
and truth.
• John 1:18-No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which
is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
5. Darkness
• John1:5-& the light shineth in darkness& the darkness comprehended it not
6. Witness
• John 1:7-8-"The same came for a witnes, to bear witness of the Light, that a
men through him might believe, He was not that Light, but was sent to bear
witness of that Light.
• John 1:5 -And the light shineth in darkness& the darkness comprehended it
not.
7. Believe
• John 1:17 -'For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by
Jesus Christ.
8. Power to become
• John 1:12-But as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the Sons of God, even to them that believe on his name
9. Born of God
• John 1:13-Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of
the will of man, but of God.
10. Fullness
• John 1:14-"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we
beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Fathe,) full of
grace and truth.
John 1:16-And of his fulness have all we received,and grace for grace.
1. The word becoming flesh as the incarnate truth
• John 1:1-In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God.
• John 1:14-"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we
beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace
and truth.
• John 1:17-"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by
Jesus Christ.
• John 8:40
• John 1:11
2. The light shining in darkness, the darkness comprehended it not. His
own received Him not.
• John 3:19 & John 12:46
3. The life imparting new birth and power to become.
• John 1:12-13-"But as many as received him, to them gavehe power to
become the Sons of God, even to them that believe on hisname: Which wer
born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man but of God
• John 3:8 ; John 3:15 & John 10:10
4. The Son coming forth full of grace and sharing His fullness.
• John 1:14-"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we
beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace
andtruth.
• John 1:16-And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
• John 1:33-And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the
same said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and
remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost
• John 4:10-"Jesus answered and said unto her…living water.
• John 9:27-He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear:
wherefore would ye hear it again? Will you also be his disciples?
• John 15:11
5. Witnesses that all might believe and have life.
 ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH BELIEVING
• John gives his practical purpose as “that ye might believe Jesus is the Chris
the Son of God and that believing ye might have life.
• John 20:31-But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God; and that believing might have life through his name.
• The word believe occurs in its several forms 98 times, the words life (zoe)
and (zao) 55 times.
• The principle references to eternal life give unmistakably the progress of
• John 1:4-"In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
• The first thing is that this life is in the Son, and that its first action upon the
soul is to give light, the light which reveals Spiritual realities which shinneth
in the darkness revealing sin and divine truth.
• John 3:14-16- Here we learn that the life is imparted to us through faith in
the calvary work of the Saviour-Son and that it is eternal
• John 3:36- "He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life: and he that
believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him
• This eternal life is the present possession of the believer.
• This is highlited by the word "hath" meaning here and now.
• John 4:14
• Here the life is not only a present possession but an inward satisfaction.
• We drink and the life giving drought becomes a very fountain within the
soul ever springing and ever satisfying.
• John 5:24
• The word condemnation is "Krisis" judgement and refers to the final
judgement of mankind.
• The possession of etermal life through faith in the Saviour gives exemption
from judgement, and there is a passing over from death in sin to life in
Christ.
• Once and for all Jesus bore the penalty due to the believer's sin once and
for all, therefore eternal life in Him delivers from eternal judgement.
• John 6:40-And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which
seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will
raise him up at the last day.
• Our Lord becomes the Bread of Life, by giving His flesh and blood.
• He also indicate that feeding upon him is believing and that the sustenance
is spiritual.
• John 6:51-54- I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any
man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is
my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove
among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?Then
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh
of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso
eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him
up at the last day.
• John 6:35- And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh
to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
• John 6:56- He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me,
and I in him.
• John 6:63- It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the
words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life.
• John 6:39- And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which
he hath given me l should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the
last day.
• John 6:40- And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which
seeth the Son, and believeth on him,may have everlasting life: and I will
raise him up at the last day.
• John 6:44- "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent
me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
• This etemal life not only ensures the salvation of the soul but includes the
immortality of the body.
• John 10:29- My Father, which gave them to me, is greater than all; and no
man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
• This picture of the saved ones being held secure in the interlocked grasp of
both the Son and the Father which is the strongest possible assuarance
• John 11:25-26- Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he
that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: "And
whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
• When Martha replies "I know that he (Lazarus) shall rise again in the
resurrection at the last day"
• The Lord uses the subjunctive in reply "He that believeth in me though he
may have died (at the last day) yet he shall live, (for I am the resurrection)
and whosoever is (then) living and believing in me shall never die (for I am
the Life)
• Thịs all possessors of eternal life in Christ are to share in this promised age
and transfiguration.
• John 17:3- 'And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true
God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
• To possess Jesus Christ and be possessed by Him is to find God and the
 THE INCARNATE WORD: THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON
• Running through from the prologue to the epilogue is the presentation of
Jesus as the incarnate word and begotten Son
• This is the center glory of John's Gospel.
• Twenty-three times we find the Lord’s meaningful “I AM"
• John 4:26-Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he,
• John 6:20-But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
• John 6:35-And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh
to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
• John 6:41-The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the
bread which came down from heaven.
• John 6:48-I am that bread of life.
• John 6:51-I am the living bread which camedown from heaven: if any man
eat of this bread,he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my
flesh,which I will give for the life of the world.
• John 8:12-Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the
world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the
light of life.
• John 8:18-l am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent
me beareth witness of me.
• John 8:24-I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye
believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
• John 8:28-Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of
man, then shall ye know that I am he,and that I do nothing of myself, but
as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
• John 8:58-Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before
• John 10:7-"Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
I am the door of the sheep.
• John 10:9-I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved,
and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
• John 10:11-I am the good shepherd:the good shepherd giveth his life for
the sheep.
• John 10:14-I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep,and am known
of mine.
• John 11:25-Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that
believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live
• John 13:19-Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye
may believe that I AM he.
• John 14:6-Jesus saith unto him, I AM the way, the truth, and the life: no
man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
• John 15:1-I AM the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
• John 15:5-I AM the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I
in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
• John 18:5-6-They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto
them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.°As
soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell
to the ground.
• John 18:8 -"Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye
seek me, let these go their way
• From these we pick out those in which He couples His “I AM" with
seven tremendous metaphors expressive of His saving relationship
towards mankind.

1. I AM the Bread of life

• John 6:35; John 6:41; John 6:48 & John 6:51

2. I AM the Light of the world

• John 8:12-Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying,

3. I AM the door of the sheep

• John 10:7-9-'Then said Jesus unto them again,
4. I AM the good Shepherd
• John 10:11; John 10:14

5. I AM the resurrection and the Life

• John 11:25 -Jesus said unto her

6. I AM the Way the Truth and the Life

• John 14:6-Jesus saith unto him

7. I AM the true Vine

• John 15:1 & John 15:5
• Fundamentally, the Lord's message was Himself.
• He did not come to merely preach a gospel, He Himself is the Gospel.
• He did not come to give bread, He said I AM the bread.
• He did not come to merely shed light, He said I AM the light.
• He did not come merely to show the door, He said I AM the Door.
• He did not come to merely name a shepherd, He said I AM the Shepherd.
• He did not come to merely point the way, he said I AM the Way the Truth
and the Life.
• He did not merely come to plant a vine, He said I AM the Vine.
• In addition, His other utterances of "I AM" carry profound implication in a
latent manner.
• The Greek "I AM" is "ego eimi".
• Both ego and eimi mean "I AM" but the former emphasizes "I" and the latter
"AM".
• This ego eimi expresses personal being in the possible way.
• It is the Greek expression for the Divine Name
• In most of them literary what the Lord says is I AM.
• In some of the verses the translators have apparently felt difficulty in
knowing whether to insert the He or not, so they give it in italics only.
• John 4:26 literally should read "I AM who I AM speaking to thee."
• John 18:5 literally should read “They answered Him Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus said to them I AM and Judas who betrayed Him also stood with them”
• Now when He said to them, I AM, they drew back and fell to the ground.
• Then He asked them again who are you seeking? And they said Jesus
of Nazareth Jesus answered, “I have told you that I AM”
• The power display at the mention of the ego eimi demonstrates
undoubtedly the declaration of His deity.
• John 5:18- Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not
only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father,
making himself equal with God.
• Here He claims equality with God in seven particulars
1. Equal in working
• John 5:19-Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father
do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
2. Equal in knowing
• John 5:20- For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that
himself doeth: and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may
marvel.
3. Equal in resurrecting
• John 5:21- For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them;
even so the Son quickeneth whom He will.
• John 5:28- Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that
are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have
done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto
the resurrection of damnation.
4. Equal in judging
• John 5:22 - For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all
judgment unto the Son:
• John 5:27- And hath given him authority to execute judgment also,
because he is the Son of man.
5. Equal in honor
• John 5:23- That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the
Father. He that honoureth not the son honoureth not the Father which hath
sent him.
6. Equal in generating
• John 5:24-25- Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and
believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto
you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of
the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
7. Equal in self-existence
• John 5:26- For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the
Son to have life in Himself;
• These claims highlight the assumption of such oneness with the father.
8. Full of Grace and Truth
• John 1:14- And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we
beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of
grace and truth.
• The fulness is another of John's recurrent emphasis.
• John 1:16-And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
• The fulness is embodied that it might be imparted.
• Two thoughts run through the gospel.
• Fullness of grace to restore
• Fullness of truth to reveal
• The first of these runs through His works and the second through His
words.
• Special attention should be given to the feature that the "fullness" is
predicted of our Lord after He had become incarnate.
• This is a scriptural refutation of the “Kenosis” theory which would have us
believe that our Lord emptied Himself practically to the degree of ordinary
human fallibility.
Jesus was and is God.
• He had all His divine attributes that He may have suspended the activity of
His Divine attributes in some directions during His life on earth we readily
concede, but that He could exist apart from them is absolutely unthinkable.
• To make His incarnation empty Him of His divine attributes would mean
that the “Word did not become flesh but the word became defunct.”
• John's witness refute the kenosis theory.
• John 2:24-25-But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he
knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew
what was in man.
• Jesus not only knew “all” men individually but “man” constitutionally.
• This was a supernatural knowledge exceeding all human limits.
John 4
• He told the Sychar woman all about her past.
• He healed the nobleman's Son a day's journey away
• John 11- He knew Lazarus had just died fifty miles away at Bethany
• John 12- He informed His disciples that if they went into the city at a
certain place would find a colt tied, which He required. etc.
• His Personal Pronouncements
• John 8:58- Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before
Abraham was, I am.
• John 14:6- Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:no
man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
• John 2:19- Jesus answered & said unto them, Destroy this temple,& in 3
days I will raise it up.
• John 3:14- And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so
must the Son of man be lifted up:
• John 7:32-The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things
concerning him;& the Pharisees & the chief priests sent officers to take him
• John 14:3- And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and
receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
• John 15:26 - But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you
from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father,
he shall testify of me:
• John 16:1-4-These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be
offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh,
that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these
things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor
me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may
remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at
the beginning, because I was with you.
• The above evidences, prove that the life of Jesus was contrary to an
emptying to human level, but rather exemplified supernatural fulness.
• John's exordium (beginning) on the coming of the word in the flesh is the
interpretative scripture to Paul's Kenosis passage in Philippians.
• Phil 2:5-8- Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who,
being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But
made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and
was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he
humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross.
• The Kenosis or self - emptying has to do with "form" "morph" or
expression not essence.
• When our Lord emptied Himself "ekenosen" for the purpose of incarnation,
He separated Himself from the pre-incarnate expression of himself i.e from
the Glory, which he had with the Father before the world was.
• John 17:5 - And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the
glory which I had with thee before the world was.
• The emptying thus speaks of the profound transition in which He described
Himself of that pre-cosmic “glory” but we can understand that He neither
did nor could detach Himself from what He eternally is.
• We cannot penetrate the psychic duality of that God - man, but the copious
evidences before us we can intelligently accept that the ego was the
incarnate LOGOS, that it was the incorporated human nature which was
supernaturally Spirit - endued.
• Thus the human nature was made a perfect vehicle for the Divine Ego.
• Throughout the book of John, the Christ is ever presented as supernatural -
instead of emptying there is an infinite filling.
• Against “Kenosis” there is a divine Pleroma (fullness, one who is the
fullness of the Godhead bodily. Read Col 2:9- For in him dwelleth all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily.