NLT Study Bible - Gospel of John - Flipbook - Page 6
J o h n IN T R O DUC T I O
I like the
comparison of
John’s Gospel to
a pool in which a
child may wade
and an elephant
can swim. It is
both simple and
Meaning and Message
profound. It is
Revelation and Redemption. “The light shines in the darkness, and the
for the beginner
darkness can never extinguish it” (1:5). The light of God has inhabited the world: Christ reveals the Father (14:9). In Christ we see the
in the faith and
glory of God in a human being. Even though Jesus was persecuted,
tried, and crucified, the light cannot be extinguished. Jesus’ purpose in for the mature
revealing God is to redeem people: “The Word gave life to everything
Christian. Its appeal
that was created, and his life brought light to everyone” (1:4). Those
is immediate and
who embrace Christ’s revelation and redemption with faith will gain
eternal life.
never failing.
John’s knowledge of Palestine and Judaism is reflected throughout his
Gospel.
John assumed that his audience was unfamiliar with some particulars of Jesus’ world. For example, he explained that rabbi is a Hebrew
word meaning “teacher” (1:38), and he gave an alternate name for the
Sea of Galilee (6:1). At the same time, John assumed that his readers
were familiar with Jewish traditions, concepts, and festivals. They probably were also familiar with the basic story presented in Mark’s Gospel.
For example, John refers to John the Baptist’s imprisonment (3:24)
without ever telling the complete story.
Worship and the Spirit. Worship must take place “in spirit and in truth”
(4:24), energized and formed by the Spirit of God. Nicodemus had to
be born of “water and Spirit” to enter the Kingdom of God (3:5). In
Galilee, after feeding the 5,000, Jesus told the crowd that living bread is
available in his body, which was to be sacrificed. He instructed them to
consume his body and blood, symbolic of the Lord’s Supper (6:51-59).
Yet worship focusing only on the individual elements and not accompanied by the Spirit of God is worth nothing (6:63).
Leon Morris,
Jesus Christ. John recorded Jesus’ descriptions about his nature, origin, and relationship to the Father. Jesus affirmed his oneness with the
Father (10:30; 14:9-10) and their unity of purpose (5:17; 8:42), as well
as their personal distinctiveness (14:28; 17:1-5). Jesus even used the
very title (“I AM”) that God used for himself in the OT, thus affirming
his own deity (8:58; 18:5; Exod 3:14).
Further Reading
The Holy Spirit. John’s Gospel underscores the Holy Spirit as a central
feature of Jesus’ human experience (chs 4, 7) and of our lives (ch 3). The
transforming power of God’s Spirit is a hallmark of true discipleship.
The Mission of the Church. God sent Jesus into the world (8:18) to
proclaim his glory and to testify to the Good News of redemption. In
his departure, the Son passed this mission on to the Spirit (16:5-11),
who in turn would fill the church and empower believers to fulfill the
mission of Jesus in the world (20:20-23; Matt 28:18-20; Acts 1:7-8).
The End Times. Early Christians anticipated the return of Christ, and
John affirms this anticipation. Yet in the meantime, believers can experience Jesus’ longed-for presence in the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ announcement of the Spirit’s coming echoes the language of his own second
coming (see 14:15-23). In a vital way, Jesus is already with us in the
Spirit as we continue to look forward to Christ’s personal return at the
end of history.
The Gospel according to
John
Craig L. Blomberg
The Historical Reliability of
John’s Gospel: Issues and
Commentary (2001)
F. F. Bruce
The Gospel of John:
Introduction, Exposition and
Notes (1983)
Gary M. Burge
John (2000)
Philip W. Comfort
I Am the Way: A Spiritual
Journey through the Gospel
of John (2001)
PHILIP W. COMFORT
AND WENDELL C.
HAWLEY
Opening John’s Gospel and
Epistles (2009)
Grant Osborne
John in Cornerstone Biblical
Commentary, vol. 13 (2007)
Rodney A. Whitacre
John (1999)
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