Overview of the Book of John

The overview of the week for this Sunday is the gospel according to John. John, of course, was one of the 12 apostles.

He and his brother James were part of Jesus's inner circle, Peter, James, and John.

So John was especially close to the Lord, so much so that he refers to himself as the disciple whom

Jesus loved. John wrote his gospel sometime around 90 AD, and the theme of the

Gospel of John is the divinity of Christ. It is often said that Matthew wrote his gospel to the

Jews, Mark to the Romans, Luke to the Greeks, and John to the whole world.

Because in John 3 16, which is probably the most famous verse in all of the Bible, he writes,

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.

John wrote four other books or letters, the Epistles of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd

John, as well as the book of Revelation, where along with this gospel and John and Revelation, he refers to Jesus by this unique term he calls him what?

The Word. The Gospel of John begins this way, which is probably the most clear statement anywhere regarding the deity of Christ.

He begins, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the

Word was God. And he was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made.

And then in verse 14, he says that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as the only begotten of the

Father, full of grace and truth. I think it's safe to say that John is the most theological of all of the

Gospels, yet the message is very simple. John records the purpose of writing in chapter 20, verse 31, when he says,

But these things 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.