The Gospel Of John: Discovery And Reflection GuideSample

Who is Jesus?

In the Gospel of John, you will learn that Jesus …

• always existed, was baptized, and chose his followers (1:1-51)

• showed his power through miracles (2:1–12:50)

• taught his followers and prayed for them (13:1–17:26)

• was arrested, killed, and buried (18:1–19:42)

• rose from death and continued teaching his followers (20:1–21:25)

John was one of Jesus’ closest followers. John began his Gospel in a way that was very different from the other Gospels. John’s first words are “in the beginning.” In Genesis, these words begin the story of the creation of the world. John does not retell the creation story. Instead, he talks about the “Word” that was there in the beginning. 

What is this Word? John says that the Word was with God and was God. The Word is Jesus, the Son of God, who came into the world as light and life. The themes of light and life are repeated throughout the Gospel, as are other themes like truth, love, and glory.

John does not try to include all or even most of the events in Jesus’ life. Instead he selects a few events that illustrate and reveal the divine nature and mission of Jesus, the Christ (which means Messiah or God’s Chosen King). John shows in many different ways that Jesus is one with God and that Jesus is God. Jesus came so that people could see and know God in real life.

In John’s Gospel, Jesus talks to people in a very personal way. Many of these conversations are not in the other Gospels. For example, in John 4, Jesus meets a woman at a well in Samaria. Many Jewish people at that time thought that Jews should avoid people from Samaria. Many also thought that a man, especially a rabbi (a person who teaches about God), should not talk to a woman alone. 

But Jesus was not concerned about what people thought. He honored this Samaritan woman by having a conversation with her. He also revealed truths to her that, as far as we know, he had not told anyone else. 

Jesus shows that God wants everyone to know him, not just one special group. Eternal life is for everyone, no matter who they are, where they are from, or what they have done.

Wording of the content of this material is taken from the Holy Bible: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), International Edition © 2016 by Bible League International. We encourage you to use the ERV in your daily reading plan. The ERV offers explanations of key words and phrases when you click on the comment boxes inside the Scripture.