Reading With the People of God #9 - FaithfulnessSample

Memorization Challenge:

13 Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the Lord has set a king over you.- Samuel 12:13

Primer: Introduction to John

This unique book, written by the disciple John, is an account of Jesus’ life and ministry. It is called a gospel, which means good news, but it is very different from the first three books which are called the synoptic (in sync) gospels. Ninety percent of John is new material. In this gospel there is no genealogy and there are no parables. John’s agenda in writing about Jesus and His life was to prove that He was the promised Messiah, God come to earth, His purpose, to save humankind from sin. John begins with the preexistence of Jesus and notes He was present at creation in the very words God spoke.

John is a fascinating character for many reasons. Tradition tells us that he and his older brother James, whose parents were Zebedee and Salome, Mary’s sister, were Jesus’ cousins. In his gospel John refers to himself as “the disciple Jesus loved,” implying a best friend relationship, and he is always included in the threesome of Jesus’ inner circle.

John was the only disciple at the cross when Jesus was crucified, and it was to John that Jesus commended the care of His mother, Mary. John would be the last surviving apostle, living into the AD 90’s.

John knew Jesus as a boy, witnessed Jesus’ miracles as a disciple, was present at the transfiguration and, as an apostle, was given the visions of the Revelation. In all, John was inspired to write 5 of our New Testament Books; the gospel of John, the epistles I, II and III John, and the Book of the Revelation.

John was a dominant leader in the early church and later would lead the church in Ephesus until exiled to the Isle of Patmos by the Emperor Domitian. It was on Patmos that he received visions and wrote the book, called by the early church, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” After his exile it is believed that it was from Ephesus that John did most of his writing and it was in Ephesus that he died.

*Overview contributed by: Jinet Troost