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Gospel of John Bible Study: Introduction
by Wayne Davies The book of John is the fourth book of the New Testament. It is often called "The Gospel According to John" because the first 4 books of the New Testament are known as the 4 Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These 4 books have a similar theme: they each describe the life, teachings and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. What is the purpose of the book of John? John tells us why he wrote this book in John 20:30-31. "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." Note the two purposes of this book. John says that he told us about the miracles Jesus did, such as the changing of water into wine (John 2) and the feeding of 5,000 men with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish (John 6), for two main reasons: 1. So that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. 2. So that you may have life in his name. John wants you to read this book and come to the conclusion that Jesus is someone special, namely, that He is the Christ, the long-awaited Jewish Messiah, who was prophesied about in the Old Testament. And John also wants you to believe that this Jesus is the Son of God. Keep this two-fold purpose in mind as you read the book of John. As you read every passage in the book, ask yourself these questions: 1. What does this passage teach about who Jesus is? 2. What is the relationship between who Jesus is (His person) and what He does -- how He gives spiritual life to people like you and me (His work). John, like the other gospel writers, is eager to tell you all about the person and work of Jesus Christ. This is why John wrote this book, so if you don't understand this (the person and work of Jesus), you won't understand the book of John, and you won't understand anything else in the Bible either, because Jesus Christ is the central theme of the whole Bible. (See John 5:39 and Luke 24:25-27.) Are you ready to meet the most important Person in the history of the universe? Are you ready for an encounter with God Himself? Are you eager to know this Jesus like you've never known Him before? If so, then you will not be disappointed, for John has presented this Jesus in all His glory for you to see, savor and be satisfied. John tells us that "We saw his glory the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). By the grace of the Father and the power of the Spirit, you, too, can now see the glory of the Son in the pages of this book. For more Bible reading tips, visit http://www.GodWroteTheBook.com for 2 free gifts: the Resource Guide "Top 5 Free Online Bible Study Tools" and my book "Sweeter Than Honey, More Precious Than Gold: Meditations on Psalm 119," by Wayne Davies, dedicated to helping you read and understand the Bible. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |