Lesson 1

A Journey Through John

John 20:30-31

A man who had been visiting the church made an appointment for counseling with a pastor I know in a western state. He came into the pastor's office and said, "You've got to help me. My life is in shambles. I divorced my first wife and abandoned our two children and married another woman. But I am not presently living with my second wife - I left her and moved in with another woman. But that's not the worst of it. You see, I am a medical doctor and I make a living performing abortions. The clinic where I perform abortions, last year did six million dollars worth of business. If a woman comes to me unsure about whether to have an abortion or not, I talk her into it. I am miserable and unhappy. I have even contemplated suicide. Can you help me? The pastor looked at the man and said, "No." He paused for a moment, allowing that statement to have its full effect and then said, "But I know someone who can help you. His name is Jesus Christ." The doctor said, "I'm Jewish and really just don't know who Jesus Christ is." The pastor picked up a book and gave it to the man and said, "This book will tell you who Jesus Christ is. I want you to read it and re-read it until you know who Jesus is?"

The book that the pastor gave the man was The Gospel According To John. Did you know that the Gospel of John is the single most printed document in the world?! Every year millions of copies of this book are printed and distributed around the world by missionaries and soulwinners.

Today, at Dearborn Baptist Church, we shall begin a journey through John. Let me tell you som things about the Gospel of John.

The Gospel Of John Is Simple

John and his brother James, the sons of Zebedee had been fishermen on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus summons them to become his disciples. After his conversion and commitment to following Christ, John became an apostle. He along with James and Peter were in the inner most circle of fellowship with Christ. These three along had been invited by Jesus to see Christ transfigured, to witness the raising of Jairus' daughter, and to pray with Jesus in Gethsemane.

John seems to be a rather timid and humble man. Nowhere in this fourth gospel does he identify himself by name. He simply referred to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (13:23; 21:20, 24). John seemed to be overwhelmed by the knowledge that Jesus loved him. There was a special relationship between Jesus and John. So much so that, at the crucifixion, Jesus committed the care of his mother to John (19:26).

John was probably the youngest of all the disciples. It is believed by many of the scholars that he was still a teenager during the three-year ministry of Jesus on earth. But when he wrote this gospel account, he was an old man and believed to be the only original apostle still alive.

The Apostle John wrote five books of our New Testament. In addition to the gospel account there are three epistles - I, II, III John as well as The Revelation.

John made sure that this book was simple. He used only about 600 different words to tell the gospel. I once read that children add about 100 words to their vocabulary every year and that, thus, the gospel according to John is in the language that a seven year old could understand. John wanted everyone to be able to understand the gospel. He himself was from a simple background - Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. He wanted like him to be able to read and comprehend the meaning of Jesus' life. John did not just write words, he painted pictures, images - a Lamb, a Door, a Shepherd, a Birth, Light, Water, Bread and dozens more. There are some favorite words of John which he uses repeatedly. He is fond of the word "believe" using it 99 times in 21 chapters.

The fact that this book is simple does not mean that it is not profound. In fact, in my mind, the very best communication is that of expressing eternal truth in clear and simple language. One brilliant Bible scholar, A.T. Robertson said that the Gospel according to John is the single most profound book ever written. "It is shallow enough for a child to wade through and deep enough for an elephant to swim in" was the way one man said it.

I must tell you that I am so excited about preaching through this book. I am excited because this book answers the most important question which could ever be asked. That question is - Who Is Jesus Christ? "Who do men say that I am? Whom say ye that I am?" Matthew 16:13,15. When we go through John, we are not just studying a book, we are meeting a person. The Gospel of John is a gospel tract. It is virtually self-contained. It doesn't need references from other books. It is a New Testament tract! You should know that preaching from this book is going to be evangelistic preaching. The whole world needs to know who Jesus Christ is. That question is answered in this book. In fact, John put the key that unlocks his gospel account by the back door. Let's read John 20:30-31.

The Gospel Of John Is Selective

John wants us to know that this book is not comprehensive. There are many things which Jesus did which are not recorded in this book. In fact, at the very end of the book, John says that if everything Jesus did were recorded, the books could not contain it all. Did you know that the events recorded in all four gospels only tell us about 75 days in the life of Jesus? There are only thirty-six miracles of Jesus recorded in the Bible and John selected only eight to record in his gospel. The moment we pick it up, we become aware that this book is different. There is no genealogy of Jesus, no manger scene, no boyhood, no baptism, no temptation, no mount of transfiguration. There are no scribes, no lepers, no publican and no demoniacs. There are no parables. It is almost as though John leaves out what the others gospel writers put in and puts in what the others left out.

Matthew's account is very Jewish. He wants his readers to know that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the King of the Jews. Mark present's Christ, not as a king but as a servant. Sixty per-cent of the population of the Roman empire were slaves, and Mark wants them to know the deeds and the sacrifice of Jesus who came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom. Luke presents Christ as the Son of Man with an emphasis that Messiah is not just for Jews but for all mankind. The first three gospel accounts are known as the synoptics. The word means "they look together." Matthew, Mark and Luke are similar in many ways. The look together. But John is different. And John says that his gospel is written that "ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God." John presents Jesus as the Son of God. What does that mean?

A Confession Of His Deity. What are we to understand by the phrase "the son of God"? Is that to be simply understood as the offspring of God? When the Bible calls Jesus the son of God, it is making reference to his deity. Jesus said that James and John were the "sons of thunder." The church at Jerusalem said that Barnabas was the son of encouragement. These have nothing to do with offspring. Rather they have to do with essence. When John writes that Jesus is the son of God, he means that Jesus is of the very essence of God, see 5:16-18. Did you hear what I just said? Jesus is God. That is the main message of this book. It is written that you might believe that Jesus is the son of God, the essence of God. God has made no attempt to record everything about Jesus. He has selected certain "signs" which signify Christ's deity. The underlying theme of this book is the deity of Christ - 1;1,14, 34, 49, 10:30-33; 19:6-7; 20:26-29.

A Call To Decision. "That ye might believe ... and that believing." This book calls every reader to a decision, to believe that Jesus is God.

The Gospel Of John Is Soulsaving

"believing ye might have life through his name"

The gospel is not just a good story about a great man. It has life in it and it gives life to those who believe. It is life-giving! It promises that believing ye might have life.

What kind of life? It gives spiritual life to those who are "dead in trespasses and sins."

It gives, in the words of Jesus in John 10:10, abundant life. A kind of life that has meaning, and purpose and significance and fulfillment.

It gives eternal, everlasting life, a phrase used 17 times by John in this gospel. John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. The meaning is obvious - without end, forever.

My desire, my prayer and hope is that the people who pass through Dearborn Baptist Church will know who Jesus Christ is. That with simplicity we will explain the gospel. That people will believe the gospel and receive from Christ abundant, eternal life.

Perhaps that is what you need today. (Invitation to receive Christ).