New Testament Study Guides - ElectronicGospel

THEMES
While these three gospels are called synoptic for their similar
approaches in summarizing the life of Christ, the gospel according to the
apostle John is much more personal and private in its revelations. John, who
is also the writer of three New Testament letters and the Revelation, speaks
as a theologian and addresses a universal audience of thoughtful and
compassionate listeners. He stresses the sacrifice of Christ on such a human
level that it is impossible to miss the blood, sweat and tears of the cross.
John does not record the parables of Christ so prevalent in the synoptic
accounts and probably wrote the latest account of his friend’s life.
Most memorable is the visit by night of Nicodemus to Jesus in which
the Lord describes a new birth and informs us all that God so loved the
world that Jesus was sent so men might believe and be saved rather than
dying in their sins.
The relationship of Christ and Jehovah is important to John, who
pictures them as Father and Son, often to the consternation of their enemies
among the Jews who considered such words to be boastful blasphemy.
Christ is more than a prophet, but is in fact, the Creator and intimately
attached to God from eternity.
The death of Jesus is predicted in a way that makes clear it was no
accident or coincidence, but was part of a plan to redeem men with a perfect
sacrifice and to establish a new kind of kingdom.
John spends several chapters recording the last audience the Lord had
with the apostles, in which he encouraged them to be faithful and loyal and
promised them a Helper would appear after his departure. That Helper, the
Holy Spirit, occupies much of this section and paves the way for the events
of Pentecost.
John’s gospel is sometimes called The Book of the Seven Signs because
the writer chose to include seven signs to paint a portrait of the Messiah. He
turns water into wine (2:1-11), cures a nobleman’s son (4:46-54) and a
paralytic (5:1-18), feeds a multitude (6:6-13), walks on water (6:16-21),
restores sight to the blind (9:1-7) and raises Lazarus (11:1-45).