The book of John is thought to have been written by John son of Zebedee in about AD 85-90 and who also wrote John 1 & 2 and the book of Revelation. The name John in Greek translates as 'God is gracious'. John was a fisherman, a cousin of Jesus and a brother to James who was also a disciple. Along with his brother he was nicknamed 'sons of thunder' on account of his hot headed temperament. John refers to himself as the 'disciple who Jesus loved' and was certainly very close to Jesus being present with him at the transfiguration, at the foot of the cross where Jesus asks him to look after his mother Mary and was also close beside him at the last supper.
We know that John was in Jerusalem fifteen years after the death of Jesus at the time when Paul was converted and was considered to be a pillar of the early church, his ministry continued in Judea preaching to a mainly Jewish audience. In his latter days he was exiled to the Greek Island of Patmos, some believe that he was martyred with his brother James for his commitment to the faith whilst others say he was the only apostle to die in old age. We do not know for sure. He wrote his gospel late in life .
The book of John carries more discourse than the other Gospels particularly that which he shared with his disciples. John draws on the old testament to clarify that Jesus is the Messiah and suggests that anybody claiming to be King at that time would also have been considered to be the Messiah by the Jews. The Romans required an oath of faith to Caesar which many Jews and Pharisees refused to obey despite people often being executed for resisting Roman rule. Rebel groups were formed, the best known being the Zealots, these included Judas the Galilean and Zadok the pharisee who were well known rebel leaders at the time. There were many uprisings against the Romans from before the time of Jesus and the Jews would wave palm branches at the Romans to show them that they were unwelcome. Jesus as Messiah would have been expected to resist the Romans including the non payment of taxes. This is the backdrop in which the ministry of Jesus took place and why the crowd waved palm branches at him as he entered the city. Jesus was a revolutionary but was in stark contrast to the one the Jews anticipated. His kingdom was to be non violent with an emphasis on faith, love and peace. John outlines that Jesus is both king and God.
The book opens placing Jesus at the dawn of time, he is referred to as the 'Word' or 'logos' which means reason. We are also told that all things were made through him. John uses the word dwelling which was also used in the old testament in relation to the tabernacle where God dwelt among his people. Now God was to be resident in the flesh and Gods glory is revealed to us in Jesus as it was to the Israelite's through Moses.
Early in the book we have the story of the wedding at Cana and how Jesus performs a miracle by turning water into wine. The wine is thought to represent the blood of Christ and redemption but also Joy and fellowship. We of course still use wine today during the Eucharist celebration. We too are to mature spiritually rather like wine does. It is also thought to be a reference to the blood on the doorposts during the exodus whereby the Israelite's were protected by the blood sacrifice. A wedding celebration was also a pointer to Gods covenant promise to be faithful in love to his people. The old testament makes many marriage references. When the wine ran out there was no provision, no redemption and no Joy but Jesus provided it then just as he does now. In the new testament Jesus is described as the groom and his Church the bride. A relationship of love.
When being interrogated by Pilate the Roman governor, he asks Jesus if he thought himself to be king of the Jews. Jesus tells him that his kingdom is not of this world and that Pilate only has authority because it has been given to him by God. The kingdom Jesus describes is spiritual and heavenly whilst Pilates is the military Roman rule of this world. Jesus indicates that he does not use a sword to fight a physical battle but rather uses the word of truth to fight a spiritual one. Yet Pilate who had massacred Jews in huge numbers could find no wrong in Jesus but because of the baying crowds demands he washes his hands of the whole affair and hands Jesus over for crucifixion. John declares that Jesus is the light of the world just as the Jews would have held up the Menorah Candles during the feast of tabernacles to give them light. Jesus not only is the new light but also the servant king who wrapped the towel around his waist when he washed the disciples feet. Washing feet was a job for a slave.
Johns main interest is in who Jesus is, not what he did nor what he said but rather gives a portrait of his inner life and identity as King and God on earth. John does not include the conception and birth of Jesus, his baptism, temptation, transfiguration, last supper, praying in Gethsemane or the ascension and describes only seven of his miracles, although five are unique to Johns Gospel. John hardly mentions the kingdom because he has come to tell a different story, more personal, which is why many of his stories recall one to one conversations, like the Samarian women at the well, his conversation with Nicodemus and John the Baptist.
In John Jesus makes his seven I AM statements I am the true vine. I am the living bread. I am the light of the world. I am the door. I am the good shepherd. I am the resurrection and the life. I am the way the truth and the life.
Most of Johns gospel concentrates on his ministry in the south and note how the teachings of Jesus get harsher the nearer he gets to the seat of power in Jerusalem. Although John emphasizes the feasts of tabernacles and Passover which would relate to a Jewish audience, much of his writing has a more philosophical or allegorical style which would have been very much in keeping with Greek ideas at that time. It talks more about heaven breaking into the here and now rather than in the future and concentrates less on parables and behaviour but rather more on arguments and issues. John expands on Jesus's words to give them a fuller meaning. Early church leaders called it the Spiritual gospel believing the writings to be very much under the influence of the holy spirit. John emphasizes the need to go on asking, go on seeking so that faith becomes continuous and active, acting as a reminder of what needs to be done to sustain faith and go on believing. John describes the Jesus life as being abundant and everlasting, a life to enjoy now with a hint of what is to come. The word believing is used much more than the other gospels both to accept the truth of what happens and why and to be confident, trusting and obedient. We are to be persistent in our believing. That true life was in the vine, not the branches
John also writes to correct other viewpoints and speculation circulating at the time in other gospels, these gospels were more fanciful and magical and included the veneration of John the baptist. John puts John the baptist in right relationship to Jesus pointing out that he was not the light but came to point people to the light (Jesus). If Jesus was the groom and was baptized in the holy spirit to be in a relationship with his people (The bride) then John the baptist was the best man (the witness). There were many Greek philosophical views circulating at that time relating to the physical and the spiritual. The philosopher Plato favoured the spiritual realm whilst Aristotle favoured the physical realm, it had to be one or the other so the Greeks had a real problem believing that Jesus was both spiritual and physical, earthly and heavenly, both human and divine. John teaches that he was neither human or divine nor part human or part divine but rather wholly human and wholly divine. There were other groups such as the Gnostics who believed that the material world was entirely evil and the spiritual world good. Johns teaching undermines these ideas completely by suggesting that the physical and spiritual are intererlated. The humanity of Jesus is shown in his emotion, by weeping when sad and the expressing anger when things were unjust. Pilate beholds the man but Jesus is dependent on his father in prayer just like us, he also suffers and die just as we do.
John though concentrates on the divinity of Jesus using the Hebrew perfect number seven to illustrate this. There are seven miracles, seven 'I am' statements and seven witnesses to his divine nature. John also emphasizes that Jesus is one with, dependent on, and obedient to the father. The Jews were most offended by his claim to be 'i am' because it was the name for God and a direct claim to be him. This was blasphemy in their eyes and that's why they wanted to stone him. Another central theme of Johns gospel is the glory of Jesus which is also an old testament word for God himself. John expresses the splendour of God in Jesus and the means of achieving glory was through the cross. John shows Jesus to be God on earth, unique and distinct.
John tells us that Jesus is the Logos (Reason) or word and that he was not only there at the beginning of the universe but that it was created through him. He was not created himself but was equal in status to God as creator. Marks gospel begins when Jesus is thirty, Matthew at his conception and birth and Luke goes right back to Adam and the idea that Jesus is the son of man. John uniquely places him at the beginning of time. 'In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God' He was named logos before he attained his earthly name of Jesus. The background to the word logos goes back to the dawn of the scientific age of enquiry particularly Heroclitus who lived at Ephesus and who studied the logos, the reason why things were like they were. Many ideas were put forward by various philosophers during this time. John who wrote his gospel at Ephesus linked the idea of scientific logos to Jesus being the logos- The whole universe is made for him, Jesus is the reason why. In Alexandria in Egypt where the old testament was translated into Greek by the 70 scholars known as the Septuagint, Professor Philo describes the logos in a personal way, not an it but a he, a living word. The logos becomes flesh so that we may know him personally, that we can share in everlasting life, that he can forgive our sins and atone for them. John stresses that life extends into eternity.
John also introduces other concepts, life is mentioned 34 times in his Gospel, light too is often spoken of, explaining that we will not die but continue beyond our physical death. Darkness is contrasted to the light and is a description of sinful behaviour but that the light will expose it and reveal the truth. John also contrasts freedom and slavery putting it in the context of bondage to sin rather than having a human master. True freedom meant being free from the spiritual bondage of sin. John also balances out Gods love with judgement and justice but that we can have a real life of love in relationship to Jesus and the father in the power of the Holy spirit.
Johns gospel majors on the person of the holy spirit which leads nicely into the book of Acts which mainly describes the power of the holy spirit in growing the early Church and that through it we can enjoy an abundant life. It describes the holy spirit falling on Jesus as like a dove, the need to be born again and to worship in spirit and in truth, the spirit as living water which is given for the innermost being. The holy spirit is described as the paraclete (the one who comes alongside) comforting, guiding, convicting sin, empowering, reminding them of his teaching. John shows how Jesus prepares them for the coming of the Holy spirit which would continue the work that he had begun.
So John reveals who Jesus is, distinct from all the other Messiahs who were around at the time and the spiritual power which has sustained him in the world two thousand years after all the others. John corrected deceptive teachings and as an eye witness to these events adds weight to the claims of Jesus and urges us to believe.
Summary and references from Unlocking the bible- David Pawson and The bible book by book - Cris Rogers