The Gospel of John: So That Humanity Would Come to Believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God

Session 4 Rough Draft for Final
Dawn M. D’Amico
Colorado Christian University
BIB-423A: Teaching the Bible
Todd Leupold
December 12, 2021
1

THE GOSPEL OF
JOHN
So that humanity would come to believe in Jesus Christ
as the Son of God and live according to His Will
Title slide and thematic statement for the book as a whole
Preceding sessions will be one hour in duration
2

Session 1:
How did the Gospel of John
come to be and, more
importantly, why?
Session 1: Overall Theme, Content &, Structure
3

Purpose
Why did the author write this narrative of the
life of Jesus? How does it differ form the first
three Gospels (Synoptics)?
1. The Gospel of John is a letter written to those who would believe. To instill belief in Jesus
Christ as the Son of God whose actions on the cross have resulted in our opportunity for
eternal salvation in obedience to Him. Originally written in a time of wavering faith, in the late
80s or 90s AD, John restores the glory of Christ in this written account of His ministry and His
Spirit. The purpose does not end there, however, John also writes to keep those in Christ
within His fold, describing the promises of the Kingdom to come for those who are offered
salvation in His name. The only of the four gospels to record not one, but five journeys
taken by Jesus to Jerusalem (Kruse, 2017, p. 18).The Gospel of John records the pre-
existence, incarnation, and resurrection of God in the Flesh; “But these are written that you
may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have
life in his name” (The Holy Bible: New International Version, John 20:31).
2. The Gospel of John is a biographical account of the pre-existence, earthly reign, and future
kingdom of Jesus Christ. The book is a narrative about the existence and actions of God’s
incarnation as the Son of Man so that we might experience His message through His life,
ministry, and death. As Martin & Wright (2015) noted, “Similarly, John says that his purpose
in recounting the actions of the risen Jesus is for his audience’s faith and spiritual formation:
‘These are written that you may [come to] believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name’ (20:31)” (p. 20).
4

Authorship
Who wrote the Gospel of John?
Authorship:
Essentially unknown, but thought to be John the apostle by some, disputed by others; “it
was assumed that the beloved disciple, identified as the apostle John, was responsible for
producing the original form of the Gospel of John. Such a view is not universally accepted
and therefore needs to be examined in the light of the testimony of the early Church Fathers
(external evidence) and the information that may be gleaned from the Gospel of John itself
(internal evidence) (Kruse, 2017, p. 9).
5

Date & Intended Audience
When was this Gospel written and to whom?
Date of original writing: Late 80s or 90s A.D., however, not concrete in any decisive way
due to multiple theories (Kruse, 2017, p. 17).
Intended audience: Believed to be written to a Greco-Roman Christian audience, The
Gospel of John seems to have also been written for an unbelieving or wavering audience of
“Greek speaking Jews” (Kruse, 2017, p. 6). While having a more universal purpose for all
of humanity living in Christ, John wrote to instill belief in Jesus as the Messiah, specifically
speaking to the Jewish population on this point.
6

Re-Cap Q&A
1. Do we differ in our current time from the intended audience in any way?
2. Why should we believe now? (ponder on this throughout the course).
3. Have you ever been a non-believer or lost faith under certain circumstances?
4. In preparation for next session, ponder the identity of Christ as you now understand
Him.
7

Session 2:
Jesus Christ is the Logos,
pre-existent in time, who
incarnated on earth as the
Son of God.
Session 2: Discuss the identity and origin of Christ
8

Reflection to Genesis in Creation
“In the beginning…”
1. Read John 1:1-5; reflections to Genesis 1:1 and pre-existence of Christ before
creation.
2. The Word; Title of Christ “emphasizing his own deity and communication of who
God is and what he is like” (Kohlenberger, 2015, p. 1543). The Word as the living
Logos in Christ is central to the theme of the entire Bible.
3. Read John 1:6-18; How does this reflect/fulfill the OT, specifically 1:17? His
non-temporal existence emphasized in the prologue of the book, The Gospel of
John declares throughout its entirety the identity of Jesus Christ as the only
begotten Son of God who became flesh and walked upon His creation. He is the
fulfillment of God’s promises of the Old Testament (v. 1:17), the Word become
flesh (1:14); “, the Bread of Life, and the Living Water; I am.”
9

John the Baptist
“He came as a witness, to testify about the
Light, so that all might believe through him”
(John1:7).
1. Read John 1:19-34; John the Baptist is introduced in the Prologue as witness and
into the Book of Signs; what is his relationship to the revelation of the identity of
Christ? (see John 1:30-31) He is to reveal Christ, not forgive sins as Christ will
do.
2. “I AM;” while not mentioned in the prologue, this term of identity is used by
Christ himself throughout the Gospel of John 29 times (Kohlenberger, 2015, p.
547). This statement rings back to His identity as the pre-existent Logos. Ask
students to take note each time we encounter His declaration through the
sessions.
10

Re-Cap Q&A
1. When did Christ’s existence begin if not at His incarnation?
2. What does it mean to be the Word vs. speak the Word?
3. What is Logos?
4. What does John the Baptist mean when he says, “After me is coming a Man who has
proved to be my superior, because He existed before me” (1:30)? How can he come
after yet exist before?
5. How does this knowledge affect your understanding of the relationship between
humanity and Christ?
11

Session 3:
Christ performs signs and
miracles to bring His
disciples to Him in faith
and renewal of Spirit.
Session 3: Public Witness/Faith & Rebirth
1. Together in witness to the ministry and miracles of Jesus, Christ calls His
disciples to walk the path beside Him as those who would believe are born
anew in faith and offered Salvation; “But whoever lives by the truth
comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have
done has been done in the sight of God” (v. 3:21).
12

The First Disciples
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven
opened and the angels of God ascending
and descending on the Son of Man” (John
1:51).
1. Read 1:35-51; the story of Nathanael and the fig tree not only instills belief but
again relates back to a messianic peace (Micah 4:4)
13

Signs and Miracles
“So when He was raised from the dead, His
disciples remembered that He said this; and
they believed the Scripture and the word
which Jesus had spoken” (John 2:22).
1. Review ch. 2-6
2. Signs = G4956 ; “semeion” --“To make known” (Kohlenberger, p. 1564). Jesus
used signs and miracles so that the people would understand Him as the Son of
God and glorify Him.
3. Wedding at Cana (2:1-12); the water into wine was a miracle in itself, but also
represented the replacement of the need of those barrels of water which were
originally used for ceremonial washing. The old covenant now fulfilled; the old
law not necessary as one is pure in Christ.
4. The Samaritan Woman (4:39); “Now from that city many of the Samaritans
believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all
the things that I have done.”
5. Second sign at Cana (the official’s son) (4:53); “So the father knew that it was at
that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son is alive”; and he himself believed,
and his entire household.”
6. See also: the Healing at the Pool (5:1-15); on the Sabbath exhibiting His
authority, The Authority of the Son (5:16-47), Testimonies (5:31-47), Jesus Feeds
the Five Thousand (6:1-15, Jesus Walks on Water (6:16-24), Jesus the Bread of
Life (6:25-59)
7. “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (6:29).
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Born Anew
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is
born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter
the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).
1. Review ch. 2-6
2. Born again (of water) (of Spirit) = G1164; “gennao;” Translated to “become
son(s),” the concept of being born anew is introduced as introduction to the
Christian life (p. 1516).
3. Jesus explains what it is to be born again to Nicodemus; The New Birth (3:1-21)
4. “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of
Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes will have eternal life in Him”
(John 3:15).
15

The Work of the Son
“Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who hears
My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has
eternal life, and does not come into
judgment, but has passed out of death into
life” (John 5:24).
1. Review ch. 2-6
2. Christ reinforces His identity and relationship to the Father and purpose in our
presence.
3. John 6:64-65; “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew
from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was who
would betray Him. And He was saying, ‘For this reason I have told you that no
one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father’.”
16

Re-Cap Q&A
1. What evidence for Christ do you find in your own life? How does He provide you
reasons to have faith in Him?
2. What does it feel like to have been re-born in the Spirit? Can you identify with this
concept even if born into Christianity?
3. What does Christ mean by “eternal life”? Is this quality or quantity? Both?
4. When we are born again, does our new life in eternity begin now or at our earthly
death?
5. Do you see any other messages or themes in His interactions with the public; the
Samaritan woman, Nicodemus, John the Baptist, the pool healing?
17

Session 4:
Through His authority and
actions Jesus reveals the
Father and His relationship
to humanity.
Session 4: Public Witness/Jesus reveals the Father
Jesus reveals to the world that His Word is that of the Father’s. He reveals the authority
and Will of God over each of His children and that it is only through Christ and His actions
that we may find our way to the Father in eternal life. “For I did not speak on my own but
the Father who sent me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to
eternal life” (vv. 12:49-50).
Again, we can refer to: the Healing at the Pool (5:1-15); on the Sabbath exhibiting His
authority, The Authority of the Son (5:16-47), Testimonies (5:31-47), Jesus Feeds the Five
Thousand (6:1-15, Jesus Walks on Water (6:16-24), Jesus the Bread of Life (6:25-59)
“The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (6:29).
18

The Teacher Revealed
“So Jesus answered them and said, “My
teaching is not My own, but His who sent
Me” (John 7:16).
1. After performing signs and miracles anonymously (to a point), it is at this time
that Jesus steps forward and declares His identity publicly, outwardly claiming to
be the Son of God, thus resulting in His ultimate arrest. Why must this take
place?
19

Jesus and Abraham
“Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you,
before Abraham was born, I AM” (John 8:58).
1. Reflecting back to John the Baptist declaring His existence before him, Christ re-
iterates He existed even before Abraham; before time.
20

The Father’s Ambassador
“When you lift up the Son of Man, then you
will know that I AM, and I do nothing on My
own, but I say these things as the Father
instructed Me” (John 8:28).
1. As the ambassador to God, Christ incarnated so that he could minister to
humanity His Will and lead us to him in life to live as He intended us to do so in
the here and now and ever after.
2. This ambassadorship is also represented in the parable of the Good Shepherd (ch.
10) as well as further proof of His role in the healing of the blind man; “And
Jesus said, ‘For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see
may see, and those who see may become blind’” (9:39) for he came to believe.
3. The raising of Lazarus could also be considered that of ambassadorship for he
raised him from the dead just as the Father would do for the Son. Verse 11:4
representing spiritual death that must take place to be born anew and to give
Christ the opportunity to receive His glory; “This sickness is not meant for death,
but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”
4. Again, we find the phrase “come to believe” (11:27) edifying the theme of the
Gospel.
21

Re-Cap Q&A
1. Why would Jesus choose to remain unknown through the beginning of His ministry?
2. Why must Christ be glorified? What does that mean to be glorified?
3. What is the significance of the relationship between Christ and Abraham? Why
mention it to the unbelieving Jews?
4. What is the consequence for Christ in raising Lazarus and why?
22

Session 5:
The incarnation, death,
resurrection, and ascension
of the Logos is our saving
grace as He prepares a
future Kingdom in Heaven
for those who have
glorified Him.
Session 5: Future Kingdom/Love & Obedience
Not found in the Synoptic Gospels, John shares an emphasis on the future Kingdom to
come. Jesus took action on the cross so that he may go to the Father and prepare a place
for his people upon His return in the Last Days. Through His Love and our obedience to His
Word, we glorify Him; “all glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no
longer, but they are still in the world and I am coming to you” (vv. 17:10-11).
Glory = G1518, G1519; “doxa, doxazo;” Divine glory is the light which emanates
from God. It is also the manner in which He is praised in eternity.
23

Future Kingdom
“My kingdom is not of this world. If My
kingdom were of this world, My servants
would be fighting so that I would not be
handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My
kingdom is not of this realm” (John 18:36).
Lightfoot (2015) reminds us that while Christ is not of this world, and prepares a
future for us in His Kingdom, the future that He speaks of began at His incarnation
as His existence upon the earth began our enlightenment (p. 244) with His message
of love and obedience. It is those who love Him and live life in His image that are
still in the world, but not of it … the kingdom already come; “I have come as Light
into the world, so that no one who believes in Me will remain in darkness” (John
12:46).
24

Love & Obedience
“For I gave you an example, so that you also
would do just as I did for you. Truly, truly I
say to you, a slave is not greater than his
master, nor is one who is sent greater than
the one who sent him” (John 13:15-16).
Lightfoot (2015) reminds us that while Christ is not of this world, and prepares a
future for us in His Kingdom, the future that He speaks of began at His incarnation
as His existence upon the earth began our enlightenment (p. 244) with His message
of love and obedience. It is those who love Him and live life in His image that are
still in the world, but not of it … the kingdom already come; “I have come as Light
into the world, so that no one who believes in Me will remain in darkness” (John
12:46).
Note: Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet (13:1-16); leading them by example in how
they should continue His work.
Commands (see John 13:34, 15:12, 15:14, 15:17) = G1953; “entole”; Law or order
requiring authority (p. 1526), which of course requires obedience to such an order.
Believers must obey God’s commandments in agreement for reward in eternal life
with Him.
25

Re-Cap Q&A
1. Where does the future Kingdom take place? When?
2. What must one do to enter the Kingdom?
3. What is meant by obedience to God? Why do we obey His commands?
26

Session 6:
In His saving act on the
cross, Christ gifts humanity
with eternal life.
Session 6: Passion & Resurrection/Eternal Life
The entirety of our Salvation rests on the passion and resurrection of Christ. Without His
incarnation so that there might be a spilling of His blood to cleanse our sin, we would not
find ourselves worthy of a life eternal. Through His sacrifice, the world witnessed the
ultimate act of God’s love and Christ’s obedience; “Now this is eternal life: that they know
you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (v. 17:3).
27

Eternal Life
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only
true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified
You on the earth by accomplishing the work which You
have given Me to do. And now You, Father, glorify Me
together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You
before the world existed” (John 17:3-5).
Love = G26, G26, G5797; “agapao, agape, phileo”; God is Love at its “highest
order” (p. 1573). He is the very act of Love itself for His Son and His people; His
entire purpose resides in this word.
28

Love and the Cross
“I am no longer going to be in the world; and yet
they themselves are in the world, and I am coming
to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the
name which You have given Me, so that they may
be one just as We are” (John 17:11).
29

It is Finished
“I have made Your name known to them, and
will make it known, so that the love with
which You loved Me may be in them, and I in
them” (John 17:26).
“The cross, incomparably vindicated by the resurrection, is the novum, the new
vector in human experience, the definitive and world-changing act of God that makes
the New Testament proclamation unique in all the world” (Rutledge, 2015, p. 68).
30

Re-Cap Q&A
1. Why did Jesus submit to His crucifixion?
2. What is the significance of His last words; “it is finished” (19:30)?
3. How does the resurrection provide hope?
4. What sacrifice of love can you make in your life to enrich the lives of others?
31

Session 7:
In His resurrection, the
restored Kingdom of God
is at hand in the mission of
the church.
Session 7: Church Mission/New Covenant
John wrote his gospel for the very reason that Christ performed His signs and miracles; so
that we may believe. Our purpose, given by Him, is to carry on the mission of Christ,
fostering faith among those who would believe, while He prepares our place with Him.
Jesus made a call for discipleship and that his people look over each other as brothers and
sisters in community. Just as He commanded Peter, “take care of my sheep” (v. 21:16), He
sends the Holy Spirit to reside within His community until His return; an ever-growing
community filled with love and redemption on the road to salvation.
32

He is Risen
“Peace be to you; just as the Father has sent Me, I
also send you.” And when He had said this, He
breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the
Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins
have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of
any, they have been retained” (John 20:21-23).
“There are places in the Gospel of John which suggest that the church is
understood to be God’s new covenant community. Pryor notes, for example, that (1)
just as Israel was the flock of Yahweh, so now believers are God’s flock cared for by
Jesus, the ‘good shepherd’ (10:1–18); (2) just as the presence of God among the
tribes of Israel was a sign of their covenant relationship with him, so the
‘tabernacling’ of the incarnate Christ among his disciples is a sign of their covenant
relationship with God (1:14); (3) just as Israel was chosen by God to be his people
and became the object of his special love, so too the disciples are chosen by Christ
(15:16) and are the objects of his special love (13:1); and (4) just as God promised
to breathe new life into Israel (Ezek. 37), so too Jesus breathed on his disciples and
said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’ (20:21–23)” (Kruse, p. 38).
33

Jesus and Peter
“’Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord,
You know all things; You know that I love You.’
Jesus said to him, ‘Tend My sheep’” (John
20:21-23).
“’Shepherd my sheep,’ words more familiar to the reader than ‘Tend my lambs’ (v. 15). That
‘shepherding’ became a dominant metaphor for pastoral care is evident already within the
New Testament (see Acts 20:28; 1 Pet 5:2), but in John’s Gospel the ‘sheep’ are Jesus’
disciples. Peter’s commission, therefore, is not simply to be a pastor to new converts but in
some way a pastor right away to his fellow disciples” (Michaels, 2010, p. u.n.).
34

Re-Cap Q&A
1. How does Christ’s resurrection speak to Hid identity; I AM
2. What is the main message that Jesus taught that we should carry on in our current
time?
3. How can the church continue to “tend His sheep”?
4. How does the church represent a new covenant with God’s people?
5. How can we make a new believer in Christ?
35

Session 8:
The Gospel of John is a
testament to the
relationship between God
and humankind.
Session 8: The relationship between God and His People
36

God and Man
“Through him all things were made; without
him nothing was made that has been made”
(John 1:3).
1. Provide handout on “God and His Relationship to Humankind in the Gospel of John.”
2. Read through together ending with Q & A for each section; creation, sin, reconciliation,
redemption, and destiny of the world
37

Re-Cap Q&A
1. Creation
1. What does the concept of our creation in this book teach us about ourselves?
2. What is the current state of our creation with Christ’s incarnation?
2. Sin
1. Why does Jesus choose to associate with sinners? To what purpose?
2. What responsibility do we have as followers of Christ to remain without sin?
Can we?
3. Reconciliation
1. How is this term used in context of this book?
2. Can we receive redemption without reconciliation?
3. Where does reconciliation lead us?
4. Redemption
1. Who is offered redemption and why?
2. Have you ever felt redeemed? Whether spiritually or in a non-secular manner?
What does this do to one’s heart?
5. Destiny of the World
1. How did Christ change our destiny in His incarnation?
2. In His death and resurrection?
3. How do we keep in step with our destiny?
6. Final thoughts
1. How does the Gospel of John impact your life?
2. What can you do with this message to help others?
3. What are the implications of ignoring the Word of God?
38

REFERENCES:
Kohlenberger, J. (2015). NIV exhaustive Bible concordance. Zondervan.
Kruse, C.G. (2017). John : an introduction and commentary: vol. revised edition. IVP
Academic.
Lightfoot, J. B. (2015). The gospel of St. John : a newly discovered commentary.
InterVarsity Press.
Martin, F., & Wright, W. M. I. (2015). The gospel of John (catholic commentary on
sacred scripture). Baker Academic.
Michaels, J.R. (2010). The gospel of John. Eerdmans
Rutledge, F. (2015). The crucifixion : understanding the death of Jesus Christ. Wm.
B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
The Holy Bible: New International Version. (2011). Biblica.
.
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