Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 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.
John never refers to himself by name in his gospel. None of the four gospels identify their authors within the text. Church history tells us who the authors are, tracing back to the apostolic era, identifying them as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Although John is mentioned twenty times in the other gospels, he is never mentioned by name in his gospel. Instead, he refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.
John’s life is one of remarkable transformations. He and his older brother James, known as Boanerges, sons of thunder, were initially characterized by their fiery tempers. Once, they even expressed a desire to call down fire from heaven on those mistreating Jesus (Mark 3:17). However, John’s temperament underwent a profound change over the years, earning him the title ‘the apostle of love.
Over the years, John’s temperament was wonderfully transformed, earning him the title “the apostle of love.” This is because he references love 80 in his writings, genuinely embodying the identity of the apostle of love.

John was also deeply concerned with truth,
He mentions truth 25 times in his gospel and 20 times in his epistles, for a total of 45 times in these writings.
He emphasizes belief even more, using the word “believe” 100 times in his gospel.
John’s overarching message is to believe the truth to enter into a loving relationship with the Lord. This theme ties together his frequent references to truth, love, and belief.
John’s family background adds an intriguing layer to his story. His father, Zebedee, and he ran a fishing business in Galilee. His mother, Salome, is believed to be a sister to Mary, the mother of Jesus, according to John 19:25. This potential familial coection to Jesus underscores the close-knit nature of their community and the personal ties that shaped John’s life.
John’s transformation from a radical and severe individual to the apostle of love, truth, and faith is a testament to the power of Divine intervention and guidance. John’s character was shaped by the Lord’s work on his heart, the influence of the Holy Spirit, and his close association with the beloved apostle Peter. This transformation is vividly evident as we encounter him in this remarkable gospel.
Message is Simple
John’s message is simply this: The eternal God has become human so that He might save siers from their sins, death, judgment, and eternal hell.
John 1. 14
“The Word became flesh.” The Word became flesh.
“The Word” is a title given to Jesus. In Matthew 1, at the birth of Christ, the angel says, “Call Him Immanuel,” which means “God with us,” because that very baby is indeed God with us. In Luke 1:32 and 35, He is called the Son of the Most High, Son of God, because He is deity in human flesh.

This essential truth of the Christian faith—that Jesus is God in human flesh, God the eternal, infinite, transcendent, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, everlastingly unchanging God—has come into His creation in human form. This profound reality is the foundation of the Christian faith.
Ninety percent of John’s gospel content is not found in Matthew, Mark, or Luke. This content is unique to John, declared under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. John’s gospel does not include details about the birth of Christ, His early life, His baptism, or His temptation.
“The Word” is a title given to Jesus. In Matthew 1, at the birth of Christ, the angel says, “Call Him Immanuel,” which means “God with us,” because that very baby is indeed God with us. In Luke 1:32 and 35, He is called the Son of the Most High, Son of God, because He is deity in human flesh. This essential truth of the Christian faith—that Jesus is God in human flesh, God the eternal, infinite, transcendent, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, everlastingly unchanging God—has come into His creation in human form. This profound reality is the foundation of the Christian faith.
Purpose of John
The purpose of John is to convince the sier of the true person of Christ. That you might believe,” John 20:31, “that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, you might have life in His name.” This is a salvation book, an evangelistic book. To have salvation, you must believe in the true Christ. John 20:31 states, “These things are written that you may believe”—there’s that word he uses a hundred times—”that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, you may have life in His name.

John Supports
John supports Christ’s identity by presenting His divine claims, backing them with records of divine works, miracles, words, titles, and worship. John pulls all of this together to show that we are talking about a divine person, and that’s the objective of his gospel. John also authored three epistles at the end of the New Testament and received the Revelations in the Book of Revelation.
This gospel will equip us to declare the truth concerning Jesus Christ.
Jesus is God
The New Testament is full of evidence that He is God. It’s everywhere in the New Testament.
Philippians 2: “He thought it not something to hold onto to be equal with God but humbled Himself, took on the form of a man.”
Hebrews 1 also affirms this, stating that He is the exact representation of God and that God says to Him, “O God, Your throne is established in heaven.” The Scriptures are filled with evidence that He is God.

Titles
Consider the titles of both Jesus and God. You can see their equality. Here are some of the titles shared by both:
– Shepherd: God (Psalm 23:1), Jesus (John 10:11)
– Judge: God (Psalm 50:6), Jesus (2 Timothy 4:1)
– Holy One: God (Isaiah 40:25), Jesus (Acts 3:14)
– First and Last: God (Isaiah 44:6), Jesus (Revelation 1:17)
– Light: God (Psalm 27:1), Jesus (John 8:12)

– Lord of the Sabbath: God (Genesis 2:3), Jesus (Mark 2:28)
– Savior: God (Isaiah 43:11), Jesus (Titus 2:13)
– Pierced One: God and Jesus (Zechariah 12:10)
– Mighty God: God (Isaiah 9:6), Jesus (Isaiah 9:6)
– Lord of Hosts: God (Isaiah 47:4), Jesus (James 5:4)
– Alpha and Omega: God (Revelation 1:8), Jesus (Revelation 22:13)
– Lord of Glory: God (Psalm 24:10), Jesus (1 Corinthians 2:8)
– Redeemer: God (Isaiah 47:4), Jesus (Titus 2:14)

Titles are given to Jesus that belong only to God:
– Eternal: God (Deuteronomy 33:27), Jesus (John 1:1-2)
– Omnipresent: God (Jeremiah 23:24), Jesus (Matthew 28:20)
– Omniscient: God (Psalm 147:5), Jesus (John 16:30)
– Omnipotent: God (Jeremiah 32:17), Jesus (Matthew 28:18)
– Immutable: God (Malachi 3:6), Jesus (Hebrews 13:8)
– Unchanging: God (James 1:17), Jesus (Hebrews 13:8)
– Sovereign: God (1 Timothy 6:15), Jesus (Revelation 17:14)
– All Glorious: God (Psalm 24:7-10), Jesus (John 17:5)

Jesus performed works that only God can do:
– He created: God (Genesis 1:1), Jesus (John 1:3)
– He raised the dead: God (1 Samuel 2:6), Jesus (John 11:43-44)
– He overpowered the kingdom of darkness: God (Psalm 68:18), Jesus (Colossians 2:15)
– He forgave sin: God (Psalm 103:3), Jesus (Mark 2:5-7)
– He received worship on many occasions throughout His life and ministry: God (Exodus 34:14), Jesus (Matthew 14:33)
– He declared that He had the right to be worshiped after His resurrection: God (Isaiah 45:23), Jesus (Philippians 2:10-11)

Jesus Answers Prayers
In John 14, Jesus says He is the One who qualifies all prayers to be accepted and answered by God. He states that if you ask anything in His name, He hears and does it. He answers prayer as only God can do. He performs works that only God can perform, receives worship that only God can receive, and answers prayers that only God can answer.
As we go through the Gospel of John, we will see evidence upon evidence of His deity. The summation of what John shows us in this gospel is found in John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
This is the most concise statement in the Bible about the incarnation. “The Word” is none other than Christ. The Word, who is Jesus Christ, is God who took on humanity. The infinite becomes finite, the eternal enters time, the invisible becomes visible. The Word is called “the Word” in John 1:14 and three times in John 1:1.
Philosophers Thought
John doesn’t explain this term directly. You might ask, “Why doesn’t John explain it? Why doesn’t he say ‘Jesus’? It might simplify things.” He uses “the Word” because it is a perfect term to identify Christ on the supernatural side. The Greek term “logos” had a philosophical understanding; philosophers spoke of “logos” as the reality visible in creation.

In ancient Greek philosophy, the concept of the “logos” was understood as an abstract, non-personal principle of reason or order. Philosophers such as Heraclitus and the Stoics perceived the logos as an impersonal force responsible for the structure and coherence of the universe (Burnet, 1920; Long, 1974). The logos was seen as an organizing principle, a source of wisdom and reason that underpied creation, yet was not a personal being.
John’s Gospel, however, redefines this concept. In John 1:1, it is written: “In the begiing was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Here, John presents the logos not as an impersonal force but as a personal, divine being. John 1:14 further emphasizes this by stating, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” This assertion radically transforms the logos from an abstract principle to a living, personal reality in the person of Jesus Christ, who is both fully divine and fully human (Morris, 1995; Köstenberger, 2004).
Jewish View of Logos
For the Jewish people, the concept of “the Word of the Lord” needed no explanation, as it appeared numerous times in the Old Testament. The Word of the Lord was understood as the revelation of God. Hebrews 1:1-2 states, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.”

The Old Testament is the written Word and revelation of God, while the New Testament recounts the incarnate Word in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Word because, in Him, God speaks. This concept was well-established among the Jews, as the phrase “the Word of the Lord came to” appears frequently throughout the Old Testament. The Word of the Lord often came to the prophets and the fathers, expressing and communicating God’s will through revelation.
The Word of the Lord is God’s expression to people. The greatest illustration of this is Jesus Christ, who is God speaking to us. To hear from God, one can read the Old Testament to see what God spoke to the fathers and the prophets. However, for the fullest revelation of God, one should look to the New Testament, where God most fully spoke in Christ.
John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus is the incarnation of God, the exact representation of God’s nature. God speaks most clearly, fully, and savingly in Christ. “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14). The term “became” (ginomai) signifies that, although God is immutable, pure, eternal, and unchanging, He entered into creation and took on humanity. This process of becoming included starting in a womb, becoming a child, and growing in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man (Luke 2:52).
The One who is pure being became a man, took on flesh, and dwelt among us. As some heretics like the Docetists claimed, his humanity was not a vision, apparition, or phantom. He truly took on flesh and lived among us. Philippians 2:7-8 states, “He made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Hebrews 2:14 also confirms, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same.”

Word of the Lord
Genesis 15:1: “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.'”
1 Samuel 3:21: “Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.”
1 Kings 6:11-12: “Then the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying: ‘Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgments, keep all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My word with you, which I spoke to your father David.'”
Isaiah 38:4: “And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying, ‘Go and tell Hezekiah, “Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: ‘I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years.'” ‘ ”
Jeremiah 1:4: “Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.’ ”
Ezekiel 1:3: “The word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.”
Jonah 1:1: “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.’ ”

Fullness of the Godhead
For thirty-three years, the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Him bodily, as stated in Colossians 2:9. Jesus was fully God and fully man, not half God and half man. This is the core message of John’s gospel. Any denial of His deity or humanity is considered heresy.
To demonstrate that Jesus is fully God in human flesh, John emphasizes three important truths: His preexistence with God, His coexistence with God, and His self-existence with God. Jesus is pre-existent, co-existent, and self-existent. These terms are not complicated and can be easily understood.
John begins with a simple statement: “In the begiing was the Word.” This “begiing” refers to the begiing mentioned in Genesis 1:1: “In the begiing, God created the heavens and the earth.” At the begiing, the Word was already existing. This means that the Word, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was already in existence when God created everything.
This foundational truth highlights Jesus’ deity. He was not a created being but existed eternally with God. Therefore, John’s gospel emphasizes that Jesus is fully God and fully man from the very begiing.

Jesus Preexisted
John affirms Jesus‘ preexistence, stating that He existed before the begiing of everything that exists. He was already existing, as indicated by the imperfect tense of the verb “to be” (eimi), which implies continuous existence. Jesus was continuously existing when the begiing began. He did not begin with the begiing; He is not part of creation nor a created being. He is an already existing being.
Time began with creation, starting on the first day when God created, and continued through the second day, the third day, and so on. Time will eventually end, and we will live in eternity without time. Since time began with creation, the Word existed before time and is, therefore outside of time, making Him eternal.

At the point when everything began, He already was, indicating continuous existence before creation—the eternal pre-existence of the One called the Word. This concept is crucial and unmistakably clear. Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus borrows a title that God uses to describe His own eternality. When Moses asked for God’s name, God replied, “I AM that I AM” (Exodus 3:14). God’s name is the verb “to be,” signifying eternal being. Jesus, by using this title, underscores His own eternal nature.
NOTE
Dear Singers,
Thank you for sharing your incredible talents and voices with us. Your dedication and passion bring joy and inspiration to our community, enriching our gatherings and uplifting our spirits.
We are grateful for your hard work and commitment. However, we can’t post all the songs you perform on YouTube or share published recordings publicly due to copyright laws.
Thank you for understanding and for continuing to share your beautiful music. We sincerely appreciate everything you do.
With heartfelt gratitude, Pastor Timothy R. Carter
References:
– Burnet, J. (1920). Early Greek Philosophy. A. & C. Black.
– Long, A. A. (1974). Hellenistic Philosophy: Stoics, Epicureans, Sceptics. Duckworth.
– Morris, L. (1995). The Gospel According to John. Eerdmans.
– Köstenberger, A. J. (2004). John. Baker Academic.
differences.
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