John’s record presents Jesus as the manifestation of the Father. Through the words and works of Jesus, God visited His people and the world would never be the same. Jesus demonstrated the compassion of the Father through the power of miraculous healing. In addition, the love of God was shown in the offering of His only son, the “Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world” (1:29).
A simple outline
1:1-2:11 the beginnings
2:2-5:16 great conversions
5:17-6:71 the bread of life
7:1-9:41 the light of the world
10:1-11:45 the good shepherd
11:46-19 Christ’s sacrificial death
20:1-29 the risen Lord
21:1-25 feed my sheep
The book can also be outlined in terms of feast days.
The feasts
John 2:23 — states, “…he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day…” This would be the period of March-April following Jesus’ baptism which probably took place around September/October of the previous year.
5:1 — NIV says, “Sometime later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews…” This phrasing probably eliminates the feast of Pentecost that followed the passover referred to in 2:23. It could be the feast of Tabernacles, but the next passover feast would fit in better with the “sign” of the healing of the impotent man. His 38 years of impotence harks back to Israel’s 38 years of wandering. They took two years to reach the border but they failed to enter because of fear of the inhabitants. This man becomes a type of Israel who, under Joshua, were the sheep of Yahweh (cp. the “sheep market” v.2) and were cleansed in the Jordan and celebrated their first passover in the land.
6:1 — NIV follows the same pattern as 5:1: the phrase, “some time later” followed by a feast. 6:4 states, “the Jewish passover was near.” (That would place these events in March-April two-and-ahalf years after Jesus’ baptism.) It does not appear that Jesus went to Jerusalem to keep the passover. Perhaps, as a result of his discourse in chap. 5, which offended many of the Jews, “Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.” (Jesus was not afraid of the Jews; his time to die had not yet come, 7:1).
7:2 — the feast of tabernacles was at hand (October three years after his baptism). Jesus initially did not go to Jerusalem but eventually did so where the events of 7:14-10:21 took place.
10:22 — records Jesus appearing at Jerusalem during the feast of dedication in the winter. This feast celebrates the relighting of the altar and the candlestick by Judas Maccabeus about 165 B.C. Today the feast is celebrated by Jews as Hanukkah, the feast of lights.
11:55 — says “the Jews’ pass-over was nigh at hand.” This is the final passover three-and-a-half years after the Lord’s baptism.
Note that the feasts are referred to as the “Jew’s” feasts. No longer were they considered the feasts of the Lord.
Enacted parables
While John does not record many “parables,” all of the miracles are recorded in such a way as to teach greater lessons. John indicates this by using the word semeion, which means an indication or sign, to describe his accounts.
In John, rather than the miracles being a result of faith, they are generally presented in a manner to evoke faith. “And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?” (7:31). “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples…but these are written, that ye might believe…” (20:30,31).
The miracles were an external sign of God’s power among them. John stresses that belief was to be the result. In our own lives, the power of the word of God working in our lives should be evident by the witness of our word and our conduct. The result can be belief in the gospel on the part of others.
The works that Christ did
Jesus clearly indicates that the Father was the source of all that he said and did. “I must work the works of him that sent me” (9:4). “…the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works” (14:10).
And he puts great emphasis on the fact that it was the work of God that he had come to perform: “…my meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work…for the works which the Father hath given me to finish…I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do…When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished…” (4:34; 5:37; 17:4,5; 19:30).
“God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself” (II Cor. 5:19). This was the work of God our Savior accomplished through our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ (Titus 2:10; 3:6).
Other characteristics
There are many common threads in the gospel to be noted while doing the readings. For example, note John’s use of time in 1:39; 2:4; 4:6, etc. Several people are convinced that Jesus is the Messiah but try to minimize him by referring to him as a Galilean, a native of Nazareth, the son of Joseph, the carpenter.
As we read this gospel, let us do so with wide eyes and reverential hearts for we are here brought as close as we can to the mind of the Father and the Son.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One