The Gospels Part 7 of 9: John

John 1:1-3, 14
“In (the) beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”
“14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

The Gospel of John is an account of Jesus like no other. It unveils for us Jesus’ Divinity; the One Who came to us directly from heaven and the love of the Father. This Gospel is all about Jesus, the Son of God.

Notice the definite article, “THE,” in parentheses in the opening scripture.  In the original Greek it simply says, “En arche: In beginning;” no “THE.”  This definite article gives the impression that somewhere in the beginning, Jesus began to exist.  That would be inaccurate.  He always existed together with the Father.

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Why Is John So Different?
There are many reasons why John is SO different from the other three.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke, as you know, are called the “Synoptic gospels,” because they are seen together. Syn meaning, “Together;”  Optic meaning, “To see.”  They parallel each other in many ways, though there are things unique to each.

Not so the Gospel of John.  It is in a class all by itself.

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Who Was John?

This Jewish secretary was the youngest of the disciples. Remember the one who leaned on Jesus’ breast? That’s him. He penned his Gospel as well as 1st, 2nd, 3rd John, and the book of Revelation long after the the other three wrote their accounts.  As a result, he had the benefit of all Paul’s writings and teachings, unlike the others. They didn’t meet Paul until much later.   This is why John understood the Grace of God and why you don’t find the phrase, “God so loved the world,” anywhere else. He understood that the Gospel was not just for Israel but for the whole world as well.

(Anyone interested in more study about John, you may follow the link below:
https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/05/07/the-gospels-part-3-of-16-rightly-dividing-the-word-of-god/)
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Signs.
The miracles in John’s gospel are called not called, “Miracles; he called them, “Signs.”  Yes, they are real miracles that Jesus actually performed, but they also “Signify” deeper spiritual truths and have prophetic significance.  God has singled out the seven “signs” recorded in John to teach us spiritual truths and show us things that would happen in the last days.

The Gospel Of Love.
This account of Jesus in His earthly life is all about the Love of God. It says in chapter 1, vs. 18, “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who IS in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”

The bosom, or breast, is where love resides.  Notice the present tense of the word, “IS.”  The reason Jesus lived such a victorious life on earth and was able to do so many miracles was His unceasing awareness of the Father’s love for Him.  He didn’t come FROM the bosom of the Father, as if He left that place to come to earth. He IS always living there!
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Uniqueness Of John.
As you read in earlier parts of this series, each Gospel one or more account of Jesus life and ministry that is found nowhere else.  The first three, parallel each other.  Often you will find similar accounts of the same story with important differences for Divine purposes. 95% of the stories and accounts found in John are not documented anywhere else.  By comparison, Mark is just the opposite. 95% of his gospel is found in the other synoptic gospels. Only 5% is unique to Mark.
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Stories Found Nowhere Else.
If John had not written his account of Jesus, there are many things we would never have known.  In Chapter 1, for instance, he told us that “The word became flesh and dwelt among us.” In Chapter 2, Jesus turned the water to wine. That isn’t mentioned in the other gospels.

In Chapter 3 we have the story of Nicodemus. Chapter 4 is the story of the woman at the well. Chapter 5 is the account of the pool of Bethesda. Chapter 6 is details the woman caught in adultery. Chapter 7 is all about the amazing story of Lazarus being raised from the dead.  Every single one of these accounts is peculiar to John.

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The Lord Of Time.
The first miracle Jesus ever performed, where He turned water into wine demonstrates that He is Lord of time.

When you want to make wine and you start from scratch, it takes several years for the seedlings to mature to the point where the grapes are suitable for making wine. Even then, once the vines have produced fruit, you must wait another 3-4 more years until they are mature enough to make wine. The longer you wait, of course, the better the quality of your grapes.
After they have matured and you have made your wine, the longer it ferments, the better the quality of your wine. The longer you keep it, the quality improves:  20, 30, even 50 years later.  And yet, in an instant, Jesus compressed time and the water in the 6 jars became the BEST WINE!  AWESOME!

Sign To Israel.
This miracle of turning the water into wine is a sign to Israel that the days of continual cleansing for purification, of washing their hands and feet, are over. Jesus turning that water into wine indicates the times of celebration have come. The days of the Law and constant cleansing are over!  Every sin has been removed by the precious blood of the Holy Lamb of God.  We have now been made the righteousness of God In Christ!!

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Saved The Best For Last.
As you saw, Jesus didn’t just turn water into wine:  He turned it into the BEST wine.  The governor of the feast told the bridegroom that he saved the best wine until last.  This was very unusual! Normally, the best was served first and the cheap stuff saved for the end, when people are too drunk to notice.
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Jesus, THE BRIDEGROOM, has saved the best WINE for last; for us:  The end-time generation!

There are other messages prophetic of our times in other miracles of Jesus.  Though not discussed in detail here, you can read all about them by following the links below:

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The Pool of Bethesda:

The Pool Of Bethesda.

Lazarus:

Lazarus! Come Forth!

The Upper Room.
Only in John do we have the teachings in the upper room. The message recorded there is the message for the Church.  It is the only place where we find the High Priestly prayer of our Lord Jesus.  In that upper room, He told them as much as He possibly could.  There were many things that they would understand later, after the Holy Spirit was sent to them.

One thing they didn’t understand was what He was demonstrating by washing their feet.  Again, this topic is not discussed in detail here. Anyone is interested in a more on that story may follow the link below to a whole series on the subject:

What’s In Your Water: Part 8 Of 9

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Garden Of Gethsemane.
John is the only one who told us of certain events that transpired in the Garden of Gethsemane.

For instance: Big, strong, temple guards came to arrest Him, brandishing their spears and swords. Jesus, knowing ALL that would soon happen to Him, stepped forward nevertheless and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered Him.

Jesus responded with one a word answer: “Anoki: I AM,” the Name He revealed to Moses at the burning bush. At the mention of His Name, these big, burly, strong soldiers fell down before Him! They were pinned flat to the ground until He allowed them to get up. No other gospel tells us that! 😮😮😮

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For a more complete discussion of the Garden of Gethsemane, you may follow the link below:

Gethsemane: Passover Series Part 6

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Jesus Was Bound.
No other gospel mentions that Jesus was bound. Why is it recorded only here? Because this is the gospel all about the Love of God and of His beloved Son.
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The first mention of someone being bound in the Bible is in Genesis 22 where “Abraham bound Isaac.”

Any time a subject or word is written or talked about in scripture for the first time, there are lessons to learn and wonderful truths hidden for us to find.  This is the law of first mention.  Isaac was Abraham’s “Beloved son; his only son.”  He is a picture of Jesus, God’s beloved Son, His only Son, who would give His life for the whole world one day.

It is a sign to Israel that Jesus is the true Isaac.
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For a more complete discussion of their story, you may follow the link below:

Isaac And Rebecca: Patriarch Series Part 2

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NO ONE can bind Jesus unless He allows it. Remember what happened when all He did was say His Name?  That’s why all those temple soldiers fell and were pinned to the ground.  They were unable to get up until He allowed it.  He allowed Himself to be arrested.

He said to them a second time, “Whom are you seeking?”  And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”  Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”

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Notice there was no falling down when He said His Name a second time.  Jesus, not the soldiers, was in complete control of the “Arrest” in the Garden.  This is a picture of Law and Grace.   Law knocks everyone to the ground under its weight.  No one can stand. But under Grace, we can stand in God’s presence because Jesus is helping us!

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There is a wonderful account in the Old Testament which depicts what would happen on this very night in the garden.  It is found in the story of the Ark of the Covenant when it was “Captured” by the Philistsines.  You may read all about it by following the link below:

https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/03/16/why-did-the-oxen-stumble/
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What a Savior! What a hero the way He protected His people!  At His word, the soldiers let everyone else go.

The Death Of Jesus.
The Gospel of John is the only one that tells us the following information about how Jesus died:
Many people were crucified at hands of the Romans in those days.  It was the most painful and humiliating form of execution.  Though this ignominious form of death did not originate with them, they certainly “perfected” it.
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Archaeologists tell us that victims of crucifixion, in their attempt to gasp for air, often cracked the back of their own skulls. Their necks were all bent back at a severe angle in their struggle to breathe. In a matter of a few hours, the victims died horribly, slowly, of asphyxiation as their lungs collapsed.  It’s the most awful way to die.
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Crucifixion Like No Other.
Jesus, however, in stark contrast, did exactly the opposite.  Yes, He was in extreme pain from all the physical abuse He had undergone; but He did not die from His wounds.  Remember:  No one can take His life.  He laid it down of His own accord.  In demonstration of His glory, majesty and complete control, he bowed His head….FORWARD….dismissed His spirit, and breathed His last.

John 19:30
“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head (Klinó), He gave up (Paradidómi) His spirit.”
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The Greek word for “gave up” in this verse is the word, “Paradidómi.” It means, “to hand over deliver, commit, commend.” Jesus didn’t helplessly lose his life, overcome by the pain and the suffering He endured. His spirit could not leave without His consent. He purposefully committed His spirit into the hands of His Father, after He spoke His last word, “Finished.”

The price was paid.  Our redemption was complete.  All judgment was satisfied to the fullest extent of the law.
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The other word in bold letters comes from the Greek word, “Klinó,” which means, “Rest.” The only other time this word is used is in Matthew 8:20. “And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay (Rest: Klinó) His head.”

Jesus, at last, had found a place to rest His head. He found His rest in saving us; in loving us, when He bowed His head and dismissed His spirit.  He could not have died if He did not send His spirit away because one cannot die in the presence of God.

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Oh how He loves you and me! What a God! What a Savior! I am so glad John wrote these wonderful chapters about Jesus and His love for us! You may follow the link below to part 8. We’re going to talk about the amazing beauty and amazing symmetry of the Gospels.

The Gospels Part 8 of 9: Beauty And Symmetry Of The Gospels