John: the Prophetic Gospel

The Gospel of John is sometimes called a “spiritual gospel”. It could also perhaps be considered a prophetic gospel. Tradition has it that it was written most likely by the disciple John, the brother of James, one of the sons of Zebedee. Jesus nicknamed these brothers Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder” in Aramaic. John perhaps had a fiery temperament. If we assume him as the writer of the Gospel of John, 1 and 2 John and Revelation, this man definitely had a prophetic gift. He also talked an enormous amount about love. He was balanced in “grace and truth”, as our Lord Jesus was. It was John who described Jesus as “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). We know that John was the beloved disciple of Christ, the one leaning on his breast at the last supper. He was called the one “whom Jesus loved” (John 20:2), one of the disciples in His inner circle.  It is intriguing to consider their relationship, and his close friendship with Jesus. He was one of three in Jesus' inner circle of disciples that witnessed the transfiguration and the raising of Jairus’ daughter from the dead. John also was the only one who received the commission from Jesus on the cross to take care of Mary (mother of Jesus), as if she were his own mother. It’s intriguing to wonder what it was about John that made him the “beloved disciple” of Christ.

Although John writes in a seemingly simple manner, there is deep and profound spiritual significance to what he records. John writes in a prophetic style that is very different from the synoptic gospels. He includes much of his own material that is not found in the synoptic gospels, although about 10% of it is considered to be mutual material to the synoptics. John writes in such a manner that it is difficult at times to know when Jesus words end and his begin. “Jesus’ style of speaking so resembles the narrator’s that sometimes it is difficult to tell when Jesus stops speaking and the narrator starts” (Strauss 300).

John uses many “spiritual symbols and metaphors such as: water, light, bread, shepherd, gate” (Strauss 299). These spiritual symbols are striking where he often reveals deep spiritual truths in common things that all people can understand. One of the most striking spiritual symbols he records Jesus as saying He is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Upon first examination this seems like a strange exclamation, but upon deeper meditation and our spiritual eyes of understanding being enlightened, we see the true meaning of this verse. Like a hidden picture within a picture there is truth hidden within the book of John like buried treasure, which only need our spiritual eyes opened to see. Another striking symbol John uses is when he calls Jesus the Word, which is meant to say that He is the Father’s self-revelation to man. The Word is the Greek word logos. At the time of the writing of the Gospel of John it was used in Greek philosophy, meaning reason and logic. So what John was saying is that Jesus was way beyond a man, but the revelation of God in human form. Trying to describe who Jesus was to people whose spiritual eyes were still unopened was a difficult task, but John through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit writes one of the most striking gospel accounts of Christ that we have. The same is true to this day, as the gospel of John is used as an evangelistic tool to show the divinity of Jesus, our necessity for Him, and the salvation He alone offers. The book of John is truly a gift from heaven.

John often speaks of persecution that Jesus warns His disciples that they will suffer (John 15:18-21). He repeatedly states that His followers will suffer the same persecution that He Himself will suffer. He makes this very clear. Beyond a mere possibility Jesus is stating that it will happen in the life of any true follower of Christ because of the disparity between “the light” and “the darkness” (John 1:5 and 3:20). Jesus offers prayer to His Father in chapter 17. This is thought by many to be the true “Lord’s prayer” because this is the prayer He prays for Himself and His disciples. The prayer traditionally considered to be the “Lord’s prayer” (Matthew 6:7-14) is given to the disciples as a model of prayer, not as a prayer the Lord Jesus Himself prayed. This prayer in John 17 also displays the repeated statement that the world will hate the followers of Christ just as they hated Him.

John only records five of Jesus’ miracles, thought of as signs that proved His identity as the unique Son of God who revealed the Father to the world. John writes his gospel on the basis that Jesus was/ is fully God and fully man. John writes his gospel at a time of Gnosticism and Docetism, and many misunderstandings about the true nature of Chris. His main mission was to display Christ as both man and God in one. This gospel speaks to us today because of its balanced nature, showing us the balanced nature of Christ. John was careful to record the balance in the character of Jesus as “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). This is a striking description of our Lord Jesus that can describe so much in so few words. Because of the balance in the character of Christ he both spoke the unadulterated truth when it came to evil (which gained Him many enemies) and yet had grace on all people, even those who were sinful and wicked. He truly hated the sin but loved the sinner. He accomplished the balance in His life that we as His followers seek to emulate in our lives. It will perhaps take us the rest of our lives to even be able to begin to gain the balance that Jesus held in His eternal character of the one true living God.

Humans in history have a tendency to go to extremes because we cannot easily walk the way of balance that Christ offers. John is writing to reveal the Father through the Son and the Son through the Father. This is perhaps nowhere better shown than John 6:45, when Jesus said: “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” John is writing to show the intimacy and unity between God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. No other gospel shows us the doctrine of the trinity more clearly or eloquently than John.

Works Cited

Strauss, Mark L. Four Portraits, One Jesus: A Survey of Jesus and the Gospels. Grand Rapids,   MI: Zondervan, 2007. Print.