John in the Bible

John

There are two men named John, who appear prominently in the Gospels. The first is John The Baptist, whose ministry preceded the public ministry of Jesus. John was a fiery itinerant preacher, who called for people to repent and be baptized. He was a cousin to Jesus and six months older.

The other John, is the Apostle John, one of the original 12 disciples of Jesus.

John the Baptist

John the Baptist was a cousin of Jesus, the son of Elizabeth and the priest Zechariah. Mark’s Gospel describes him as a fulfillment of prophesy, a messenger who comes before the Messiah. He proclaimed the coming of the Christ.

John used baptism as a ritual done in anticipation of the coming Messiah. He encouraged people to repent and turn to God. Many of the followers of Jesus started out with John, but as Jesus began his ministry John knew that his ministry must diminish and that people needed to follow Jesus.

There was an emotional and significant meeting of John the Baptist and Jesus on the day that Jesus went to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. The exchange was interesting because John did not want to perform the baptism, saying that Jesus should baptize John. But Jesus insisted, explaining to John that he was doing this to fulfill all righteousness.

Even though Jesus, the Son of God, was sinless, he submitted to baptism just like everyone else who came to participate in the sacrament. When Jesus came out of the water, a voice heaven proclaimed, “You are my son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

John the Baptist was a fiery preacher, who held nothing back. He called out Herod Antipas, the king, for divorcing his wife and marrying his brother’s wife. Herod had John the Baptist beheaded. This took place approximately 30 AD.

The Apostle John

The Apostle John was one of the original 12 disciples of Christ and was the writer of the Gospel, three epistles and the Book of Revelation. He was the one “who Jesus loved.” John was at the cross and Jesus told him to take care of His mother.

John was a son of Zebedee and was a convert of John the Baptist, and while with the Baptist in the Jordan Valley, he met Jesus. John the Baptist knew that his ministry must diminish because Jesus had begun his public ministry. John would then to turn to Jesus.

John, the son of Zebedee, becomes a disciple of Jesus

After first meeting Jesus, John went back to fishing, but then he would meet Jesus again and at that time both John and his brother James would drop fishing and follow Jesus. Both would become disciples.

John and his brother that their passions, and both were upset with a man who was casting out demons outside of the authority of Christ. They also wanted Jesus to tell them which would be the greater in heaven, a question that put them at odds with the other disciples.

John and his brother James were with Jesus when he met with Elijah and Moses in the mountain.

John outlines the LOVE of Christ in his writings

The Gospels tell of the life of Jesus, but John’s writing was different. His Gospel is not an account of the ministry of Jesus as much as it is a theological portrait of the Messiah. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are like photographs, snapshots of moments and events. John’s Gospel is like an oil painting, giving the reader a feel for the love of Christ.

Interestingly, one of the prevailing beliefs was Gnosticism, a decidedly anti-Christian faith that centered on knowledge, denouncing the deity of Jesus. John’s Gospel is a direct repudiation of those beliefs. John’s intention is to show that Jesus is the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in His name.

John begins with a very forceful and deliberate declaration. Gnostics did not believe that Jesus could be fully man and fully God. That which is spirit, according to them, was good. The flesh was bad. They concluded that Jesus could not be God.

John took direct aim at the Gnostics and wrote:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Jesus is the Word

Notice he wrote the “Word” with a capitol “W” declaring that Jesus IS the word. John also writes what might be the most familiar quote of the New Testament, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. “ (John 3:16)

The Gospel of John reads like a love letter from God to man. John was the only Apostle who was not executed.

In the beginning was the Word…

The Bible

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The Most Important Book

The Bible is an amazing book. It’s the most important book in human history. It defines existence. It is our story, regardless of race, gender or national origin. It’s God’s revelation of Himself to His creation.

No other book in human history has had the kind of scrutiny, has been debated more, or has been the cause of as much social upheaval.

The Bible represents ABSOLUTE TRUTH about how we were created, why we exist and how we should live. Although parts of it were written more than 3400 years ago, it is completely relevant for today.

The Bible represents COMPLETE LOVE, because God is willing to communicate to us through His word. He shows us how to live through His Law, and because of His mercy, He sends His only Son to us so that we can live forever with Him.

The Bible represents UNAVOIDABLE JUSTICE for all. He rights the wrongs that have been committed by the world, delivering the perfect penalty to those who deserve it.

The Bible represents an INFINITE RESOURCE that we can study our entire lives and still find new and exciting revelations in, every day.

Bible Verse

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1

Description

The Bible is the manual for human life. It gives insight and clarity into human behavior by examining man’s psychological makeup, and like no other book ever written, explains why we are the way we are. It is the story of how we came into being, but more importantly, WHY we came into being.

The Bible is not a history book, yet its history is accurate and at times strikingly detailed. It is not a science book, yet its scientific information is solid. It is the story of the relationship between God and man, written over a 1400 year period by over 40 different authors.

The Good Book

By some, the Bible is considered “the good book,” while others consider it to be the inspired word of God. Some consider every word to be the literal truth, while others view it as truths contained in stories of people. Its wisdom is undeniable, and its commandments are the basis of all Western Law.

For some, the Bible may seem too difficult to understand and therefore not useful for practical, every day matters. Still others consider it vital to those mundane aspects of human life and rely on its guidance and directives to avoid calamity.

For some it’s all about religion, rules and regulations, and how to act. Some others view it as the gentle teachings of a loving parent. It was written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, but translated into nearly every written language on the globe.

To set one important fact in place before you go any further, we not trying to prove the existence of God. For the followers of the Bible, namely Jews and Christians, it is a matter of faith more than fact, despite the overwhelming evidence it presents.

The Bible Chronicles Israel and the Life of Christ

The Hebrew texts of the Old Testament chronicle the amazing development of Israel, and the land that God promised to His people. For Christians, the story in the New Testament continues with the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, written about by the Prophets.

The books of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, are one continuous story. Old Testament writings are considered by many Christians to be the very foundation of Christianity, essential to the faith and of equal importance to the New Testament writings. More specifically, Christians see the entire Bible as being the story of Jesus and God’s plan for mankind. It is God’s unfolding plan that can be seen beginning in the opening chapters of Genesis. As the history unfolds, so does insight into the nature and character of God, as he uses human events to shape the future of the world.

God Does Not Change

Human nature never changes. Science and technology certainly do, as does culture, but human nature is the constant. This is important to know because what was true of men and women 6000 years ago, is true today. The emotions are the same, the aspirations the same and the motivations are the same. It’s like the old saying, “the more things change the more they stay the same.”

The accounts of the Israelites in the desert can be easily applied to the motivations of people today, no matter what country they live in. That’s what makes the Bible amazing. It’s amazing because God was the inspiration and God does not change. He is the same—yesterday, today and tomorrow. The people he created are likewise the same and will be tomorrow.

We will try to give you reliable information and at times direct you to authoritative places to gain more knowledge and insight. We do not claim to be apologists (defenders of the faith), nor do we want you to consider our point of view as non-negotiable.

Read The Bible

We invite you to read the Bible for yourself and make up your own mind about what it means. God gave us free will and invited us to use reason to understand the relevance of His word. We just want to meet you where you are at and help your along your spiritual journey.

This site is a brief summary of an enormous topic, and will give you an introduction into the Bible. It is very likely to become the most important and enduring book of your life.