Who wrote John, and when?
John the apostle, “the disciple whom Jesus loved” About AD 85–95.
The Gospel never names its author but says it rests on the witness of the disciple whom Jesus loved (see chapter 21). Church tradition from the second century identifies him as John the apostle, the son of Zebedee, who lived to old age in Ephesus. Many scholars accept this in some form; others think the Gospel was written by followers of John who preserved and shaped his teaching, or by another early Christian leader also named John. The date is usually placed between about AD 85 and 95, later than the other three Gospels, though a few scholars argue for an earlier date. Most agree that the book assumes readers already know the basic story of Jesus and sets out to go deeper.
Who was John written to?
Believers and seekers, Jewish and Gentile, near the end of the first century.
John writes for a wide audience near the end of the first century. Some of his readers were Jewish Christians who had been pushed out of their synagogues for confessing Jesus as the Christ, and the Gospel speaks to that pain. Others were Gentiles in the cities of Asia Minor, where Ephesus was the leading centre, who needed Jewish terms and feasts explained to them. John does both. He also seems to write with seekers in mind: people who had heard about Jesus and were weighing whether to believe. His stated purpose, that readers may believe, fits both those who already trust Jesus and need strengthening, and those who are still deciding. The audience is anyone willing to consider who Jesus is.
What was happening at the time?
Written later than the other Gospels, John assumes readers know the basic story and goes deeper. He begins before creation with the Word who was God, selects seven signs and seven “I am” sayings, and gives long conversations (Nicodemus, the woman at the well) and a long farewell discourse. He states his purpose plainly: that you may believe and have life.
Why was John written?
To lead readers to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and to have eternal life through him.
John states his purpose more clearly than any other Gospel writer: he has written so that readers may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing may have life in his name (see John 20:30-31). To reach that goal he selects seven signs, from water turned to wine to the raising of Lazarus, and records long conversations and teachings in which Jesus explains who he is. Jesus is the Word who was with God from the beginning, the light of the world, the bread of life, the good shepherd, and the way to the Father. In the wider story of the Bible, John shows that the God who created all things and dwelt with Israel in the tabernacle has now come in person, and that eternal life begins the moment a person believes.
How to read John today
Start with chapter 1, which is the doorway to the whole book, and then read chapter 3 with Nicodemus. From there, read straight through, one chapter a day. Watch for the seven signs and for the sayings in which Jesus says who he is (the bread of life, the light of the world, the good shepherd, and so on). Notice the words that keep returning: believe, life, light, truth, love, abide. Chapters 13 to 17 are Jesus' last evening with his disciples and are worth reading slowly and more than once. Do not force John's timeline to match the other Gospels in every detail; he arranges material to make his own points. Do not rush the long conversations; they are where the depth is. As you read, ask God to help you believe more fully, and take John 20:31 as your prayer.
The key verse in John
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Passages worth knowing in John
- John 1:1-18
The Word became flesh
The prologue: full of grace and truth.
- John 3
Nicodemus and new birth
You must be born again; God so loved the world.
- John 6
The bread of life
The first of the I AM sayings.
- John 11
The raising of Lazarus
I am the resurrection and the life.
- John 14–16
The farewell discourse
The way, the truth and the life; the promise of the Spirit.
- John 17
The high priestly prayer
Jesus prays for his disciples and for us.
- John 20
The resurrection
Thomas: my Lord and my God.
The main themes of John
- Jesus the Son of God
- Believing and eternal life
- Light and darkness
- The I AM sayings
- The Holy Spirit
- Love
An outline of John
| Section | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Prologue | 1 |
| The book of signs | 2–12 |
| The book of glory | 13–20 |
| Epilogue | 21 |