John

The Gospel of John​​​​

 

WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW IT'S REAL

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Ever wonder if any of this is actually true? Like, not just nice stories or good moral teachings, but actually, historically, cosmically TRUE? John's Gospel answers that question head on.

 

John was one of Jesus' closest friends. He didn't just hear about Jesus secondhand: he was there. He watched Jesus turn water into wine at a wedding. He saw a man born blind receive sight. He witnessed his friend Lazarus walk out of a tomb after being dead for four days. And he wrote it all down with one clear purpose: so you would believe that Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be, and so that believing, you would have eternal life.

 

This isn't religious propaganda. This is eyewitness testimony from someone who was actually there. John saw it happen. And what he saw changed everything.

 

If you've ever struggled with doubt, if you've wondered whether Christianity is just one more religion amongst many, if you need evidence that Jesus is real, this Gospel is for you. John wrote it specifically so you could know for certain. He even says it plainly: these things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.

 

In the Beginning Was the Word

John doesn't start with a birth story or genealogy. He goes back before creation itself.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.

 

This is massive. John's saying that Jesus, the Word, existed before the universe began. He was with God. He WAS God. And everything that exists was created through Him. Every star, every ocean, every mountain, every living creature, all of it came into being through Jesus.

 

Then comes the statement that changes everything: The Word became flesh and lived amongst us. We saw His glory, the glory of the one and only Son who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

God didn't stay distant. He didn't send a messenger or write cosmic instructions in the sky. He became human. He took on flesh and blood and walked amongst us. The eternal Creator became a baby, grew up in a small town, got hungry, felt pain, experienced betrayal. God with us. Not watching from heaven, actually WITH us.

This was prophesied centuries earlier when Isaiah said a virgin would give birth to a son called Immanuel, which means God with us. John's telling you this prophecy was fulfilled. It actually happened. God became flesh and lived amongst humanity.'

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This Is the Guy

Before Jesus started His public ministry, a wild looking prophet named John the Baptist showed up in the wilderness. He looked like he'd been living off the grid for years, and he was, and he was calling people to change direction, to stop living for themselves and start preparing for something bigger.

 

This fulfilled Isaiah's ancient prophecy about a voice crying in the wilderness, telling people to prepare the way for the Lord. John the Baptist was that voice. And when he saw Jesus walking towards him, he made a declaration that would echo through history:

 

Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

This connected Jesus to the Passover lamb that saved Israel from death in Egypt. Every year, Jewish families would sacrifice a lamb and put its blood on their doorposts so the angel of death would pass over their homes. John the Baptist was saying Jesus is THE lamb. The final sacrifice. The one whose death would save humanity from sin and death forever.

 

That's not subtle. That's not Jesus was a good teacher. That's Jesus is the sacrifice that saves the world.

 

Seven Signs That Prove He's Real

John doesn't record everything Jesus did. He picks seven specific miracles, signs, to prove Jesus' identity. Each one demonstrates divine authority over a different realm of reality.

 

Sign One: Water to Wine At a wedding in Cana, they ran out of wine. Social disaster. Jesus turned six stone jars of water, around 120 to 180 gallons, into the best wine anyone had ever tasted. His first recorded miracle wasn't healing or exorcism. It was providing abundance and joy at a celebration. That tells you something about His character.

 

Sign Two: Healing from a Distance A government official's son was dying. The man begged Jesus to come heal him. Jesus didn't go. He just said, your son will live. The man believed Him and went home. Later, he discovered his son had been healed at the exact moment Jesus spoke those words, even though they were miles apart. Jesus' power isn't limited by space or physical presence.

 

Sign Three: Healing the Man Who Couldn't Walk A man had been paralysed for thirty eight years. Thirty eight years of lying by a pool, hoping for healing that never came. Jesus walked up and asked if he wanted to be healed. Then He told him to pick up his mat and walk. Immediately, the man was healed. Jesus doesn't just fix recent injuries. He restores what's been broken for decades.

 

Sign Four: Feeding Five Thousand A massive crowd followed Jesus into a remote area. They had no food. A boy had five small barley loaves and two fish, basically a kid's packed lunch. Jesus took it, blessed it, and fed over five thousand people until everyone was satisfied. Then they collected twelve baskets of leftovers. This echoed how God fed Israel with manna in the wilderness. Jesus is the provider who gives more than enough.

 

Sign Five: Walking on Water Jesus' disciples were in a boat during a storm. Waves were crashing. Wind was brutal. Suddenly, they saw Jesus walking on the surface of the sea towards them. They freaked out. But He said, it is I; don't be afraid. Then He got in the boat and immediately they reached their destination. Nature itself obeys Him.

 

Sign Six: Healing a Man Born Blind A man had been blind his entire life. Never seen colour, never seen a face, never seen anything. Jesus spat on the ground, made mud, put it on the man's eyes, and told him to wash in a nearby pool. The man obeyed and came back seeing. This fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy that the Messiah would open blind eyes. But more than physical sight, this sign reveals that Jesus gives spiritual sight. He opens eyes to see truth.

Sign Seven: Raising Lazarus from the Dead Lazarus, Jesus' close friend, got sick. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days. The body was already decomposing. Jesus stood at the tomb and shouted, Lazarus, come out! And Lazarus walked out, still wrapped in burial cloths. Death itself had to obey Jesus.

John explains why he recorded these signs: Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.

 

These aren't legends or metaphors. They're historical events recorded by an eyewitness to prove Jesus is who He claimed to be.

 

I Am: Seven Declarations That Change Everything

Throughout John's Gospel, Jesus makes seven statements about His identity using the phrase I am. In Hebrew culture, this phrase carried enormous weight. When God appeared to Moses at the burning bush and revealed His name, He said, I AM WHO I AM. By repeatedly using I am, Jesus was claiming to be that same eternal God.

Here's what Jesus declared:

 

I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.

You're searching for something to satisfy you. Success, relationships, experiences, achievements. Jesus says He's what you're actually hungry for. Everything else leaves you empty again. He's the only thing that truly satisfies.

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

 

You're stumbling in the dark, trying to figure out what's true, what matters, who you are, why you exist. Jesus says He's the light. Follow Him and you'll see clearly. You'll know truth. You'll understand reality.

 

I am the door. If anyone enters through Me, they will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture.

There's one entrance into salvation, one way to relationship with God. Jesus is that door. Not one of many options. THE door. The only way in.

 

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

Jesus isn't a distant authority figure. He's a shepherd who cares for His sheep so deeply that He's willing to die protecting them. And He did. That's love that doesn't make sense by worldly standards.

 

I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die.

Physical death isn't the end. Jesus has power to give life that continues beyond the grave. Because He conquered death, everyone who believes in Him will also live forever.

 

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

This is the most exclusive claim Jesus made. He's not A way to God. He's THE way. The only way. There's no backdoor, no alternative route, no other path. Jesus or nothing.

 

I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener.

You need to stay connected to Jesus like a branch connected to a vine. Cut off from Him, you wither. Connected to Him, you flourish and produce fruit. It's not complicated: stay attached to Jesus and life flows into you.

 

These aren't suggestions or nice spiritual ideas. These are identity statements. Jesus is claiming to be the eternal God, the source of life, the only way to salvation. Either He's right and these claims are true, or He's the most deluded person who ever lived. There's no middle ground.

 

You Must Be Born Again

One night, a religious leader named Nicodemus came to Jesus with questions. This guy knew Scripture inside out. He followed all the rules. He was respected, educated, devout. And Jesus told him something that completely dismantled his entire worldview:

 

I tell you the truth, unless someone is born again, they cannot see the kingdom of God.

 

Nicodemus was confused. How can someone be born a second time? Jesus explained that this isn't physical birth, it's spiritual. It's the Holy Spirit giving you new life from the inside out.

 

I tell you the truth, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, they cannot enter the kingdom of God. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

Here's what Jesus was saying: being born into a religious family doesn't make you right with God. Going to church doesn't make you right with God. Following religious rules doesn't make you right with God. You need to be born again, spiritually transformed from the inside by God's Spirit.

 

Then Jesus said the most famous words in the Bible:

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.

 

Let that sink in. God loves the world, including you, so much that He gave His only Son. Believing in Jesus is what saves you. Not your performance. Not your religious activity. Not being a good person. Just belief.

 

Jesus continued: For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

 

Jesus didn't come to condemn you. He came to rescue you. If you're feeling judged or condemned, that's not coming from Jesus. He came to save, not to condemn.

 

Living Water That Never Runs Out

Jesus met a Samaritan woman at a well in the middle of the day. She was there alone because she was an outcast; her personal life was a mess and everyone knew it. Jesus asked her for a drink, which shocked her because Jewish men didn't talk to Samaritan women.

 

Then Jesus said something that changed her life:

Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

 

She was drawing physical water from a physical well. Jesus was offering something infinitely better: living water that satisfies your soul permanently. No more searching. No more emptiness. No more trying to fill the void with things that don't work.

The prophet Jeremiah had warned Israel centuries earlier that they had abandoned God, the fountain of living waters, and tried to create their own broken cisterns that couldn't hold water. We do the same thing, chasing relationships, success, pleasure, validation, trying to satisfy a thirst that only Jesus can quench.

 

Jesus is the living water. Drink from Him and you'll never be thirsty again.

 

Jesus and the Father Are One

The religious leaders were constantly challenging Jesus' identity and authority. So Jesus made declarations that left no room for misunderstanding.

I and the Father are one.

Not I'm similar to the Father or I represent the Father. I and the Father are ONE. Equal. Same essence. Same authority. Same power.

 

The religious leaders picked up stones to kill Him, accusing Him of blasphemy, making Himself equal with God. They understood exactly what He was claiming. Jesus didn't back down. He pointed to the miracles He'd performed as evidence:

If I'm not doing the works of My Father, then don't believe Me. But if I am doing them, even though you don't believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me and I am in the Father.

 

Translation: if you don't believe My words, at least believe the evidence. Look at what I'm doing. No mere human can do these things. The miracles prove My identity.

 

Then Jesus revealed His eternal existence:

I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!

 

Abraham lived roughly two thousand years before Jesus walked the earth. Jesus was saying He existed BEFORE Abraham. And by using I am, God's divine name, Jesus was claiming eternal existence and divine identity.

 

The religious leaders understood perfectly. They tried to stone Him for blasphemy. Jesus wasn't being subtle. He was declaring plainly: I am God.

 

The Night Before Everything Changed

Jesus knew what was coming. Betrayal. Arrest. Torture. Execution. And before it all went down, He spent one last evening with His disciples.

 

He washed their feet, a task normally reserved for the lowest servant. Then He explained why:

 

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.

The mark of His followers wouldn't be perfection, extensive biblical knowledge, or impressive spiritual gifts. It would be love for one another. Radical, sacrificial, humble love.

 

His disciples were terrified about what was coming. So Jesus spoke words that have comforted millions since:

 

Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

 

He was going away, to die, then to return to heaven. But He was going to prepare a place for them. For you. An eternal home where you'll be with Him forever.

 

Then He made a promise:

But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

 

After Jesus left, He wouldn't abandon them. The Holy Spirit would come to guide, teach, comfort, and empower them. That same Spirit lives in every believer today, teaching you truth and reminding you of everything Jesus said.

 

Jesus also taught them about staying connected to Him:

Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.

 

This is crucial. A branch separated from the vine dies. It doesn't matter how hard it tries, it withers without the life source. You're the same. Apart from Jesus, you can do nothing of eternal value. But connected to Him, life flows into you and produces fruit naturally.

 

Your job isn't to manufacture spiritual fruit through effort and discipline. Your job is to stay connected to Jesus through prayer, Scripture, obedience, and community. Do that, and fruit grows naturally.

 

The Cross: Prophecy Fulfilled in Every Detail

John's account of Jesus' crucifixion shows how multiple ancient prophecies were fulfilled in precise detail.

 

When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they divided His clothing amongst themselves and cast lots for His seamless robe. This fulfilled Psalm 22:18, written a thousand years earlier, which described this exact scene.

When Jesus was thirsty on the cross, someone offered Him vinegar on a sponge, fulfilling Psalm 69:21.

 

Normally, crucifixion victims had their legs broken to hasten death. But when the soldiers came to Jesus, He was already dead, so they didn't break His legs. This fulfilled two prophecies: that no bone of the Passover lamb should be broken and the promise in Psalm 34:20.

 

When a soldier pierced Jesus' side with a spear to confirm He was dead, this fulfilled Zechariah's prophecy: they will look on Me, the one they have pierced.

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Before He died, Jesus declared, It is finished.

 

Not I'm finished or This is over. It is finished. The work of providing salvation was complete. The debt was paid in full. The barrier between humanity and God was demolished.

 

As John the Baptist had announced at the beginning of this Gospel, Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Every animal sacrifice in the Old Testament had pointed forward to this moment. They were shadows. Jesus was the reality. The perfect, final sacrifice that actually removes sin forever.

 

Three Days Later: Death Couldn't Hold Him

On the third day after His crucifixion, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early in the morning. The stone had been rolled away. The tomb was empty.

 

Later that day, Jesus appeared to Mary personally. Then He appeared to His disciples, showing them the wounds in His hands and side to prove He was really alive in His physical body. This wasn't a vision or a ghost. Jesus was physically resurrected.

 

One disciple, Thomas, hadn't been there. When the others told him they'd seen Jesus, he refused to believe unless he could touch Jesus' wounds himself. A week later, Jesus appeared specifically to address Thomas' doubts. He invited Thomas to touch His hands and side.

 

Thomas responded by declaring, My Lord and my God.

He recognised Jesus as both Lord and God. Not just a resurrected teacher, GOD in human form, alive after death.

 

Then Jesus spoke words that apply directly to you:

Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

 

You haven't physically seen Jesus. You haven't touched His wounds. But if you believe based on the testimony recorded in Scripture, you're blessed. Your faith is real even though you haven't seen Him physically.

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Why This All Matters

Here's what John wants you to understand: Jesus came to rescue you.

Sin has separated all people from God. The result of sin is death, physical and spiritual. You can't fix this yourself. No amount of good behaviour, religious activity, or sincere effort can bridge that gap.

 

But Jesus can. He did.

Through His death on the cross, Jesus took the punishment you deserved. Through His resurrection, He proved His power over death and opened the way for you to receive eternal life.

 

The condition? Belief.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them.

 

This belief isn't just intellectual agreement. It's trust. Complete trust in Jesus for your salvation. It's following Him as Lord of your life.

 

Jesus said, I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

When you believe in Jesus, you pass from death to life at that moment. Not someday. Right now. You possess eternal life the moment you believe.

 

So What Now?

You've read the evidence. You've seen the signs. You've heard the declarations. Now you face a decision.

 

Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, the only way to the Father, the source of eternal life. The miracles, teachings, fulfilled prophecies, death, and resurrection all point to one conclusion: Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be.

 

If that's true, and John wrote this Gospel to prove it is, then responding to Jesus is the most important decision you'll ever make.

 

Here's how you respond:

Believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for your sins and rose from the dead. This isn't just agreeing with facts. It's trusting Jesus completely for your salvation.

Accept His offer of eternal life as a free gift. You can't earn it through good works or religious activities. It's grace. Receive it.

 

Make Him Lord of your life. Following Jesus means letting Him lead, obeying His teachings, allowing Him to transform you from the inside out.

 

Jesus said, if you love Me, keep My commands. True belief produces obedience, not as a way to earn salvation, but as a natural response to the love and grace Jesus has shown you.

 

If you've encountered Jesus through dreams or visions, this Gospel helps you understand that experience. Jesus revealed Himself to John and the disciples physically, and He continues to reveal Himself to people today in various ways. The appropriate response remains the same: believe in Him, receive the eternal life He offers, and follow Him as Lord.

 

Your Next Steps

Now that you've read about Jesus in John's Gospel, here's how to grow in your new faith.

 

Read the Bible regularly. The Gospel of John is just the beginning. Read Matthew, Mark, and Luke to learn more about Jesus' life and teachings. Read Acts to see how the early believers lived. Read the letters in the New Testament to understand how to live as a follower of Jesus. As you read, ask God to help you understand and apply what you're learning.

 

Pray every day. Prayer is talking with God. Jesus taught that you should pray in His name, which means praying based on your relationship with Him. You can talk to God about anything: needs, fears, joys, questions. Jesus promised, whatever you ask in My name the Father will give you, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it.

 

Stay connected to Jesus. Remember the vine and branches. Your goal isn't to force yourself to act Christian whilst remaining unchanged inside. As you stay connected to Jesus through prayer, Bible reading, and obedience, He'll change you from within. Jesus said, remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. 

Connected to Him, spiritual fruit grows naturally: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control.

 

Let your life speak. This inner transformation is what draws others to Jesus. When people see genuine change in you, when they notice you've become more loving, more patient, more honest, more peaceful, they'll be curious. Jesus said, by this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another. Your love for other believers and your changed character will point others towards Jesus.

 

Find community. Look for other believers who read the Bible, pray together, and help each other grow. You need fellowship. The early believers devoted themselves to learning, fellowship, breaking bread together, and prayer. You need the same.

 

Obey what Jesus taught. He said, if you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to My Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples. As you read the Bible, identify specific teachings and put them into practice. Obedience leads to growth and spiritual maturity.

 

Remember: eternal life begins now. Jesus said, I tell you the truth, whoever believes has eternal life. Notice the present tense: has. You possess eternal life right now if you believe in Jesus. You're secure in His hand. Nothing can snatch you away. He promised, I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand. This assurance gives you peace and confidence as you follow Him.

 

The Evidence Is In

John wrote this Gospel so you would believe in Jesus and have life in His name. He gave you eyewitness testimony, recorded seven signs that prove Jesus' identity, documented fulfilled prophecies, and showed you the resurrection.

 

The evidence is overwhelming. Jesus is the Son of God. He died for your sins. He rose from the dead. He offers eternal life to everyone who believes in Him.

 

Now that you believe, stay connected to Him. Let His life flow into you. Let Him transform you. Follow where He leads.

 

You're not just another face in the crowd. Jesus knows you. He loves you. He died for you. He rose for you. And He's preparing a place for you in His Father's house.

This is your story now.

Scripture paraphrased and quoted from various translations for clarity.

© The Unknown Believer