John

About the book of John

The Gospel of John is the fourth book of the New Testament. It was written by the apostle John, one of the twelve disciples who walked closely with Jesus. Matthew, Mark and Luke share many of the same stories in a similar order, but John goes his own way. He gives long conversations, seven miracles that he calls signs, and plain statements Jesus makes about who he is.

Main themes

John states his purpose near the end of the book, in John 20:31: that readers may believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and have life through his name. Everything in the book is chosen to serve that goal.

Several words run through the Gospel: light, life, truth, love and belief. Jesus also describes himself with a series of “I am” statements, such as the good shepherd and the way, the truth and the life. The book opens in eternity with the Word who was with God, and it closes with the risen Lord restoring his friends and sending them out.

Verses from John on our apparel

Seven verses from John are on our shirts, hoodies and crewnecks.

John 1:14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” It is the heart of the Christmas story, and it sits on our Ugly Sweater, Beautiful Savior design.

John 3:16 is the verse many of us learned first: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.” Our You Are So Loved design carries the whole verse.

John 10:11: “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” It points straight ahead to the cross, and our Caught by Grace design puts that promise on a shirt.

Two designs carry John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Jesus says it to Thomas the night before the cross. You can choose The Way, the Truth, and the Life or Jesus Is the Way.

John 15:15: Jesus tells his disciples, “But I have called you friends.” He has shared the Father’s heart with them, and our What a Friend design celebrates that closeness.

John 17:16 comes from the prayer Jesus prays on the night of his arrest: “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” Our Not of This World design is for anyone who feels out of step with the crowd and wants a reminder of where their loyalty lies.

John 19:30 gives the last words of Jesus on the cross in this Gospel: “It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” They are printed on our It Is Finished design, a fitting choice for Easter.

Frequently asked

How is John different from Matthew, Mark and Luke? John leaves out many of the stories the others share and adds long conversations, such as the talk with Nicodemus in John 3 and the teaching in the upper room in John 13 to 17.

What does only begotten mean in the King James Version? It means unique, one of a kind. In John 3:16 it marks Jesus as the one-of-a-kind Son of the Father.

Verses from John