YouVersion

If you are a faithful reader of the Vessels of Mercy blog, you have probably noticed that I have not been writing much at all recently. In fact, other than just posting videos, my last written blog entry was way back on June 10, 2009. Needless to say, it’s been a while. With all the confusion of moving to Indiana combined with work, school, and being a husband/father, I just haven’t had time to really sit down and write. However, all of that is quickly changing.

As you have probably already gathered, the current series which I am beginning is taken from the Gospel of John. I am currently studying John’s Gospel for my personal devotional/study time each day, so I thought a good blog series would be fitting for two purposes:

1. It will help me solidify and process my own personal study by translating my thoughts into writing.
2. As I study, I want to share the riches of the gospel with all of you who have been faithful in reading this blog.

As I was scanning my past blogs, I noticed that they all had one thing in common, namely, they are all very theologically oriented. This is not a bad thing. In fact, I think the Church as a whole needs to be better theologically educated. However, Jesus Messiah: Meditations from the Gospel According to John will hopefully have a different feel. Not to say that the blogs in this series will not be theological, as most of them will be (and they should be, since we are studying the Scriptures!). But in this series, I want to not only explain and unpack theological truth, but to also reflect on that truth, its application to the gospel, and its revelation of God. As we begin this study, it is important to lay out some introductory background information. Because I am not a historical scholar by any means, most of the following information has been taken from the ESV Study Bible, which I highly recommend.

Author
Both internal and external evidence strongly suggest that the Gospel was written by John, the apostle. Internal evidence indicates that the author was 1) an apostle, 2) one of the 12 disciples, and more specifically, 3) John the son of Zebedee. External evidence from the early church fathers also supports the identification of John as the Gospel’s author.

Theme
The theme of John’s Gospel is Jesus being the promised Messiah, the Son of God. Eternal life through the new birth is granted to those who believe these things.

Original Audience and Purpose
John’s original audience was made up of both Jews and Gentiles who were living in the Greco-Roman world. He often explains Jewish customs and Palestinian geography, and translates Hebrew/Aramaic terms into Greek, thus demonstrating an awareness that some of his readers would be non-Jewish. But John also shows an awareness of Jewish readers as he demonstrates Jesus to be the Jewish Messiah, the fulfillment of many Old Testament themes, and the Son of God who was sent by God the Father to reveal the only true God and redeem fallen humanity.

John’s own purpose statement, found in 20:30-31, makes it very clear that he wrote with evangelistic intent. However, his depth of teaching shows that he wanted his readers not only to come to initial saving faith in Jesus, but also to grow into a rich, well-informed faith.

Summary
As we study John’s Gospel together, it is my prayer that we will see Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Son of God. It is my prayer that we will glory in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that, as John reveals his testimony of Jesus, Jesus’ revelation of the only true God will strike our hearts with passion and humility, stirring deep affections within us, motivating reflection and true worship. May God’s glory be displayed, humbly acknowledged, and gloriously exalted as we study the Gospel According to John.

Next Post: John 1:1-3

By His Grace – For His Glory
Brandon