Welcome to Day 2133 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Gospel of John - 1 – Who Is the Apostle John? – Daily Wisdom

Putnam Church Message – 01/23/2022

The Gospel of John – Who Is the Apostle John?

Today we begin a new Good News series according to John the Apostle. This message will examine John's identity and why he was unique among all Apostles. Have you ever started reading a novel, and you go to the last page of it to see how it ends before reading it?  That is what we will do today, so turn with me in your Bibles to John 21:24-25. John 21:24-25  This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. John had lived long enough to see it all, from the beginning to the end. As a bold, blustering young man, the idea of tramping around the wilderness of Judea after John the Baptizer appealed to him a great deal—so much so, that the young fisherman left a thriving fishing enterprise in the hands of his brother, James, and abandoned his privileged status for the Baptizer’s diet of locusts and wild honey…and for the chance to help prepare Israel for the coming of the Messiah. He helped the forerunner of the Messiah baptize thousands of repentant Jews. He supported the strange, Elijah-like figure as he called down judgment upon the corrupt leaders of the Jewish people. Then, finally, the day came when John saw the long-awaited Anointed One. He looked nothing like what John had imagined, but the declaration of his wilderness mentor, John the Baptizer, was unequivocal: This was the One. He and another of the Baptizer’s disciples decided to get a closer look, to follow Jesus home, to hear what He had to say about Himself and Israel. Before the next day's dawn, he knew: They had found the Messiah. John's few years with Jesus flew by like a flash of lightning, yet remained vividly clear in his mind for more than seventy years. During that short time with Jesus, he saw the man he thought would be a conquering super-David, the Savior of Israel, stripped, beaten mercilessly, and hung on a cross like a petty thug. He saw the sky darken as the world's Light faded into death. Then he saw his hope resurrected to assume a more glorious form than he ever could have imagined, and he stood in awe as the presence of God filled the group of squabbling, self-promoting disciples and transformed them into the body of Christ—the bones and muscle, hands and feet of Christ. Then, as the blood of his martyred brothers and sisters yielded new believers, John nurtured them. As Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Apollos, Luke, Timothy, Titus, and other missionaries zealously expanded the church westward, John anchored its foundation. As critics bashed, John defended. As imposters subverted, John exposed them. As false prophets misled, John refuted their heretical message. He condensed his teaching into three letters (1–3 John), originally circulated within Asia Minor churches around AD 65. Having outlived all his martyred peers, John was exiled by Emperor Domitian to the nearly barren isle of Patmos. There he saw the world’s future all the way to the recreation of a worldwide new Eden where heaven and earth will combine as one. Then preserved everything he heard and witnessed in “The Revelation,” which he sent as a letter to the churches of Asia Minor that were under his care. After Domitian’s death in AD 96, John rested in the care of the church in Ephesus, which in turn enjoyed his gentle, grandfather-like shepherding. The Synoptic Gospels, written as early as the AD 50s by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, had been staples of church teaching for decades. They told the story of Jesus from different perspectives, yet they included many of the same events, primarily taken from Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. Decades later, when the elder John was in Ephesus, the church was no longer a budding movement, but an established community and system of thought. The challenges were different than when Christianity was in its infancy. The danger came less through physical attacks or religious opposition, and more through philosophical corruption and theological compromise. Furthermore, the biography of Jesus lacked a much-needed cosmic dimension. So, in the final years of John’s life, after he had witnessed the most significant period of history the world has ever known and with the nearness of death giving memories an urgency to be shared, John wrote of his Master. “That You May Believe” The Gospel of John is a masterpiece of storytelling. It is charming in its simplicity and challenging in its depth, a rare work of literature that fun-loving children and deep-thinking philosophers can share equally. John’s God-breathed account of Christ’s earthly ministry uses such elementary Greek, it reads like a child’s primer and is often one of the first books novice learners of (Greek-Koiné) learn to translate. Yet philosophers and theologians spend lifetimes trying to fully comprehend the profound truths John presents.   John’s Gospel presents God as Father more tenderly than any other book in the Bible. It boldly and unambiguously establishes the dual nature of Jesus Christ—fully God and fully human, perfectly united in one person. And it reveals the mystery of the Holy Spirit, unlike any other Gospel. Moreover, John’s narrative provides many practical lessons to guide the believer through life. Several passages come to our rescue when leading someone to faith in Jesus Christ, while others bring comfort and consolation when burying a cherished loved one. The Gospel of John teaches us about our increasing estrangement from the world and our deepening intimacy with the Almighty. We begin to appreciate the priority the Lord places on unity in the family of God. Despite its intricacy and complexity, the Fourth Gospel is usually the first book of the Bible to be read by students and new believers. Martin Luther marveled over the dual nature of John’s writing, admitting, “Never in my life have I read a book written in simpler words than this, and yet the words are inexpressible!” John’s approach is deliberate. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he carefully crafted each sentence to unveil the fascinating mysteries of heaven in simple language, and he painstakingly chose which facts to relate to and which to leave out. In his own words, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written,” John 21:25. Rather pen a document that quadrupled the size of the Old Testament, he chose the “less is more” approach. Instead of overwhelming us with volumes of information, he strategically chose which stories to relate to accomplish his primary purpose: “So that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name,” John 20:31. Why Four Gospels? Why do we have four biographies of Jesus when one could have done the job just as well? Why not fourteen? In reality, we do not have four Gospels; we have one Gospel from four different vantage points. We have one biography from four writers, each providing his unique perspective. If we were to document the life of Jesus using only pictures, we could choose one of several possible methods. For example, we could use a motion picture camera to record every movement in detail, and—if the reel is long enough—replay Jesus’s life from birth to death to resurrection and beyond. The running time of the film would exceed thirty-three years of non-stop viewing! Another method would be to capture key moments in still photographs—perhaps from several angles—and tell his life story in a photo essay. The benefits would be obvious. (Show photo albums) The story could be told briefly, yet adequately, allowing time to reflect on the details of the most important moments. In the case of the Gospels, we have four albums of Christ’s life, put together by individuals who highlighted different, yet crucial, themes. Before John penned his account, these three were in circulation: Matthew was a Jewish disciple of Jesus Christ who once earned his living as a tax collector and an official of the Roman government. Moved by the Spirit of God, he wrote a biography of Jesus from a Hebrew point of view, emphasizing the regal rights of Jesus as Messiah and legitimate King of Israel. Matthew traces Christ’s genealogy from Abraham, through King David. It’s a Jewish book written by a Jew to his fellow children of the covenant. Matthew’s primary theme: The Messiah has come. Mark was not one of the Twelve but the son of a follower named Mary (Acts 12:12) and a close associate of Barnabas, Paul, and Peter. He presents Christ’s ministry from a practical, action-oriented point of view in a narrative frequently punctuated by the phrase, “and immediately …” This style would have appealed to the can-do Romans of the first century, who respected deep thinkers but looked to men of action for leadership. Mark’s Gospel shows Jesus as the no-nonsense God-man who came from heaven to complete a task. Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  Mark’s primary theme: The Son of God came to seek, serve, and save. He gained much of his material from Peter. Luke was a physician, probably born and reared in Macedonia. He was a Gentile, not a Jew. He wrote to neither the spiritually privileged Jew nor the politically privileged Roman, but to common Greeks, most of whom had no power, wealth, or hope. Luke’s Gospel highlights the humanity of Jesus, favoring the title “Son of Man” and providing details about His humble birth, His ordinary boyhood, His compassion for the poor and sick, and the global scope of His ministry. Luke’s genealogy traces Jesus’ lineage back to Adam, the father of all humanity. Luke’s primary theme: The Son of Man came to redeem all of humanity. John certainly knew of the other Gospels and probably taught from them for many years before deciding under the guidance of the Holy Spirit that the biography of Jesus was still incomplete. The Christian world knew Jesus as the King of the Jews, Jesus as the servant, and Jesus as the Son of Man, but a need remained to proclaim Jesus as the Son of God. John wrote his Gospel so that we would know that the Son of Man is God in human flesh—completely human, yet no less God than when, “in the beginning,” He spoke the very universe into existence. The Gospel of John provides no genealogy, illustrating the fact that Deity has no beginning. The Gospel of John offers no childhood details and retells no parables, perhaps to emphasize Jesus’ transcendent nature as God. The Gospel of John bypasses Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, His transfiguration on the mountain, His commissioning the disciples after His resurrection, and His ascension from the earth. Instead, John writes from a philosophical and theological perspective, emphasizing the miracles of Jesus, which he calls “signs.” For John, the miracles were indicators of a supernatural happening, proving that many considered theoretical truths tangibly real. The Word had become flesh to give humanity every reason to believe and leave us with no excuse for doubt. John’s primary theme: The man we know as Jesus is none other than God on earth.

• Matthew says, “This is the Messiah, the King; worship Him.”
• Mark says, “This is the Servant who served humanity; follow Him.”
• Luke says, “This is the only Man among men without sin; emulate Him.”
• John says, “This is God in human flesh; believe in Him.”

The Crisis of Faith John declares, in effect, “I’m not writing merely to inform. I’m not writing merely to entertain. I’m writing to stir the heart of the reader to believe.” The Greek word pisteuō, translated “believe,” appears 98 times in the Gospel of John—multiple times per chapter. But what does it mean to believe? We are called, first and foremost, to believe in Jesus Christ. This was the intellectual and moral crisis presented to people of all kinds in John’s narrative, many of whom responded with pistis belief, complete trust. Here are just six examples of people who responded positively to Jesus’ message: John the Baptizer (John 1:33–34) I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God. Nathanael (John 1:46–49) “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied. As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.” “How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked.  Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”  Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!” Peter (John 6:66–69) At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him.  Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God. Martha (John 11:24–27) “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” Thomas (John 20:27–29) Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” John—the author of this Gospel (John 20:30–31) The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name. Signs and Discourses John’s narrative is remarkable in several respects, not the least of which is its structure. The first verse of chapter 13 marks a dramatic shift in the story of Christ’s earthly ministry, so the final eight chapters read very differently from the first twelve. Chapters 1 through 12 describe an extensive, very public ministry and message, whereas chapters 13 through 21 bring us behind closed doors to witness the private ministry of Jesus. Chapters 1 through 12 carry us through more than three years, whereas chapters 13 through 20 spanning about four days (followed by the epilogue, chapter 21, which took place within forty days of Christ’s resurrection.) The first section highlights the miracles of Jesus, while the second section records His discourses with the Twelve. JOHN 1–12 | 3+ Years | Public Proclamation | Spectacular Miracles JOHN 13–21 | 3+ Days | Private Instruction | Intimate Discourses John did not structure his Gospel account haphazardly. The narrative unfolds much like the Christian life itself. Our initial, intriguing introduction to the Savior leads quickly to a call to believe and follow. Understanding will come in time. This is not an intellectual decision but a moral one. Then, as we witness His power, hear His teaching, and experience life in His presence, our understanding and confidence grow. Gradually we become mature disciples, though never beyond the need for grace after failure. In other words, John’s account of Jesus’ life and ministry on earth is no mere biography. The Gospel of John is an invitation to believe in the Son of God, to become His disciples, to deepen our understanding of His identity and mission, to grow in maturity, and to join Him in tending His sheep. Now let us take note of John 1:29…The next day John (the Baptizer) saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! The Good News, according to John, is split up into five parts.

1. Prologue - Christ, the eternal Word.
2. Presentation of the Word
3. Authentication of the Word
4. Confirmation of the Word
5. Vindication of the Word

Next our lesson will be Prologue—Christ, the eternal Word. The other four parts will have numerous messages under each part. I would encourage you to read John 1:1-18 in preparation. Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal. As we take this trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you next time for more wisdom from God’s Word!