JOHN AT-A-GLANCE Q f :::: N.T. BOOK #4 AUTHOR: JOHN THE APOSTLE WRITTEN: 80-90 AD Covering this time period: 7 BC to 26 AD Old Testament: 39 Books 4 New Testament: 27 Books CLAIMS TO FAME: Known in America as the Bible book that new Christians should start with FAMOUS STORIES INCLUDED: MOST FAMOUS VERSES : • Jesus turning water into wine 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. John 3:16 Raising Lazarus from the dead The seven famous "IAM” statements of Jesus (i.e. I am the door of the sheep...) Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6 Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again." John 3:3 Important Points about the Book: : John wanted to make sure people knew that Jesus was not just a great prophet, miracle man, or teacher. He was “the only begotten son of God.” Jesus was different than we are. We are born of men, and Jesus was born of God, according to all that John stated. John did not tell the story of Jesus' birth. Instead he reached back into eternity to start his gospel. He started with, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." It is this statement and others in the Book of John which had the early church moving to recognize the Trinity, or three in one: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. John, his brother James, and Simon Peter had the honor of being with Jesus during his ministry more than the other disciples. Hence his witness to the truth of Jesus' divine nature is meant to be taken quite seriously. New Christians often start reading their Bibles with the Book of John. This is because he was a fisherman before becoming an apostle, and not a Jewish scholar. All he has to say is very relatable to normal, working-class people-like us and the generations who came before us.