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ROUTE 66 EP 049

The Gospel of John: Believe and Have Life

Introduction: Who Is Jesus?

  • C.S. Lewis’s “Liar, Lunatic, or Lord” framework:

    • Jesus’s claim to be God means He cannot be merely a “good man” or teacher. If His claims are false, He is either a liar or a lunatic; if true, He is Lord.

  • Core question as we approach John’s Gospel: Who is Jesus—not who He was, but who He is to us today.

Who God Is & How He Responds:

  • God reveals Himself decisively and personally in Jesus Christ.

  • God confronts our categories and demands a response—recognition of Jesus as Lord.

Who I Am & How I Should Live:

  • I must personally respond to Jesus’s identity, not with vague admiration but with faith and surrender to His Lordship.

The Uniqueness of John’s Gospel

  • Later composition (~90 A.D.) by the Apostle John:

    • John writes with mature reflection, likely aware of Paul’s writings, centering on Jesus’s identity.

  • Controversial nature:

    • Exclusive claim in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

    • Confrontational truth in John 8:44: “You are of your father the devil,” revealing a Jesus who speaks with uncompromising authority.

  • Focus on Deity:

    • John’s primary aim is to show Jesus as God in the flesh, the Son of God.

Application:

  • In a culture preferring many paths, Christians must lovingly uphold Jesus’s exclusive claim.

  • Expect division and discomfort when truth confronts cultural preferences.

The Four Faces of the Gospels

  • Matthew (Lion): Jesus as King.

  • Mark (Ox/Servant): Jesus as Suffering Servant.

  • Luke (Man): Jesus as Perfect Man (Son of Man).

  • John (Eagle): Jesus’s Deity as Son of God—heavenly origin and divine nature.

Who God Is:

  • Jesus is fully God, the eternal Son—His nature is high and transcendent, yet He draws near.

How I Should Live:

  • Read each Gospel through its lens, but let John form your understanding of Jesus’s deity.

John’s Portrait of Jesus: The Son of God

  • The Eternal Word:

    • John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

    • John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

  • No genealogy, manger scene, or temptation narrative:

    • John’s emphasis: Jesus’s divine person and mission. Temptation pertains to His humanity; John’s lens is His deity.

  • Trinity analogy:

    • As humans have body, soul, and spirit in unity, so God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—three Persons, one God.

Who God Is:

  • God the Son eternally exists and took on flesh; the Trinity is perfect unity.

Who I Am:

  • Made in God’s image—called into fellowship with the Triune God.

How I Should Live:

  • Worship Jesus as God; treat His words as divine authority.

The Purpose of John’s Gospel

  • John 20:30–31: John selects signs “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”

  • Evangelistic goal:

    • “Believe” occurs 99 times; John writes to lead readers to saving faith.

Application:

  • Direct seekers and skeptics to read the Gospel of John with an open heart. God uses John’s Gospel to open spiritually blind eyes.

Pastor’s Example:

  • A young man on the edge of faith was urged to read John and discuss. Trust the Word to do the convincing.

The Seven Signs: A Picture of Salvation

Miracles 1–3: The Road to Salvation

  1. Water Turned to Wine (John 2) — Regeneration

    • Empty waterpots picture our dead souls; water symbolizes the Word; wine symbolizes Christ’s blood.

    • When the Word enters our emptiness, God makes us alive through Christ’s blood.

    • Who God Is: The One who regenerates by His Word and Son’s blood.

    • Who I Am: Helpless without God; made alive by His initiative.

    • How I Should Live: Come to the Word; expect transformation by Christ.

  2. Healing the Nobleman’s Son (John 4) — Faith

    • The nobleman trusts Jesus’s word without His physical presence.

    • Salvation is by grace through faith—see Ephesians 2:8.

    • Who God Is: Faithworthy—His word is enough.

    • Who I Am: Called to trust His word, not sight.

    • How I Should Live: Exercise faith in Christ’s promises.

  3. Healing the Impotent Man (John 5) — Grace

    • A man unable to reach the pool is healed by Jesus—religion and effort cannot save.

    • Grace is God reaching down when we are helpless.

    • Who God Is: Gracious Savior.

    • Who I Am: Unable to save myself; recipient of grace.

    • How I Should Live: Rest in grace; renounce self-reliance.

Miracle 4: The Responsibility of Salvation

  1. Feeding the Five Thousand (John 6) — Our Commission

    • John 6:11: Jesus distributes through His disciples.

    • Only miracle in all four Gospels; followed by the “Bread of Life” sermon.

    • Who God Is: Bread of Life; He works through His followers.

    • Who I Am: A disciple tasked to set the Bread before people.

    • How I Should Live: Share the Gospel; offer Christ without coercion.

    • Pastor’s Illustration: A converted drunk eats an orange before an atheist. “How did that orange taste?” “I didn’t taste it.” “Then how can you know Jesus if you’ve never tried Him?” See Psalm 34:8: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.”

Miracles 5–7: The Results of Salvation

  1. Calming the Storm (John 6) — Peace

    • Jesus enters the boat and brings calm—He grants peace that surpasses understanding.

    • Who God Is: Prince of Peace.

    • Who I Am: Recipient of supernatural peace.

    • How I Should Live: Invite Christ into life’s storms; trust His presence.

  2. Healing the Blind Man (John 9) — Spiritual Sight

    • Physical sight pictures spiritual sight; testimony: “Though I was blind, now I see.”

    • Who God Is: Light of the world.

    • Who I Am: Once blind; now seeing by faith.

    • How I Should Live: Share simple testimony; grow in clarity over time.

  3. Raising Lazarus (John 11) — New Life

    • Picture of new spiritual life; fellowship follows: John 12:1–2 shows Lazarus at table with Jesus.

    • Believers are “seated in heavenly places” — Ephesians 2:6.

    • Who God Is: Resurrection and Life.

    • Who I Am: New creature with heavenly fellowship and access.

    • How I Should Live: Live as seated with Christ; enjoy communion with Him.

Primary Events and People in John’s Gospel

1. Nicodemus (John 3)

  • John 3:3–6; John 3:16: “You must be born again.”

  • Salvation is a spiritual birth—a specific moment of repentance and faith—before growth can begin.

Who God Is & How He Responds:

  • Offers new birth to all; moves from physical expectations to spiritual reality.

Who I Am & How I Should Live:

  • Ensure a definite moment of being born again; pursue growth after new birth.

2. The Samaritan Woman (John 4)

  • Jesus offers “everlasting water.”

  • He cried, “I thirst,” so we would never thirst eternally.

Who God Is:

  • Everlasting Water—satisfies the deepest longings.

Who I Am & How I Should Live:

  • Seek satisfaction in Jesus; share with others immediately.

3. Opposition from “the Jews” (John 5–12)

  • Key moments:

    • Bread of Life sermon (John 6) divides hearers.

    • Woman caught in adultery (John 8) shows grace and exposes hypocrisy.

    • Good Shepherd (John 10) secures salvation and eternal security.

Who God Is:

  • Merciful and gracious yet truth divides; He is the Good Shepherd.

How I Should Live:

  • Stay with Jesus when teachings are hard; trust His shepherding and security.

4. Preparing the Disciples (John 13–17)

  • Foot-washing (John 13): Picture of sacrificial service—He cleans us by getting Himself “dirty” at the cross.

  • New commandment (John 13:35): Love one another as the mark of true disciples.

  • The true Lord’s Prayer (John 17): Deep love between Father and Son; “Father” occurs 139 times in John emphasizing relationship.

Who God Is:

  • Humble Servant; Loving Father and Son.

Who I Am & How I Should Live:

  • Serve humbly; love the Church; value intimate communion with the Father.

5. Calvary and Restoration (John 18–21)

  • Crucifixion and Resurrection (John 18–20): Fulfillment of John 3:16.

  • Restoration of Peter (John 21): Mercy after failure.

Who God Is:

  • God of grace, mercy, and restoration.

Who I Am & How I Should Live:

  • When I fail, return to Jesus—He restores and recommissions.

The Great I AM: Jesus’s Deity and Authority

  • John 8:58: “Before Abraham was, I am.” Jesus identifies Himself with the eternal “I AM” of Exodus 3.

  • John 18: “I am He”—soldiers fall back, revealing His divine authority.

  • Correlation with Isaiah 43: “I AM” statements echo Old Testament declarations of God’s identity.

Who God Is:

  • Eternal, self-existent, all-powerful “I AM.”

How He Responds:

  • Reveals Himself clearly; confronts unbelief (Judas’s persistence shows human depravity without God).

Sent as He Was Sent: Our Commission and Identity

  • John 20:21: “As My Father has sent Me, even so send I you.”

    • Jesus, aligned with the Father’s will, now sends us “in His stead.”

Who God Says We Are:

  • Ambassadors for Christ; citizens of heaven representing God’s kingdom on earth.

  • John 1:12: He gives us power to become the sons of God—royal family members.

  • Colossians 2:9–10: “In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily… and you are complete in Him.”

    • The fullness of the Trinity dwells in Jesus; believers are complete in Him.

How I Should Live:

  • See myself as God sees me—complete in Christ, seated in heavenly places, sent to do His work.

  • Do not seek completeness in ministry activity or worldly pursuits, but in Christ Himself.

Two Key Points for the Christian Life

  1. This World Needs Us

    • We point people to Christ—like Peter’s “Look on us” (Acts 3:4).

    • The world needs the truth of the Word, not mere feelings or mysticism.

    • Jesus’s sign in John 2:18–21: He points to His death and resurrection—the Gospel as the true sign.

    • Romans 1:16: The Gospel is “the power of God unto salvation.”

    • John 17:15: Jesus prays we remain in the world, protected from the evil one—purposefully left to reach the lost.

    • Insulate, Don’t Isolate (Pastor’s Illustration):

      • Isolate: Stay comfortable—church becomes an exclusive club; God detests this.

      • Freeze: Engage unprepared and be overcome by temptation.

      • Insulate: Arm yourself with the Word and discipline; then enter the world to help effectively.

  2. This World Needs Us NOW

    • Reject the lie that you must know everything before sharing.

    • Immediate witnesses:

      • John 9:25: The healed blind man—“One thing I know… I was blind, now I see.”

      • John 4: The Samaritan woman—saved and evangelizing the same day.

    • John 4:35: “Lift up your eyes… fields are white already to harvest.”

    • Convicting statistic: If each Christian led one person to Christ annually since Pentecost, the world would have been evangelized before 1492.

The Secret to Evangelizing the World: Discipleship

  • John 17:4, 6: Jesus prays, “I have finished the work…” which included investing in and training His disciples before the cross.

  • Addition vs. Multiplication:

    • Addition: Lead someone to Christ and leave them—limited impact.

    • Multiplication: Disciple converts to become disciple-makers—Jesus’s model; how Acts “turned the world upside down.”

How I Should Live:

  • Commit to relational, heart-to-heart discipleship—central ministry of the church.

  • Be intentional: Lead, train, send, and repeat.

Pictures of Jesus: Identity Statements

  • The Lamb of God:

    • John 1:29: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

    • Jesus is the final Passover Lamb—His death permanently removes sin. His crucifixion at Passover fulfills God’s plan.

  • The Seven “I AM” Statements:

    • “I am the bread of life,” “light of the world,” “good shepherd,” etc.

    • Echoes Exodus 3—“I AM THAT I AM”—Jesus claims God’s eternal name.

Who God Is:

  • Final sacrifice, eternal sustenance, divine shepherd, sovereign light—God in the flesh.

Who I Am & How I Should Live:

  • Live under His care; feed on His Word; walk in His light; follow His voice.

The Assurance of Salvation and Immediate Call

  • Assurance:

    • God provides certainty of salvation—no need to live in worry about death.

    • He saves those who humble themselves, admit sin, and turn to the Savior.

  • Immediate invitation:

    • If ready, meet with someone to walk through Scripture and receive God’s promise of salvation.

Who God Is:

  • Personal Deliverer who came down in Jesus to pull us out of the pit—not a distant deity sending mere prophets.

Who We Are:

  • A mess needing rescue; loved and sought by God.

How We Are to Live:

  • Recognize salvation was accomplished for us; respond in faith.

Our Commission: Intentional Witnesses

  • Share the greatest news out of obedience to Christ—do not be deterred by other groups’ methods.

  • Be intentional:

    • Use tracts, conversations, daily interactions (e.g., with workers in your home) as Gospel opportunities.

    • Think of the bigger picture; do not fear what others think—offer the Bread of Life.

How We Are to Live:

  • Make sharing the Gospel a primary focus integrated with everyday life and joy.

Closing Prayer and Final Charge

  • Who God Is:

    • He loved a broken, wicked, corrupted, flawed world and gave Himself.

    • Perfect God now resides in us.

  • Who We Are:

    • Conduits of righteousness; ambassadors for Christ; equipped despite flaws.

  • How We Are to Live:

    • Pass the Bread of Life to others.

    • The world needs the Church to bear God’s message now.

    • Pray for testimonies this week of God’s work through us, inspired by the Gospel of John.

Final Invitation and Reflection

  • Are you ready to be saved?

  • If you are a Christian:

    • Are you engaged in making disciples?

    • Have you started and stopped?

    • Have you completed discipleship but stalled in multiplying?

  • Jesus is returning soon—get on board with His main mission.