Drive Thru History: Bible Backroads – The Gospel of John
Episodes
Background of the Book
The Gospel of John is often the first Gospel given to new Christians, because it’s probably the most straightforward introduction to Jesus. The simplicity of the language also makes John’s Gospel the one most often translated into new languages around the world. However, while John’s Gospel is straightforward, it’s also deep and profound. For Christians, it’s the Gospel that offers a lifetime of ever-increasing complexities concerning the nature and identity of Jesus Christ.
The Big Ideas
There are three Big Ideas in John’s Gospel: Revelation, Rejection, and Reception. If you read closely, the framework for these Big Ideas is laid out in the very first chapter of John.
Key Players
The people mentioned in the Gospels are fascinating. Sometimes they’re larger-than-life historical figures, and sometimes they appear normal like us. In fact, there are even unnamed people in the Gospels that play important roles, such as the Samaritan woman at the well, the nobleman, the paralytic, the woman taken in adultery, the blind man and his parents, and the man formerly possessed by a legion of demons. The biographical sketches of people in the Gospels are often important because they teach us deeper things about Jesus and our own experiences with him.
The Seven Signs
For centuries, Bible scholars have noted what they call the “Seven Signs” in John’s Gospel. The signs begin with a wedding and end with a funeral. Did you know that there is an actual branch of theology called semiotics – the study of signs? In the Bible, signs are often miraculous, but not always. The purpose of biblical signs is much like the purpose of road signs today – to point people in the right direction. In this sense, the signs in John’s Gospel were meant to point the way to Christ’s special message for humanity.
The Seven Signs (Continued)
For centuries, Bible scholars have noted what they call the “Seven Signs” in John’s Gospel. The signs begin with a wedding and end with a funeral. Did you know that there is an actual branch of theology called semiotics – the study of signs? In the Bible, signs are often miraculous, but not always. The purpose of biblical signs is much like the purpose of road signs today – to point people in the right direction. In this sense, the signs in John’s Gospel were meant to point the way to Christ’s special message for humanity.
The Seven 'I Am' Statements
According to John’s Gospel, Jesus delivered seven important statements that began with the words, “I Am.” Like a puzzle, these seven “I Am" statements hidden throughout John’s Gospel each give a clue about the identity of Jesus. Together, these statements create a bridge between the revelations of God in the Old Testament and the Son of God, Jesus Christ, in the New Testament.