Gospels Part 033

John’s Gospel differs greatly from the other three. The others are called the synoptic Gospels. “Optic,” refers to viewing or seeing. “Syn” means together or the same. When we put those two definitions together, synoptic means having the same view or a view that is together. The three gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are very similar and give the same kind of view of Jesus Christ in general.  

The Gospel of John, however, is totally different. John gives a view of Christ that is quite unlike the others. He emphasizes themes and topics that the other Gospels don’t. We find very little overlap between what John writes about and what we see in the synoptic Gospels. John’s literary style is also unlike the other Gospels. The gospel of John records no parables. His focus is on the “signs” of Jesus’ identity and mission and on deep, detailed theological discussions not found in the other Gospels. 

One way to view John’s Gospel is to imagine a snowy field with three sets of footprints crossing the field alongside and parallel with each other. These three sets of tracks represent the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Another set of footprints crosses the field too, but it goes far off to the side of the other three and only rarely crosses them. These tracks represent John’s Gospel. It goes in the same direction as the others but mostly covers new ground and rarely intersects with the other Gospels.  

Authorship 

The author is the apostle John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” John was the brother of another apostle, James, and together they were the sons of Zebedee. Jesus called the brothers, “the sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). James and John were the disciples who wanted to bring fire down out of heaven to destroy a Samaritan village (Luke 9:54). We see that John changes through the help of God’s Spirit. He is also known as the apostle of love. The word “love,” is found often in this Gospel and his letters. 

John became a good example of a very deeply converted man. His love for Jesus was so great that Jesus entrusted him to take care of His mother when He was dying (John 19:27). John was also a cousin of Jesus Christ. We don’t have space to go into the evidence for that here, but you can read about it in our free study aid Jesus Christ: The Real Story.  

John understood Jewish life well. This is clear from his references to popular Messianic ideas, to the Jewish-Samaritan hostility, and to such Jewish practices as circumcision on the eighth day taking precedence over the command to not work on the Sabbath. 

It’s also apparent that John knew the geographical setting of Jesus’ ministry well. He notes that Bethany was located about two miles from Jerusalem (John 11:18) and mentions the village of Cana, which is not referred to in any early known writings. This Gospel also has personal touches that reflect the memories of an eyewitness—such as the house being filled with the aroma of the broken perfume jar when Mary anointed Jesus before His death (John 12:3).  

Date of writing 

It appears that John wrote his Gospel, his three letters and the book of Revelation in the late 80s to mid-90s A.D. His Gospel counters gnostic beliefs that had gained a heavy foothold by that time. John’s letters reflect a Church that by then were increasingly affected by false teachers and heretical ideas. These influences do not show up in the other three Gospels, and only in the latest of Paul’s letters, indicating that John’s writings date after these.  

It’s evident that John chose to deliberately avoid overlapping material found in the other three Gospels, which indicates that these Gospels were written and circulating well before John wrote his account of Christ’s life and teachings.  

Purpose and Intended Audience 

John explicitly states his purpose near the end of the Gospel: “These are written 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). His Gospel seeks to inspire faith in Jesus as the divine Son of God and to offer assurance of eternal life to believers. 

John’s audience was likely a mix of Jewish and Gentile Christians, possibly living in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). They were likely facing questions about Jesus’ identity, the nature of faith and their place within the broader Jewish and Greco-Roman world. The Gospel’s emphasis on belief, spiritual transformation and eternal life reflects the needs of a Church grappling with growing opposition on all sides from surrounding cultures.