JOHN.
John was supposed to be the youngest disciple, and was supposed to be the first of all that Christ had to follow Him. He is called the bosom companion of Christ. Someone was complaining of Christ’s being partial. I have no doubt that Christ did love John more than the others, but it was because John loved him most. I think John got into the inner circle, and we can get in too if we will. Christ keeps the door open and we can just go right in. You notice nearly all his book is new. All of the eight months Christ spent in Judea are recorded here.
Matthew begins with Abraham; Mark with Malachi; Luke with John the Baptist; but John with God Himself.
Matthew sets forth Christ as the Jew’s Messiah.
Mark as the active worker.
Luke as a man.
John as a personal Saviour.
John presents Him as coming from the bosom of the Father. The central thought in this gospel is proving the divinity of Christ. If I wanted to prove to a man that Jesus Christ was divine, I would take him directly to this gospel. The word repent does not occur once, but the word believe occurs ninety-eight times. The controversy that the Jews raised about the divinity of Christ is not settled yet, and before John went away he took his pen and wrote down these things to settle it.
A seven-fold witness to the divinity of Christ:
1. Testimony of the Father. “The Father that sent me beareth witness of me.”
2. The Son bearing testimony. “Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true; for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I came, and whither I go.”
3. Christ’s works testify: “If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though you believe not me, believe the works, that ye may know and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in Him.”
No man can make me believe that Jesus Christ was a bad man; because He brought forth good fruit. How any one can doubt that He was the Son of God after eighteen centuries of testing is a mystery to me.
4. The Scriptures: “Had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me, for he wrote of me.”
5. John the Baptist: “And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.”
6. The Disciples: “And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.”
7. The Holy Ghost: “But when the comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.”
Of course there many others that show His divinity, but I think these are enough to prove it to any man. If I went into court and had seven witnesses that could not be broken down, I think I would have a good case.
Notice the “I am’s” of Christ.
“I am from above.”
“I am not of this world.”
“Before Abraham was, I am.”
“I am the bread of life.”
“I am the light of the world.”
“I am the door.”
“I am the Good Shepherd.”
“I am the way.”
“I am the truth.” Pilate asked what truth was, and there it was standing right before him.
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
In the gospel of John, we find eight gifts for the believer: the bread of life; the water of life; eternal life; the Holy Spirit; love; joy; peace; His words.