Version: King James Version (public domain)
John
The fourth Gospel
The Gospel of John is the fourth Gospel, attributed by tradition to the apostle John and written around AD 90–100. It has 21 chapters and was written “that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ” (John 20:31).
In this section
Historical context
Unlike the other three Gospels (the “Synoptics”), John builds the story around seven signs and long discourses, such as Jesus’ “I am” sayings.
Explanation
Best-known passages
- The Word became flesh (ch. 1)
- Jesus and Nicodemus: John 3:16 (ch. 3)
- “I am the good shepherd” (ch. 10)
- The raising of Lazarus (ch. 11)
- Mary Magdalene and the risen Jesus (ch. 20)