INTRODUCTION

The gospel message that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is now navigating a season of ever increasing pressure. This reality calls for a fresh look at the Gospel of John, the New Testament book that establishes Jesus as God's Son.

One of these points of tension comes from the arena of pluralism. Political pluralism certainly opens many doors to mutual understanding in the sphere of politics and government. It is indeed wisdom to respect the rights and views of all citizens, and let a ballot box and not a gun settle differences.

This same kind of thinking when applied to religion is now being dangerously advanced under the banner of religious pluralism. This form of pluralism asserts no religion holds the singular answer to man's salvation; instead, each world religion is a valid path to God for its sincere adherents. This is considered to be true even if people are following such diverse approaches as the many forms of nature worship (pantheism), or the worship of many gods (polytheism), or the worship of one God (monotheism).

Religious pluralists maintain for people in the world community to get along, all beliefs must come together in mutual tolerance and find a new unity under the banner of pluralism. This reasoning has set up religious pluralism as a new shrine to which all religions are invited to come and find their common ground.

Pluralism draws significantly on the tools of sociology to analyze what all religions have in common. For example, each world religion has a god idea, a path to salvation, an afterlife teaching, etc.

THINK ABOUT IT: Religious pluralism makes its claim that all religions are valid paths to God, because, to pluralists, 21st century popular culture is the proper lens for interpreting the Bible. But make no mistake: the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, as recorded in the Bible, is the trumpet that will sound the final word of judgment on the 21st century.

A second sphere of increasing pressure is coming from Christian universalism. The core idea of this belief is characterized by the term, universal reconciliation. Its advocates maintain people who reject Jesus in this life will ultimately be reconciled to God after their deaths and will live for eternity with God in Heaven. Use of the term "Christian" indicates proponents of this school of universalism hold many of the orthodox doctrines of Christianity but reject the Biblical doctrine of rewards and punishments, including such attributes of God as justice and judgment.

Pressure points like these mandate that we re-think the Gospel of John. The hope is the reader will pick up additional themes and make his own applications as John's portrayal of the Son of God confronts 21st century culture. The church must rediscover and in some cases actually encounter for the first time the Messiah who although despised and rejected, proved Himself to be God's Son (Isaiah 53:3).

Two millennia ago, John the son of Zebedee was an apostle in the inner circle of Jesus Christ. He wrote the Gospel of John in the second half of the first century, just a few decades removed from Jesus' death and resurrection. He did it in the very dominating and enslaving era of the Roman Empire to give the evidence for Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of God. His book became one of the four gospels in the New Testament.

John expressed his thesis at the end of his book: "These are written that you may believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31).

To make Jesus' case, the great apostle offers an introduction (the most theological part of the book), to show the Son of God has existed from eternity (John 1:1-18). The eternal Word came down from His heavenly Father in an incarnation at Nazareth, and became Mary's Baby in the silent night of Bethlehem. "The word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14 KJV; Luke 2:15-19).

As John developed His narrative he drew from Jesus' ministry seven miracles, seven discourses, and seven "I AM" declarations to frame Jesus' identity. John's assumption was that open-minded readers would be compelled to conclude only God could do such miracles, teach so masterfully, die so nobly, and rise from the grave so victoriously, all the while loving people – all people – so totally.

A subtheme of John's work is the stories of people who confessed Jesus as Messiah (a term to be equated to such additional terms as Son of God, Son of Man, anointed One, the Christ, and the God-man). Another subtheme is John's faithfulness to record accounts of people who did not take this step of faith. A third portrays how Jesus kept His focus and did some of His greatest teaching and miracles amid the greatest opposition.

John sealed his case giving the second half of his book to the last week of the Lord's ministry, including Jesus' brutal crucifixion and gloriously triumphant resurrection (chapters 12:12 - 21).

In the contemporary era of mass communication and marvelous medical technology, these seven miracles continue to prove only God can do such things. Modernity, with all of its genius, must stand back in awe of them.

The Plan

Jesus' commitment to accomplish His Father's assignment to take away the sin of the world was a job description big enough to befit the Son of God (John 1:29, 34; Genesis 22:8). But predictably, it also stirred up resistance.

The Apostle John shows the religious system in Israel rejected Jesus before the strong arm of Rome did. Anger in the priestly system began to raise its ugly head in Jesus' first visit to the temple in Jerusalem after His baptism. It only intensified as His ministry progressed. By the time Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the fury had become a murderous hatred that despised Jesus (John 11). It must not be missed that "religion" became the first enemy of the Messiah sent from God, and then religion allied with the state to kill Him. [This same alliance of religion and the state will ultimately usher in the reign of Antichrist.]

The Sanhedrin's Strategy; the Savior's Blueprint

The Sanhedrin met almost immediately after Jesus' stunning miracle in which Lazarus walked out of the tomb that held him for four days. Led by Caiaphas the high priest, the Sanhedrin formulated a brutal plan to kill Jesus. Caiaphas then issued an all-points bulletin for the Lord's arrest.

Jesus' sovereign blueprint called for Him to become the perfect sacrifice as "the Lamb of God," the "Passover lamb," who would "take away the sin of the world" (John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Genesis 22:8).

Amazingly, the two plans of action were complimentary. The strategy of the Sanhedrin to kill Jesus actually meant Jesus' blueprint would be successful (Luke 23:34; Acts 3:17).

The struggle was colossal; it was an all-out war for the eternal destiny of the souls of men. For their part, these religious leaders did not voluntarily give up an inch of territory. Jesus had to "take it" every step of the way. As the struggle went forward, Jesus did not one time use their methods. For example, in His sovereignty Jesus did not coerce a single participant in the drama of Calvary. This meant these leaders and their followers acted in their own free will to arrest and crucify Jesus.

Amid all of the intrigue and drama to eliminate Jesus, the Lord retained control of the timing. Jesus was determined His crucifixion would occur on the very morning of the Passover celebration and at the same time the Passover lamb was slain in the temple.

Jesus needed no sword or spear to achieve His goal; His only instrument for the struggle was the love of God. Young David a millennium earlier could not wear Saul's armor; he needed only his sling and one of his five smooth stones to end Goliath's boastings permanently (I Samuel 17:50). Time would prove the love of God, and not the sword, was the one force King David's messianic Son needed to compel Rome to bow at Jesus' Cross.

THINK ABOUT IT: The love of God does indeed "take away the sin of the world" (John 1:29, 36; Genesis 22:8).

Death itself was the ultimate instrument of control in the hands of these religious rulers; it was their fearsome willingness to kill that so effectively silenced the Jewish population. The dead always lose their voices; the solemn quietness in any cemetery is deafening.

Propelled by the love of God, Jesus had a surprise weapon His enemies did not see coming – the power of resurrection. As Jesus watched their anger turn into hatred, and then into a plot to murder Him, He continued to witness how well His Father's plan was working. Jesus actually taught His disciples: "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28 KJV).

The Sanhedrin leaders thought the cross would silence Jesus forever; He would permanently be out of their hair. In their fondest imagination they did not foresee Jesus would walk out of His tomb!

Jesus, on the other hand, understood fully what His resurrection would achieve. His triumph would mortally humiliate death itself, wipe out its sting forever, and give eternal life to untold millions worldwide who repent and believe the gospel.

In the Battle for Japan in World War II, the atomic bomb was the Allies' top secret weapon, and it forced the Japanese warlords to surrender. With Jesus Christ, the surprise was His power of resurrection, accomplished and demonstrated in the love of the triune Godhead.

The plan Jesus came to fulfill worked perfectly!

When the Apostle John laid down His ancient stylus, he had recorded the ageless story that has convinced readers in every generation, among all ethnicities everywhere that Jesus is God's Son. He is the Redeemer of all who repent and believe the gospel.

John's book makes the same powerful case in the 21st century. It remains God's answer to establish the modern gods of this age are but idols of the mind. John does so by proving Jesus alone holds the status, the Son of God.

THINK ABOUT IT: Son of God indeed! Moses was right when he prophesied 3,500 years ago – we "must listen to him" (Deuteronomy 18:15; Matthew 17:5).

This volume is written in a commentary style with applicational inserts added throughout. The book fits into the theological discipline of apologetics: the effort to defend Christian faith by showing not only what we believe, but also defending why we should believe it.

Book one covers John 1:1 – 5:47. Book Two begins at John 6:1 and continues through John 12:11, and concludes John's account of Jesus' ministry leading up to Passion Week. Book Two is planned for release early in 2014.

The story of the last week of the Lord's earthly ministry (chapters 12-22) climaxes with Jesus' horrible crucifixion and triumphant resurrection and is yet to be written.