John Fact #1: All things were made through him:
All things were made through him. John begins his Gospel in the same way that Genesis begins: with creation (1:1–5; Gen. 1:1). He reveals that Jesus, God’s Son, existed eternally with God the Father, and the whole creation was made through him (Col. 1:15–16; compare 1 Cor. 8:6).
John Fact #2: Finding their true master:
Finding their true master. John reports that two of Jesus’ disciples had previously followed John the Baptist (1:35–40). One of them was Andrew; the other was probably John himself. They believed John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus, and became his disciples instead.
John Fact #3: The master of the feast:
The master of the feast (2:9) had an important job. He was both the head server and master of ceremonies. His primary responsibility was making sure that the guests had enough to eat and drink. If he did a good job, he might be awarded a wreath at the end of the festivities.
John Fact #4: Born-again Christian:
The phrase born-again Christian originally comes from 3:1–8. Jesus uses the image of a second birth to explain what happens to believers at conversion. The Holy Spirit cleanses them from sin and makes them new in Christ.
John Fact #5: The Samaritans:
The Samaritans. When Israel fell to Assyria in 722 B.C., many of the people were taken into exile but others remained in the land. Assyria brought people from other nations to repopulate Israel, and many of the remaining Israelites intermarried with these Gentiles. In NT times, their descendants were despised, but Jesus brought them the good news of salvation (4:1–30).
John Fact #6: Jesus and God:
Jesus and God. In 5:17–29, Jesus claims to be equal with God (vv. 17–19). He claims to have the ability to give life (v. 21) and to judge (v. 22), and the right to be worshiped (v. 23). His opponents denied these claims, but believers recognize them to be true.
John Fact #7: The feeding of the 5,000:
Each of the four Gospels records the feeding of the 5,000. In John, this is Jesus’ fourth sign showing that he is the Son of God (6:1–15). Just as God provided manna for Israel, Jesus provided food (see Numbers 11). Jesus wanted people to see that he is the bread of life (John 6:35).
John Fact #8: The Dispersion:
The Dispersion (7:35) referred to Jewish people scattered throughout the world. Many Jews were exiled from their homeland in 722 and 586 B.C. Those taken to Babylon in 586 were later allowed to return home, but many stayed in Babylon and others moved west into Greece. After the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, many Jews were sold into slavery and further scattered abroad.
John Fact #9: So that you may believe:
John wrote his Gospel “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20:30). In 8:24, Jesus tells his listeners that faith in him is the only way to find life (see 3:15–16; 11:25).
John Fact #10: Does sin cause illness?:
Does sin cause illness? Many people in Bible times assumed that if a person suffered, it was because that person had sinned (9:2). There are consequences for sin, but suffering is not always directly caused by a person’s sin. But God can use suffering to show his power and mercy (9:3).
John Fact #11: The Feast of Dedication:
The Feast of Dedication (10:22) commemorated the rededication of the temple in 164 B.C. after Antiochus IV Epiphanes made it unholy. Today, this feast is called Hanukkah.
John Fact #12: Burial garments:
Burial garments (11:44) were made of expensive Egyptian white linen. The face was bound with a scarf. The rest of the body was laid on a sheet of linen wide enough to wrap around the body and long enough to fold over the head and down to the feet.
John Fact #13: Greeks:
The Greeks who came to see Jesus (12:20–21) were not necessarily from Greece. The term could refer to any Gentile in the Greek-speaking world. Like other Greek people such as the centurion in Luke 7:5 or Cornelius in Acts 10, they were attracted to the teachings of the Jewish Scriptures. Now, they wanted to hear more from this man who claimed to be the Messiah.
John Fact #14: Wash the feet:
In NT times, it was common for a host’s servant to wash the feet of guests (see Luke 7:44). But in John 13:1–20, Jesus himself performs this task for his disciples, setting an example of humility and service for believers to follow.
John Fact #15: The Holy Spirit:
Jesus promises his disciples that the Holy Spirit will live within them, to teach them and remind them what Jesus has said (14:16–17, 26; see also 16:5–15). The Holy Spirit is also called the “Helper,” which can mean “Advocate” or “Counselor.”
John Fact #16: The Farewell Discourse:
In 13:31–16:33, Jesus prepares his disciples for his departure from them. This is often called the Farewell Discourse. Jesus shows his disciples that his death and resurrection will bring them blessing.
John Fact #17: Praying in Jesus’ name:
Praying in Jesus’ name (16:23; compare 14:13) is not about whether or not the prayer ends with the exact words “in Jesus’ name.” It means acknowledging that Jesus is our advocate or mediator before God the Father (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1).
John Fact #18: Jesus’ final prayer:
Jesus’ final prayer. In 17:1–26, Jesus prays for himself (vv. 1–5) and for his disciples (vv. 6–19). He also prays for people in the future who will believe in Jesus because of the disciples’ words (vv. 20–26). He asks God for unity and love among them all.
John Fact #19: High priests:
The Jews believed that high priests were appointed for life, but the Roman authorities replaced them often. Perhaps this is why the Jewish officers consulted Annas, who had been high priest from A.D. 5–15, before consulting his son-in-law Caiaphas, who held the office at that time (18:12–24).
John Fact #20: Excruciating and crucify:
The English word excruciating is related to the word crucify. It should remind all English-speaking believers of the intense pain Jesus bore on the cross to accomplish their salvation.
John Fact #21: The inscription on Jesus’ cross:
The inscription on Jesus’ cross stated that he was “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Some of the onlookers urged Pilate to change it to read, “This man said, I am king of the Jews.” But Pilate let the sign remain as it was. Ironically, then, Pilate proclaimed the truth, for Jesus truly is the King of all who believe in him (19:19–22).
John Fact #22: Why John believed:
Why John believed. Upon seeing the empty tomb, Mary Magdalene thought someone had stolen Jesus’ body. If someone had done this, however, they probably would have taken everything of value in the tomb, including the expensive burial linens. Instead, the linens were neatly placed on the bench. When “the other disciple” saw this, he was convinced that Jesus had truly risen from the dead (20:1–8).
John Fact #23: “Stretch out your hands”:
“Stretch out your hands” (21:18–19) refers to the way in which people were crucified. The victim’s hands were bound to the horizontal bar of the cross. Jesus predicted that Peter would die in the same horrific way that his Lord and Savior had died.
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