Between the years 85-90 A.D., the Apostle John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, recorded for us the details of Jesus' life and purpose. He made his motives for doing so clear to us "these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that in believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31).
The Gospel of John is the 4th Gospel in the New Testament. The previous 3 Gospels are referred to as the "Synoptic Gospels". Synoptic literally means "together sight", so the Synoptic Gospels mean they see a common view of Jesus' life together. Much of the content in Mark's recording can be found in Matthew's, and all the parables Jesus told are included in the Synoptics, but John leaves them out along with many other events in Jesus' life.
Because John's Gospel was the last to be written it follows a different, but complementary, format. John's goal was to show us who Jesus is, not just what He did. John does this by recounting 7 signs Jesus performed (6 were not mentioned in the Synoptics). And John alone includes Jesus' "I Am" statements so we can hear what Jesus said about Himself.
Because of John's use of both simplicity and depth, his book has been called "a pool in which a child may wade and in which an elephant can swim."
Reading the Bible is different than reading any other book. It is more than a narrative about God, it is more than a story of broken individuals and the trials they faced. It is more than a set of rules and regulations. It is even more than a love letter. It is the very essence of Jesus. It is about Him, but there is more than that. It is God's conversation with us. It is alive. It is active. It is a 2-way conversation.
When we need wisdom, insight, guidance, how do we hear what God is saying to us? God has given us the Bible. It's a powerful and intimate way to listen to Him and it is the primary way God tells us about Himself.
