Sermon Focus

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 John the son of Zebedee wrote this Gospel. He was a Palestinian Jew, one of the 12 disciples, and a member of Jesus’ inner apostolic circle. He was referred to as the disciple “whom Jesus loved” (13:23). John also wrote 1-3 John and Revelation.   The Gospel of John is the fourth of the New Testament's canonical Gospels.  It was written sometime after 70 A.D. and the destruction of Jerusalem, but prior to John's exile on the island of Patmos - around 85-90 A.D. The theme is that Jesus is the long-awaited, promised Messiah and Son of God.  It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "signs" and seven "I am" discourses culminating in Thomas's proclamation of the risen Jesus as "my Lord and my God". The gospel's concluding verses set out its purpose, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name."