Gospel Of John

Essay by KaDawnHigh School, 11th gradeA+, April 2002

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The book of John portrays the life of Jesus Christ through the eyes of John the Disciple. As I finished reading the gospel again, I felt that Jesus was clearer to me, unlike my feelings in reading Matthew and Mark. That could possibly be because I have gained Bible knowledge of who the historical Jesus was by taking this Bible class. However, I believe John writes about Jesus and Christians in a way that everyday Christians practice today. I see verses more familiar to me (John 1:1, John 3:16, John 8:12, John 14:6), and I see the symbolism I am used to. Most importantly though, I see the teachings and sayings of Jesus Christ, where those words are less frequent in the earlier gospels. The Jesus in the Gospel of John is the one I am used to, giving a point of view that is my favorite of all the gospels.

Part of the symbolism in this book starts in John 1:29 when Jesus is referred to as the "Lamb of God." During this time period, lambs were used as sacrifices to atone the sins of God's people (Exodus Chapter 12, Numbers chapter 7). Usually, the people slayed a lamb as this sacrifice and poured it's blood over the alter. In Chapter 1, John is foreshadowing the ending of Jesus' life here on earth, as He becomes the final sacrifice, or "lamb", for our sins.

Chapter 10 is another example of symbolism, as Jesus speaks of the shepherd and His flock. Today, sheep are considered furry, cute animals associated with small children. In Jesus' time, people saw sheep as symbols of wealth. A shepherd often risked his life to protect the sheep under his care. In verse 11, Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd," meaning that each and...