INTRODUCTION

One of my dear, older brothers pushed me into the deep end of the public swimming pool on my first visit, when I was only five years old! I couldn’t touch the bottom no matter how hard I tried, so I had to learn how to swim, real fast. Likewise, we could never touch the bottom or plumb all the depths of this Gospel! A famous saying, attributed to the early church father, Augustine, goes like this: "Just as there are shallows where a lamb may wade, so there are depths in the Scripture where an elephant may swim." This quote, or a variation of it, is often used in regards to the book of John, such as, “It has been said that John’s Gospel is like a river in which a lamb may bathe and an elephant swim – it’s both shallow and deep at the same time.”

One of the greatest books of all time, if not the greatest ever, is The Gospel According to John, penned over nineteen hundred years ago by “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” (John 13:23, 19:26, 21:7) the one who knew the Lord perhaps better than any other human being ever has. John the Beloved, who leaned upon Jesus at the Last Supper, is the only Gospel writer who recorded many of our Lord's most important and famous sayings, such as...

God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life, (3:16) He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone, (8:7) and, In My Father’s house are many mansions. (14:2, NKJV)

In this last of the four canonized Gospel accounts to be written, John stated his very specific purpose: to produce faith in those who hear; to convince us that Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God so that through believing He is the One He claims to be, we will experience eternal life in heaven one day and an abundant life here on Earth, today.

These are written, so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name. (20:30-31)

I (Jesus) am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (10:10)

I’ve enjoyed handing out hundreds, perhaps thousands of printed Gospels of John in all shapes and sizes in outreaches in the New York City region for nearly thirty years now. Could there be anything better to put into the hands of our dear unsaved friends, co-workers and fellow citizens? Then the Lord impressed these thoughts upon my heart:

John’s Gospel is not just written for the unsaved,
so that they will become believers. But it’s also for the saved,
so that they will become believing believers who enjoy an abundant life!

I must acknowledge that in my own personal journey this abundant life we Christians are called to experience has been fleeting and inconsistent. Eventually, and with extreme excitement, I have become fully convinced that the Fourth Gospel is much more than a great resource to distribute at evangelistic outreaches; more even than merely faith-building snapshots of Jesus’ miraculous ministry and a supplement to the other three (synoptic) Gospels. It outlines the way (the truth and the life) into deeper faith and mature sonship through an intimate relationship with Father God, clearly written to teach both unbelievers and followers of Christ.

Look with me at one of John’s key passages:

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (8:31-32)

The truth has the power to set us free, and God’s Word is truth! (John 17:17) I’m glad that those who originally heard these words objected to Jesus’ statement about needing to be made free. This caused the Lord to explain even further:

They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (33-36)

When the Son makes us free, we’re not only freed from slavery to sin (which is totally awesome), but we’re also freed from slavery itself. If we sin, we’re slaves to that sin. And if we’re slaves, we do not remain in the family (the house) forever, any more than a household maid would feel entitled to the same lifelong treatment the children in the family receive. Jesus makes us free by making us sons. We’re not only delivered from slavery to sin, but we also need to be freed from the bondage of a slavery mentality. To become free indeed we first become born-again children of God who are delivered from sin’s power and enslavement, and then we walk out that salvation as we mature in our relationship with Father God as His beloved sons and daughters. Just as the Lord brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, He now desires to bring us both out of slavery and into mature sonship. It’s worth repeating: Jesus makes us free by making us sons! Paul wrote,

When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, Abba, Father! Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ...Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. (Galatians 4:4-7, 5:1)

So how do we relate to Father God the way Jesus did, as a devoted son and not just as a servant of the Lord? By faith! By faith we are saved, and it’s by faith we grow in Christ.

This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? (Galatians 3:2-3, NKJV)

And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises... (Hebrews 11:32-33, NKJV)

The Gospel of John was written to produce kingdom-subduing, righteousness-working, promise-obtaining faith. As we grow in our faith in both who He is, and who we now are in Him, we see the maturing process take place in our lives as we go from spiritual babes to men, and from slaves to sons (and daughters). This process can be summarizes in three words: beholding, believing, and becoming:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:12, NKJV) While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” (John 12:36, NKJV)

Beholding Jesus, the majestic Son of God transforms us into mature sons and daughters of the Most High, causing us to reflect Christ's image and likeness to our darkened world; an amazing re-creation of mankind, one heart and one step at a time. John stated in his first epistle:

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.(1 John 3:1-3)

As I’ve pastored newborn believers here in the Big Apple, it’s been refreshing to hear some of their blunt, non-religious questions, such as: “How in the world do we behold a God who is invisible to us?” Great question. We could try picturing Him as we would imagine God to be (not a good idea!), or we can study the Scriptures. Beholding the portraits of Jesus that John drew with his inspired pen is one of the surest and best ways of beholding this invisible God, especially when the Holy Spirit breathes upon the Word. When we both examine Scriptures and allow them to examine us, that's when real and lasting transformation takes place.

Whenever we approach the Word of God, our motives are of utmost importance. Do we want to merely learn more, or do we want to change and become more Christlike? Why do we want to study God’s word? For merely obtaining more Biblical information, or for real transformation? Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. (1 Corinthians 8:1b)

He also wrote (to these same Corinthian believers) about the heart-transforming power of our spiritual vision:

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:8)

This process of beholding an image and being transformed into the very thing we are looking at is remarkably similar to the way a camera works; at least the old-fashioned kind. The camera is pointed toward an object, the shutter opens up and light comes in and hits the sensitive camera film. The film has chemicals that respond to various degrees of color, and a picture is therefore imprinted into the film; an image of what the camera is beholding.

To grasp this panoramic book with eternal depths to it, I’d like to elaborate on its three main themes of beholding, believing and becoming in even more concrete terms:

(1) the courtroom,
(2) the stairway, and
(3) the place of mature sonship.

The Courtroom

As noted in the preface, the way Christ frees us from a slavery mentality can be summed up in three words: beholding, believing and becoming. In the courtroom we behold the Eternal Son through a multitude of witnesses. As our faith grows, we climb the stairway of believing and come into a realm where we are truly becoming mature sons (and daughters) of God.

I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:18)

John wrote from beginning to end as though he were in a courtroom where a parade of witnesses share their testimonies with the goal of convincing a jury of the validity of what they saw and knew to be true. A partial list of the thirty witnesses who are presented here include John the Beloved, John the Baptist, Jesus’ disciples, Jesus Himself and most importantly, Father God. The Father’s testimony takes up the bulk of the book as He, in cooperation with and through His Son Jesus, performs seven signs outlined from chapter two to eleven. These events aren’t just works of power to wonder at, but they are distinctly called signs, which point to something beyond themselves and in this case, something even greater than the actual occurrences. They point to who Jesus is, revealing the heart and character of the One sent by the Father to be the Savior of the world. They also point to who we now are in Him.

Of eternal significance is the fact that you and I, dear reader, are the jury in this courtroom, a jury upon whom our individual judgments fall upon our own heads! When verdicts of faith are made in our hearts regarding who this Jesus really is, we find ourselves proportionately climbing a stairway of faith into the opened heavens where our Prodigal Father God is waiting to greet us with a big hug, a signet ring, a robe of righteousness, a fatted calf and countless other blessings and surprises!

The courtroom theme flows from the opening prologue to the last chapter. For instance, John the Baptist’s primary task, as stated in the opening verses, is to be a witness of who Christ is so that others will believe in Him.

There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. (John 1:6-8)

As an eyewitness who stood beneath the cross, John later wrote,

The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. (19:35)

Writing about the validity of his courtroom testimony towards the end of his Gospel, John stated,

This is the disciple which testifies of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. (21:24)

Primarily it is the Father who testifies about His Son, speaking to those who have ears to hear through Jesus’ seven, miraculous signs.

The works which the Father has given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father has sent me. (5:36)

John’s continual use of words such as testimony, witnesses, and bearing witness is unmistakable. All of these words were and are courtroom terms. In Biblical times, courtroom identification was done through the testimony of witnesses. A good example of this is the man born blind that Jesus healed in John, Chapter 9:

But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? (9:19)

There’s a lot of progression in this amazing courtroom drama. As the trial continues, the witnesses and testimonies become more convincing and the prosecutors and their rejection become more hostile. Jesus then dies and rises again, proving once again that His testimony is true and reliable. He does what He says He will do, and He is who He says he is.

Jesus Christ our Lord, was...declared to be the Son of God with power...by the resurrection from the dead. (Romans 1:3-4)

Jesus is still on trial within the hearts of every individual who walks the face of Planet Earth, and if we do not believe that He is who He says He is, we will tragically and unnecessarily die in our sins:

If you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins. (John 8:34)

Also, if we as believers desire to live in the Lord’s abundance, joy and steadfast love and genuinely accomplish the works of God through our lives, we must continue to grow in our belief in both who this Jesus Christ really is, and who we now are in Him: highly favored sons and daughters of the Most High God!

Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (6:28-29)

The Stairway

As John the Baptist bore witness of Christ, he convinced some of his disciples that they needed to leave him and follow Jesus. What a great man he was! One of his disciples named Andrew went and got his brother, Simon. Soon afterwards, Philip did the same thing, bringing his brother Nathaniel who, apparently had been praying under a fig tree. His encounter with Christ is a crucial and pivotal part of John’s Gospel. Jesus saw him and declared, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” When Nathaniel ask how Jesus knew him, the Lord replied,

I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you. Then Nathaniel declared, Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel. Jesus said, You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that. He then added, I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. (1:49-51)

It didn’t take much for guileless Nathaniel to believe. He knew that Jesus was the Son of God and the King of Israel just through Jesus saying he saw him under the fig tree. Jesus then assured him that he would see the fulfillment of Jacob’s ladder. Only this time the ladder is Christ, and through Him we too can ascend into heavenly places! This promise is not only for Nathaniel, but for all who have no guile, no falsehood or deceit, through being washed in the blood of the Lamb and walking in faith and fellowship with Christ. Nathaniel would see miracle after miracle, all pointing to who Christ is; all building his faith so he could walk up the stairway of faith into heavenly places in Christ and into maturity as an beloved son of God.

This episode with Nathaniel is the continuation of the theme throughout John that Jesus is now the tabernacle, the temple, and the place to worship the Father. Jacob called the place of divine encounter, “Bethel” the House of God, the very gateway to heaven, which was a shadow of better things to come in Christ.The very next passage is the miracle at the wedding feast where Jesus performs the first of the seven signs.

This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. (2:11)

After performing this miraculous sign of turning water into the best wine, John wrote that the disciples believed in Him. Didn’t they believe in Him earlier? Yes, but after watching Him turn plain water into extraordinary wine, they believed to a greater degree. Wouldn't you? The progression of the levels of faith in the various characters in this gospel is unmistakable. After recording the healing of the Nobleman’s son, John stayed focused on his mission and wrote, “This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.” Then through chapter eleven we find five other distinct signs.

These seven signs, the bulk of John’s Gospel are:

1. Turning water into wine (2:1-11)
2. Healing the nobleman’s dying son (4:46-54)
3. Healing the lame man (5:1-15)
4. Feeding the multitude (6:1-14)
5. Walking on the water (6:15-21)
6. Healing a man who was born blind (9:1-41) and
7. Raising Lazarus from death (11:1-54)

Notice the action verbs listed: turning, healing, feeding, walking, raising. These signs show us who Jesus was, who He still is, and thus, who He is within our hearts and lives, today. Jesus is (1) the Nature Changer, (2) the Healer, (3) the merciful Restorer, (4) the Bread of Life, (5) the Sovereign Lord, (6) the Light of the World, and (7) the Resurrection and the Life.

It’s important to point out again that these seven miraculous signs also describe who we now are in Christ. In John’s Gospel, as Jesus periodically takes the witness stand on His own behalf, we find His seven “I Am” statements:

I am the Bread of life. x4 (6:35, 41, 48, 51)
I am the Light of the world. (8:12)
Before Abraham was, I am. (8:58)
I am the Door of the sheep. (10:7, 9)
I am the Good Shepherd. x 2 (10:11, 14)
I am the Resurrection and the Life. (11:25)
I am the Way, the Truth, the Life. (14:6)
I am the true Vine. x 2 (15:1, 5)

Just as Jesus made a seven-fold declaration of who He is through these “I am” statements, my hope is that by the time you are finished studying John with me that you too can make a seven-fold declaration of who you now are in Christ.

In Christ, I am...
a beloved and highly favored child of God,
an energized son,
an enabled son,
a well-cared-for son,
a dependent and focused son,
an enlightened son,
and an anointed son.

This seven-fold declaration corresponds with the seven signs that reveal Christ’s glory:

The Sign-Miracle.....Showing that Jesus is.....In Him, I now am:

1. Turning Water.....the Nature Changer........a beloved child of God,
into Wine

2. Healing the.......the Healing Word..........an energized son,
Nobleman’s Dying Son

3. Healing the.......the Merciful Restorer.....an enabled son,
lame man

4. Feeding the.......the Bread of Life we......a dependent,focused son,
multitude live by and for

5. Walking on........the Lord of all...........a well-cared-for son,
the water

6. Healing a man.....the Light of the World....an enlightened son,
who was born blind

7. Raising Lazarus...the Resurrection..........and an anointed son.
from death

The Place of Mature Sonship

In John, Chapter fourteen, verse two, the King James Version translators wrote down these now famous words of Christ,

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.

It seemed strange to me when I first read this passage as a teenager that Jesus, the Carpenter would build mansions within His Father’s house. You don’t usually build houses within houses, unless (like with Manhattan’s lack of space) you build houses on top of other houses! I’d be happy to live on the streets of gold in heaven, but hey, if Jesus wants to build me a mansion, I can’t wait to see it. I hope it has a swimming pool in the backyard and a second floor balcony!

As I began regularly attending church as a teenager, I noticed that many of the songs emphasized the fact that I’ve now got a mansion in glory awaiting my arrival! Halleluiah! If you were taught that the King James translators were infallible, it might be hard to accept that there’s not a single updated translation that uses the word mansion to translate this passage from the Greek. The NIV says, “In my Father's house are many rooms.” The NASB states, “In My Father's house are many dwelling places.”

Not only is Jesus not speaking about mansions in John, Chapter 14, neither is He only referring to heaven. He’s speaking about a glorious place of intimacy He has prepared for us with the Father that we are to receive, experience and enjoy now as His beloved sons and daughters; and for all eternity, as well.

These dwelling places of glory that have been given to Jesus' followers is the major theme of the book of John from the end of the signs to its conclusion. They can be likened to twelve different rooms in our Father’s house (household, family or heart) that we can now enter in and dwell therein! Found in what is commonly called the Olivet Discourse (chapters fourteen through seventeen), they are (listed in the order that John mentions them) the places of....

1. Answered prayer,
2. Intimate communion with the Holy Spirit,
3. Divine revelations of Christ,
4. Experiencing continually the peace of God,
5. Glorifying God through a fruitful life,
6. Abiding in God’s love,
7. Complete joy,
8. Intimate friendship with Jesus,
9. Protection and victory in the midst of persecution,
10. Being a witness for Christ,
11. Intimate interaction with the Father, and
12. Glory!

It’s in these rooms with Jesus that our declarations of who we are in Him become a living reality as we learn to abide in Christ, in His love, His Word, His promises, His provision, His standing with the Father, His peace and His joy. In this study I have listed these dwelling places in three groupings instead of in the chronological order in which they are mentioned in the text.

This study concludes with comments regarding the contents of Chapters 18-21: Jesus’ arrest and trial with Pontus Pilate, His death, burial and resurrection, and the restoration of Peter. Peter’s restoration and recommissioning was so important that the entire last chapter of John’s Gospel is devoted primarily to it. God is still just as interested and involved in the lives of individuals, such as myself and you, dear reader.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I would like to end this introduction with a pictorial overview of John’s COURTROOM, STAIRWAY and PLACE OF SONSHIP. Picture this scene with me as you read.

* * * * * * * * * *

Sitting in a comfortable, leather chair in a large, airy courtroom as one of the members of the jury, my attentive eyes focused on the witness on the stand as he fervently and forcefully gave testimony to what he had heard with his ears and seen with his very own eyes. The sunlight beaming down from tall windows across the courtroom seemed to illuminate his face. I said to myself, “I believe him. I know in my heart he’s telling the truth.” Right at that moment a six-foot-long, one-foot tall step appeared out of no where into the middle of this room. Everyone else seemed to be oblivious to it, but it fascinated me.

Before I could wonder too long about what that step was all about and how it got there, the next witness was on the stand, also passionately testifying. As soon as I made up my mind that his testimony was also true, a second step appeared next to and slightly above the first one. Where did those steps come from and how are they staying up like that, just hanging in the air...and where do they go? During the testimony of the next few witnesses, more steps appeared.

The loud sound of a gavel tapping a wooden desk marked the conclusion of the session as the Judge announced, “We will now recess for thirty minutes.” Everyone around me stood up and most of them quickly made their way out the room, perhaps to find a water fountain or a restroom. I gingerly walked over to the amazing stairs that seemed to go no where. But when I looked up towards the ceiling, I discovered a previously overlooked door, which was open! A mysterious light was shining down from the entrance, beckoning me to come. I just knew that as I would begin walking up, the rest of the stairs would appear as I needed them; which they did.

I crossed the threshold and entered a huge auditorium where countless people were in the middle of a lively worship service. Men and women, boys and girls from all nationalities and walks of life were singing and clapping their hands and having a wonderful time. It was glorious to behold! I looked towards the front to see who was leading the awesome singing and instead, I saw the unmistakable object of their worship. God the Father was seated upon His awesome throne and Jesus Christ was sitting right next to Him! There was a visible, tangible glow of sparkling light that swirled around and through and between the Father and Son, unlike anything I had ever seen before.

I moved a little closer, hoping to fully participate in this heavenly meeting I was so privileged to step into. Suddenly, the music and singing and laughing lowered to a quiet, gentle hum. I then heard the majestic, powerful, loving voice of Father saying, “My son!” I looked up to watch this dialogue of love between the Father and Jesus, and...to my amazement, the Father was looking right at me! “My son!” He proudly and energetically said again. I looked all around, wondering if Jesus had stepped down and snuck up behind me. No, He was still sitting next to the Father, who was still staring right at me! I sheepishly pointed up to my chest, and asked, “Me?”

“Yes!” the Father replied. “My son...come and sit up here with Us.” I obeyed, although I felt unworthy and out of place. As I got closer, Jesus made room for me at His right hand while He remained at His Father’s right side. As I sat down and looked up into Jesus' and Father’s waiting, joyful eyes, the swirling glory light of the Holy Spirit that was enveloping the Father and Son wrapped around me, as well. I felt completely accepted, totally loved, totally at home and blessed.

Jesus exclaimed to me with indescribable joy, “The glory and love and unity and relationship and standing and everything I have with the Father...I freely give to you!” His words were with power and full of life and I believed them. I felt them. I received them.

I leaned over and, closing my eyes, I rested my head on the Lord’s shoulder. I could hear and feel His beating heart. I could feel the love in His heart for me, for His beloved church, and for lost humanity. As I sat in that comfortable, Throne Room chair, I wished I could always stay in that place of blessedness. Resting in the deep grace and love of God, I lost track of time until I heard the distinct sound of the gavel tapping on the desk, far below. I instinctively knew I needed to return. I quietly got up, walked across the auditorium, and closed the door behind me on the way down so the worship service wouldn’t disrupt the court proceedings below. I noticed there was a sign on the door as I gently closed it. It didn’t say, as I thought it would, “You are now entering heaven,” but simply, “In Christ.”

As I tiptoed my way to my assigned seat I noticed the Lord Jesus must have come down with me because He was on the witness stand, seriously addressing the men and women, boys and girls of the jury. He said, “The verdicts that you decide upon regarding the statements made in this courtroom by those who bear witness of who I am will determine two things: your eternal destiny and the depth of your relationship with Me. If you do not believe that I am Whom I claim to be, you will tragically and unnecessarily die in your sins.” I saw tears flowing down his face as he spoke those words.

“And for those of you who are already believers,” addressing the section of the jury pool I was sitting in, “if you do not believe who you now are in Me, although you will go to heaven, on your way there you will tragically and unnecessarily live like slaves instead of the sons and daughters whom I have made you to be.”

This is John’s Gospel message in a nutshell.