"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:31).
Today we embark on an exciting study of the book of John. Basing our studies on William Hendriksen’s commentary, we will explore the many rich doctrines contained in this unique gospel. This gospel has confounded unbelieving scholars but has blessed the church because of its focus on the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Hendriksen observes in his introduction that the book of John is the most amazing book ever written. He comments that our attitude when reading it should be one of deep reverence: “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. As you immerse yourself in the deep waters of this book, you are entering, as it were, holy ground where the testimony of true faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God has received glorious confirmation. This confirmation is the purpose of the book, which is stated in 20:31: ‘that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.’ ”
Many scholars have tried to prove that John the apostle was not the true author of this gospel. But while the book does not give explicit reference to John as its author, no other explanation is satisfactory. Defending John’s authorship is beyond the scope of this study, but we would refer you to Hendriksen’s commentary itself, where he gives thorough treatment of the controversy in his introduction. There he supports with overwhelming evidence that the disciple “whom Jesus loved” (13:23) was indeed John.
But let’s assume for the sake of conversation that John didn’t write the book (a false assumption, as we have said). No matter, Hendriksen says:
“The fact remains that the writer was an eyewitness who, according to the story recorded in John 21, had seen the risen Lord and who proclaims to the church of all the ages that Jesus is what He claimed to be: God in the highest sense of the term (1:1–18) and that by the very first followers of Jesus was immediately recognized as the Messiah, the Son of God.… Jesus is in reality what He Himself claimed and what these men proclaimed Him to be: the Messiah, the Son of God, the object of worship. Accept His and their testimony as the truth, and the problems begin to disappear!”
Take some time today to skim through the book of John, noting the chapter titles and divisions of the book. If you have a good study Bible (I prefer the MacArthur Study Bible) read the introductory notes on this book. After you have finished your survey, pray that God will prepare your heart for this year’s study of John’s Gospel.
