"And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God" (John 1:34).
The gospel of John may have been written around A. D. 90 near the end of John’s life. From the varied explanations given on Jewish customs in the book, we can assume that the writer was a Jew who was familiar with the traditions of Israel, well-instructed in the Old Testament Scriptures, and knowledgeable of the layout of Palestine, where John had been raised.
Most scholars believe John wrote this gospel while he resided in Ephesus. Christians there were constantly challenged by both Jews and pagans. John probably debated regularly with Hellenistic philosophers who denied the deity of Christ. The book was written for Gentiles, who needed the explanations John gives concerning Jewish traditions. They would have also come in contact with pagan philosophers in Ephesus who wanted to undermine their faith by challenging the doctrine of Jesus as God and Messiah. Just a cursory reading of John reveals his central focus on Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
Many scholars believe that John was writing to refute the errors of a heretic named Cerinthus, who denied the divinity of Christ. Cerinthus taught that Jesus was merely human, the son of Joseph and Mary by natural generation; that He was just and wise but not the Son of God; that the Holy Spirit had descended upon Him at His baptism but left Him on the eve of His suffering, so that it was not Christ who suffered, died and rose again, but it was Jesus.
John’s emphasis on the divinity of Christ can be seen from the events he chose to include. John was clearly uninterested in giving a thorough account of Jesus’ life, for he left that to the other gospels (of which he was likely familiar). Instead, he focused on one purpose—to testify to Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
Many of the accounts John recorded emphasize Jesus’ authority: the wedding at Cana, His conversations with Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman, the healing of the man at Bethesda, the discourse about the living water, and the raising of Lazarus. Do not be distracted by the lack of biographical order in this book. A biography was not John’s purpose. He wanted to exalt Jesus Christ as our sovereign God and Savior who is the only way to eternal life.
Why do people work so hard at denying the deity of Christ? if someone could prove that Christ was not God, what would that do to Christianity? Obviously, Christ’s divinity and authority as Messiah are central. Pray that God will establish you in your faith and deepen your understanding of Him as you study John.
