Ark of the Covenant - Bible History Online
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John 13

1 - Now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his time had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 - During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him,
3 - Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came from God, and was going to God,
4 - arose from supper, and laid aside his outer garments. He took a towel, and wrapped a towel around his waist.
5 - Then he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 - Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?"
7 - Jesus answered him,"You don't know what I am doing now, but you will understand later."
8 - Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet!"Jesus answered him,"If I don't wash you, you have no part with me."
9 - SimonPeter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!"
10 - Jesus said to him,"Someone who has bathed only needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you."
11 - For he knew him who would betray him, therefore he said,"You are not all clean."
12 - So when he had washed their feet, put his outer garment back on, and sat down again, he said to them,"Do you know what I have done to you?
13 - You call me, 'Teacher' and 'Lord.' You say so correctly, for so I am.
14 - If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 - For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.
16 - Most certainly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his lord, neither one who is sent greater than he who sent him.
17 - If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
18 - I don't speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen. But that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me.'Psalm 41:9
19 - From now on, I tell you before it happens, that when it happens, you may believe that I am he.
20 - Most certainly I tell you, he who receives whomever I send, receives me; and he who receives me, receives him who sent me."
21 - When Jesus had said this, he was troubled in spirit, and testified,"Most certainly I tell you that one of you will betray me."
22 - The disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom he spoke.
23 - One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was at the table, leaning against Jesus' breast.
24 - SimonPeter therefore beckoned to him, and said to him, "Tell us who it is of whom he speaks."
25 - He, leaning back, as he was, on Jesus' breast, asked him, "Lord, who is it?"
26 - Jesus therefore answered,"It is he to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it." So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
27 - After the piece of bread, then Satan entered into him.Then Jesus said to him,"What you do, do quickly."
28 - Now no man at the table knew why he said this to him.
29 - For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus said to him, "Buy what things we need for the feast," or that he should give something to the poor.
30 - Therefore having received that morsel, he went out immediately. It was night.
31 - When he had gone out, Jesus said,"Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.
32 - If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him immediately.
33 - Little children, I will be with you a little while longer. You will seek me, and as I said to the Jews, 'Where I am going, you can't come,' so now I tell you.
34 - A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another.
35 - By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
36 - SimonPeter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?"Jesus answered,"Where I am going, you can't follow now, but you will follow afterwards."
37 - Peter said to him, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."
38 - Jesus answered him,"Will you lay down your life for me? Most certainly I tell you, the rooster won't crow until you have denied me three times.
John Images and Notes

The Book of John

John 1:14 - And the Word was made 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 20:31 - But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

John in The New Testament - A Brief Overview

St. John the Evangelist by Guido Reni
Painting of St. John the Evangelist by Reni - 1620

Introduction to The Gospel of John

The Word Gospel. The fourth book of the New Testament is the Gospel of John. John is the fourth of the four gospel writings, yet there is only one gospel about Jesus Christ and there are four different writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The word "Gospel" means "good news", and the good news is about Jesus Christ dying on the cross and then 3 days later conquering death and rising from the dead, offering salvation to all mankind, this is the Gospel.

Summary of The Book of John

Brief Summary. Jesus was Jehovah God, the eternal Word made flesh. He came to His home, Israel, and He was rejected. He came to this world, and the world rejected Him, but anyone who  would believe and receive Him would have life through His name, and be given authority to call themselves a "son of god."

Purpose. John makes one thing clear in John 20:30, 31 - "these ( things) are written that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ; and that believing ye may have life in his name." John sought to lead men to eternal life by first convincing them of His deity, the miracles were actually recorded as "signs" to confirm His deity, that He was Jehovah God, the incarnate Word made flesh. John called Jesus the bread of life, the light of the world, the good shepherd, the way the truth and the life, the true vine, all clearly pointing to the deity of Jesus. In fact John points to everything in His life and teachings as a sign that Jesus of Nazareth was truly the Eternal Word of God who "became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth" (John 1: 14).

John Compared to the Other Gospel Accounts. The "Synoptic Gospels" - Matthew, Mark and Luke all have their unique perspective of the life of Jesus Christ, as well as John's approach. John is always emphasizing the deity of Jesus as well as His divine miracles. John also gives us a bit more information about Jesus' ministry in Jerusalem, where Matthew, Mark and Luke focus more on His Galilean ministry. There is also a difference regarding the chronology of the last week (Passion Week) of Christ's life. It is important to note that the Gospel accounts do not necessarily place their focus on chronology and orderly biography of the ministry of Jesus with names, places, and dates, but rather a full perspective of their unique portrayal of Jesus Christ.

Authorship. The author of the Gospel of John is identified in John 21:20 as "The disciple whom Jesus loved" who leaned on Jesus' breast. It is clear that John was that disciple and he did not wish to use his own name directly as the author, possibly for reasons of humility. Early church historical writings from early second century AD recognize the Gospel of John as a sacred book. Theophilus of Antioch (170 AD) was the first to write the name John as the author. Shortly after this Irenaeus identified John as the disciple who had leaned on Jesus' breast. This is especially important because Irenaeus was a disciple of Polycarp, who had known the man John personally. Clement of Alexandria mentions John as having composed a "spiritual gospel."

Critics of John as the Author. There is a statement that was made by Papias that there were actually two men named John in Ephesus at the same time, and John the Apostle was referred to as "John the Elder". Many opponents of the apostle John's authorship give credit to the other John as the writer of the fourth Gospel. Although the answer cannot be positively determined by history, tradition and internal evidence definitely point to John the apostle as the author.

Date. It is worthy to consider the words of the most famous archaeologist of all time that according to archaeological evidence there is "no longer any solid basis for dating any book of the New Testament after about A.D. 80." Most scholars conclude that the book of John was written around 85 or 90 AD probably before the exile to Patmos. It is also important to consider John 5:2 when it mentions "Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep [market] a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches." This verse would indicate that this existed at the current time that the Gospel of John was written. This would place the written work before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. There is also no evidence as to whether John wrote the Gospel before or after his return to Ephesus from the Island of Patmos.

The Man John. John's book attributes the work to "the disciple whom Jesus loved." This say a lot about the man John, and the fact that Jesus left his mother Mary in John's care, having spoken the words from the cross, is very significant. Another indicator of John's character is found in the book of 1 John, he continually talks about love, loving one another, and that God is love, etc. It is also safe to say that John was a Jew, this can be clearly seen by his accuracy about Jewish customs, Jewish way of thinking, and by his quotations from the Hebrew Old Testament. He knew the topography of the land of Israel from a Jewish perspective quite well. It is easy to see in his writings that he was a close disciple of Jesus, an eyewitness of the events surrounding Jesus' ministry. One can determine by process of elimination, that the author is not just any John but John the apostle, the son of Zebedee, who is prominently mentioned in the Gospel accounts.

John and Church History.  Church tradition records that John came to Ephesus after Paul's work was finished there. Later, during the reign of the Emperor Domitian, he was banished to the Island of Patmos where he wrote the book of Revelation. Shortly thereafter he was released and returned to the city of Ephesus.

Archaeology. The Rylands Papyrus Fragment was discovered in 1920 in Egypt containing a few verses from John 18 dating back to about 120-135 AD.

Outline of the Book of John

The Word of God - Chapter 1:1-51
His Public Ministry - Chapters 2:1-12:50
His Private Ministry - Chapters 13:1-17:26
His Death and Resurrection - Chapters 18:1-20:31
John's Conclusion - Chapter 21:1-25

Jesus written in Hebrew
The Name Jesus In Ancient Hebrew Text
"Yeshua" in First Century Hebrew Text. This is how the name "Jesus" would have been written in ancient Hebrew documents. The four letters or consonants from right to left are Yod, Shin, Vav, Ayin (Y, SH, OO, A). Jesus is the Greek name for the Hebrew name Joshua or Y'shua which means "The LORD or Yahweh is Salvation".

John Resources

Outline of the Life of Jesus in Harmony
Simple Map of First Century Israel
Topographical Map of First Century Israel
Map of the Ministry of Jesus
Map of the Roads in Ancient Israel
Map of the Roman Empire