UNROLL
A single line of bare footprints in wet sand along the shore of the Sea of Galilee as the first light of dawn breaks over the water.

The Gospel According to

John Intro

The Word who made the world stepped into it, so that you could know Him.

Before chapter 1≈ 2 min21 chapters

Images are artistic interpretations.

In 30 seconds

Before anything was made, the Word was there.

Then the Word became a man.

Water into wine. The blind see. The dead walk out.

One long last night with His friends.

A cross, an empty tomb, breakfast by the sea.

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

Who wrote it

The disciple whom Jesus loved

An eyewitness, by early tradition John son of Zebedee

  • The book names its writer only as “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” who saw these things.John 21:20–24
  • Irenaeus says John, the disciple who leaned on Jesus at supper, wrote it in Ephesus.Irenaeus, c. AD 180
  • Papias also mentions a John the Elder. Whether he was a second John is still debated.Papias, c. AD 110
  • Often dated about AD 85–95, perhaps earlier, for churches across the Greek-speaking world.Many scholars

How it’s built

Signs, then the hour

The Wordprologue, 1:1–18Seven signschapters 1–12The upperroomchapters 13–17The crosschapters 18–19The empty tombchapters 20–21

Whiteboard

The signs point ahead to Jesus’ ‘hour’: the cross, where His glory shines brightest.

Big themes

Seven threads to follow

Where it happens

Sea of GalileeCanaCapernaumJerusalemSychar

Stylised map · locations approximate

Where it happened

Galilee, Samaria, Jerusalem

Up to Jerusalem for the feasts and back to Galilee, once by the road through Samaria.

Meet the cast

Eight people to know

Watch for

But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.

John 20:31

Start reading

Question

Quick question

John tells only a handful of Jesus’ miracles, and he chose each one with care.

Where did Jesus perform the first of His signs?

or swipe left