Although the authorship is anonymous, the traditional position of the early Church Fathers, such as Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, and Hippolytus, ascribed the Fourth Gospel to John, the youngest of the twelve apostles. In recent years the theory that it was written by an obscure elder at Ephesus, also named John, has been embraced and propagated by some liberal scholars. This view is based upon a statement by Papias as quoted by Eusebius:

The double mention of John has caused some to believe that there were two Johns: John the apostle and John the Ephesian elder. However, in both references in the quotation, John is designated as a presbyter or an elder, a title he used in his second and third Epistles. There is no justifiable reason to conclude that Papias was referring to two different people. In fact, the double reference to John and the difference in verb tenses ("had said" vs. "were saying") within the quotation may suggest that John was still alive at the time Papias wrote.

The internal content of the book supports Johannine authorship. First of all, the author must have been a Jew. He understood and quoted from the Old Testament (12:40; 13:18; 19:37). His knowledge of the various Jewish religious feasts seemed to be very natural (2:23; 5:1; 6:4; 7:2; 10:22; 13:1). He was aware of the minute details within the Jewish customs: wedding feasts (2:1–10), ceremonial purification (3:25; 11:55), and manner of burial (11:38, 44; 19:40). He was acquainted with the Jewish expectation of the coming Messiah (1:19–28) and perceived the religious differences between the Jew and the Samaritan (4:9, 20). Second, he must have been a resident of Palestine because of his graphic geographical descriptions. His familiarity with Jerusalem and its surrounding area can be seen in his awareness that the pool of Bethesda had five porches (5:2), that Bethany was only fifteen furlongs away from Jerusalem (11:18), that Ephraim was near the wilderness (11:54), that the Garden of Gethsemane was on the other side of the brook Cedron (18:1), and that there was a paved area outside of the Praetorium (19:13). He was also acquainted with the region of Samaria because he located Jacob’s well in Sychar (4:5–6), knew that the well was deep (4:11), and understood about the sacred mountain of Samaritan worship (4:20–21). His knowledge of Galilee can be seen in his descriptions of the cities in that area (1:44, 46; 2:1) and of the terrain (2:12). Third, the author clearly implies that he was an eyewitness of many of the events in Christ’s earthly ministry. He had beheld His glory (1:14) which would include at least both the Transfiguration and the performance of miracles (2:11). He was at the Crucifixion where he observed that Christ’s side was pierced and that His legs were not broken (19:33–35). He knew the number and size of the waterpots used in the creation of wine (2:6), the approximate value of the anointing perfume (12:5), the distance from shore of the apostles’ boat (21:8), and the exact number of fish caught (21:11). Fourth, the author apparently identified himself as the disciple "whom Jesus loved," an expression used five times (13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20), and as the other disciple (18:15–16; 20:2; 21:2). He claimed to be the disciple about whom a rumor was spread that he would not die before Christ’s return (21:20–25). Since the name of John is conspicuously absent in the book although he was one of the major apostles, it would seem very plausible to regard him as the anonymous disciple and author of this Gospel. In addition, the style and vocabulary of the three Johannine Epistles bear a striking resemblance to this book. His emphasis upon love is so noticeable that John has been characterized as the "Apostle of Love."

What can be learned about the life of John from the Scriptures? John’s name is mentioned almost twice as many times as those of the other three Gospel biographers combined: Matthew, eight times; Mark, eight times; Luke, three times; and John, thirty-five times. Along with James, an elder brother who was also an apostle, he was the son of Zebedee and Salome. Little is known about Zebedee except that he must have been a successful fisherman of Galilee because he employed hired servants in addition to the service of the two sons (Mark 1:19–20). Salome possibly was a sister or cousin to Mary, the mother of Jesus (Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40; John 19:25). She was one of the women who assisted Jesus and the apostolic group financially (Matt. 27:55–56; Mark 15:40–41; Luke 8:3) and who observed the activities of the Crucifixion. John’s family must have been one of means and influence since he was known personally by the high priest (18:15) and because he owned his own house (19:27).

John’s own book reveals that he was a disciple of John the Baptist by whom he was personally introduced to Christ (1:35–40). John then followed Jesus on His first tour of Galilee (1:43). He attended the wedding feast in Cana where Jesus turned water into wine (2:1–2), accompanied Him to Capernaum and back to Jerusalem (2:12–13), traveled with Christ to Galilee through Samaria (4:4), and apparently returned to his occupation of fishing. Shortly after, Christ recruited him as a disciple and commissioned him to be one of the twelve apostles (Matt. 4:21–22; Mark 3:13–19). In the apostolic lists he always appears in the first group of four, along with Peter, Andrew, and his brother James (Matt. 10:1–4; Mark 3:16–19; Luke 6:13–16). He became a member of the special inner circle of three disciples who were with Christ at the raising of Jairus’ daughter, on the Mount of Transfiguration, and in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 5:37; 9:2; 14:33). The other occasions in which he shared with the entire group of apostles in the ministry of Christ are too numerous to mention here. Many scholars believe that John was the other disciple who followed Jesus after His arrest and who went into the palace of the high priest because he knew the latter (18:15–16). Since the family of Zebedee was slightly wealthy, it is very conceivable that John could have been acquainted with the priest through frequent visits to Jerusalem. John, of course, was present at Golgotha for the Crucifixion and received the custody of Mary from Jesus (19:25–27). Along with Peter, he viewed the empty tomb and burial clothes (John 20:1–10); subsequently he saw the risen Lord. He was both taught and recommissioned as an apostle by Christ during His postresurrection ministry of forty days (Acts 1:1–8). He took an active part in the life of the early church and was looked upon as one of the pillars of the Jerusalem assembly, along with Peter and James, the half-brother of Jesus (Acts 3:1; 4:19; 8:14; Gal. 2:9). Tradition states that John became the leader of the Ephesian church in his later years and that he was banished to the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea by the Roman emperor Domitian. Nerva, Domitian’s successor, permitted John to return to Ephesus about a.d. 96. There he stayed until his death sometime during the reign of Trajan (a.d. 98–117). Through the years John, one of the "sons of thunder" (Mark 3:17) who was full of prejudice and vengeance (cf. Luke 9:49–56), was transformed into a gentle disciple of love.

Although some liberals date the book as early as a.d. 40 while others push it into the second century (a.d. 140–170), conservatives are agreed that the Gospel was written after the Synoptic Gospels and rather late in the first century, probably between 85 and 95. Tradition has placed its composition at Ephesus where John spent his senior years. The earliest scrap of the New Testament is a papyrus fragment located in the John Rylands Library in Manchester, England, called P⁵². Since it contains only five verses of John (18:31–33, 37–38) and is dated about a.d. 125–35, this means that the Gospel had to be in circulation before the second century began. The tenth decade of the first century best fits the life history of John. It was probably written for Gentiles because the various feasts and geographical locations are described for the readers.

The purposes for writing this Gospel are clearly seen in these two verses (20:30–31):

The first was to convince his readers that Jesus was both divine and human. Living in a time when the truth of the Incarnation was being attacked by an increasing gnostic element within the church, John wanted to show that Jesus was not merely an appearance of God (similar to those in the Old Testament) or a man in whom dwelt the spirit of Christ. He intended to demonstrate that Jesus was both God and man and that within His single person was a perfect union of the two natures. The second purpose was based upon the first. He wanted his readers, convinced of Jesus’ true identity, to believe on Him to receive the divine gift of eternal life. John’s purposes then are both apologetic and evangelistic. Within the book is a theological defense of the hypostatic union (two natures in one person) and an invitation to the unconverted to become saved. Naturally, the Christian would receive profit from this book because it would indoctrinate him in Christology and would reinforce his initial faith.

Three key words are found in these verses: signs, believe, and life. The signs refer to miracles that have some special significance behind their performance. They were designed to reveal something about the person of Christ. Of the many miracles that Jesus performed, John selected eight to prove his point:

The first seven were done during His active ministry as an authentication of His claims, whereas the eighth took place during His postresurrection ministry. Around these miracles, John recorded a literary network of sermons, conversations, and his own editorial comments to give his book symmetry and unity. In some cases the miracle produced the sermon (feeding the five thousand provided the background for the sermon on the bread of life), while in others the sermon was illustrated by the miracle (His claim to be the light of the world was proved by giving sight to the man born blind). Just as the miracles produced faith on the part of those who witnessed them, so John trusted that the record of those miracles, sermons, and interviews would likewise create faith on the part of the readers of his Gospel.

John was the most selective of the Gospel writers. Over 90 percent of his content is found exclusively in this book. That statistic becomes even more amazing when one realizes that as the last author to write, he had at his disposal the other three Gospels. This graphically demonstrates that it was not his purpose to compose an exhaustive biography of the life of Christ. Totally aware of the entire scope of Jesus’ ministry, John nevertheless selected only those miracles, sermons, and interviews that would best suit his literary intent. Of the eight recorded miracles, only two are found elsewhere: feeding the five thousand and walking on the water. Twenty-seven interviews are narrated, and the great majority of these are found only here. Although Jesus’ preaching was full of parables, not one is recorded by John. The word "parable" is found in the English text (10:6), but here it is the translation of the Greek word paroimia rather than the typical word parabolé. The story of the good shepherd should be regarded as an allegory or an extended metaphor rather than a parable.

Many great sermons or topical discourses are found only in John: the new birth (3:1–13), the water of life (4:6–29), the defense of His deity (5:19–47), the bread of life (6:22–71), the light of the world (8:12–59), the good shepherd (10:1–30), and the Upper Room Discourse (13:1–16:33). Although not a sermon, Christ’s prayer (17:1–26) is unique to this Gospel. Amazingly, John is silent about the famous Olivet Discourse (cf. Matt. 24–25), probably because he wrote after the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jews (a.d. 70).

Of all the Gospel writers, John places the most emphasis upon the deity of Christ through recording His actual claims about Himself. When Christ said: "Before Abraham was, I am" (8:58), the people knew that He was claiming the very name of God that was revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exod. 3:14). This is why the people tried to stone Him for alleged blasphemy. Christ was and is the eternal I AM. In a series of assertions, He amplified that claim:

Other supporting statements include: "I and my Father are one" (10:30) and "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (14:9). No mere man would ever make such claims unless he were a liar or insane. Many liberals feel that John fabricated these bold assertions; however, there is no objective evidence that he did. Christ could make these statements because He was who He claimed to be, God manifest in human flesh.

John wrote in a very simple style. Of the four Gospels, this book is the easiest to read in the original Greek. John seems to center much of his narrative around Christ’s various visits to Jerusalem to observe various feasts:

The gist of the entire Gospel can be seen in the prologue. John first identified the person of Christ: He was preexistent or eternal; He was a separate person from God the Father and enjoyed fellowship with the latter; He was God Himself; He was the creator, the source of both life and light; He was full of grace and truth; and He became incarnate. These claims John aptly demonstrated by the eight recorded miracles. As the creator, Jesus was able easily to turn water into wine, to multiply the bread and the fish, to walk on water, and to create a catch of fish. He proves that He is the life by healing the nobleman’s son who was at the point of death, by restoring life to the lifeless limbs of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda, by raising Lazarus from the dead, and ultimately by raising Himself out of death and hades. He shows that He is the light of men by giving physical sight to a man born blind.

In embryonic form, the purposes of Christ’s advent are set forth (1:9–12). Here can be seen His incarnation ("cometh into the world"), His lack of recognition during His thirty years of human development ("in the world … the world knew him not"), His presentation to Israel as her Messiah ("He came unto his own"), His rejection by Israel ("his own received him not"), and His invitation to the individual to believe on Him for salvation ("But as many as received him").

The testimony of John the Baptist is now given in support of the author’s identification of Christ’s person and work. John, older in the flesh by six months, recognized the preexistence of Jesus ("for he was before me"). He preached that Christ was the revealer of God, that He was the Lamb of God, the sin bearer, and that He was the Son of God, the Spirit baptizer. John saw himself only as a voice heralding the coming of the Lord.

Just as Andrew, Simon, Philip, and Nathanael came to believe that Jesus was the Son of God, the king of Israel, the Christ, the one "of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write," so John trusts that the reader of these accounts will likewise believe in the deity of Christ to the saving commitment of his soul. This passage also teaches the importance of communicating faith in Christ to others who do not know Him.

Since Christ created the rivers and the first vineyards, it was a simple demonstration of His power to change the molecular composition of water into wine. This miracle accomplished two goals (2:11): the manifestation of His glory and the reinforcement of the disciples’ faith. His statement to Mary (2:4) should not be regarded as abrupt rudeness; rather, Jesus was showing her that the natural mother-son relationship that had existed for the past thirty years was now over because He had begun His messianic ministry. She must now approach Him as a sinner to her God and Savior, not as a mother to her son.

In fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (Ps. 69:9; Mal. 3:1–3), Christ manifested His righteous indignation by cleansing the temple of religious racketeers at the outset of His ministry. In response to the Jews’ request for a sign of His authority, Jesus replied: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Just as the fulfillment of this prediction of Christ’s death and resurrection brought faith to the disciples (2:22), so John trusts that the reader will put his faith in Him who made such a bold prediction.

The interview with Nicodemus revealed that all men of high moral, religious, economic, and social caliber like him need to experience a spiritual, second birth, in order to enter the kingdom of God. If Nicodemus had understood the full implications of the new covenant promised to Israel (Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 36:22–31), he would have known what Jesus was talking about. One of the literary problems in John is to distinguish between the narrative sections and the author’s editorial comments. At what verse did Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus end and John’s interpretation begin? Most see a break between 3:12 and 3:13 with another one coming between 3:30 and 3:31, isolating the confession of the Baptist from that of the apostle. John’s comments clearly show the necessity of faith in Christ to secure personal salvation whereas lack of faith brings the judgment of God. John the Baptist was not jealous over the popularity of Jesus. He saw himself as the friend who was sent to prepare the bride (believing Jewish remnant) and to present her to the bridegroom (Christ). When John saw that his disciples were following Christ, he knew that his purpose had been fulfilled.

The contrasting interview with the immoral Samaritan woman showed that even persons of a low social, economic, and moral class can be saved by Christ. No doubt John recorded the interviews with Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman back to back in order to prove that all men and women, no matter where they are in the realm of human experience, need to and can be saved through a personal encounter with the Savior. In that Christ led her from thinking about natural issues to spiritual concerns, this paragraph provides a good illustration of a technique that can be employed in personal evangelism. To her Christ also revealed some basic truths: the quenching water of everlasting life found in Him (4:14), the character of her past life (4:18), the nature of true worship (4:23–24), the spiritual essence of God (4:24), and His identity as the Christ (4:25–26). Her evaluation of Him (Jew, Sir, prophet, Christ) changed as her skepticism grew into conviction and witness. The disciples, more concerned about supper, had to be admonished about their spiritual responsibilities to be harvesters of men’s souls.

The second recorded miracle, the healing of the nobleman’s son who was at the point of death, demonstrated Christ’s authority over life and death. As the source of life, He could give life to one who was about to die. It also proved the power of His word in that the son was healed the very moment Christ spoke miles away. Just as the nobleman and his family believed (4:53), so John hopes that the reading of the record of that miracle will likewise produce faith.

The third sign-miracle revealed that Christ could put life back into the lifeless limbs of the man who had been lame thirty-eight years. This miracle provides a good illustration of the fact that Christ healed both the cause and the after-effects of a physical malady; no therapy was needed to recover the use of the atrophied legs. The religious leaders became hostile toward Jesus because He had broken their concept of Sabbatical restrictions. According to them, healing the man was the equivalent of work. They also wanted to kill Christ because He claimed that God was His own Father in a sense in which He is not the Father of anyone else (5:18).

Although Christ had not violated the divine intent of the Sabbath, it was true that He claimed equality with the Father. He further substantiated this claim with statements about His omnipotence, omnipresence, judgment, and honor. As the incarnate Son, He had been given authority not only to raise Himself from the dead, but also others, both saved and unsaved. Christ supported His own claim to deity by appealing to John the Baptist, His miracles, the Father, and the Old Testament as corroborative witnesses.

The fourth sign-miracle, the feeding of the five thousand, again demonstrated His creative power. Since Jesus created the first fish and wheat fields out of nothing, it was a simple task for Him to multiply five loaves and two fish. This miracle was both a test of the disciples’ faith (6:6) and a proof of His real identity. He did not yield to the public pressure to make Him king because the public’s motivation in doing so was strictly selfish (6:15; cf. 6:26). Through the fifth sign-miracle, the walking on the water, He illustrated His authority over the elements of nature; creation exists to serve the will of the creator. It further demonstrated His deity to the disciples who alone witnessed the event.

The next day Christ preached the sermon on the bread of life to the multitude who had shared in the multiplication of bread and fish. He charged them with following Him out of a selfish, materialistic desire (6:26–27). He challenged them to receive the real bread of life that was true (6:32), heavenly (6:33), satisfying (6:35), resurrection life (6:39), everlasting (6:40), and the Christ life (6:48). The sermon so disheartened some of His disciples that they forsook Him, a sign of their unbelief (6:64, 66). When questioned about their allegiance, Peter the spokesman affirmed their faith in Christ as the divine-human person, the source of eternal life.

Wherever Christ went, His presence produced a division of opinion over Him. The Jews wanted to kill Him, and even His half-brothers did not believe in Him (7:5). Some people called Him a good man, whereas others regarded Him as a deceiver or a demoniac (7:12, 20). At the Feast of Tabernacles, the priests would fill pitchers of water from the pool of Siloam and then pour them out at the altar in symbolic remembrance of the time when God gave water out of the rock to Israel during the wilderness wanderings. Christ claimed to be the fulfillment of that ceremony, the one whom the rock typified (7:37–39; cf. 1 Cor. 10:4). He promised that living water in the person of the Holy Spirit would flow from the inner being of the believer. The religious leaders could not seize Jesus at this time because the arresting soldiers were too impressed by Christ; even Nicodemus pointed out their lack of impartiality in their judgment of Him.

The forced confrontation with the adulteress was a Pharisaical attempt to trick Christ in His speech. He repudiated their criticism of Him and her by forgiving the woman. In the account of this event only is it mentioned that Christ wrote something. What did He write in the sand? Some have conjectured that since the woman was taken in the very act of adultery He was asking for the identity of the adulterer.

This encounter was followed by His claim to be the light of the world. Christ accused His adversaries of using faulty human judgment (8:15), of ignorance of the Father (8:19), of perishing in their sins (8:21, 24), of being worldly (8:23), of being in bondage to sin (8:34), and of being the children of the devil (8:44). They reacted by charging Christ with an illegitimate birth (8:41), by calling Him a Samaritan demoniac (8:48), and by attempting to kill Him because of alleged blasphemy.

Jesus vindicated His claim to be the light of the world by healing the man who was born blind, this being the sixth miracle. Giving physical light proved that He was also the source of spiritual light. The healed man grew in his knowledge of his healer: Jesus (9:11); prophet (9:17); of God (9:33); and the Son of God (9:35, 38). Although he was put out of the synagogue for his testimony, Christ received him.

The healing of the blind man provided the occasion (10:20–21) for the discourse on the good shepherd. Christ identified Himself as the door of salvation and as the shepherd who gives His life for the sheep. The religious leaders could be seen in the thieves and the hirelings. The porter was John the Baptist who opened Israel up to the ministry of Christ. Christ indicated that not all of the sheep would respond to His voice or ministry, only those who are genuinely saved. These would be joined to Gentile sheep to form a new flock, the Church (10:16). Christ then guaranteed eternal salvation or security for His sheep (10:27–29). His claim of equality of essence with the Father brought another charge of blasphemy against Him.

In the seventh sign-miracle Christ proved that He was the resurrection and the life by raising Lazarus from the dead. This miracle manifested Christ’s glory (11:4, 40) and brought both a response of rejection and of belief from the observers. The religious council was so enraged by this deed that it intensified its conspiracy to kill Jesus.

The costly anointing of Jesus at the supper in Bethany marked Mary’s recognition of Christ’s coming death and burial. Judas saw it as a waste, but Jesus saw it as a memorial of Mary’s love and faith. The next day at the Triumphal Entry, those who had witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus praised the kingship of Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem. This rousing reception further antagonized the Pharisees. In the temple Jesus finally announced: "The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified" (12:23). He was aware that His time to die for the sins of the world had come; this was why He left heaven and became incarnate. John then concluded the first major section of his book (chs. 1–12) with this candid observation: "But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him" (12:37). In spite of the evidence of His holy, sinless life, His messages of truth, and His performance of miracles, the religious leaders and the nation as a whole persisted in their unbelief.

The next four chapters have been designated the Upper Room Discourse because the night before His crucifixion Christ met with His disciples in the upper room to set before them the new responsibilities and privileges that would be theirs as the result of His death, resurrection, and ascension and the subsequent descent of the Holy Spirit. However, before He could instruct them, He had to cope with their group argument over who was the greatest among them. By washing their feet, Jesus vividly showed that spiritual greatness does not come from pride or self-assertion, but through humility and service to others. His exchange of His garments for the servant’s towel also portrayed His surrender of the outward manifestation of His divine being when He put on the clothing of humanity. This event further teaches that a Christian who has experienced the bath of regeneration only needs to have the cleansing of daily sins in order to have fellowship with Christ (13:8, 10–11).

When Jesus disclosed the presence of the traitor in their midst, the disciples did not look at Judas, for the latter’s character was so hidden from them. When Judas left the room to make the final arrangements for Jesus’ arrest, Christ again mentioned: "Now is the Son of man glorified" (13:31). Now, only to the eleven, Christ affixed an added meaning to the love commandment. Before they were to love one another as themselves, but now they were to love "as I have loved you" (13:34). In response to Peter’s boast of courage, Jesus predicted his threefold denial of Him before the morning.

His announcement of His departure and separation from them brought anxiety to the disciples. This next section of teaching was given therefore to calm their troubled hearts. It begins and ends with the same words: "Let not your heart be troubled" (14:1; cf. 14:27). In between these two verses Christ revealed spiritual truths that if believed and applied to everyday life would bring peace to any bothered soul. He promised to prepare a place for them in heaven (14:2) and to return for them so that they would be with Him in that heavenly mansion (14:3). He assured them that He was the only way into God’s presence (14:5–6). He revealed that the divine essence, shared by the three Persons of the Godhead including the Father, could be seen in Him (14:9). What is God like? Look at Jesus Christ! He encouraged them by stating that their spiritual power would be greater because of His ascension into heaven (14:12). Petitions were now to be asked in His name for the purpose of God’s glorification (14:13). He informed them that love for Him should be the basis of future obedience (14:15). He told them that they would receive the permanent, indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit because He had so prayed (14:16–17). He promised that the Spirit would be their new teacher and that He would cause them to remember the events of Christ’s earthly ministry (14:26). This prediction not only established their future oral ministry, but it anticipated and pre-authenticated the writing of the New Testament books (teach=Epistles; remembrance=Gospels). He also defined for them the basic essence of Christianity (14:20): "ye in me" (justification or acceptable spiritual position) and "I in you" (sanctification or necessary spiritual power). He ended this section with His guarantee of internal peace (14:27). The literary style of this section is built around questions or statements by four apostles (Peter, 13:36; Thomas, 14:5; Philip, 14:8; and Judas, 14:22) and Christ’s respective responses.

The teaching of the next two chapters (chs. 15–16) and the intercessory prayer (ch. 17) were given on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane (14:31; cf. 18:1). Christ first of all depicted the new relationship that would exist between Him and the disciples in the metaphor of the vine and the branches. Their main purpose was to permit the life of Christ to flow through them in the production of fruit. They were to bear fruit, more fruit, and much fruit (15:2, 8). This could only be accomplished through a constant cleansing and pruning of their lives. If they failed to respond to divine care, then they would forfeit their position of fruit bearing. Christ was not here talking about the possible loss of salvation, but only about the privilege of service.

Jesus then warned them that the world’s attitude toward them would not improve as the result of His death and resurrection. Rather, the world would hate, persecute, ostracize, and even kill them because of their identification with Christ. They were to react with a Spirit-directed witness of Christ.

Jesus next informed the disciples that the Holy Spirit could not come to them until He had gone into the Father’s presence. The Spirit’s role in the world would be to convict it of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Unable to reveal everything to the disciples at this time, Jesus promised that the Spirit would guide them into all truth, would reveal the future, and would glorify Christ. He then mentioned that sorrow over His death would be replaced by joy over His resurrection. He concluded with the promise of ultimate victory: "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (16:33).

This chapter contains the real Lord’s Prayer, a prayer that Jesus Himself prayed, not a model prayer taught to others (cf. Matt. 6:9–15). In the first part, Christ prayed for Himself that He might be glorified at the cross and that His preincarnate glory might be restored to Him (17:1–5). In the second part, Christ prayed for the disciples (17:9) and for those who would believe through their oral and written word (17:20). This would include all of the believers of this age. He prayed for their spiritual preservation (17:11, 15), sanctification (17:17), unification (17:22), and habitation with Him (17:24).

With the prayer ended, Christ entered the Garden of Gethsemane where He was seized by the soldiers led by Judas. He repudiated Peter’s act of violence and voluntarily submitted Himself to the will of God and to the actions of the soldiers. Christ then underwent three "trials" before Annas, Caiaphas, and the Sanhedrin. During the course of these trials, Peter denied the Lord three times as predicted.

Three civil trials before Pilate, Herod Antipas, and again Pilate quickly followed. Three times Pilate admitted Jesus’ innocence (18:38; 19:4, 6) and in fact tried to release Jesus (19:12), but yielding to pressure from the Jews, delivered Christ to be crucified.

In his brief description of the Crucifixion, John noted two facts not found elsewhere. He observed that Christ’s legs were not broken in order to hasten death and that Jesus was pierced in order to make sure that He was already dead. Both of these actions graphically fulfilled prophecy (Exod. 12:46; Zech. 12:10). The body of Jesus was then removed from the cross, anointed and clothed, and placed in the tomb by Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea.