Now that we've looked at some of the differences between John and the Synoptic Gospels, here are Jesus's teachings according to John. I've tried my best to distill Jesus's teachings from the Book of John into general categories, but feel free to add your thoughts in the comments!
Jesus gives eternal life.
This is by far the biggest overarching theme of John. Each Gospel emphasizes a different trait of Jesus's, and for John, it is Jesus's divinity and ability to give his followers eternal life.
Relevant verses: John 3:10-21, 4:1-38, 5:16-40, 6:26-58, 7:37-39, 8:12, 10:25-29, 11:25-26a, 13:18-20, 15:1-8
Jesus and God are One.
Jesus never said the words, "I am God" explicitly. However, he did talk about his unity with the Father and how anyone who saw him saw the Father. He also used "I AM" in response to people's questions, which is a phrase the God of Israel used in the Old Testament.
Relevant verses: John 4:25-26, 5:16-47, 6:19-21,6:26-65, 7, 8:58, 9:35-37, 12:44-50, 16:22-28, 17, 18:33-37, 19:8-11
Love each other as Jesus loves us.
Jesus explicitly told his disciples, "This is my command: Love each other." He also said that we should love each other just as he loves us.
Relevant verses: John 15:9-17
No one can enter the Kingdom of God without being "born again."
Jesus said that one must be born of water and spirit to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This is why some Christians call themselves "born-again Christians," because they were baptized and accepted Jesus as their Savior (AKA, being "reborn" through the Holy Spirit).
Relevant verses: John 3:1-8
Be prepared for people to persecute you because you are Christian.
This is one of the few teachings that holds over from the Synoptic Gospels.
Relevant verses: John 15:18-21, 16:1-3, etc.
Christians are to preach the Gospel to the whole world.
This is another one of the only teachings that holds over from the other three Gospels.
Relevant verses: John 15:26-27, etc.
Once again, it is best to read the Bible instead of getting it from me. My attempt to distill Jesus's teachings is more for those who aren't Christian and are curious than for Christians who have already studied the Bible.
Thoughts? Let me know in the comments!
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