John has a singular purpose in writing his Gospel: he wants the reader to come to the conclusion that Jesus is in fact the Christ, the promised Messiah of the Scriptures, and that by coming to that conclusion, they will have life in his name (John 20:30–31). So in a very real sense, John’s Gospel is a long evangelistic tract. He lays out, with precision and intentionality, an argument to persuade whoever reads or hears his words.
So in line with his intent, here are four reasons why you should preach through the book of John.
1. To see the identity of Jesus.
John is interested in making sure people understand not just that Jesus is God, but that Jesus is the God of the Scriptures. From the very first chapter, John’s Gospel is drenched with Old Testament allusions and reference: there’s creation language; there are images and fulfillments of the sacrificial system and festivals; there’s Jesus asserting that he is one with I AM; there’s allusions to Ezekiel and Isaiah and Zechariah; there’s allusions to the Garden of Eden during the crucifixion and resurrection; and ultimately, there’s the claim that the entirety of the Old Testament Scriptures bear witness
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