In its wisdom, the early church chose to keep four Gospel accounts of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Three of these Gospels are very similar to each other in both what they tell about the story of Jesus and how they tell it.  However, the Gospel of John stands apart in both style and content.

John has a different reason for telling the story of Christ than do the other three Gospel writers.  Even John's timeline for the events of Jesus' life and ministry differ from the other three Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  This gospel, written much later than the other three, offers us distintive material unique to John's telling of the story.

In the Gospel of St. John we overhear Jesus talking with Nicodemus, a Samaritan woman, and Mary Magdalene.  We marvel at Jesus turning water into wine, calling Lazarus from the tomb, and washing his disciples’ feet.  We linger over Jesus’ great promises: “For God so loved the world.…”  “I am the bread of life.…”  “I am the resurrection.…”  “Peace I leave with you.…”

In the very first chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus issues two invitations: “Come and see,” and “Follow me.”  They echo the invitations of this study: to come and see this Jesus—to hear him speak, to see his signs—and to consider anew what it means to be his followers.