Gospel of John

Differences in the Gospels of Luke and John:

Reading the Gospel of John and then comparing it to the Gospel of Luke brought to light numerous differences between the books. The first one is the difference in style. In Luke, we encounter a series of stories that contribute to the whole overarching theme, but in John we see a seemingly more continuous narrative. 

The second difference is the way the two Luke and John ordered their Gospels. Luke’s Gospel tells of Jesus’s birth, touches on his childhood, talks about his ministry, and then ultimately his sacrificing himself for us. Meanwhile, John only discusses Jesus’s ministry and His passion, death, and resurrection. This difference may play a part in the first difference I noted because Luke’s gospel spans a much wider time frame and thus is fragmented into smaller stories of Jesus’s life. 

Distinct theological message in the Gospel of John:

John opens his Gospel by stating: “In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God” (John 1:1). And then later in the book says: “No one has ever seen God; it is the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known” (John 1:18). With these two verses in mind I think John’s message was that Jesus is God and it is through him that we will reach eternal life. Because he said the ‘Word was God’ we can understand that Jesus and God were one and that it is through the Son that we can reach and know the Father.