The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV, page 514
21:3 d (2 Cor. 8:12)
21:4 e (2 Cor. 8:12)
21:4 2 NU omits for God
21:5 f Matt. 24:1; Mark 13:1
21:5 3 decorated
21:6 g Is. 64:10, 11; Lam. 2:6–9; Mic. 3:12; Luke 19:41–44
21:8 h Matt. 24:4; Mark 13:5; Eph. 5:6; 2 Thess. 2:3; (1 John 4:1)
21:8 4 NU omits Therefore
21:8 5 follow
21:9 i Rev. 6:4
21:10 j Matt. 24:7
21:11 k Rev. 6:12
21:12 l Mark 13:9; John 16:2; (Rev. 2:10)
21:12 m Acts 4:3; 5:18; 12:4; 16:24
21:12 n Acts 25:23
21:12 o 1 Pet. 2:13
21:13 p (Phil. 1:12–14, 28; 2 Thess. 1:5)
21:14 q Matt. 10:19; Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11
21:14 6 say in defense
21:15 r Acts 6:10
21:15 7 withstand
21:16 s Mic. 7:6; Mark 13:12
21:16 t Acts 7:59; 12:2
21:17 u Matt. 10:22
21:18 v Matt. 10:30; Luke 12:7
21:20 w Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14
21:22 x Is. 63:4; (Dan. 9:24–27); Hos. 9:7; (Zech. 11:1)
21:23 y Matt. 24:19
21:24 z (Dan. 9:27; 12:7)
21:25 a Is. 13:9, 10, 13; Matt. 24:29; Mark 13:24; (2 Pet. 3:10–12)
21:26 b Matt. 24:29
21:27 c Dan. 7:13; (Matt. 16:27; 24:30; 26:64); Mark 13:26; Rev. 1:7; 14:14
21:28 d (Rom. 8:19, 23)
21:29 e Matt. 24:32; Mark 13:28
21:33 f Is. 51:6; Matt. 24:35; Heb. 1:10, 11; (2 Pet. 3:7, 10, 12)
21:33 g Is. 40:8; Luke 16:17; 1 Pet. 1:24, 25
21:34 h Matt. 24:42–44; Mark 4:19; Luke 12:40, 45; Rom. 13:13; 1 Thess. 5:6; 1 Pet. 4:7
21:34 i Luke 8:14
21:34 8 dissipation
21:35 j 1 Thess. 5:2; (2 Pet. 3:10); Rev. 3:3; 16:15
21:36 k Matt. 24:42; 25:13; Mark 13:33; Luke 12:40
21:36 l Luke 18:1; (Eph. 6:18); Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:17
21:36 m Luke 20:35
21:36 n Ps. 1:5; (Eph. 6:13)
21:36 9 NU have strength to
21:37 o John 8:1, 2
21:37 p Luke 22:39
Luke 22
22:1 a Matt. 26:2–5; Mark 14:1, 2
22:2 b Ps. 2:2; John 11:47; Acts 4:27
22:3 c Matt. 26:14–16; Mark 14:10, 11; John 13:2, 27
22:3 d Matt. 10:2–4
22:5 e Zech. 11:12
22:6 f Ps. 41:9
22:7 g Matt. 26:17–19; Mark 14:12–16
22:7 1 Sacrificed
22:13 h Luke 19:32
22:14 i Matt. 26:20; Mark 14:17
22:14 2 NU omits twelve
22:16 j Luke 14:15; (Acts 10:41; Rev. 19:9)
22:18 k Matt. 26:29; Mark 14:25
22:18 3 NU adds from now on
22:19 l Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22
22:19 m (1 Pet. 2:24)
22:19 n 1 Cor. 11:23–26
22:20 o 1 Cor. 10:16
22:21 p Ps. 41:9; Matt. 26:21, 23; Mark 14:18; Luke 22:48; John 13:21, 26, 27
22:22 q Matt. 26:24
22:22 r John 17:12; Acts 2:23
22:23 s Matt. 26:22; John 13:22, 25
22:24 t Mark 9:34; Luke 9:46–48
22:25 u (Matt. 20:25–28); Mark 10:42–45
22:26 v Matt. 20:26; (1 Pet. 5:3)
22:26 w Luke 9:48
22:27 x (Luke 12:37)
22:27 y Matt. 20:28; John 13:13, 14; Phil. 2:7
22:28 z (Heb. 2:18; 4:15)
22:29 a Matt. 24:47
22:30 b (Matt. 8:11; Rev. 19:9)
22:30 c Ps. 49:14; (Matt. 19:28; 1 Cor. 6:2; Rev. 3:21)
22:31 d 1 Pet. 5:8
22:31 e Amos 9:9
22:31 4 NU omits And the Lord said
22:32 f (John 17:9, 11, 15)
22:32 g John 21:15–17; Acts 1:15; 2:14; 2 Pet. 1:10–15
22:34 h Matt. 26:33–35; Mark 14:29–31; Luke 22:61; John 13:37, 38
22:35 i Matt. 10:9; Mark 6:8; Luke 9:3; 10:4
22:37 j Is. 53:12; Matt. 27:38; Mark 15:28; Luke 22:32
22:37 5 fulfilled
22:39 k Matt. 26:36; John 18:1
22:39 l Luke 21:37
22:40 m Matt. 26:36–46; Mark 14:32–42
22:41 n Matt. 26:39; Mark 14:35; (Luke 18:11–14)
22:42 o Is. 50:5; John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38; 8:29
22:43 p Matt. 4:11
22:43 6 NU brackets vv. 43 and 44 as not in the original text.
22:44 q John 12:27; (Heb. 5:7)
22:46 r Luke 9:32
22:46 s 1 Chr. 16:11; Luke 22:40; (Eph. 6:18); 1 Thess. 5:17
22:47 t Matt. 26:47–56; Mark 14:43–50; John 18:3–11
22:47 u Ps. 41:9; Matt. 20:18; Luke 9:44; 22:21; Acts 1:16, 17
22:48 v (Prov. 27:6)
22:50 w Matt. 26:51
22:52 x Matt. 26:55
22:52 y Luke 23:32
22:53 z Luke 19:47, 48
22:53 a (John 12:27)
22:54 b Is. 53:7, 8; Matt. 26:57; Mark 14:53; Luke 9:44; Acts 8:32
22:54 c Matt. 26:58; Mark 14:54; John 18:15
22:55 d Matt. 26:69–75; Mark 14:66–72; John 18:15, 17, 18
22:57 7 NU it
22:58 e Matt. 26:71; Mark 14:69; John 18:25
22:59 f Matt. 26:73; Mark 14:70; John 18:26
22:59 g Acts 1:11; 2:7
22:60 8 NU, M a rooster
22:61 h Matt. 26:75; Mark 14:72
22:61 i Matt. 26:34, 75; Mark 14:30; Luke 22:34; John 13:38
22:61 9 NU adds today
22:63 j Ps. 69:1, 4, 7–9; Matt. 26:67, 68; Mark 14:65; John 18:22
22:63 k Job 16:10; Is. 50:6; Lam. 3:30
22:64 l Zech. 13:7
22:64 10 NU And having blindfolded Him, they asked Him
22:66 m Matt. 27:1; Mark 15:1
22:66 n Ps. 2:2; Acts 4:26
22:67 o Matt. 26:63–66; Mark 14:61–63; Luke 22:67–71; John 18:19–21
22:67 p Luke 20:5–7
22:68 11 NU omits also
22:68 12 NU omits the rest of v. 68.
22:69 q (Ps. 110:1; Matt. 26:64; Mark 14:62; 16:19); Acts 2:33; 7:55; Eph. 1:20; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3; 8:1
22:70 r Matt. 26:64; 27:11; Mark 14:62; Luke 1:35
22:71 s Matt. 26:65; Mark 14:63; John 19:7
Luke 23
23:1 a Matt. 27:2; Mark 15:1; Luke 18:32; John 18:28
23:1 b Luke 3:1; 13:1
23:2 c Acts 24:2
23:2 d Acts 17:7
23:2 e Matt. 17:27; Mark 12:17
23:2 f John 19:12
23:2 1 NU our
23:3 g Matt. 27:11; 1 Tim. 6:13
23:4 h Matt. 27:19; (1 Pet. 2:22)
23:5 i John 7:41
23:6 2 NU omits of Galilee
23:7 j Matt. 14:1; Mark 6:14; Luke 3:1; 9:7; 13:31
23:8 k Luke 9:9
23:8 l Matt. 14:1; Mark 6:14
23:9 m Is. 53:7; Matt. 27:12, 14; Mark 15:5; John 19:9
23:11 n Is. 53:3
23:11 3 troops
23:12 o Acts 4:26, 27
23:13 p Matt. 27:23; Mark 15:14; John 18:38
23:14 q Luke 23:1, 2
23:14 r Luke 23:4
23:15 4 NU he sent Him back to us
23:16 s Matt. 27:26; Mark 15:15; Luke 23:22; John 19:1; Acts 16:37
23:17 t Matt. 27:15; Mark 15:6; John 18:39
23:17 5 NU omits v. 17.
23:18 u Is. 53:3; Acts 3:13–15
23:23 6 NU omits and of the chief priests
23:24 v Matt. 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:16
23:25 w Is. 53:8
23:25 7 NU, M omit to them
23:26 x Matt. 27:32; Mark 15:21; John 19:17
23:29 y Matt. 24:19; Luke 21:23
23:30 z Is. 2:19; Hos. 10:8; Rev. 6:16, 17; 9:6
23:31 a (Prov. 11:31; Jer. 25:29); Ezek. 20:47; 21:3, 4; 1 Pet. 4:17
23:32 b Is. 53:9, 12; Matt. 27:38; Mark 15:27; John 19:18
23:33 c Ps. 22:16–18; Matt. 27:33–44; Mark 15:22–32; John 19:17–24
23:34 d Ps. 109:4; (Matt. 5:44); Acts 7:60; 1 Cor. 4:12
23:34 e Acts 3:17
23:34 f Ps. 22:18; Matt. 27:35; Mark 15:24; John 19:23
23:34 8 NU brackets the first sentence as a later addition.
23:35 g Ps. 22:17; (Zech. 12:10)
23:35 h Ps. 22:8; Matt. 27:39; Mark 15:29
23:36 i Ps. 69:21
23:38 j Matt. 27:37; Mark 15:26; John 19:19
23:38 9 NU omits written and in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew
23:39 k Matt. 27:44; Mark 15:32
23:39 10 NU Are You not the Christ? Save
23:41 l (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:21–24)
23:42 11 NU “Jesus, remember me
23:43 m (2 Cor. 12:4; Eph. 4:8–10; Rev. 2:7)
23:44 n Amos 8:9; Matt. 27:45–56; Mark 15:33–41
23:44 12 NU adds already
23:45 o Ex. 26:31–33; Zech. 11:10; Matt. 27:51; Mark 15:38; (Heb. 9:3; 10:19, 20)
23:45 13 NU obscured
23:45 14 the middle
23:46 p Ps. 31:5; 1 Pet. 2:23
23:46 q Dan. 9:26; Zech. 11:10, 11; Matt. 27:50; Mark 15:37; Luke 9:22; 18:33; John 19:30
23:47 r Matt. 27:54; Mark 15:39
23:49 s Ps. 38:11; Matt. 27:55; Mark 15:40; John 16:20–22; 19:25
23:50 t Matt. 27:57–61; Mark 15:42–47; John 19:38–42
23:51 u Mark 15:43; Luke 2:25, 38
23:51 15 NU who was waiting
23:53 v Is. 53:9; Matt. 27:59; Mark 15:46
23:54 w Matt. 27:62; Mark 15:42
23:55 x Luke 8:2
23:55 y Mark 15:47
23:56 z Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1
23:56 a Ex. 20:10; Deut. 5:14
Luke 24
24:1 a Matt. 28:1–8; Mark 16:1–8; John 20:1–8
24:1 b Luke 23:56
24:1 1 NU omits and certain other women with them
24:2 c Matt. 28:2; Mark 16:4
24:3 d Mark 16:5
24:4 e John 20:12; Acts 1:10
24:4 2 NU omits greatly
24:6 f Matt. 16:21; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22
24:7 g Hos. 6:1, 2; Luke 9:44; 11:29, 30; 18:31–33
24:8 h Luke 9:22, 44; John 2:19–22
24:9 i Matt. 28:8; Mark 16:10
24:10 j Luke 8:3
24:11 k Luke 24:25
24:11 3 nonsense
24:12 l John 20:3–6
24:12 4 NU omits lying
24:13 m Mark 16:12
24:13 5 Lit. 60 stadia
24:15 n (Matt. 18:20)
24:16 o John 20:14; 21:4
24:17 6 NU walk? And they stood still, looking sad.
24:18 p John 19:25
24:19 q Matt. 21:11; Luke 7:16; John 3:2; Acts 2:22
24:19 r Acts 7:22
24:20 s Luke 23:1; Acts 13:27, 28
24:21 t Luke 1:68; 2:38; (Acts 1:6)
24:22 u Matt. 28:8; Mark 16:10; Luke 24:9, 10
24:24 v Luke 24:12
24:26 w Acts 17:2, 3; (Heb. 2:9, 10)
24:26 x (1 Pet. 1:10–12)
24:27 y (Gen. 3:15; 12:3; Num. 21:9; Deut. 18:15); John 5:46
24:27 z (Ps. 16:9, 10; 22; 132:11; Is. 7:14; 9:6; Jer. 23:5; 33:14, 15; Ezek. 34:23; 37:25; Dan. 9:24); Mic. 7:20; (Mal. 3:1; 4:2); John 1:45; 5:39; (Rom. 1:1–6)
24:27 7 explained
24:28 a Gen. 32:26; 42:7; Mark 6:48
24:28 8 acted as if
24:29 b Gen. 19:2, 3; Acts 16:15
24:29 c (John 14:23)
24:30 d Matt. 14:19; Mark 8:6; Luke 9:16
24:34 e 1 Cor. 15:5
24:35 9 recognized
24:36 f Mark 16:14; John 20:19; 1 Cor. 15:5
24:37 g Matt. 14:26; Mark 6:49
24:39 h John 20:20, 27; 1 John 1:1
24:39 i (1 Cor. 15:50)
24:40 10 Some printed New Testaments omit v. 40. It is found in nearly all Gr. mss.
24:41 j Gen. 45:26
24:41 k John 21:5
24:42 11 NU omits and some honeycomb
24:43 l Acts 10:39–41
24:44 m Matt. 16:21; 17:22; 20:18; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22; 18:31
24:45 n Acts 16:14; 1 John 5:20
24:46 o Ps. 22; Hos. 6:2; Luke 11:29, 30; Acts 17:3
24:46 12 NU that the Christ should suffer and rise
24:47 p Dan. 9:24; Acts 5:31; 10:43; 13:38; 26:18
24:47 q (Ps. 22:27; Jer. 31:34; Mic. 4:2)
24:48 r (Acts 1:8); 1 Pet. 5:1
24:49 s Is. 44:3; Joel 2:28; Acts 2:4
24:49 13 NU omits of Jerusalem
24:50 t Matt. 21:17; Acts 1:12
24:51 u Ps. 68:18; 110:1; Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9–11
24:52 v Matt. 28:9
24:53 w Acts 2:46
24:53 14 NU omits praising and
24:53 15 NU omits Amen.
Introduction to John
Title
The title of the fourth gospel continues the pattern of the other gospels, being identified originally as “According to John.” Like the others, “The Gospel” was added later.
Author and Date
Although the author’s name does not appear in the gospel, early church tradition strongly and consistently identified him as the Apostle John. The early church father Irenaeus (ca. A.D. 130–200) was a disciple of Polycarp (ca. A.D. 70–160), who was a disciple of the Apostle John, and he testified on Polycarp’s authority that John wrote the gospel during his residence at Ephesus in Asia Minor when he was advanced in age (Against Heresies 2.22.5; 3.1.1). Subsequent to Irenaeus, all the church fathers assumed John to be the gospel’s author. Clement of Alexandria (ca. A.D. 150–215) wrote that John, aware of the facts set forth in the other gospels and being moved by the Holy Spirit, composed a “spiritual gospel” (see Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History 6.14.7).
Reinforcing early church tradition are significant internal characteristics of the gospel. While the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) identify the Apostle John by name approximately 20 times (including parallels), he is not directly mentioned by name in the Gospel of John. Instead, the author prefers to identify himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved” (13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20). The absence of any mention of John’s name directly is remarkable when one considers the important part played by other named disciples in this gospel. Yet, the recurring designation of himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved,” a deliberate avoidance by John of his personal name, reflects his humility and celebrates his relation to his Lord Jesus. No mention of his name was necessary since his original readers clearly understood that he was the gospel’s author. Also, through a process of elimination based primarily on analyzing the material in chaps. 20, 21, this disciple “whom Jesus loved” narrows down to the Apostle John (e.g., 21:24; cf. 21:2). Since the gospel’s author is exacting in mentioning the names of other characters in the book, if the author had been someone other than John the apostle, he would not have omitted John’s name.
The gospel’s anonymity strongly reinforces the arguments favoring John’s authorship, for only someone of his well known and preeminent authority as an apostle would be able to write a gospel that differed so markedly in form and substance from the other gospels and have it receive unanimous acceptance in the early church. In contrast, apocryphal gospels produced from the mid-second century onward were falsely ascribed to apostles or other famous persons closely associated with Jesus, yet universally rejected by the church.
John and James, his older brother (Acts 12:2), were known as “the sons of Zebedee” (Matt. 10:2–4), and Jesus gave them the name “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). John was an apostle (Luke 6:12–16) and one of the 3 most intimate associates of Jesus (along with Peter and James—cf. Matt. 17:1; 26:37), being an eyewitness to and participant in Jesus’ earthly ministry (1 John 1:1–4). After Christ’s ascension, John became a “pillar” in the Jerusalem church (Gal. 2:9). He ministered with Peter (Acts 3:1; 4:13; 8:14) until he went to Ephesus (tradition says before the destruction of Jerusalem), from where he wrote this gospel and from where the Romans exiled him to Patmos (Rev. 1:9). Besides the gospel that bears his name, John also authored 1-3 John and the Book of Revelation (Rev. 1:1).
Because the writings of some church fathers indicate that John was actively writing in his old age and that he was already aware of the synoptic gospels, many date the gospel sometime after their composition, but prior to John’s writing of 1-3 John or Revelation. John wrote his gospel ca. A.D. 80–90, about 50 years after he witnessed Jesus’ earthly ministry.
Background and Setting
Strategic to John’s background and setting is the fact that according to tradition John was aware of the synoptic gospels. Apparently, he wrote his gospel in order to make a unique contribution to the record of the Lord’s life (“a spiritual gospel”) and, in part, to be supplementary as well as complementary to Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
The gospel’s unique characteristics reinforce this purpose: First, John supplied a large amount of unique material not recorded in the other gospels. Second, he often supplied information that helps the understanding of the events in the synoptics. For example, while the synoptics begin with Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, they imply that Jesus had a ministry prior to that (e.g., Matt. 4:12; Mark 1:14). John supplies the answer with information on Jesus’ prior ministry in Judea (chap. 3) and Samaria (chap. 4). In Mark 6:45, after the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus compelled his disciples to cross the Sea of Galilee to Bethsaida. John recorded the reason. The people were about to make Jesus king because of His miraculous multiplying of food, and He was avoiding their ill-motivated efforts (6:26). Third, John is the most theological of the gospels, containing, for example, a heavily theological prologue (1:1-18), larger amounts of didactic and discourse material in proportion to narrative (e.g., 3:13-17), and the largest amount of teaching on the Holy Spirit (e.g., 14:16, 17, 26; 16:7-14). Although John was aware of the synoptics and fashioned his gospel with them in mind, he did not depend upon them for information. Rather, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he utilized his own memory as an eyewitness in composing the gospel (1:14; 19:35; 21:24).
John’s gospel is the second (cf. Luke 1:1–4) that contains a precise statement regarding the author’s purpose (20:30, 31). He declares, “these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (20:31). The primary purposes, therefore, are two-fold: evangelistic and apologetic. Reinforcing the evangelistic purpose is the fact that the word “believe” occurs approximately 100 times in the gospel (the synoptics use the term less than half as much). John composed his gospel to provide reasons for saving faith in his readers and, as a result, to assure them that they would receive the divine gift of eternal life (1:12).
