John

John is the forty-third book of the Bible and the fourth gospel. It is traditionally attributed to John, son of Zebedee, one of the twelve disciples and described in the book itself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." The book is generally dated to the 80s or 90s AD, making it likely the latest of the four gospels. Its style and content are noticeably different from Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

John opens not with a birth narrative but with a poetic prologue: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The prologue identifies Jesus with the eternal Word who became flesh and lived among humans.

The body of the book is structured around seven signs (miracles Jesus performs that reveal who he is) and seven "I am" statements he makes. Water turned to wine at a wedding, the healing of a royal official's son, the multiplication of loaves, the walking on water, the raising of Lazarus, and others. Between the signs, John records long conversations: with Nicodemus by night, with a Samaritan woman at a well, with the religious leaders in the temple, with his disciples at the Last Supper.

The final chapters describe the arrest, trial, and crucifixion in unusual detail. The resurrection accounts include Mary Magdalene meeting the risen Jesus in the garden, the appearance to the disciples behind locked doors, and Thomas's confession. The book ends on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, with Jesus restoring Peter.