The Gospel of John is the only one of the gospels that contain a precise statement of the author’s purpose: “But these have been written so that you may have life in His name” (20:31). In keeping with his evangelistic purpose, John used the verb “to believe” nearly one hundred times, more than twice as much as the Synoptics. John wrote from a divine perspective, in which Jesus is portrayed as the Son of God. John’s apologetic purpose, which is inseparable from his evangelistic purpose, was to convince his readers of Jesus’ true identity. He presents Him as God incarnate (1:1, 14; 8:23, 58; 10:30; 20:28), the Messiah (1:41 4:25-26), and the Savior of the world (4:42). In short, John presents Jesus as the eternal Word, Messiah, and the son of God who, through His death and resurrection, brings the gift of salvation to mankind. People respond by either accepting or rejecting the salvation that comes only through believing in Him.
