Markedly different from "Matthew", "Mark" and "Luke", "John" lacks the pithy phrases that the other three gospels possess. In "John", much of Jesus' teachings come in the form of extended paragraphs, even entire chapters. They are in-depth, argumentative and engaging. It is also only in "John" that we hear of Jesus washing the disciples' feet, the raising of Lazarus, and the marriage feast of Cana of Galilee.

The characters of many of the disciples particularly come to life. William Barclay reveals why, for many Christian people, the Gospel according to "John" is the most precious book of the "New Testament".