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John publicly presents Jesus as the one through whom God ends the sin of men and women. As these were removed by sacrifices offered in the Temple, the evangelist shows that the purification of sin now occurs outside that place of worship. Jesus is not an offering which men dedicated to God offer in sacrifice to obtain the forgiveness of their sins. He is not one of the thousands of lambs offered by them, but the Lamb of God. He is the gift offered by God for all that they may obtain salvation:

“For God so loved the world that he gave* his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him (Jn 3: 16-17). “

Almighty ever-living God, who govern all things, both in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the pleading of your people and bestow your peace on our times. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

After the Prologue which introduces the entire Gospel of John, the Second Part of the gospel follows. In it, the revelation of the mystery of the person of Jesus (1,19-12,36) is manifested through great "signs", which also closes with a sad Epilogue (jn 12:37-15):

“Although he had performed so many signs in their presence they did not believe in him… (Jn 12:37).

Until presenting the first sign of Jesus, the Gospel presents a series of accounts that take place during the first week of the public life of Jesus. The narrative begins with the presentation of John the Baptist. At that time the conviction had become very common that, since the disappearance of the last prophets (Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi), the heavens had closed and the Spirit had become extinct. The gift of prophecy appeared more and more as a phenomenon that would only reappear at the end of time. Would the Baptist be the mediator of the prophetic Spirit?

The Jewish hope awaited the return of messengers already known, a "Prophet" like Moses (Dt 18,15), or Elijah (Mal 3, 23-24). But the Baptist does not identify himself with any of them:

So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” (Jn 1,21).

The Baptist recognizes himself as an “the one sent before the Messiah" (Jn 3,28).