Why is John SO much different than Matthew, Mark and Luke?
Matthew, Mark and Luke are known as the synoptic gospels, meaning that they share “one, alike vision.” John was written several years after the other three, to a completely different audience. While the synoptics wrote to specific groups of people, like the Jews or Gentiles, John was writing to everyone in the early Church. John was also aware that folks had read or heard the other gospel accounts and, therefore, was able to take a little more liberty in relating accounts he witnessed with his own eyes, that the other gospel writers may have not taken the time to record previously.