St John's technique in composing his Gospel is somewhat different from that of the Synoptics. The Synoptics, for example, relate more miracle stories and sometimes affirm that Jesus cured many people of many different diseases. This was their way of emphasizing that Jesus' power of healing was unlimited. Similarly, the Synoptics record a number of disputes between Jesus and the Pharisees on different occasions and about different topics, showing how constant the Pharisees' antagonism to Jesus was.

John prefers to relate fewer miracle stories but to deal with them more in depth, often by combining them with an account of a related dispute with the Pharisees. The healing of the paralytic at Bethesda is a good example. John relates the miracle story quite simply but then records a long passage in which Jesus speaks to "the Jews". In this way John ties together Jesus' power and his teaching and helps us gain a deeper understanding of his mission as Messiah and Saviour.