John Bible Trivia: 44 Questions and Answers for Kids

These 44 John Bible trivia questions cover water turned to wine, Lazarus walking out of his tomb, the seven "I am" statements, and breakfast on the beach with the risen Jesus -- with answers and verse references after every question. They're sorted into easy, medium, and hard rounds so ages 5 through adult can play the same game.

John is a trivia goldmine because it's full of details no other Gospel records: the only Gospel that names the servant who lost his ear, counts the fish in the net (question 42), and tells us exactly what Thomas said when he stopped doubting. Fair warning on the hard round -- most adults can't answer question 35.

What Is the Book of John About?

The Gospel of John is the fourth book of the New Testament, an eyewitness account of Jesus' life written so that readers "may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God" (John 20:31). It's traditionally attributed to the apostle John, who never names himself in the book -- he simply calls himself "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 21:20-24). Instead of parables, John builds his account around seven miraculous "signs" and seven bold "I am" statements.

John is also the most quoted Gospel, home to John 3:16 and "I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6). Its big idea is stated in its famous first line: the Word who was with God in the beginning "became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:1, 14) -- Jesus isn't just a teacher, he's God come to live with us.

Easy John Trivia Questions (Ages 5-8)

1. What did Jesus turn water into at a wedding -- his very first miracle? Wine (John 2:9-11)
2. Who came to visit Jesus at night with big questions? Nicodemus (John 3:1-2)
3. Finish the most famous verse in the Bible: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only ___" Son (John 3:16)
4. What lunch did a boy share so Jesus could feed 5,000 people? Five small barley loaves and two small fish (John 6:9)
5. What did Jesus do on top of the stormy sea that amazed his disciples? He walked on the water (John 6:19)
6. Who did Jesus raise from the dead after four days in the tomb? Lazarus (John 11:43-44)
7. What is the shortest verse in the Bible, found in John? "Jesus wept" (John 11:35)
8. What did Jesus wash at the last supper to teach the disciples to serve? Their feet (John 13:5)
9. What animal did Jesus ride into Jerusalem? A young donkey (John 12:14)
10. What did the crowd wave as Jesus rode into the city? Palm branches (John 12:13)
11. Finish Jesus' words: "I am the good ___" Shepherd (John 10:11)
12. Who was the first person to see Jesus alive on Easter morning? Mary Magdalene (John 20:14-16)
13. Which disciple said he wouldn't believe unless he touched the nail marks? Thomas (John 20:25)

Medium John Trivia Questions (Ages 9-12)

1. What are the famous opening words of John's Gospel? "In the beginning was the Word" (John 1:1)
2. What did John the Baptist call Jesus when he saw him coming? "The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29)
3. Which future disciple was sitting under a fig tree when Jesus "saw" him from far away? Nathanael (John 1:48)
4. What did Jesus tell Nicodemus a person must be to see the kingdom of God? Born again (John 3:3)
5. Where did Jesus meet the Samaritan woman? At Jacob's well, near the town of Sychar (John 4:5-7)
6. What did Jesus offer the woman at the well? Living water (John 4:10)
7. How many years had the man at the pool of Bethesda been unable to walk? Thirty-eight (John 5:5)
8. After feeding the 5,000, how many baskets of leftovers were collected? Twelve (John 6:13)
9. What did Jesus put on the eyes of the man born blind? Mud (John 9:6)
10. Where did Jesus send that man to wash? The Pool of Siloam (John 9:7)
11. Who were Lazarus' two sisters? Mary and Martha (John 11:1)
12. What did Mary of Bethany pour on Jesus' feet? A pint of expensive perfume -- pure nard (John 12:3)
13. Which disciple complained that the perfume should have been sold? Judas Iscariot (John 12:4-5)
14. How did Jesus show which disciple would betray him? He handed Judas a piece of bread (John 13:26)
15. Finish it: "I am the way and the and the " Truth... life (John 14:6)
16. In John 15, Jesus is the vine -- what are his followers? The branches (John 15:5)
17. Who swung a sword in the garden and cut off a servant's ear? Simon Peter (John 18:10)
18. What sound came right after Peter denied Jesus the third time? A rooster crowed (John 18:27)

Hard John Trivia Questions (Teens and Adults)

1. What was the name of the servant who lost his ear -- a detail only John records? Malchus (John 18:10)
2. Which prisoner did the crowd demand instead of Jesus? Barabbas (John 18:40)
3. What three-word question did Pilate ask Jesus during the trial? "What is truth?" (John 18:38)
4. In what three languages was the sign over the cross written? Aramaic, Latin, and Greek (John 19:20)
5. Why did the soldiers cast lots for Jesus' garment instead of tearing it? It was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom (John 19:23-24)
6. What flowed out when a soldier pierced Jesus' side with a spear? Blood and water (John 19:34)
7. Which two secret followers of Jesus buried his body? Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus (John 19:38-39)
8. From the cross, who did Jesus ask to care for his mother? The disciple whom he loved (John 19:26-27)
9. Who did Mary Magdalene mistake the risen Jesus for at the tomb? The gardener (John 20:15)
10. What did Thomas cry out when he finally saw the risen Jesus? "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28)
11. Exactly how many fish were in the net in John 21? 153 (John 21:11)
12. What question did Jesus ask Peter three times over breakfast on the beach? "Do you love me?" (John 21:15-17)
13. How many "I am" statements does Jesus make in John -- and can you name three? Seven: the bread of life, the light of the world, the gate, the good shepherd, the resurrection and the life, the way and the truth and the life, and the true vine (John 6:35; 8:12; 10:9, 11; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1)

What Are the Seven Signs in John?

Instead of calling them miracles, John calls Jesus' wonders "signs" -- each one points to who Jesus is. Learn these seven and you've unlocked a third of the questions above:

Kids love spotting the pattern: the signs get bigger and bigger, from fixing a party problem to defeating death itself. And each sign pairs with a claim -- Jesus feeds 5,000, then says "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35); he raises Lazarus after saying "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25). John built his whole book so the works and the words prove each other.

How to Use These Questions

Play it in story rounds -- the wedding at Cana, the woman at the well, the blind man, Lazarus, the last supper, the cross, Easter morning -- and let kids retell each story after its questions. The easy round works from age five up; the hard round is genuinely hard, so make the adults take it. For team formats and scorekeeping ideas, use our family Bible trivia night playbook.

If a story is fuzzy, catch up fast with our kid-friendly retellings of water into wine, the woman at the well, the raising of Lazarus, and doubting Thomas. And our video lessons at Faithful Kids walk kids through the Gospel of John story by story with a quiz after every episode -- the best trivia prep there is.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who wrote the Gospel of John?

The Gospel is traditionally attributed to the apostle John, the son of Zebedee. The book itself says it was written by "the disciple whom Jesus loved," an eyewitness who leaned against Jesus at the last supper (John 13:23; 21:20-24) -- he never names himself anywhere in the book.

How many chapters does John have?

John has 21 chapters. A simple way to remember the layout: chapters 1-12 cover Jesus' public ministry and the seven signs, chapters 13-17 are his last supper and final teaching to the disciples, and chapters 18-21 tell of the cross, the empty tomb, and the risen Jesus.

What is the most famous verse in John?

John 3:16 -- "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." It's the most memorized verse in the Bible, and Jesus spoke it in a nighttime conversation with a Pharisee named Nicodemus.

How is John different from Matthew, Mark, and Luke?

John skips the parables, the manger scene, and most of the stories the other three share, and instead records long conversations, seven signs, and seven "I am" statements found nowhere else. About 90 percent of John's material is unique to John -- which is why so many trivia questions come from it.

What are the seven I Am statements in John?

Jesus says: I am the bread of life (John 6:35), the light of the world (8:12), the gate (10:9), the good shepherd (10:11), the resurrection and the life (11:25), the way and the truth and the life (14:6), and the true vine (15:1). Each one echoes God's name "I AM" from Exodus 3:14 -- which is why Jesus' words "before Abraham was born, I am" (John 8:58) made the crowd pick up stones.

What age can kids start learning the Gospel of John?

Ages 5-7 can enjoy the miracle stories -- water to wine, feeding the 5,000, walking on water, and Lazarus. Ages 8-11 can follow the full storyline including the cross and resurrection, and the long teaching sections of chapters 13-17 land best with ages 12 and up. For more all-ages questions, try our New Testament trivia for kids.