Introductory Issues in John

Revised by Karoline M. Lewis (8/24)

Beloved discipleA disciple is a person who accepts and follows the pronouncements of a teacher. Jesus chose twelve disciples (also called “apostles” in some of the Gospels) to follow him and bear witness to his message Anyone who (like them) follows Jesus is engaged in Christian…

One of the most enigmatic figures in John’s Gospel is the disciple whom JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God’s saving act for humanity. loved. This disciple appears reclining next to      Jesus      during Jesus’ last night with his disciples      and then again at the foot of the cross (13:23; 19:26). He visits the empty tomb and recognizes the risen Jesus by the Sea of Galilee (20:2-10; 21:7). Traditionally, the beloved disciple is identified as the apostleDerived from a Greek word meaning “one who is sent,” an apostle is a person who embraces and advocates another person’s idea or beliefs. At the beginning of his ministry Jesus called twelve apostles to follow and serve him. Paul became an apostle of Jesus… John, the son of Zebedee. Nevertheless, the Gospel never gives the name of this disciple, which makes it difficult to identify him with certainty. The beloved disciple’s testimony is preserved in the Gospel of John and t     he final chapter assumes that the beloved disciple has died (21:20-23). What is most important is not the identity of this disciple, but the testimony that he gives concerning Jesus.

Chronology of Jesus’ ministry

The sequence of events in John’s Gospel differs from those in the other Gospels. The templeThe Jerusalem temple, unlike the tabernacle, was a permanent structure, although (like the tabernacle) it was a place of worship and religious activity. On one occasion Jesus felt such activity was unacceptable and, as reported in all four Gospels, drove from the temple those engaged… cleansing occurs in John 2 rather than at the end of Jesus’ ministry, and Jesus is crucified on the day before the PassoverPassover commemorates the deliverance of the Hebrew people from Egypt as described in the book of Exodus. It is celebrated with worship and a meal on the fourteenth day of the month called Nisan, which is the first month of the Jewish year. The time… meal, the Day of Preparation, rather than on the day after the Passover meal, as in the other Gospels. Some assume that the first three Gospels always preserve the correct order of events and that John changes it. It is better to recognize that all four Gospels preserve some historical tradition, yet each tells the story of Jesus in a distinctive way. On the historical level, many think it probable that Jesus cleansed the temple at the end of his ministry rather than at the beginning, as John tells it. In MatthewA tax collector who became one of Jesus’ 12 disciples., Mark, and LukeThe "beloved physician" and companion of Paul., the temple incident is the cause for the authorities to want to arrest Jesus. For John, that impetus is the raising of Lazarus. Yet many also find it plausible to think that John’s placement of the crucifixion on the day before Passover is historically accurate. John’s alterations to the timeline of Jesus’ ministry are theologically driven rather than a concern for historical accuracy.

Fulfillment of Scripture

John’s Gospel sometimes says that something in Jesus’ ministry was done “to fulfill the Scripture.” What is surprising is that the Old Testament passages that are quoted rarely sound like predictive prophecyProphecy is the gift, inspired by God, of speaking and interpreting the divine will. Prophets such as Amos, Isaiah, and Ezekiel spoke words of judgment and comfort to the people of Israel on behalf of God.. For example, Jesus says that his opponents fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They hated me without a cause,” something that other people also experienced (John 15:25; PsalmA psalm is a song of praise. In the Old Testament 150 psalms comprise the psalter, although some of the psalms are laments and thanksgivings. In the New Testament early Christians gathered to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. 35:19). In John’s Gospel the fulfilling of Scripture often means that something discloses the full meaning of Scripture. In the case just cited, opposing the Son of God reveals the full extent of human hatred. The quotations of Scripture help to show the meaning of something, rather than simply functioning as predictions that are fulfilled. These references to Scripture also show how Jesus is interpreting for others his mission and ministry through the lens of Old Testament stories and themes.

Jesus’ crucifixion

John’s account of the crucifixion differs in some ways from those of the other Gospels. In John, Jesus carries his own cross, underscoring his power and glory. Mark’s Gospel, for example, tells of the darkness and mockery surrounding Jesus’ death and records his final words as, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” By way of contrast, John tells of Jesus entrusting his mother to the care of his beloved disciple and says that Jesus’      final words were, “It is finished.” John’s account may not dwell on the brutality of the crucifixion, but it does take its painful reality into account. John tells of Jesus being scourged, forced to carry his cross in public,      saying “I thirst,” and having his side pierced with a spear. Since John’s readers would have understood the horror of the process, the Gospel does not emphasize it. Instead, it tells the story in a way that      affirms Jesus’ identity as the Word made flesh.

Jesus’ humanity and divinity

John’s Gospel gives special attention to the divinity of Jesus, identifying him with the Word that was with God and was God (1:1). In conversations, Jesus calls himself the “I Am,” echoing the name of God given in Exodus 3:14, and even says, “The Father and I are one” (10:30). At the same time, the Gospel is also clear that Jesus is a human being, for in him God’s Word became “flesh” (1:14). Jesus becomes tired and troubled; he weeps and dies (4:6; 11:35; 13:21; 19:30). The Gospel writer did not need to emphasize Jesus’ humanity, since everyone took it for granted, but he did have to argue that Jesus truly was from God and embodied the Word of God, since that was the disputed issue. When reading the Gospel, it is important to keep in mind that the humanity of Jesus is assumed throughout the story.

Jesus’ Signs    

The miraculous actions that Jesus carries out are called “signs” in the Gospel of John. As things that point beyond themselves, the signs that Jesus performs direct attention away from the miracle itself and toward the power and the presence of God (2:11). There are seven signs of Jesus recorded in the Gospel of John and the very first act, the changing of water into wine and last act, the raising of Lazarus are signs that reveal the abundant life Jesus offers.    

The Jews

John’s Gospel often refers to Jesus’ opponents as “the Jews,” which can give the impression that the Gospel speaks negatively about Jews in general. Nevertheless, it is clear that Jesus himself is Jewish and a number of these conversations assume conflict between Jesus and other Jewish authorities.      Jesus is called a      rabbi, and he teaches in synagogues and the temple (1:38; 18:20). Jesus is also portrayed as a faithful Jewish male since he travels many times to Jerusalem over the course of the Gospel for the pilgrimage festivals (Feast of Passover; Feast of Booths) and other Jewish feasts. Since Jesus is Jewish and brings salvationSalvation can mean saved from something (deliverance) or for something (redemption). Paul preached that salvation comes through the death of Christ on the cross which redeemed sinners from death and for a grace-filled life., he can say that salvation is from the Jews (4:22). It is also clear that many of his followers are Jews, who know the Jewish Scriptures (1:45). According to the Gospel, some Jews responded favorably to Jesus and others did not. This was also true of non-Jews, since some Greeks wanted to see Jesus, whereas a Roman like Pilate had Jesus put to death (12:20; 19:10).

Lord’s Supper

The other Gospels and 1 Corinthians say that on the night of his betrayal Jesus gave his disciples bread and wine, saying, “This is my body,” and, “This is my blood.” These are called the Words of Institution. John’s Gospel does not include this in its account of Jesus’ last night with his disciples but focuses instead on Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. Earlier in John, Jesus calls himself the bread of life, and speaks of people consuming his flesh and blood (John 6:32-35, 48-58). Many assume that this alludes to the words of institution, since the theme is similar. Others do not think this is the case, interpreting the passage as a vivid way to speak about believing in the crucified Christ. Jesus hosts another meal of bread and fish for his disciples when he appears to them on the shores of the Sea of Galilee (21:1-14).

Post-Easter perspective

John’s Gospel tells the story of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension from a post-Easter perspective. The Gospel is not simply a record of what Jesus said and did, but an account that includes insights from the time after Jesus’ resurrection. In the account of the cleansing of the temple, Jesus speaks about the temple being destroyed and raised up. The Gospel says that the disciples did not understand this at first, but later realized that he was speaking about the temple of his body, which would be crucified,      resurrected, and ascended (John 2:18-22). Similarly, they did not understand what it meant for Jesus to ride toward Jerusalem on a donkey, but after his resurrection they understood it in light of the Old Testament passages concerning a ruler of Israel coming on a donkey (John 12:14-16; Zechariah 9:9). These later insights are included in order to help readers understand the meaning of what Jesus said and did.

Seeing and believing

At the end of John’s Gospel, a disciple named ThomasOne of the twelve disciples of Jesus who is remembered for doubting then believing in the resurrection. wishes to see the resurrected Jesus just as Mary MagdaleneFollower of Jesus and among the first to reach Jesus’ tomb on Easter. and the disciples did. W     hen Jesus appears to him, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Seeing signs or resurrection appearances is not a necessary basis for faith. The first disciples follow Jesus when they hear others speak about him. Later, they respond favorably to the signs, but the signs are not the basis for their faith. Moreover, the Gospel recognizes that people easily misunderstand the meaning of signs which is why in some cases Jesus offers an interpretation of the sign. For example, Jesus heals a blind man on the SabbathSabbath is a weekly day of rest, the seventh day, observed on Saturday in Judaism and on Sunday in Christianity. In the book of Genesis, God rested on the seventh day; in the Gospel accounts Jesus and his disciples are criticized by some for not…, which reveals the power of God, but many argue that doing this breaks the law of God and shows that Jesus is a sinner. Seeing does not guarantee believing.

The “I Am” Statements

Unique to the Gospel of John, Jesus identifies himself as “I Am” using language that echoes part of the divine name of God (Exodus 3:14 “I am the one who is” in Greek). There are two different kinds of “I Am” statements in John. The first are the “I Am” statements when Jesus simply says, “I Am” (4:26; 6:20; 8:24, 28, 58; 13:19; 18:5, 7), a full disclosure of his identity as the eternal Word made flesh. The second are the “I Am” statements where Jesus connects himself with a source of sustaining life (6:35; 6:51; 8:12; 9:5; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25-26;14:6; 15:1, 5). In each case, the “I Am” statements are meant to reveal Jesus’ true identity as God tabernacling once again with God’s people.