John

1
John

• In the Beginning was the Word

2
In the Beginning

• opening of John is utterly unique
• exactly like the LXX Genesis (en arche)
• In Genesis, God created the heavens and earth
• In John, was the Word
• Before the world, the Word already was.
• God created the world through the Word (13)
• The Word was not just an agent of God, the Word
  was God himself.

3
Incarnation

• vs. 14 And the word became flesh and dwelt
  among us
• The Word became a human named Jesus!
• we move from primeval time to history
• Jesus is called the Messiah (117)
• announced by John (16)
• compared to Moses who gave the law (117)
• John claims Word became flesh in Jesus

4
Jesus Context

• The word dwelt in a particular human context
• Jewish parents, in Galilee
• but to really understand Jesus, John believes
• you must place him in a cosmic context
• divine drama of what God is doing in the world
• story of Jesus life and work are present
• but to understand, you must place Jesus in a
  broader context of God made flesh

5
Divine and Human

• John treats both the divinity of Jesus and the
  humanity with equal importance
• Jesus has a unique relationship to God as only
  begotten Son and Word made flesh
• Jesus is flesh and blood, fully human.
• common terms describe Jesus bread, water,
  light, life, word, shepherd, door, way.

6
Main Concerns

• engendering faith in Jesus (2021) and
• discrediting the Temple-centered, hereditary
  religious authorities who present an obstacle to
  faith in Jesus (114 922-23)
• Jesus is presented as
• incarnate Word and only begotten Son
• messiah (141), Holy One of God (669), King of
  Israel (149), and I am (858)

7
Conflict and Confession

• people who encounter him move either closer to
  him or away from him
• the Samaritan woman professes Jesus as the
  Savior of the World (ch. 4)
• ch. 6 feeding of 5000
• after Jesus claims to be the bread of life, many
  leave him
• Peter affirms, To whom can we go? You have the
  words of life (v. 67)

8
Hin oder Her

• People move toward or away from him
• his teaching is designed to divide his audience
• Jesus forces the issue by speaking on Gods
  behalf and with Gods authority (716, 826)
• Jesus in John seeks to make belief and unbelief
  the only two options

9
No Mans Territory

• he seeks to undercut all middle ground
• faith in Jesus comes from above and results in
  eternal life, light, truth, love, joy, peace, and
  knowledge of God
• unbelief leads to death, darkness, error, evil,
  judgment and damnation (319-20)
• to disbelieve is to be from the devil (844-47)
• seeing miracles does not always lead to belief
  one must understand their significance (627-35)

10
Jesus and his miracles

• the Pharisees response to Jesus healing
• read 91-41
• some said, this man is not from God, for he does
  not observe the Sabbath.
• others, How can a man who is a sinner perform
  such signs? (916)
• Jesus miracles prove he has come from God
• yet often people take an opposite opinion

11
Claims and Encounters

• John claims that Jesus makes God known (118) yet
  
• it does not recount episodes of triumphant
  splendor
• Encounters w/Jesus give rise to differing
  opinions
• some think he makes brash claims
• is of ordinary origins (642)
• believe Jesus is unstudied (715)
• is of unknown origins (929)
• falsely claims to be equal with God (1033)

12
Revelation gone awry

• those who reject Jesus seek his life
• they have shut their eyes and ears to truth
• John is a grim story of revelation gone awry.
• Yet many do believe and follow (211)
• Samaritan woman confesses him as Messiah and a
  whole town honors him as Savior (ch 4)
• a former beggar worships him as Lord (ch. 9)
• Doubting Thomas makes his confession (2028)

13
Words of Prologue

• opposing responses of belief and unbelief are
  summed up in the prologue (111-13)
• people either believe and receive, or reject
  Jesus in unbelief
• John notes that the same is true for the time of
  the present readers (2030-31)

14
Narrative Overview

• Prologue (11-18)
• The Book of Signs (119-1250)
• Confession of Jesus (119-454) positive tone
• Rising Hostility (51-1236) negative tone
• Summary (1237-50)
• Book of Passion (or Book of Glory - 131-2123)
• Last meal and instructions (13-17)
• Arrest, trial, crucifixion (18-19)
• Resurrection (201-2123)
• Postscript (2124-25)

15
Jesus is the logos of God

• language based on Jewish Wisdom lit.
• Prov. 822-31 Wisdom existed from the
  beginning, agent in creation, rejected by humans
• Sirach 248 Wis. came from mouth of God, took
  root in Israel, grew into a tree whose branches
  were filled with glory and grace (cf. Jn 114,
  151-11)
• Wisdom equated with the law which gives
  understanding (Sir 2426, 28)

16
Jesus and Wisdom

• for John, the Son reveals the fullness of grace
  and truth (114, 16)
• the incarnate Word is the true light going beyond
  the law of Moses (117)
• Jesus takes on the role and function of Wisdom
  dwelling with people, giving instruction,
  revealing glory and grace who makes God known.
• Jesus must be understood in the backdrop of Gods
  work of creation and dealings with Israel

17
Confessions of Jesus (119-454)

• Jesus identity is the central question
• begins with the testimony of John the Baptist
• In synoptics, John calls people to repentance
• In John, John the Baptist simply bears witness to
  Jesus (129ff) and urges faith in him
• he denies that he is the Messiah or Elijah, or a
  prophet like Moses
• Jesus is the lamb of God and Son of God (134)

18
Confessions Continued

• various characters confess Jesus as
• Lamb of God, Son of God, Rabbi, Messiah, King of
  Israel, Son of man.
• all serve as witnesses to Jesus person and
  mission
• discipleship involved recognizing and confessing
  Jesus in these terms
• and bearing witness to Jesus using these terms

19
More Descriptors for Jesus

• He is a prophet (419)
• compared to Moses (117, 45 314)
• deemed greater than Abraham (852f) and Jacob
  (412)
• addressed as Lord (938 1336)
• confession of Jesus as Messiah leads to expulsion
  from the synagogue (922)

20
Jesus concerns

• Jesus evades crowds who want to make him king
  (614-15)
• He refuses to answer when asked if he is Messiah
  (1024)
• Jesus is hailed King of Israel (149) but this
  is redefined (1833-37)
• King of the Jews is defined by suffering and
  sacrifice at the cross

21
Prophet and Messiah

• Prophet and Messiah do not fully portray him.
• Samaritans move from these designations toward
  Savior of the World (442)
• blind man initially declares Jesus a prophet but
  then later sees him as Son of Man and Lord (938)
• both stories indicate the inadequacy of these
  titles and move toward fuller expressions
• Word made flesh is fullest understanding

22
Jesus as Son of Man

• in John, Jesus does not speak of himself as Word
  made flesh
• but as Son of Man (151 313-14, 935)
• Yet this name is baffling (935 who is he?)
• an allusion to the Ancient of Days of Dan 7
• first reference (151) alludes to Jacobs ladder
  vision of Gen 2812.
• heaven and earth joined by the Son of Man

23
I am the light of the world

• Johns Jesus regularly alludes to Isaiahs
  descriptions of God
• Jesus says, I am the light of the world
• I am the resurrection and the life
• I am the way, the truth and the life.
• Isaiah says, I, I am Yahweh, besides me there is
  no savior
• read Isa 4311, 13, 15
• Jesus is Gods agent of salvation identified with
  Yahweh himself!

24
Ego emi

• Jesus speaks of himself in ways that resonate
  with the burning bush story
• before Abraham was, I am (858)
• You will die in your sins unless you believe
  that I am (824)
• God says to Moses at the burning bush, I am who
  I am.
• the language used by Jesus links his person and
  work intimately to that of Yahweh

25
Father and Son

• John has Father for God over 120 times
• with Jesus as Gods Son huios theou
• John uses a different word for believers as
  children of God tekna theou
• the relationship between Jesus and God is unique
  
• his opponents to charge him with blasphemy
• he makes himself Gods equal

26
Two Public Signs in ch. 2

• Jesus and Jewish hopes and expectations
• wedding feast at Cana water to wine
• water for Jewish rites of washing
• wine a symbol of messianic age (Amos 913-14)
• huge vineyard harvests (INT 185 2 Baruch
  295-8)
• cleansing of the temple purification
• expected with Messiah (sons of Levi Mal 33)
• read text INT 190 (1QS 420-22)

27
Signs Read the Wrong Way

• People misconstrue Jesus words and signs
• Nicodemus confesses Jesus is a teacher come from
  God (32) yet he misunderstands
• He thinks born again refers to physical birth
• Jesus is speaking of a birth from above initiated
  by Gods spirit (35-8)
• anothen means both again or from above
• N misunderstands thinking it means again
• his misunderstanding proves his spiritual lack

28
More Misunderstandings!

• the Samaritan woman thinks living water will save
  her a walk! (415)
• Jesus promises the cleansing Spirit (737f)
• crowds believe Jesus refers to physical bread
• Jesus refers to spiritual bread (633-35)
• Jesus corrects misconstruals and teaches that one
  must be taught of God to hear and learn (645)
• the reader has Johns help for this instruction

29
Misunderstood Signs of Jesus

• Jesus miracles are signs in that they point
  beyond themselves to deeper truth concerning
  Jesus identity
• Not looking beyond brings confusion
• when Jesus multiplies the loaves people clamor
  for more of this bread (634)
• I am the bread of life vs. 35.
• to only see bread is to miss the point

30
Word Made Flesh

• people do not see the glory specifically
  because it has been made flesh!
• misunderstanding is inevitable because of the
  commonality of manner of divine revelation
• It is in his sheer humanity that he is the
  Revealer. . . This paradox runs through the
  gospel. If one wishes to see the glory, it is
  seen in the flesh and nowhere else. Revelation is
  present in a peculiar hiddenness (Bultmann).

31
Conflict in the Book of Signs

• conflict becomes sharper throughout BOS leading
  finally to the raising of Lazarus (11).
• Jesus self-revelation leads to the cross
• the Sanhedrin doubts it can appease Rome and
  control the crowds with such deeds done
• read 1145-53
• the price for peace with Rome is the death of
  Jesus.
• these words were true but not in the way Caiaphas
  meant!! (irony?)

32
Other examples of Johannine irony

• Nicodemus admits Jesus is a teacher who has
  come from God (32)
• thinking Jesus was a teacher sent by God
• irony this was true on a much deeper level
• incarnation Word made flesh
• invalid at pool of Bethesda
• no human being has been able to help him (56)

33
Purpose of Irony in John

• Through irony, John emphasizes the necessity of
  God-given insight into Jesus mission and
  identity.
• only those who are taught by God (645) can
  hear and see the one who has come from God.
• failure to understand is due to the inadequacy of
  human effort to grasp the Word made flesh.

34
Antithetical Territory

• consequences of belief and unbelief are great
  no neutral territory
• life and death
• salvation and condemnation
• judgment and forgiveness
• The tragic irony of the Gospel is that those who
  seek Jesus death unwittingly reject the life
  that he has offered (INT, p. 194)
• Yet, Jesus has not come to condemn but to give
  life.

35
Jesus on Youtube Woman Caught in Adultery two
versions

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vF-EhdeXjDlofeature
  related
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?veT-Zo6iWbE4feature
  related

36
Book of Glory

• Divided into three sub-sections
• chs 13-17 last meal and instructions to and
  prayer for the disciples
• chs 18-19 Jesus trial and crucifixion
• chs 20-21 the resurrection appearances
• Book of Glory because Jesus death was the hour
  of his glorification
• return to the Father from whom he had come
• Jesus glory takes the shape of a cross.

37
The Shape of Glory

• Before Jesus arrest, he eats a last meal w/12
• he models for them self-giving love (ch. 13)
• by washing their feet, he emulates self-giving
  discipleship
• Discipleship taking the route of
  self-humiliation and role reversal (1311-17)
• Lengthy farewell speech (chs. 14-16) and prayer
  (ch. 17)

38
Jesus Sermon and Prayer

• believers eternal home with God (ch. 14)
• Keep my commandments if you love me
• I will send the Holy Spirit
• I am the true vine (ch. 15)
• expect the world to hate you
• the Advocate will testify on my behalf
• Expect to be rejected from synagogues (16)
• I will send the Advocate who will testify to me
  and convict the world of sin

39
John and the Synoptics

• points of similarity
• Jesus teaches, gathers crowds, disciples, heals,
  debates,
• is arrested, tried, crucified, resurrected.
  appears to disciples
• Similar events recorded
• temple cleansing (differing order)
• feeding of 5000 followed by confession by Peter

40
Enormous Differences

• John lacks stories that form the backbone of
  synoptic portrayal of Jesus
• account of Jesus birth,
• baptism by John
• (note Jesus comes by John while John is
  baptizing, but John never baptizes Jesus!)
• no temptation in the wilderness
• no proclamation of the Kingdom of God

41
John and the Three

• to telling of parables, casting out demons, no
  transfiguration, no institution of the Lords
  Supper!, no prayer in the Garden, no trial before
  Jewish authorities
• These stories form the heart and core of the
  Synoptic tradition but are not in John

42
Stories Unique to John

• turning water into wine (ch. 2)
• raising of Lazarus (ch. 11)
• Some unique Teachings in John
• You must be born again ch. 3
• the famous I am sayings
• I am the bread, the way, the truth, the life, the
  door, the resurrection and the life

43
Actual Discrepancies

• John has Jesus die on a different day than the
  synoptics
• afternoon before passover (John)
• on the morning after (synoptics)
• cleansing of the temple
• early in Jesus ministry (John)
• right at the end (Synoptics)

44
Material Shared is Telling

• Jesus is a miracle working in all gospels but
• Synoptics Jesus does miracles to help people in
  need
• Jesus spurns temptation to jump from the temple
  to prove he is one sent from God (Mat 44-7)
• When asked to perform a sign he says, No sign
  is given to this evil generation (Matt 1239)
• Jesus miracles prove his identity
• actually called signs designed to help people
  believe (454)
• Temptation narrative doesnt appear in John

45
Signs and Wonders

• In John, miracles are meant to generate faith
• In Synoptics, miracles are done in response to
  faith, meet a need, announce KOG
• In John, Jesus does miracles to prove identity
• In Synoptics, Jesus refuses to do miracles to
  prove who he is.

46
Two Dead Men Raised

• Mark 5 raising of Jairus daughter John 11
  Lazarus
• In both, a family member asks Jesus to come help
  heal a sick person before it is too late
• Jesus does not arrive in time they are dead
• onlookers mock Jesus he cannot raise a dead
  person
• Jesus speaks of the dead person as sleeping
• Jesus commands the dead person to arise, they do,
  and onlookers care for the person.

47
Differences between the Two

• Mark 5 Jesus goes as soon as he is summoned,
  privately entering the girls room, taking only
  parents and three disciples, ordering witnesses
  not to tell what they have seen.
• John 11, Jesus intentionally waits for Lazarus to
  die (?) and goes to awaken him, which he does
  with a stunning display of power publicly. Utter
  amazement ensues.

48
Differences

• In Mark Jesus orders secrecy, in John, Jesus
  makes a very public display
• in one he refuses to do miracles to convince
  people of who he is, in another he does miracles
  for this very reason
• Synoptics have Jesus refuse to do miracles to
  display his glory, in John, that is why he does
  them!

49
Difference in Emphasis

• Synoptics, - Jesus teaches about the KOG in
  parables
• a future kingdom in which God will provide
  fullness of life to all who repent
• Mark 4 says Jesus taught only through parables
• Jesus never instructs on his own identity as one
  who is divine

50
In John, Jesus does just that!

• Jesus instructs on his own identity non-stop
• Jesus in John never proclaims a future coming
  kingdom where world is set to right
• he speaks concerning his own identity.
• he is the one God, equal with God, who brings
  eternal life to all who believe
• SG focus on God and the Kingdom coming in
  future
• John focus on Jesus himself and eternal life
  present here and now

51
Academic Assumpions

• Since D. Strausss attack on the authenticity of
  Johns gospel (early 19th Cen)
• tendency is to completely exclude John from any
  discussion concerning the historical Jesus
• all attempts at harmonization are taboo
• Bart Ehrman John completes the process whereby
  the apocalyptic prophet is transformed into a
  divine equal with God.

52
A Possible Solution

• Historical Jesus had to be extremely discrete
  with his public pronouncements
• even in John 6 attempts are made to force him
  into a traditional Messianic role
• Caiaphas prophesies (better for one to die)
  showing the danger Messianic claimants caused
• Jesus in the Synoptics reflects his public
  concern
• miracles are just miracles pointing toward the
  Kingdom of God

53
Lets not exaggerate!

• Ehrman exaggerates the differences between John
  and SG
• SG statement no sign shall be given to this evil
  generation may be against a crass fascination
  with power
• SGs have story of Jesus proving he has authority
  on earth to forgive sins through healing a
  paralytic! (Luke 517, Mt 91, Mk 2)

54
Lets not exaggerate

• SGs have parable of the wicked tenants
• SGs all have Jesus choosing 12 disciples
• a theme in John misunderstood signs
• multiplication of loaves leads to people trying
  to make Jesus their king
• Nicodemus only sees that Jesus is a teacher come
  from God due to his signs
• belief in signs in John are not enough

55
Thoughts on Historicity

• few deny John is primarily theological
• the question is the extent to which his
  theological purpose affects the historicity
• all history writing includes interpretation
• John makes no attempt to hide his theological
  motivation to lead readers to faith
• best history writing is honest about its
  motivations and purposes
• possible solutions

56
Exoteric vs. Esoteric Perspectives

• SG exoteric teachings
• miracles point toward KOG
• Use Son of Man language
• allow space for Jesus to redefine Messiahship
• But Jesus is still the Son come into the world
• (parable of the wicked tenants!)

57
John and Esoteric Teachings

• John esoteric teachings
• seek to make identity absolutely clear as the
  Word made flesh.
• reflects Jesus private teachings
• reflects theological unpackaging of Jesus
  parables - no parables needed here
• wisdom of the church all perspectives are valid
  and necessary for real understanding of Jesus
  identity

58
Another Idea Interpreted History

• basic material is genuine but adapted to the
  authors purpose
• result is not pure history altho bare facts are
  the essential basis of the interpretation
• example cleansing of the temple
• historical event stands behind it
• John moves it forward for theological reasons
• Also shifting the time of crucifixion

59
Another Possibility

• read-back history
• tradition is modified to speak to situation of
  the readers at a later time (80s?)
• John 9 can refer to both a blind man in Jesus
  day and to later Christian converts
• they are cast out of the synagogue
• in Jesus day, this may not have been the case
• reflects Council of Jamnia decision

60
Interlocking Traditions

• many places where John and the SG explain each
  other
• Mark 1458 reports charge that Jesus threatened
  to destroy the temple
• only reported in John 219
• John (1815-18) explains how Peter could be
  placed within the High Priests courtyard
• SG have no good explanation

61
Interlocking Traditions

• call of the disciples in SG presents a problem
• why would these fisherman drop their nets and
  follow a person they had never met! (Mat 418f)
• John they already had contact with Jesus
• Why does Phillip hesitate to bring Gentiles to
  Jesus? (John 1221-22)
• SG explain Jesus had earlier issued a
  prohibition against going to Gentiles (Mat 105)

62
Johns Christological Distinctive

• cannot be denied but must not be exaggerated
• only John designates Jesus as God (118)
• John also insists on Jesus full humanity
• SG, for all their portrayal of Jesus as a man
• right to forgive sins (Mark 2)
• claims to fulfill and abrogate Moses (Mark 715f)
• insists that eternal destiny turns on obedience
  to him (Mat 721-23)

63
John and the SG

• SG present seed form
• full flowering of incarnational understanding
  develops later in John
• but seed is already there genetically encoding
  that which takes place later
• If John lets us see a little more of the opening
  flower, it is in part because he indulges in more
  explanatory asides that clarify for the reader
  what is really going on. (Don Carson)

64
Setting and Purpose

• 2030-31 indicates John has been written for
  those who, because they live in other times and
  places, were not witnesses to Jesus ministry and
  signs he did.
• Disciples whose faith is second hand are not
  second class
• Read 2028 and context

65
The Jews of John

• 70 times John refers to The Jews but fewer than
  20 times in SG
• to whom does it refer?
• often used to distinguish people from others who
  are also clearly Jewish!
• 325 John the Baptist talks with a Jew
• 922 parents of healed blind man fear being
  thrown out of the temple by the Jews!

66
Those Jews

• Jews debate Jesus teaching (652) are
  astonished by his words (715) and try to stone
  him (1031).
• the Jews is used to distance the antagonists of
  Jesus from Jesus and his followers
• refers to the former in exclusively negative ways!

67
Possible Understandings

• refers to Judeans rather than Galileans??
• refers exclusively to Jewish authorities??
• language clearly betrays an antagonism between
  believers and non-believers in Jesus
• Shows it is a family dispute within the Jewish
  people (like Essenes called other Jews Sons of
  Darkness)
• each side struggles to define the other side

68
Expulsion from the Synagogue

• intensity of language reflects believers being
  removed from synagogue membership
• therefore they were no longer Jews but
  believers in Jesus
• harsh language denies possibility of neutral
  ground (life/death light/darkness)
• rhetorical literary practices of the day
  encouraged name calling, caricaturization,
  hyperbole

69
Our Holocaust History

• Johns harsh rhetorical style and
  characterization of Jews as evil
• along with general anti-Jewish feeling
• deadly combination which has allows Jews to be
  persecuted and killed repeatedly in church
  history
• initially it was a heated family dispute not
  unlike Pharisee/Essene dispute
• combination of heated rhetorical anger, social
  hatred, and accumulation of power had deadly
  effects

70
Nazi Readings of John

• from official Nazi documents
• Christ was not Jew. Christ himself was the
  greatest hater of Jews.
• in 1936, Bishop Weidemann published and
  anti-Jewish translation of John claiming true
  Christianity was anti-Jewish.
• at John 129 Behold the Lamb of God was
  translated Behold the chosen one of God.

71
The Purpose of it All

• Johns statement of purpose evangelistic
• possibly also to encourage persecuted believers
  to preserve their faith (660-71)
• after being kicked out of synagogues
• and rejected by family
• seeks to clarify the relationship of Jesus to
  Judaism by showing superiority
• over patriarchs, temple and passover

72
Dating and Historicity

• once fashionable to date John late 2nd Cen.
• John Rylands papyrus makes this impossible
• dated early 2nd Cen. John 18

73
Dating and Background

• Must be dated toward the end of the first century
  at the latest (between 65-100)
• probably between 90-100 AD
• some scholars labeled John acutely Hellenized
  influenced by neo-Platonism
• But DSS shows similar ideas of light/darkness,
  flesh/spirit, truth/error were similar to Qumran
  community thinking
• both located in 1st Century Palestinian Judaism