Gospel of John (Exam 2)

NT Glover - Exam 2

John vs. Synoptics

• no parables, exorcism, little about the Kingdom of God

• VERY self-referential)

• metaphorical and figurative speech

• Jesus proclaims His own divinity

• long discourses

  • unlike synoptic one-liners

• reorders Synoptic chronology

• 90% unparalleled in the synoptics

John’s figurative language

• Jesus is metaphorically self-referential

  • the door, the vine, the shepherd, the bread, the living water, the gate, etc

• calls miracles signs (the only one)

  • points to who He really is as divine in nature, the Word of God

John’s reordering of the Synoptic Gospels’ chronology

• John moves the destruction of the temple to the beginning of the passion

  • increases the hostility between Jesus and the religious leaders

VS

• synoptics place it at the end of the passion

  • used as a reason for His crucifixion 

John’s Outline

• introduction/prologue

• Book of Signs

• Book of Glory

• Epilogue (21-25)

John’s prologue

• 1:1-18 - the Word

  • sets the stage by explaining how Jesus preexisted in creation and chose to become flesh in Jesus

John’s Book of Signs

• 1st ½ of the gospel: 1:19-12:52)

• Jesus is traveling between Galilee and Jerusalem

  • all His signs (miracles) point to His identity

John’s Book of Glory

• 13:1-20:31

• essentially the passion narrative

  • there’s little suffering

High Christology

High as in the divinity of Jesus as equal with God

• John

Low Christology

low as in closer to earth/bigger emphasis on Jesus as human

• synoptics

John’s High Christology (Prologue)

• Jesus as the Word (His incarnate statement)

• “I am” statements

• Jesus is the “lamb of God”

• Jesus is the only begotten Son of the Father

• Jesus is God’s presence on earth

“I am” statements

• ego eimi

• euquates Jesus with God

• God uses these statements in the OT to identify Himself with Moses

Jesus as the “Lamb of God”

• lamb was the passover sacrifice in Egypt (exodus)

• in John, Jesus dies on passover

John’s Story of Jesus’ Death

• opposite of the Passion of the Christ

• not depicted as suffering but as the glorification of Jesus

• He is not killed but hands Himself over to death, maintaining His divine authority

• on the cross, He calmly and rationally fulfills the OT prophecies and gives up His Spirit (soul)

“The Beloved Disciple”

thought to be John the son of Zebedee, brother of James and the apostle as the main author

• Apostle John + John the Elder

Composition of John

• multiple authors/editions like a shared Google Doc in addition to John

  • the Johannine Community

Evidence for the multiple authors

• ch 21 was a later addition

• 14:21 - Rise, let’s go BUT Jesus has a long discourse and THEN they travel

• Mary reintroduced later on as if she had never been mentioned

  • probably an added story

the Johannine Community (introduction)

John was a community document, written by multiple people at different times

• revised by a community to address their current circumstances

• last chapter is evidence with “we know” and “rumor spread” that is addressed

Realized Eschatology

• not concerned about the future realization of Jesus actions

• AKA His work is finished and the availability of salvation and God’s presence is here and now

• His work is largely completed = “it is finished”

• HS is active in the community

Sacraments

• extremely significant in John

• ritual ceremonies/traditions 

  • baptism (served as the initiating ritual to enter the community)

  • eucharist (communion)

  • foot-washing (an act of Jesus to be imitated)