What makes John unique?
It is only in John's Gospel that
Jesus is presented as pre-existing the world. Unlike the narratives of
Matthew, Mark, or Luke, nothing is said of Jesus' birth, genealogy, or
early childhood. John the Baptist calls Jesus the "Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world" (1:29). Philip soon believed Jesus to
be "the one that Moses and the Prophets wrote about" (1:45). Nathanael
calls Jesus "the Son of God and the King of Israel" (1:49). In this
Gospel, Jesus describes himself as: the Messiah (4:25, 26); the bread
that gives life (6:35); the source of living water (7:37-39); the good
shepherd (10:14); the one who raises the dead to life (11:25); the way,
the truth, and the life (14:6); and the true vine (15:1). John also
reports that when Jesus explains who he is and what God is doing
through him, he uses the words "I am." These are the same words God
told Moses to use when referring to God (Exodus 3:13-15).
Why was John written?
The
author of John's Gospel indicates that the Gospel was written "so that
you will put your faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. If
you have faith in him, you will have true life" (20:31, CEV). However,
there may have been other reasons as well. For instance, there is a
remarkable similarity between Jesus' vocabulary and that of the
narrator. Many critical scholars conclude, therefore, that the speeches
of Jesus in John's Gospel do not necessarily represent those of the
historical Jesus himself, but rather represent a series of profound
theological and Christological reflections on the significance of
Jesus' life and death. The speeches were then attributed to Jesus over
time by the Johannine community (i.e., the church or group of churches
in which this text developed) as they told and re-told his story.
What's the story behind the scene?
John's
Gospel took shape sometime after the Romans destroyed the temple and
suppressed a Jewish uprising in A.D. 70. After this time, Jewish people
who accepted the teachings of Jesus were being banned from the Jewish
meeting places (synagogues) to keep them from spreading the message
about Jesus there. John refers to this terrible rejection three times
(see e.g., 9:22, 23; 12:42; 16:1; cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16).
How is John constructed?
The
action in John's Gospel shifts back and forth quickly between Galilee
and the area in and around Jerusalem. Time is also marked by certain
Jewish festivals. The basic outline of John can be described in the
following way:
The Introduction to Jesus' Ministry (1:1-51)
- The prologue (1:1-18)
- The ministry of John the Baptist (1:19-34)
- The calling of the first disciples (1:35-51)
Jesus' Public Ministry (2:1- 12:50)
- The beginning (2:1-5:47)
- Increasing conflict and opposition (6:1-10:42)
- Prelude to Jesus' final hour (11:1-12:50)
Farewell Discourse (13:1-17:26)
- The final meal and foot washing (13:1-38)
- Jesus teaches his disciples (14:1- 16:33)
- Jesus prays for his followers (17:1-26)
Passion Narrative and Resurrection (18:1-20:29)
- The arrest (18:1-12)
- The interrogations by Annas and Peter's denial (18:13-27)
- The trial before Pilate (18:28 ' 19:16a)
- The crucifixion and burial (19:16b-42)
- The first resurrection appearances (20:1-29)
Conclusion (20:30 - 21:25)
- First ending (20:30,31)
- Appearance to certain disciples and final words to Peter (21:1-23)
- Second ending (21:24,25)
Much
of John's Gospel is organized around sets of seven. Two of the most
important series of seven are Jesus' miracles and his "I am" sayings.
Jesus' seven miracles:
- Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding in Cana (2:1-12)
- Jesus heals an official's son in Capernaum (4:43-54)
- Jesus heals a paralytic man by the pool in Bethzatha (5:1-47)
- Jesus feeds five thousand (6:1-15)
- Jesus walks on the water (6:16-21)
- Jesus heals a man born blind (9:1-41)
- Jesus brings Lazarus back to life (11:1-57)
Jesus'seven "I am" sayings:
- I am the bread of life (6:35,51)
- I am the light of the world (8:12)
- I am the gate (10:7,9)
- I am the good shepherd (10:11,14)
- I am the resurrection and the life (11:25)
- I am the way, the truth, and the life (14:6)
- I am the true vine (15:1)
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