CHAPTER SEVENThe Gospel of John:

Jesus the Word of God

Background- Gospel contrasts sharply with the

synoptic gospels ofMatthew, Mark, and Luke

-Written for Jewish-Christians who were expelled from synagogues after the Roman Revolt

-Written to strengthen faith andwin converts

•These goals lead to eternal life

Background- Special liturgy feature is long,

well developed discoursesdelivered by Jesus• Jesus reveals the Father

• Teaches truths about Himself

- The key to being Jesus’ follower:• Have faith in Him and His

word

• Love others as He loves us

• Trust the Holy Spirit

BackgroundTwo other purposes of Gospel:

1.) To combat false ideas aboutJesus’ divinity

2.) To oppose followers of John the Baptist who believed he was the Messiah

Background New Cha racters in J oh n’s Gos pel

• Nicodemus

• Lazarus

• Samaritan woman

• Man born blind

BackgroundDifferences in John’s Gospel:

- Jesus attends three Passover festivals compared to one

- He makes several trips to Jerusalemfor various festivals

- Teachings take form of longdiscourses, not parables

- He focuses on Himself as God’srevelation

- Does not stress the kingdom of God

Background- John’s gospel is very poetic

• Presents a more solemn andholy Jesus

- Uses literary techniques such as irony and figurative language to help clarify the misunderstandings people had of him

BackgroundTwo major sources for John’s Gospel:

1.) Collection of miracles,calledsign sources• Changing water to wine

• Cure of a man born blind

• Raising of Lazarus

2.) Version of the passion and resurrection narratives

BackgroundId entit y o f th e a ut ho r:

- In A.D. 180 the Church Father Irenaeus attributed the fourth gospel to John• Church tradition identified John

as one of the apostles

- Tradition held that John wrote the gospel towards the end of his life at Ephesus in AsiaMinor

Background- Today, scholars believe

Irenaeus may have confused John the apostle with another John, a Church elder and disciple of the apostle John

- Scholars believe the gospel may have been written inseveral stages and editedby many people• Some material appears twice

with only slight changes in wording

Themes- The first 18 verses of John’s

Gospel serve as a prologueto the gospel.

- There, he introduces three theological themes of the gospel:

1.) Christology From Above

2.) Major Conflicts

3.) Who is Jesus?

ThemesTheme 1 : Christology From Above-Study of Jesus Christ

• Trying to understand who He is

- All of the gospel’s are interested inJesus’ identity

- John’s gospel stresses Jesus’:• Heavenly origins• Fundamental identity as the Son of

God• Preexistence as the Word of God

ThemesTheme 2: Major Conflicts

-Light of Christ versus darkness of the world that refused Jesus

-Life-giving faith in Jesus versus unbelief

-Truth versus untruth

ThemesTheme 3 : Who is Jesus?

- John testifies that he is not theChrist, Elijah, or “the prophet”

• The reader knows that onlyJesus deserves these titles

- The prologue and chapter one use various titles to reveal who Jesus is• Word of God, Son of God,

Christ, Son of Man

• Because He is God, no one title totally describes him

Book of Signs- Organized around seven miracles

- Uses the words ergon (work) or semeion (sign) to describe Jesus’ miracles

-Miracles of Jesus reveal:• His identity

• Purpose of his incarnation

• His heavenly glory

• His relation to his heavenly Father

Book of SignsSign 1: Changing Water to Wine

- Performed at the wedding at Cana

- First public event where Jesus revealed His glory, leading disciples to believe in Him

- Providing wine shows the richness of the wisdom and revelation Jesus brings from God

- Fulfilling prophesies of flowing wine when the Messiah comes

Book of SignsSign 2: Cure of the Official’s Son

- Power of Jesus’ word is enough toheal the son of a court official

- Sign teaches that the faith in Jesus can rescue us from spiritual death

- Also teaches the power ofintercessory prayer

Book of SignsSign 3: Cure of the Paralytic

at the Pool

- Jesus healed a man on theSabbath who was lame for38 years

- Point of third sign is that Jesus isthe source of life

- Shows that he is Lord of the Sabbath, doing his Father’s work because the Father never rests

Book of SignsSign 4: Feeding of 5,000

- Multiplication of the loaves reveals Jesus to be the Bread of Life.

- Jesus is the new bread God has given to them, their source of eternal life

- Reference to the Eucharist• As the Father is the source of

Jesus’ life, so Jesus is the source of our life

Book of SignsSign 5: The Walking on Water- Revealed that Jesus was God’s

Holy One

- Jesus says, “It is I. Do not beafraid.” (6:21)• Jesus points out his identity as

God

- Despite the storms that come our way in life, God is always with us, the way Jesus was with the disciples

Book of SignsSign 6: Cure of the Blind Man

- Contrast between:

• A blind man given his sight

&• Those who had sight yet were

spiritually blind

Spiritual blindness is worse than physical blindness

Book of SignsSign 7: Raising of Lazarus

-Most important miracle in John’s gospel•Preconfigures Jesus’ death and resurrection

Jesus weeps for his friend Lazarus

Jesus prays toGod, thanking

Him for answering His

prayer

Jesus calls Lazarus out of the grave

Dead man comes out and isfreed from burial clothes

Book of SignsSign 7: Raising of Lazarus Cont.

- This last sign sums up all of the other signs and pulls together the themes in the Gospel

• Jesus is the way to life• He is the resurrection• He is God (“I am”)• Faith is essential for us to gain

eternal life

Book of Glory- Second part of John’s Gospel

consists of two major sections:

1.) Last Supper Discourse2.) Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

An Epilogue includes Jesus’resurrection appearances in Galilee

Book of GloryPart One: Last Supper Discourse

- John’s gospel reports the Last Supper occurred a day earlier than the Synoptic gospels

- Began with washing the feet of thedisciples

• Only gospel to report this incident

- Jesus prays we remain united to Him so that he can continue to work through us

Book of GloryPart Two: Resurrection of Jesus

- Collectively the gospels give us14 stories that describe the resurrection

- All gospels proclaim the resurrection was a real event, with historically verifiable elements

- Differ to the point that it is impossible to blend them into one narrative

Book of GloryAll Gospels agree:

- Resurrection took place early in the morning on the first day of the week

- Women were present at the tomb, most certainly Mary Magdalene

- Stone had been rolled away and tomb was empty

- Messenger(s) were at the tomb

Book of Glory- Jesus only appeared to his disciples

- They were slow to recognize himbecause:

• They were not expecting the Lord tocome back to life

• Jesus’ resurrected body shone with glory of God’s life

• He was not a ghost

-Jesus prepared his disciples for his ascension and the descent of the Spirit

Book of GloryEssential beliefs about Resurrection

1.) Proves Jesus’ claims to be God’sSon

• Confirms Jesus’ works and teachings

• Fulfills OT promises

• Proves Jesus’ divinity

2.) Accomplished our salvation• Proves Jesus conquered sin and

death

Book of Glory3.) Gives us new life, justifies us

in God’s grace, and adoptsus into the divine family

• Resurrection allows Jesus to live in us so we already share eternal life

4.) If we join ourselves to the Risen Lord and live according to his message of love, we will also share in our own final resurrectionat the end of time

Vocabulary• Christology

• Glory of God

• Logos

• Paraclete

• Priest