Introduction to the Gospels: Part 5 - The Gospel of John
In the last part of this series we look at the Gospel of Luke. If you missed that, or one of the other parts in this series, you can go back and read them here.
So far in this series we have talked about the formation of the Gospels. We have talked about Jewish life and culture. And We have talked about the synoptic Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke. Now we are going to explore the Gospel of John.
Introduction
The Gospel of John is strikingly different from the synoptic Gospels. It has been referred to as “The Cosmic Gospel,” “The Mystical Gospel,” and “The Maverick Gospel.” It is strikingly different from the synoptics.
Date
According to Reddish, the earliest copy of the New Testament was found in small fragments that were discovered in Egypt and date back to the early second century around 125 CE. There is no sure date of when the Gospel of John was written, but some believe it may have been written around 90-95 CE. Many believe the Gospel of John went through several stages of editing before it became the Gospel we know today.
Authorship
Irenaeus, the bishop of Lyons, claimed that “John, the disciple of the Lord, who also had leaned upon His breast, did himself publish a Gospel during his residence at Ephesus in Asia.” This statement led way to the popular belief that one of the twelve disciples, John, the son of Zebedee and the brother of James was the author of the fourth Gospel. John is often referred to as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” There is a reference to the author of John, which says:
John 21:24-25 (NRSVUE):
This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. But there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
For this reason, some scholars point to a three-stage composition of the Gospel. The first stage is built on the memory or perhaps even the written witness of the Beloved Disciples. The second stage is a community of followers (v. 24) that collected, preserved, and reshaped his teachings. The third stage is one of his followers that was responsible for the final version of the Gospel.
That being said, nowhere in the Gospel of John is “the disciple whom Jesus loved” ever identified by name or identified with the disciple John. Because of this, some schoalrs suggest that the Beloved Disciple could be Lazarus (the only person in the Gospel who is mentioned as someone whom Jesus loved – John 11:3). Others argue that the Beloved Disciple is not a person, but a symbol of the church and a model of the perfect Christian disciple.
Still, some scholars claim that due to similarities in writing styles, themes, and vocabularies found in the letters of John, the author of these works were actually produced by a group referred to as the “Johannine community.” The book of Revelation could have come from this same community as well. Ultimately, like the other Gospels, we cannot name the person who wrote this Gospel with complete certainty. Therefore, we must consider the author of this Gospel, as the others, as anonymous.
Audience
John was written during a time where the intended readers were feeling excluded from the synagogue. It was likely written to encourage Jewish Christians to publicly embrace their faith. This Gospel may have been written for a mix of Jewish and Gentile readers. It refers to Jewish images and practices from the Hebrew Bible, but it also offers explanations for Jewish practices. Still, some scholars believe the Gospel was written for Jewish Christians and then was later revised for gentile Christians. Some scholars once believed John to be written within Hellenistic philosophy or Gnosticism. Scholars claim a similarity between the Gospel of John and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Currently, most scholars believe that John has a Palestinian Jewish background.
Location
Many believe the Gospel could have been written in more than one setting or location, but the final Gospel was formed outside of Palestine. No one is certain where the Gospel of John was officially written, although many have speculated.
Style of Writing
The Gospel of John uses a literary style that is distinctive from the Synoptic Gospels.
In his book An Introduction to the Gospels, Mitchell G. Reddish explains by saying, "John uses different vocabulary, writing style, and symbols from those of the other evangelists. His characterization of Jesus is unlike that of the Synoptics, both in terms of Jesus' own self-awareness and in terms of his characteristic speech and language."[i]
Many see John's writing as poetic and rhythmic. The language seems to be influenced by Semitic background which alludes to a Johannine tradition. Jesus tells no parables in this Gospel and uses the expression "the kingdom of God" only twice.
Outline of John’s Gospel
I. Prologue (1:1-18)
II. Jesus’ Revelation to the World (1:19-12:50)
A. Testimonies to Jesus (1:19-51)
B. From Cana to Cana (2:1-4:54)
C. Jesus at the Festivals (5:1-10:42)
D. Intimations of Jesus’ Death (11:1-12:50)
III. Jesus’ Revelation to his Disciples (13:1-20:31)
A. Farewell Discourse (13:1-17:26)
B. Death and Resurrection of Jesus (18:1-20:31)
IV. Epilogue (21:1-25)
Absent from John
- Exorcisms
- Parables
- Ethical Instructions
- Messianic Secrecy
- Jesus’ struggles in the wilderness
- Jesus’ struggles in the Garden of Gethsemane
New Material in John
- Wedding at Cana
- Nicodemus
- Woman at the Well
- Healing Pool
- Raising Lazarus
- Woman caught in adultery)
Rearrangement in John
- Cleansing of the Temple
- John the Baptist and Jesus have concurrent ministries
- Longer ministry – 3 Trips to Jerusalem for Passover
Identity of Jesus
Jesus is depicted very differently in John than in the synoptic Gospels. In John, Jesus is called the preexistent logos, which brings his existence back to the beginning. Jesus continually declares his divinity throughout the Gospel. The disciples are seen as positive characters who accept the divinity of Jesus, although at times they doubt and misunderstand. Jews are seen as opponents of Jesus. It is interesting that John never mentions Sadducees, Herodians, scribes, or elders and only mentions Pharisees. John was written during a time of conflict between the church and the synagogue. There is clearly a struggle between Judaism and Jewish Christianity.
Jesus has several identities in the Gospel of John including, the Word made flesh, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the one sent from God, and many more. Many of the identities attributed to Jesus are unique to John. John has a much higher Christology than that found in the Synoptics. John describes Jesus as divine and states that to accept Jesus is to accept God and is thoroughly monotheistic.
The Source
Scholars generally agree that John was written separately from the synoptic Gospels. Many do not agree on what sources John may have used, and people can only speculate. Some believe that John used a "signs source" which is a written collection of miracles that were performed by Jesus. Also, some scholars believe there may have been a "passion source" that the Gospel used for the story of Jesus' crucifixion. Still, some claim that John drew on a "sayings source" which the discourses of Jesus were based on. John clearly relied on various sources to write his Gospel, although it is only speculation on which sources he used.
Signs
In the Synoptics, miracles are seen as eschatological pointers. In contrast, the miracles that Jesus performs are seen as signs that lead to faith in the Gospel of John. John is aware of ambiguous signs. Jesus' first miraculous sign is turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana (2:1-12). This sign expressed Jesus' power
Word of God
The Gospel of John opens with the concept of the logos. Jesus is seen as the Word of God. Logos was a recognizable term in Judaism and was used in the works of Proverbs, Sirach, and the Wisdom of Solomon. The prologue introduces Jesus as the light of the world. This opening is unique a clearly different from the Synoptics.
Misunderstandings
Misunderstandings occur throughout the Gospel of John. According to Reddish, "As often happens in the fourth Gospel, misunderstandings by the people provides the opportunity for Jesus to expound on his statements" (200). Jesus teaches of being the bread of life, and tells people they must eat his flesh and drink his blood to gain eternal life (6:54-55). The crowds and the disciples sometimes find Jesus' teaches hard to accept or understand.
The Temple - John's Gospel tells the story of the cleansing of the Temple (2:13-22). In this act, Jesus was challenging the Jewish authority when he cleansed the Temple and expressing a new authority given from God. Here Jesus claims that if the Temple is destroyed, he could rebuild it in three days. The religious leaders misunderstood what Jesus meant, and John explains that Jesus was referring to his body.
Nicodemus - There is another misunderstanding that occurs with Nicodemus (3:1-21). Nicodemus does not understand the concept of being "born again." Jesus tells Nicodemus he must be born again, meaning spiritually, but Nicodemus understands it as literally. These misunderstandings are common in John and allows Jesus to move the conversation deeper. Jesus explains how he will be "lifted up" in a literal and figurative way during his crucifixion.
Intimations of Jesus’ Death
In chapters eleven and twelve of the Gospel of John, Jesus performs his last sign, and the religious leaders work towards Jesus' death. This section works as a bridge to the next part of the Gospel which focuses on the death of Jesus. In chapter eleven Lazarus dies of an illness and Jesus resurrects him and demonstrates that Jesus is the source of life. John is the only Gospel that tells of Jesus being greeted with palm branches on "Palm Sunday." This Gospel expresses that Jesus has come for the whole world, not just for the Jewish people.
IJohn's Gospel, Jesus speaks with authority from God. It seems that most people choose to remain in darkness, and those who do believe, like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, seem secretive. At the time of the author, Jews were attracted to Christianity but were afraid to make a public commitment.
It seems that Jesus focuses more on the disciples starting from chapter thirteen. Jesus gives the disciples instruction before his death and resurrection. He shares a last meal with his disciples. The Synoptics state that the last meal was a Passover meal, whereas John claims it is the day of Preparation for Passover. There is no way of knowing what year or day that this meal took place, and scholars disagree. In contrast to the Synoptics, the fourth Gospel does not mention any bread or wine in the Last Supper.
Jesus offers a lengthy farewell discourse in chapters 14-16. This discourse includes his final teachings, encouragement, and exhortations to his disciples. Jesus ends his discourse in chapter 17 when he offers a prayer to God. Note that there is no agony scene where Jesus wrestles with his fate, and Jesus willing lays down his life.
Death and Resurrection of Jesus
The death and resurrection of Jesus is found in chapters 18-20 of John. These chapters move quickly throughout his arrest, trial, and crucifixion. Jesus never seems like a victim and seems to be in control, and he knows what is going to happen.
Glorification
The death of Jesus is seen as a great victory in John's Gospel. John describes Jesus as being "lifted up." The Gospel claims Jesus is literally lifted on a cross, but he is also lifted up in glorification and exaltation. The crucifixion is part of the process where Jesus returns to heaven.
The resurrection story appears in chapter 20 and are vastly different from the stories in the Synoptics. John mentions that Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb “while it was still dark.” Mary tells Peter and the Beloved Disciple. They both run to the tomb together. The empty tomb and the grave cloths lead the Beloved Disciple to believe. Mary returns to the tomb and encounters the resurrected Messiah disguised as a gardener. Jesus also appears to the disciples and then later to “doubting Thomas.” They also come to believe.
Conclusion
Some scholars believe that chapter 21 of John’s Gospel was written at a later date, perhaps by a later editor, or redactor. Chapter 21 offers additional resurrection appearances of Jesus to his disciples. Jesus arrives on the beach to Peter and the disciples with a call of reinstatement of Peter by Jesus.
NOTES
[i] Mitchell G. Reddish, An Introduction to the Gospels (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1997), 77.
