Religion: Bible (Gospel of John)

EXTRA 2

7 signs (rather than miracles because they reveal Jesus in how he is bringing gods powerful presences/perception into the world; miraculous events; reveal Jesus' glory) 1 water -> wine 2 3 4 feeding of 5000 -> bread/wine 5 6 7 raising Lazarus (raised by divine speech; immediate empowerment of healing; comes forth out of the tomb) Passion - his last words are finished unlike the other; Jesus control composure/tending to things; entrusts his mother to the beloved disciples; before sundown Friday lamb of god: protects their house from the angel of death; his sacrifice is protecting those from death; jesus doesn't have any of his bones broken; only in this one do you have the piercing of the side which represents fulfillment of scripture Lamb of god - in control; conversations' "it is finished"; spear in side

John: How does John emphasize Jesus' identity with God as well as Jesus' humanity? (Locate a passage)

In Chapter 1 verse 14, Jesus not only 'came into the world' but suffered thirst, weariness and death. Jesus is one with God, works through God on earth.

Compare the way Jesus teaches in John with the way he teaches in the Synoptics.

In the Synoptics, Jesus teaches with parables and short responses, almost quips. In John, however, Jesus has long conversations in which he first makes a cryptic statement that the other person misunderstands, Jesus responds by asking how they could misunderstand, and then he explains at length what he means.

John: What does John do with the feeding of the 5,000 miracle story? What is its main importance?

It is a way for Jesus to illustrate to the disciples and the people that God gives the true bread from heaven, giving life to the world. Jesus also says he is the bread of life; come down from heaven (expresses eternal life with belief in God).

What are the significant changes John has made to his account of the empty tomb? His Resurrection stories?

It is still Mary Magdalene who discovers that Jesus has been raised and who first encounters him, though she does not immediately recognize him. The first time Jesus appears to the disciples, Thomas is not present. Thomas refuses to believe has been raised until he experiences it for himself, which is not until a week has passed. After these appearances in Jerusalem, John shifts the scene to Galilee for his final resurrection story. The disciples have been fishing all night with no success. Jesus appears on the shore and tells them to throw their nets on the other side of the boat. Once they do, the nets are so full they can hardly get them ashore. After Jesus gives them some breakfast he and peter have the famous exchange where Jesus asks peter three times, "Do you love me?"

John: The raising of Lazarus is the seventh and final of the "signs" that Jesus enacts in John's Gospel. What is its significance? How does Jesus' conversation with Martha facilitate your understanding of this 7th sign?

Jesus does not go to Lazarus on the day that he dies but he waits until he is in the tomb for four days to go to him. Ironically, raising Lazarus will cause Jesus' death. Jesus tells Martha her brother will raise again. She misunderstands, stating that he will raise again the resurrection on the last day. Jesus helps her understand by saying that he is the resurrection and the life. 'Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.'

John: According to the NOAB, the prologue of John (1:1-18) signals the major concerns of the Gospel. What are these concerns?

Jesus is eternal; the Word who speaks Go's words; the light of the world. Jesus is a mediator or broker: through him all things were made, and though him grace and truth. The world is hostile to the light and 'hates' him. In contrast to those rejecting the light, John the Baptist acknowledges it, even brokering Jesus to Israel. He is the flesh form of God.

Poetic prologue

John 1. 1-18 Gospel starts with prologue containing important topics to be developed in the gospel. The Word who speaks God's words, light of world, Jesus is eternal, compared with Israel's patriarchs, All things made through him, the world is hostile towards him

Discuss John's use of the expression "the Jews."

John has often been seen as an anti-Semitic writing because of the way it talks about the 'Jews'. Using this label, John has this group oppose Jesus, hunt him and be responsible for bringing him before Pilate. The first point to note in trying to understanding the designation 'the Jews' is that the author of John was himself Jewish. In a sense, he has adopted this expression to designate those within the family who disagree with him. It also designated the civic and religious leaders of Jerusalem.

John: How does John's baptism and calling of the first disciples differ from the Synoptic accounts of these events?

John the Baptist does not actually baptize Jesus in the Gospel of John. John is questioned by priests and Levites along with Pharisees, demanding to know why he baptizes. He deflects their attacks by talking about the one whom he proclaims but they don't know who he is. The spirit remained in Jesus signaling belonging and attachment, not a transitory Spirit that remains upon Jesus. John is one of the first to testify that Jesus is the Son of God. The disciples come to Jesus, asking him where he is staying and remain with him. One disciple tells another about Jesus, bringing him to Jesus. Jesus accepts recruitment by giving them new names.

John: How does John convey the control Jesus has over his fate?

Many of the details of the narrative of Jesus' death are the same in John as in the Synoptics, but his narrative makes its meaning quite different. Mark tells a story of suffering, grief, abandonment by God, and a radical need to find the Jesus who is not in the empty tomb. Matthew tells essentially same story as Mark, though with a firm sense of an historical community that comes after. Luke's story is one of reconciliation, forgiveness, the death of an innocent man who forgives those who kill him, then is raised by God to fulfill the scriptures. By contrast, John's story is one of fulfillment and "glorification," passing through death to triumph. Glorification rather than suffering is the central meaning. John 12: 27-28: "Father, glorify your name." "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."

Mary Magdalene & Thomas

Mary Magdalene discovers Jesus has been raised from dead. She immediately recognizes him. Thomas—doubting Thomas image comes from gospel of John—refused to believe until he experiences for himself that Jesus was raised

John: What key theological tenets get communicated in Jesus' discussions with Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman?

Nathanael challenges Philip by noting the low status of Nazareth, Jesus' hometown. He typifies others who judge by appearances, denying that Jesus can be Messiah because of the significant if Nazareth. But Nathanael preserves, which distinguishes him from outsides who judge by appearance. Jesus honors Nathanael, setting him apart from those who judge falsely. Jesus asks for a drink, which the Samaritan woman understands but never fulfills. Jesus speaks again but she misunderstands living water as flowing water, rather that was Jesus means. If had understand, the gender roles would have been reversed: females asking the male to serve her. She challenges Jesus' by comparing this pleasant Jew to the patriarch Jacob and mocks him to solve the unsolvable problems: where to worship. Jesus counters her comment by saying that worship will be apart from a fixed temple.

John: How do the post-resurrection narratives seal the Gospel's portrait of Jesus?

One evening Jesus appears among the disciples, despite locked doors, and gives them power over sin and forgiveness of sin. A week later he appears to doubting Thomas, who has not believed, but when Thomas is instructed to touch the wounds of Jesus he says, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus replies: "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

How does this connect with the church for which the Gospel of John was written?

The Jews rejected John's members of the church from their home synagogues. We can easily understand why it happened, if we remember the exalted claims john makes about Jesus and the difficulty in holding these claims together with the commandant to worship only one God. However understandable their expulsion might be, John's church experience it as persecution. As they saw it they were being punished for believing the truth about God and God's Christ.

Who is the Beloved Disciple?

The first time the 'beloved disciple' appears in the narrative is at the Last Supper, where he is sitting by Jesus. Judea seems to be the disciple's home; that is the reason he has so many stories about Jesus' ministry in that region. thought to be John the apostle (son of Zebedee), who repeatedly mentioned in the gospels. Modern scholars think it was written by a disciple of Johns or someone he dictated the gospel to. Sumney says that is unlikely John the apostle. The first time beloved disciple mentioned in gospel of John is when he appears in the narrative regarding the Last Supper and John the disciple is from Galilee.

What are some of the ways the Gospel of John has Jesus identify himself with God?

The prologue of John (1:1-18) asserts that Christ was with God before the creation of anything and that Christ worked as God's agent of creation. And though there are many ways it may be understood, John says that 'the Word', what he calls the preexistent Christ, 'was God' (1:1).

John: Note at least three (4) ways in which John's Passion narrative is different from the Synoptics.

There is not a Passover meal, and no giving of bread and wine as body and blood, instead the washing of feet - reversal of master/servant relation. A central theme of the discourse is identification of disciples and Jesus, Jesus and the Father. It is not "historical" in the sense the Synoptics mean to be historical and no one took dictation.

John: Who, according to the Gospel of John, is Jesus?

To John, Jesus is the bread, the light, the gate, the good shepherd, the resurrection and life, way, truth and life and the true vine.

How does Sumney describe the authorship and editing of the Gospel of John?

While Mark, Matthew and Luke tell of only one trip of the adult Jesus to Jerusalem, John has multiple trips. The Synoptic concentrate their attention on Jesus' ministry in Galilee; John has many more stories about Jesus in Jerusalem and that surrounding region. There is also belief that someone besides John wrote at least the conclusion of the Gospel. Some things were added and perhaps rearranged by others (Chapter 15-17 were added after the basic story line was in place.) Still, the editors who finished what the 'beloved disciple' started had their understanding of Jesus shaped by this important teacher.

The Word

Word was light, Word of God, all things came into being through God. Word became flesh and lived among us.

Postscript

another difference between the first 3 gospels and John is what we know about their creation. Matthew, Luke and Mark were written by a single person who wrote what his personal church needed. Not all scholars agree who those 3 persons were. But, the ending of John, attributes most of what is found in the Gospel of John to the "beloved disciple" No wilderness temptation in Johns gospel or a transfiguration story

Lazarus

brother of two sisters, He died, Jesus raised Lazarus from his "sleep" He had died. He had been in tomb for 4 days when Jesus raised him.

Nicodemus

chap 3, Pharisee, leader of Jews, he came to Jesus by night, Jesus told him one must be born from above, Nicodemus asked how can someone be born from womb a second time, Jesus said born of the Spirit, not of flesh. This story is a good example of the pattern of the Jews being legalistic and not understanding or denying Jesus. Jesus tells Nicodemus - he must be born again

Samaritan woman (at the well)

example of how Jesus teaches. He ask for drink. Then he offers her living water or running water. She was known as quite a sinner, had many husbands and was living with a man and was a "Samaritan" Jesus is compassionate to her Reminds you of moses metting zaporah at well, issacs servant, Jacob rachael, everyone meets their wife at a well and Jesus is really not looking for a wife especially not one who's had many husbands One of the first ones he identifies himself to as the messiah;

"I am" sayings

gospel of John claims Jesus is Messiah, and has Jesus identifying himself as "I am". This was a major insult to Jews "Here is the lamb of god who takes away the sin of the world"

EXTRA 1

is a male disciple, and witness and Jesus ?crucible?, Jesus mother entrusts him, set in Judeah, Jesus celebrates 3 passovers(aka 3yrs)(not 1 year like the synoptics) Rival to tradition from John church communities, Jesus Is an agent of creation, all come to being through him, Jesus introduced in the symbolic Greek word (Logos): agent of creation "in beginning"(sort of like genesis in beginning): light/light/flesh(incarnation)/glory*circled on board*/ Jesus is a preexisting heavenly creature Jesus*squared on board* Lamb of God = only son "I am" sayings ((Yahweh):burning bush) bread of life/heaven; vine; resurrection; truth, way, life; living waters; door; good shepherd; (she wont ask about all these on the test don't worry) pattern of initial confusion - people have to wrestle with Jesus because his trajectory doesn't follow a pattern

Mary and Martha of Bethany

sent message to Jesus that Lazarus was ill, Jesus said illness does not lead to death, rather for God's Glory, Jesus loved these two sisters. Jesus did not go to them quickly. Mary had earlier anointed Jesus with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair. - the one constant in all the ; she says where is his body it no longer where it should be; she asks gardener do you know where they laid the body of my lord; she recognizes him when she says her name; my sheep know my voice

Simon Peter

was apostle who drew his sword and struck high priest's slave and cut off his ear. Jesus told Peter to put away sword. Denied Jesus 3 times and the crow squawked and Jesus had told Peter that would happen