2005 Bible Reading

Gospel of John

This page is not a commentary, nor an outline. It is something to bear in mind in this kind of reading. These materials I learnt from two books by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart (How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth; How To Read The Bible Book By Book). You could consult these books if you are interested.

(Pastor Raymond)

When we read this Gospel, we must sense a big difference from the other three. Let's consider this. Jesus' ministry is now primarily in Jerusalem, not Galilee as in the other three Gospels. He doesn't hide his Messiah status. There is no parable like the three's, no Lord's Supper and no driving out of demons. In stead of short crisp exchanges, Jesus speaks long discourses. The Kingdom of Heaven (or God) is replaced by the emphasis of "life." Clearly John wants to portray Jesus differently.

Part of the reasons John does it this way is to counteract the misguided notion of his time that Jesus never came in flesh and blood. Thus John records expressions like "And Jesus wept" and “a flow of blood and water” to show how human Jesus was.

Another reason is John's determination to convince his readers that Jesus is not just a historically flesh and blood person; he is also the Jewish Messiah. Many of the quotations of and allusions to the Old Testament are for this purpose. Jesus is the shepherd, vine, and bread, all Jewish symbols. Throughout the Gospel, there are many records connected to the Jewish feasts: Passover, Sabbath, Tabernacles, and Dedication. Jesus fulfills the deepest desires of the Jews in their Messiah. Take an example. Jewish traditions have interpreted the water from the rock in Exodus 17:1-17 as pointing to the Messiah giving His Spirit. This hope has been played out in a special water-pouring rite in the temple at the Feast of Tabernacles. It is on the greatest day of the feast that in John 7, Jesus cries out "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink."

The Messiah is not a mere flesh and blood human. Through texts such as Psalm 2:7, the Jewish Messiah is the Son of God. Gospel of John puts this point squarely across as the foundation of "belief." The way chapter one is written, the divinity of Jesus Christ is never in doubt.

Several peculiar ways of writing deserve our careful attention. First, John often mixes narratives with discourses and it is hard to find where one ends and the other begins. Second, John frequently uses word play, i.e., one word with two or more meanings. A good example is the use of "wind" and "spirit" (the same word in Greek) in John 3. Third, John writes with OT in the background. Chapter one not only recalls creation, it suggests a re-creation and the second Exodus. First, Jesus trumps Moses who led the first Exodus. John the Baptist then connects the readers to Isaiah 40, which itself begins to prophesize a new exodus and a new creation. Then, the appearance of Jesus to the first disciples leading to the Cana wedding is carefully recorded (note "the next day" and "the third day" ) to recall a “seven day”, culminating in the "choice wine" being made available (Jewish hope of the new creation as in Isa 25: 6; Jer 31:12 and Amos 9:13-14). The more familiar we are with the Old Testament, the more insights we will discover.