John: Odds and Ends

The Disciples Get It (John 1: 40-51 and 2:12). The disciples immediately recognize Jesus as the Messiah, which is so different from the picture given in the Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke).

The Conversation With Nicodemus (John 3: 1-10). Nicodemus is attracted to Jesus, but he doesn’t understand what Jesus means when he says that a person must be born from above or born again to enter into the kingdom of God. Instead of putting his arms around him, admitting that this is a rather strange way of looking at things, and gently providing an explanation, Jesus lectures him and criticizes him for his failure to understand. Unless you think of Jesus as a self-righteous preacher throwing red meat at the choir, this is the work of an editor.

An Inclusive Movement (John 4: 1-42). Jesus the Jew tells the Samaritan woman all about her past, brings her to faith, and stays with the townspeople for two days. Jews hated Samaritans. This example offers evidence that Jesus led an inclusive movement. As I pointed out last week (“The Christian Community in John”), the author of the gospel has a different view. For John, the Christian community is an exclusive club.

The Cure of the Nobleman’s Son (John 4: 43-54). This is the story of the cure of the son of a royal official. Compare John’s version of the story with the versions presented in Matthew (8: 5-13) and Luke (7:1-10). The differences illustrate what happens to stories when they are subjected to an oral tradition. Note also that there is no attempt to hide the cure from the general public. Read the story of the cure of the man born blind (John 9: 1-41). Jesus cures him so that the works of God can be displayed in him (9:3). Miracles have a different purpose in John than they have in Mark. The point is to bring people to faith, to tell the world all about these glorious signs. In Mark, miracles come in response to faith, and their results are to be kept hidden. The work of two different editors!

The Death of Jesus (John 11: 45-54 and 19: 12-37). The reaction of the Pharisees to the raising of Lazarus is fascinating. They are worried that this remarkable feat will make him a hero, which will threaten Rome and lead to Rome attacking Israel. Caiaphas, the chief priest, speaks for all when he says, “better for one man to die for the people, than for the whole nation to be destroyed (11: 50-51).” This is the first expression in the gospels of the idea that Jesus died for others. John further develops this idea at the end of the gospel. Jesus dies at a different time than in the other gospels, in the afternoon of the Day of Preparation when all the lambs are killed. For John, Jesus is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. After long reflection on the death of Jesus, the Christian community comes to see it as an atoning sacrifice.

The Passion Narrative (John chapters 18 and 19). John presents the same outline as Mark’s story, but there are some significant differences. There is no panic at Gethsemane or charge of blasphemy. Jesus voluntarily surrenders to the Temple guards who are reluctant to arrest him. There is also less emphasis on the miraculous as Jesus dies—no mention is made of an earthquake, eclipse of the sun, or the tearing of the Temple veil. The Roman centurion plays no role in the interpretation of Jesus’ death. His final words are “It is accomplished”, suggesting that God’s purpose has been achieved. Finally, his burial is the most spectacular in all the gospel accounts. He is buried in his own tomb, in a garden, with his body wrapped in spices and covered with expensive lotions. This is patterned after the burial of a king. These differences reflect the work of an editor who wants to place his own spin on these events.