Since the 3rd century, John has been considered the "spiritual gospel"  (Clement of Alexandria)

• an indication that from early on the church was aware of the noticeable differences between John and the synoptics.

Five writings in the NT have been associated with the name "John":

• Gospel of John

• Letters of 1,2, & 3 John

• Revelation- this is the only one to name its author as "John"

Roughly 90% of the gospel of John has no // in the synoptics.

• John's unique material contains some of the most memorable stories of Jesus:

  • The Miracle at Cana

  • Jesus' and Nicodemus

  • Samaritan Woman at the Well                                        

  • Raising of Lazarus

  • Washing the feet of the disciples                                  

  • "Doubting Thomas"

  • (The Woman Caught in Adultery)

• What is missing from John:

  • No genealogy or infancy narrative

  • No baptism of Jesus

  • No temptation in the Desert

  • No transfiguration

  • No parables

  • No exorcisms

  • No institution of the Eucharist

  • No Agony in the Garden

  • No mention of the name of Jesus' mother

  • No list of the Twelve Apostles

  • No teachings about the Kingdom of God

  • No specific mention of Gentiles

• Material that John has in common with the synoptics, but it is changed:

  • Jesus' ministry lasts for at least two years, text refers to three Passovers (2:13; 6:4; 11:55).

  • The "Cleansing of the Temple" comes at the beginning of Jesus' ministry, rather than at the end, so it is not the reason that the Jewish authorities have Jesus arrested.

  • Philip and Nathanael are among the disciples called.

  • Mary, the sister of Martha, is the woman that anoints Jesus at Bethany.

  • Jesus dies on the day before the Passover meal, rather than the morning after.

• Jesus is described as the "Word" or "Logos" of God- a term with meanings both from Greek philosophy and Judaism.
• Jesus is described as both present and divine "from the beginning" (like "Wisdom" in the OT).
  • see Sirach 24; Wis. of Solomon 6-9:18
• John claims that the "Word became flesh"- he sees Jesus as both fully human and fully divine; yet this also suggests that Jesus was incarnated, not "born."

• The gospel's epilogue suggests that the BL is the one responsible for preserving the traditions found in the gospel (21:23-24).
• The BL is portrayed as having a more intimate relationship with Jesus than even Peter:
  • 13:21-29=  at the Last Supper, the BL passes Peter's question about Judas' betrayal             to Jesus.
  • 18:15-18=  he gains Peter access to Jesus' hearing in Pilate's court, where Peter denies Jesus.
  • 19:26-27= he becomes Mary's "son," and Jesus' brother. (He is the only male disciple at the cross)
  • 20:2-10= he outruns Peter to the empty tomb.
  • 21:4-7= while fishing, he is first to recognize the resurrected Jesus on the shore, and identifies him to Peter.
  • 21:20-22= Jesus promises that he will "live until the master returns" (the ONLY reference to a second coming in the gospel- but it gets reinterpreted).
• Tradition has identified the Beloved Disciple with John, son of Zebedee (one of the 12). it has also considered this John to be the author of the gospel but...
  • John son of Zebedee is never mentioned by name in the gospel of John.
  • The synoptic tradition claims that John was with Jesus from the beginning of his ministry, but the Beloved Disciple does not appear until relatively late in the Gospel of John.
  • None of the events associated with John son of Zebedee that are mentioned in the synoptics are mentioned in the gospel of John.
• Some have suggested Lazarus.
  • Lazarus is described as one whom Jesus loved in 11:36, and all references to the Beloved Disciple occur after this.
  • Lazarus was raised from the dead, which may have contributed to rumors that he would not die (see 21:20-23).
  • But...
    • Lazarus is never described as a disciple in John, much less in the synoptics, where the twelve are listed.
• Most scholars believe that the Beloved Disciple is purposely unnamed in John- but he was probably known to John's community, and  was probably the source of the community's traditions about Jesus.

• John particularly uses symbols to explain the identity of Jesus:
  • Jesus is referred to as the "lamb of God."
  • John contains seven different symbolic "I am" sayings:
    • "I am the bread of life" (6:35)
    • "I am the light of the world" (8:12 & 9:5)
    • "I am the gate" (10:7,9)
    • "I am the good shepherd" (10:11 & 14)
    • "I am the resurrection and the life" (11:25)
    • "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (14:6)
    • "I am the vine" (15:1,5)
  • The phrase "I AM" is itself significant (see 8:58 & 13:19, see Exodus 3:14)
    • All total, Jesus refers to himself with an "I am" saying (some not symbolic) 46x in John, as opposed to 2x in Mark and Luke, and 5x in Matthew.

• Light and Darkness (1:5; 3:19; 8:12; 12:35,46).
  • See also Nicodemus (3:2), who comes to Jesus "at night," i.e. in darkness.
• Above and Below (3:31; 8:23)
• Sacramental symbolism:
  • Jesus as "living water" and other references to water are linked to baptism.
  • References to bread ("bread of life"), wine, and blood are linked to Eucharist.
  • Interestingly, John has no reference to Jesus' baptism, nor to his words of institution at the Last Supper.

Characters consistently misunderstand Jesus' symbolic language. This gives John an opportunity to explain some of Jesus' symbols, and trains the reader to look for symbolism throughout the gospel.

• The Temple (2:19-21)

• Living Bread (6:51-52)

The content and style of Jesus' teachings are different in John.

• Synoptics claim that Jesus "never" taught without using parables (Mark 4:34; Matthew 13:34)

• But in John, Jesus uses long philosophical discourses, never parables.

• Jesus has little if anything to say about the Kingdom of God, but speaks frequently about himself.
• Also, Jesus makes no prediction of Jerusalem's fall, typical of the synoptic apocalyptic discourses.

• Luke also focuses on the Spirit, but each author understands it differently:

  • In Luke, the Spirit is a source of power for mission and ministry.

  • In John, the Spirit teaches and reveals truth- the same function Jesus has performed throughout the gospel. For this reason, Jesus speaks of the Spirit, but it doesn't actually appear until after he has died and returned to the Father.

• For John, the Spirit is the felt presence of Jesus, despite his physical absence.

• In John, this understanding of the Spirit actually replaces any reference to the Parousia, or second coming.

  • For John, these future events are already being realized in the presence of the spirit.

• This is significant when compared to the synoptics- where Jesus refuses to perform signs, and those who seek signs are seen as evil (Matthew 12:38-39 & Luke 11:29-32, also Mark 13:22).
• Also, consider the temptation stories (Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13). Satan tempts Jesus to throw himself down from the pinnacle of the Temple-knowing that angels will catch him. 
  • What is the temptation here? 
  • Presumably, the temple would be filled with a crowd of people who would see what happened and know who Jesus was- the temptation is to use his power to prove his identity. Jesus rejects this as Satanic.
• Look at two stories that show this difference: Mark's version of The Raising of Jairus' Daughter (Mark 5:21-43) and John's Raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-44)

  • In both:

    • A person is ill

    • A relative goes to Jesus for help

    • Jesus is delayed from coming to help

    • When he arrives, the person has died and is being mourned

    • Jesus speaks of the person as "sleeping" (meaning dead)

    • The witnesses think Jesus has arrived too late, that he can't help

    • Jesus speaks some words and person rises from the dead

    • Jesus offers instructions on how to care for the person.

  • Unique:

    • In Mark, Jesus is delayed inadvertently, In John it is intentional. Why? The text explains (11:15)
    • In Mark, Jesus heals the girl in private, in John the healing is public 
• In John, Jesus' signs lead people to true faith (see 20:30-31)- even though the gospel admits that faith based on signs can be a problem (see 4:48). In other words, Jesus' miracles are "signs" of who he is.
• John mentions exactly seven signs specifically:
  • Turning water into wine (2:1-11)
  • Healing the Capernaum official's son (4:46-54)
  • Healing the paralytic by the pool of Bethzatha (5:2-9)
  • Feeding the 5000 (6:1-14)
  • Walking on water (6:16-21)
  • Healing the man born blind (9:1-12)
  • Raising Lazarus from the dead (11:1-44)
• But notice also 20:30-31, "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples...”

• In John, however, Jesus predicts three times that he will be "lifted up" (3:14; 8:28; 12:32-34).
  • John means both the literal and symbolic meaning- that he will be lifted up from the earth on a cross, and that Jesus himself, through crucifixion, will be exalted and glorified, and, ultimately, ascend into heaven.

• John portrays Jesus as having total control of the events leading to his crucifixion.

  • Thus, there is no reason for an "agony" in the garden- Jesus never doubts his purpose. (But see 12:27-28)

• John knows that Jesus and his followers are Jewish (4:9- the Samaritan woman calls Jesus "a Jew").
• John uses the term in a way that suggests he is aware of a split between Judaism and Christianity- they are becoming distinct religions.

  • People must choose between Jesus or Moses (9:28).

  • Confessing faith in Jesus means being expelled from the synagogue (9:22; 12:42; 16:2).

  • John portrays the Jews as not believing their own scriptures (5:37-47).
  • John portrays the Jews as rejecting their allegiance to God (19:15).
  • John has Jesus refer to some of the Jews as "children of the devil" (8:44).

• It seems clear that John's bitterness towards the Jews has more to do with what is going on in his own time, not what was going on in the time of Jesus (having Christians ejected from synagogues is anachronistic- Jesus' followers saw themselves as Jewish, and they were perceived as another "sect" of Judaism).

• A better word for "Jews" in this gospel would be "Judeans," which refers more specifically to those John sees as responsible for Jesus' death.

• John has none of the synoptic reinterpretations of the Mosaic law:

• Nothing on divorcing, keeping the Sabbath, ending the law of retaliation, and forgiving enemies.

• Only one new commandment- "to love."

One way to interpret the Gospel of John is to focus on places in the text where John mentions certain Jewish feast days, and to examine how Jesus is portrayed in relation to them. Consider:

• The Passover (6:1-71)

  • Recall, first, what the Passover meant:

  • Moses instituted the first Passover when the Hebrews were slaves in Egypt.

  • The feast was intended to recall God's saving action on behalf of his chosen people, and it was celebrated annually both to recall the past and to look to the future, when God could be relied upon to save his people again.

• In John 6, a Passover is mentioned, and then two miracles of Jesus follow:

  • First, the Multiplication of the Loaves

  • Second, Walking on the Water

  • Note the relationship between these and the Exodus story:

    • Jesus feeds the multitudes in the wilderness, just as God gave manna from heaven to feed the Israelites wandering in the desert.

    • Just as Moses crossed over the Red Sea, Jesus walks on the water of the sea of Galilee.

    • This is followed by two related discourses:

      • 6:22-40= Jesus is "the Bread of Life"

      • Jesus even compares himself to Moses, 6:32-35.

        • But Jesus is greater; the Israelites ate "food that perishes," but Jesus provides "food that endures for eternal life." (6:27)

      • 6:41-71= Jesus identifies himself as the Bread, by claiming that those who "eat my flesh" and "drink my blood" have "eternal life" (6:54).

        • In other words, John suggests that those who participate in the Eucharist are given a spiritual nourishment that even Moses could not provide.

        •  Jesus replaces or supercedes Moses.

• Tabernacles (7:1-10:21)

  • What was the feast of Tabernacles (Tents, Booths)?

  • It was an eight day long pilgrimage feast. Jews would travel to Jerusalem to celebrate it.

  • The feast celebrated the Sept/Oct grape harvest. It was essentially a "fertility" feast.

  • It was marked by prayer for rain.

  • A daily procession from the pool of Siloam carried water as a libation (poured out in sacrifice) to the temple, where the court of women was lit with huge torches.

  • This reveals the two main themes of the feast: 

    • water and light.

  • John again suggests that Jesus is somehow greater than the feast:

    • In 7:37-39, Jesus refers to the spirit which he will send (which will, in fact, flow from him on the cross) as "living water."- Replacing the water theme of the feast.

    • Then, in 8:12-59, Jesus refers to himself as "the light of the world," meaning that he reveals the father. He then confirms this claiming that "Before Abraham came to be, I AM."

  • Jesus' claim to be "the light" is further illustrated by the story of the "man born blind."

    • Jesus has the man wash in the pool of Siloam (see above)

    • John defines Siloam as "Sent"- John regularly refers to Jesus as "sent" by the father.

    • Note that Jesus heals the blind man, but the man does not come to truly "see" who Jesus is until after he confronts the synagogue officials, who have the power to kick him out.

• Dedication (Hannukah 10:22-42)

  • This feast celebrated the rededication (consecration) of the temple and altar to God after it had been cleansed by the Maccabees in 164 BC.

    • Recall that Antiochus Epiphanes had desecrated the temple by placing a statue of Zeus on the altar, the "horrible abomination" mentioned in Daniel.

    • The rededication was celebrated by Jews throughout the Mediterranean.

    • John has Jesus refer to himself as "consecrated and sent" by God while standing in the temple portico.

    • For John, Jesus is the "new temple" set aside by God- replacing the temple in Jerusalem.

• Another Passover is mentioned in association with Jesus' death (18:1-19:42)

  • All 4 gospels claim:

    • Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem

    • by order of Pontius Pilate

    • during Passover week

    • but there is a minor difference, that may be significant.

  • Recall the significance of Passover for Jews. What did it celebrate?

  • In Jesus' time, it was the most important Jewish festival, celebrating the exodus of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt.

  • The Jews believed that God himself had instructed Moses on Mt. Sinai as to how Passover should be properly celebrated each year, and it involved the following:

    • A sacred meal of symbolic food:

      • a lamb (for those who had the money to buy one)

      • bitter herbs, to recall their bitter hardship in Egypt,

      • unleavened bread (the Hebrews did not leaven the bread because there was no time)

      • and several cups of wine.

    • The typical sequence of the Passover feast:

      • Passover was a weeklong celebration, but the first two days were the most important:

        • On the Day of Preparation, lambs would be brought to the temple (or purchased there), and sacrificed by a priest. This was done in the early afternoon, so the meat would be ready to eat that night.

        • That night, the Passover feast would be eaten, which would begin the weeklong Feast of the Unleavened Bread.

        • Remember that for Jews, a new day begins at dusk, so the lambs were technically prepared the day before they were eaten (after the sun had set on the day they were prepared).

  • Consider Mark's version of the death of Jesus (probably the earliest):

    • Acc. to Mark 14:12, Jesus sends his disciples to prepare a place for them to eat the Passover- on the "first day of the "Feast of Unleavened Bread"- i.e. the day of preparation when the lambs are slaughtered.

    • That evening, which would be the time the Passover feast was eaten and the start of the next day, they share the Last Supper (i.e. the Last Supper is a Passover meal), and Jesus gives the food and drink, which already have symbolic meaning even more meaning (i.e. "this is my body...").

    • Mark borrows the symbolism of the Passover meal to explain the meaning of the Eucharist- just as the Passover celebrated freedom from bondage in Egypt- so too will the Eucharist be intended to celebrate freedom from bondage (through Jesus).

    • Later that night, Jesus is arrested, put on trial before the sanhedrin, and spends the night in jail.

    • The next morning, he goes on trial in front of Pilate, is convicted, and sentenced to death.

    • Mark claims he was crucified at 9:00 am, so Jesus dies the morning after the Passover meal has been eaten.

  • Now, consider John's version of the death of Jesus (John 18-19 probably the latest):

    • In 18:28, when Jesus is brought before Pilate, John claims that the Jews could not enter the praetorium (Pilate's home- the emperor's standards were probably displayed there, so entering his house would be like entering a pagan temple) "in order not to be defiled so that they could eat the Passover" [but according to Mark, Jesus went on trial in front of Pilate after the Passover, remember?].

    • Most importantly, John indicates the exact time Jesus is found guilty (19:14): "It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon." Jesus is immediately taken out to be crucified; so he dies in the afternoon of the Day of Preparation, when the lambs are slaughtered for the feast. Why? Because for John, Jesus is "lamb of God"- the Passover Lamb.

    • In John, Jesus is already in the tomb when the Passover meal is celebrated- so no preparation for Passover, and no "words of institution."

    • Instead of Passover symbolism surrounding the Last Supper, it surrounds Jesus' death.

    • There is other "Lamb" symbolism:

      • 19:29- "...they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth."

        • Ex 12:22- "Then take a bunch of hyssop, and