For our next class, please read Chapters 1-11 of John's gospel, concentrating on the first four chapters. Cite one thing John includes that *isn't* in the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). Suggest a reason that this material may have been more important to John than to the synoptic writers. What is John's purpose in including the "extra" material?Thursday, September 19, 2013
The Gospel of John--Discussion I
For our next class, please read Chapters 1-11 of John's gospel, concentrating on the first four chapters. Cite one thing John includes that *isn't* in the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). Suggest a reason that this material may have been more important to John than to the synoptic writers. What is John's purpose in including the "extra" material?
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The raising of Lazarus comes to mind. In this story we see Jesus raise to life a friend named Lazarus. This story is important because John paints Jesus' purpose on earth more vividly than the other gospels do. All the gospels portray Jesus as the savior of mankind but here John raises our expectations of what that actually means. In vs 26 and 26 of chapter 11 Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me will live even though he dies. And he who lives and believes in me will never die." Martha, Lazarus' sister, had just previously said that she knew her brother would be raised on the last day. This is one of surprisingly few references to the resurrection that is not mentioned specifically by Jesus. John includes stories like this to show that something radically different than what the Jews were expecting from a Messiah was happening through Jesus. - Zach Kuhlman
ReplyDeleteThe miracle of Jesus turning water into wine is only found in John’s gospel. John seems to be trying to give a little extra to the story of Jesus. This is the supposed first miracle of Jesus Christ. John may be trying to give some more background and possibly a better time frame as to when Jesus began to do miracles. The miracle really has no relevance as to teaching a lesson or showing anything to anybody. It is simply a miracle that Jesus did as a gift to someone, who will never know where the gift came from. If there has to be meaning behind it, which would still not be necessary to shown to either Jews or Gentiles, is that one should do kind things for people without recognition. Just as Matthew 6:3 says, “But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth.” -Kelly Longden
ReplyDeleteJesus teaching Nicodemus is only found in John. In this story, Jesus is telling Nicodemus that no one can enter the kingdom of heaven unless they are born again, to which Nicodemus questions him, surely a man cannot enter into his mother's womb and be born again? This is where the emphasis on baptism comes in. Jesus was referring to being born again of water and the spirit. Nicodemus still doesn't understand and Jesus states, "I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things"? This also emphasizes the verse, "blessed are those who have not seen and yet still believe". In this story Jesus also states the well known verse, John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Essentially Jesus is telling Nicodemus that if you are baptized and believe you will me saved. I think John is speaking more to gentiles who need to hear how to get to heaven.
ReplyDelete-Melinda Quade
In the very beginning of the gospel it talks about the creation. This is completely different from the other gospels because they open with either the genealogy, a short story on how the gospel was gathered or how Jesus came into this world. I think that this was put to remind us that there is also a back story behind everything that happened to our Lord and savior. How that in the beginning it was just God and how he created everything. It is a great reminder before everything being put forth.
ReplyDelete-Liz Matson
The story of Jesus first miracle, turning water into wine, is one story that I saw when reading this section of John. I think the gospel of John just as a whole does a better job of talking about the miracles showing how Jesus saves us on a daily basis. This particular one could be important to John because it was the supposed first miracle Jesus performed. He did not exactly do it by choice either his mother came up to him and told him to do it. John could be trying to show us that Jesus may have been the savior but he was also a son to Mary and she still had a say in what he was doing.-Taylor Linn
ReplyDeleteWhere Matthew makes connections with Jesus fulfilling the Old Testament, Mark tells a more basic story of Jesus' life, and Luke focuses on how Jesus is here for the whole human race, John includes quite a few more scriptures that focus on promises of eternal life vs the kingdom of heaven, and emphasizes that this can be attained through Jesus.
ReplyDelete1:29 - ..."Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
The well-known 3:16
3:36 - "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life..."
5:24 - "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned..."
6:47 - "I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life."
8:12 - "...I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Certainly the concept is mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels, but John extends some of the other common stories to include these ideas/explanations. Jesus is the Lamb of God; the sacrificial lamb He sent to die so that we might live.
In Ch. 3 of John it tells of the story Nicodemus coming to Jesus. I thought this was interesting because here Nicodemus an important Jewish Leader comes to Jesus and acknowledges him to be sent from God, because no one else can do the miracles you do unless God is with him. And in this Jesus tells Nicodemus that unless he is born again from water to in a way renew your spirit in God the Father. I found this interesting because it stresses the importance of baptism in God's eyes, but also that you can teach the word but unless you live by it you will not be saved.
ReplyDeleteThe wedding at Cana which takes place in the second chapter is definitely not in the other three gospels. He goes to a wedding and turns water into wine. Within this passage a woman tells Jesus that the wine has run out, and Jesus responds, "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come." I thought that this was an interesting verse, and it was somewhat foreshadowing his future on the cross. Perhaps this is why John included it because a lot of his chapters dealt with Christ becoming the sacrifice.
ReplyDeletethe beginning of Chapter 3 where Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus only appears in John. in this passage Jesus says that one cannot enter the kingdom of heaven unless he be born again. when Nicodemus questions him about this he clarifies, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" Jn 3:5. it is here that John brings up a point not mentioned in the synoptic Gospels, which is the role of Baptism. This passage, perhaps, set the stage for some of the major teachings of the church today. One must be baptized and born again in spirit, because as humans we are already not holy enough for the kingdom of heaven. Had John not chosen to include this passage, many denominations of Christianity, Catholicism and the Baptists in particular, would not be what they are today. -Sean M.
ReplyDeleteIn John 5:1-18 Jesus is shown healing a man who had been ill for 38 years by merely saying "Rise, take up you mat, and walk." John includes this passage to show signs to readers that through his miraculous deeds he truly is the son of God. He also makes a point to explain Jewish custom regarding not working on the Sabbath, suggesting that his audience was Gentile rather then Jewish. He also makes a point to show the frustration of the Jewish community when Jesus called himself equal to God. This passage serves as an example as to why John was critical in illustrating the early miracles and signs of Jesus becoming the figure he is and the foundation of the various Christian denominations.
ReplyDeleteZack Krage
Much of what is in John talks about the miracles that Jesus preformed during his life. It put more emphasis on the amazing deeds that he did, such as healing people, walking on water, etc. The one passage that I would chose that isn't in the synoptic gospels is Jesus's first miracle in John 2 where he changes the water to wine. I think that John's message can be viewed from both the gentile side and the Jewish side. He is showing that Jesus was something special because he could perform theses miracles.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting that Jesus realized that most prophets are not appreciated or even recognized within their own people. John starts his Gospel differently than the other three. Instead of getting a history of Jesus, John starts with a description of Jesus as the incarnate word of God. " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being" By starting his Gospel this way John shows that it may not be Jesus' past that is important but the message that Jesus brings. John clearly wanted to focus on Jesus' message that he was bringing to the world including the people that the Jews would not associate with, the Samaritans. The message that Jesus was the light that would defeat all darkness is the overly theme of the gospel of John.
ReplyDeleteThomas Geyer
John 2:13-25, The Cleansing of the Temple. This passage is not in the other readings, plus this reading also shows how Jesus is just a man as well. People are bound to get upset every once in a while and in this passage, that is shown. People probably thought that Jesus would not get upset, when in fact this passage shows that he did because people had turned the temple in Jerusalem into a marketplace. The temple is a place of worship and prayer, not a place to sell goods. Basically this passage is trying to say that even Jesus was human.
ReplyDelete-Cheryl Hansen
It is more important in the book of John, to concentrate on what is not recorded which is recorded in the synoptic gospels. Very much like Mark, John excludes the birth and young life of Jesus, beginning his writings with the works of John the Baptist. He continues to address the account of Jesus clearing of the temple in Jerusalem. Now i personally like to look at this as perhaps showing a jump from the baptism of Jesus, to Jesus being in Jerusalem. I know in class we talked about the possibility, and perhaps even probability that this is an entirely separate account of Jesus being at the temple, but it is interesting that John focuses primarily on Jesus time spent in Jerusalem.
ReplyDelete-Greg Fred