The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown (73 page)

UNIT-BY-UNIT DISCUSSION

I. Introduction: The Word Made Flesh (1:1–18)

John's striking prologue sets the course for his entire Gospel by drawing a road map for the reader that projects in eloquent language the path on which the Gospel will travel. From 1:1 onward, John makes a startling assertion: Jesus is God. This God “became flesh” and “took up residence” (literally, “pitched his tent”) among God's people (1:14) as the “One and Only Son from the Father” (1:14,18). Going beyond Matthew and Luke, who linked Jesus with Abraham and/or Adam, John traced Jesus' origins back to creation (see Gen 1:1), thus anchoring him not simply in temporal historical events but in eternity past.

Anticipating later unbelief and the rejection of Jesus as Messiah by both the Jews and the world (chaps. 5–10, 18–19), John distinguished between two groups of people: those who recognize the incarnate Word (1:12–13; believers) and those who do not (1:10–11; unbelievers). All must respond to Jesus based on the testimony of John the Baptist (1:6–9,15) and on the Fourth Evangelist's presentation of Jesus throughout the rest of his Gospel, especially his setting forth of Jesus' seven messianic “signs” (chaps. 2–12; see 20:30–31).

II. The Book of Signs: The Signs of the Messiah (1:19–12:50)

After introducing Jesus as the Word made flesh in the introduction, John started the first of his two “books”—“The Book of Signs” (1:19–12:50) and “The Book of Exaltation” (chaps. 13–20). The first book, “The Book of Signs,” establishes by way of seven selected signs that Jesus is the Messiah sent from God (2:1–11, 13–22; 4:46–54; 5:1–15; 6:1–15,9:1–41; 11:1–44). The second book, “The Book of Exaltation,” records how the God-sent Messiah became the sender of his disciples and thus the one who establishes God's new messianic community.

A. The Forerunner and the Coming of the Messiah (1:19–51)
John began the narrative proper by expounding upon the testimony of John the Baptist (1:19–36; see 1:6–8, 15). To a delegation from Jerusalem, the Baptist gave witness regarding his own identity (1:19–28): he was not the Messiah but the “voice of one crying out in the wilderness” envisioned by the OT prophet Isaiah (1:23; see Isa 40:3; cf. Matt 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4). He also directed his followers to Jesus, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (1:29; see
1:36) and made clear that the purpose of his ministry of baptism was so that Christ “might be revealed to Israel” (1:31). The remainder of the chapter shows Jesus calling his first disciples and identifying himself to them as the new Bethel (1:50–51; cf. Gen 28:12).
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Something to Think About:
By Their Fruit You Will Know Them

I
n the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned people against false prophets. With simple logic, Jesus pointed out that “every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit.…So you'll recognize them by their fruit” (Matt 7:17, 20). For not everyone who says to Jesus, “Lord, Lord!” will enter the kingdom of heaven but only the one who does the will of his Father in heaven (Matt 7:21).

Later on toward the close of his ministry, Jesus challenged his followers with similar words. Earlier there were those who appeared to place their trust in Jesus, but Jesus was not fooled by outward expressions of faith that were unaccompanied by obedience (John 2:23–25). The many who had believed in him, he urged, “If you continue in My word, you really are My disciples” (8:31). Sadly, most did not heed Jesus' words.

So on his way to Gethsemane, Jesus reiterated his challenge once again: “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.
My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples”
(15:7–8). Are we easily satisfied with our new status in Christ and slack in our obedience? Let us not forget that it is
by our fruit
that we prove to be Jesus' followers and glorify our Father in heaven.

B. The Cana Cycle: Jesus' Inaugural Signs and Representative Conversations (2–4)
After these introducatory matters, chapter 2 opens with Jesus' ministry beginning in earnest. Jesus' first sign in Cana—turning water into wine—“displayed his glory,” so that his disciples “believed in him” (2:11). Another possible sign, the clearing of the temple (2:13–22), anticipated Jesus' resurrection (2:19) and signaled the temple's replacement with Jesus (2:20). After intermittent conversations with Nicodemus, the Jewish rabbi (3:1–21), and a Samaritan woman (4:1–42), Jesus performed another sign at Cana, healing an official's son (4:43–54). This closes the Cana cycle that spans chapters 2–4, which featured Jesus' messianic ministry through both inaugural signs and extended conversations with representative individuals.

C. The Festival Cycle: Additional Signs amid Mounting Unbelief (5–10)
In chaps. 5–10, Jesus' public ministry is shown to continue amid escalating controversy due to the unbelief foreshadowed in 1:10–11 and 2:24–25. This intensifying unbelief was further exposed by additional messianic signs of Jesus. His fourth sign, the healing of a lame man (5:1–15), took place at an unnamed feast (possibly Tabernacles) and was performed on the Sabbath, resulting in the Jews' persecution of Jesus (5:16). In the ensuing controversy, Jesus defended himself against the charge of blasphemy, calling upon God the Father, his own works, John the Baptist, Moses, and others as his witnesses (5:17–47).

After this Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee to celebrate Passover, where he performed his fifth sign, feeding the multitude (6:1–15). After the intervening account of Jesus' walking on the water (6:16–21), which is typically paired with the account of the feeding of the multitude in the Gospels (see Matt 14:13–33 and parallels), Jesus, in the “bread of life” discourse, revealed himself as the life-giving “bread,” which was to be given sacrificially for the life of the world (6:22–59). After this, many even of Jesus' disciples stopped following him, and he was left with the Twelve—and even one of them was a traitor (6:60–71).

Continuing on the theme of growing escalation between belief and unbelief (7:1,10,12), the evangelist proceeded to narrate Jesus' journey to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (7:1–8:59), presented in the form of two teaching cycles of Jesus (7:1–52; 8:12–59).
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Sometime after the feast, Jesus performed the sixth of his seven signs, the healing of a blind man (9:1–12), which prompted further tension between Jesus and the Jewish authorities (9:13–41). Their failure to recognize Jesus as Messiah led to severe division and mounting unbelief, with the plot to have Jesus killed inexorably moving toward a climax, even in the midst of a series of compelling messianic signs (chap. 10).

Table 7.2: Jesus' Fulfillment of Old Testament Festivals

D. Final Passover: Climactic Sign, the Raising of Lazarus, and Other Events (11–12)
In this bridge section the evangelist narrates Jesus' climactic sign, the raising of Lazarus (11:1–44), as well as mounting opposition to Jesus by the Jewish authorities (11:45–57). The startling demonstration of Jesus' messiahship at the raising of Lazarus adds the final exclamation point to Jesus' claim of being the messianic Son of God (see 12:36–41; 20:30–31). In light of the mounting pressure following Jesus' final sign in this Gospel, Jesus decided to avoid the open public and withdrew with his disciples (11:54).

With the seven signs behind Jesus and with the plot against him escalating, John moved the reader from the “Book of Signs” (1:19–12:50) to the “Book of Exaltation” (chaps. 13–20), featuring the following events: Mary's anointing of Jesus at Bethany (12:1–8), which anticipated his death and burial; Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which underscored his messianic identity (12:12–19);
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and the coming of some Greeks, which signified the dawning age of the Gentiles (12:20–36). These three public events preceded the final indictment of Jewish rejection (12:37–50). With this Jesus shifted his focus from his revelation to Israel to the preparation of his new messianic community.

Table 7.3: Jesus' Signs in John's Gospel

III. The Book of Exaltation: Preparing the New Messianic Community and Jesus' Passion (13–20)

After narrating Jesus' seven “messianic signs” in “The Book of Signs,” climaxing in his rejection by the Jews (chaps. 1–12), John proceeded to anticipate Jesus' resurrection and ascension in “The Book of Exaltation” (chaps. 13–20). The focus is squarely on Jesus' preparation of the new messianic community, which is followed by an account of Jesus'
passion, including his arrest, crucifixion, and burial, and the first two of his resurrection appearances. A purpose statement concludes the narrative proper (20:30–31).

A. The Cleansing and Instruction of the New Community (13–17)
With the line of demarcation between believers and unbelievers now clearly drawn, Jesus turned his attention to the Twelve (or Eleven) in order to prepare them for the time subsequent to his imminent departure. This preparation, presented in a section unique to John's Gospel commonly called the “Upper Room Discourse” or “Farewell Discourse” (chaps. 13–17), proceeded in three stages: (1) Jesus cleansed the community (13:1–30); (2) Jesus offered an encouraging and challenging farewell (13:31–16:33); and (3) Jesus uttered a parting prayer (chap. 17).

First, the new messianic community was cleansed, both literally through his washing the disciples feet (13:1–17) and spiritually through the removal of Judas the traitor from the disciples' midst (13:18–30). With the community cleansed and Jesus' departure imminent, he turned to a period of extended instruction of the Eleven in order to prepare his followers for the time when he would no longer be physically present with them (the “Farewell Discourse” proper, 13:31–16:33). In this John presented Jesus' parting instructions to his followers against the backdrop of Moses' farewell in Deuteronomy.
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After announcing that his departure was now imminent, Jesus comforted his disciples by telling them that he was going to prepare a place for them in his “Father's house” (14:2). In order to follow him there, they must remember that Jesus is the only way to the Father (14:6). Jesus further comforted his followers by promising to send “another Counselor” (14:16), “the Spirit of truth” (14:17). Once Jesus was exalted, the disciples must remain connected to the “true vine” (15:1), for apart from him they could do nothing (15:5). They must witness to a world that will hate and persecute them (15:18–16:33), knowing that Jesus' victory had already been secured (16:33).