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“You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; 33and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one's neighbor as oneself,’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
35While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Messiahc is the son of David? 36David himself, by the Holy Spirit, declared, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ 37David himself calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?”
“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
Many rich people put in large sums. 42A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
5Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 6Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’a and they will lead many astray. 7When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.
9“As for yourselves, beware; for they will hand you over to councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them. 10And the good newsb must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
12Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 13and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
20And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut short those days.
21And if anyone says to you at that time, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’a or ‘Look! There he is!’—do not believe it. 22False messiahsb and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23But be alert; I have already told you everything.
31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
32“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Beware, keep alert;d for you do not know when the time will come.
34It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 37And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”
22While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. 24He said to them, “This is my blood of thea covenant, which is poured out for many.
25Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
34And he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.”
36He said, “Abba,b Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.”
38Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial;c the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
39Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way heg breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God's Son!”h
15And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good newsb to the whole creation. 16The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned.
Good news, language associated in Jewish scripture with God's decisive defeat of opposing forces (Isa 40.9; 52.7; 61.1) and in Roman imperial propaganda with the birth of Caesar. Of Jesus Christ, an ambiguous phrase grammatically, meaning that Jesus both proclaims and embodies the “good news” that God's kingdom has drawn near (see 1.14–15).
Christ (from Gk “Christos,” which translates Heb “mashiaḥ,” both meaning “anointed”) originally referred broadly to kings, priests, or prophets, some Jewish groups in the first century ce thought that a specially “anointed one” would preside over God's kingdom on earth in a political and/or religious sense.
Wilderness, or “deserted place,” an important theme in Mark (1.4,12,13,35,45; 6.31,32,35) and the biblical setting of Israel's deliverance (Ex 6; 13.17–22; Isa 41.18–20; 43.19–21; Hos 2.14–15).
Tax collectors and sinners, a stock group of religious outcasts. “Tax (or toll) collectors” often exacted and pocketed heavy surcharges on tolls due to the Roman government. “Sinners” were those who failed to observe the requirements of the Torah.
John’s Gospel = “Jesus as God”
The Gospel of John relates the story of Jesus as one in which the Word made flesh is sent into the world “from above” to bring life to those who believe in him (1.1–18). The narrative world of the Gospel involves sharp contrasts—above and below, light and dark, spirit and flesh, not of this world/of this world, children of God and children of the devil. It is a world that God loves (3.16), but one that will hate his Son and those who come to believe in him (15.18–25). The Gospel soars with language of love and bites with sharp words of opposition between Jesus and his opponents. Even after
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Since at least the late second century ce, tradition has attributed the authorship of the Gospel to Jesus's disciple, John the son of Zebedee, who purportedly wrote the Gospel in Ephesus. Doubts about the accuracy of this tradition have existed since antiquity. Eusebius mentions a different figure, John “the Elder,” living in Ephesus (Hist. eccl. 3.39.3). The conclusion to the Gospel (21.24) points to the memories of the “disciple whom Jesus loved” as a source of its traditions. But the narrative never identifies this figure, although if the “other disciple” in 18.16 is a reference to this
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Today most scholars think that Johannine traditions stem from an unidentified follower of Jesus, not one of the twelve disciples. This anonymous disciple developed a group of followers, a “Johannine school,” who were responsible for writing down his witness. This figure was idealized in the community, as the model believer who is called the “beloved disciple” in the Gospel narrative (19.25–27).
Re: Authorship of John’s Gospel
Scholars generally date the final form of the Gospel to around 90–100 ce. A small papyrus fragment known as P52 (Rylands Library Papyrus 3.457), which contains verses from Jn 18, was initially dated at around 130 ce, which would mean that the Gospel must have been written by the end of the first century. More recently that date has been moved to later in the second century. Furthermore, references to John begin to proliferate in Christian writers only in the second half of the second century.
Re: Dating John’s Gospel
Ephesus continues to be the lead contender for the author's location. Not only does tradition situate it there, but another writing associated with the Johannine corpus, the book of Revelation, is directed toward an audience in Asia Minor (Rev 1.4). Other suggestions include Palestine (especially for those looking for an early provenance) and Alexandria (because the Gospel was popular with Gnostic thinkers living in Egypt).
Re: Location of John’s Gospel
Scholars confront three main puzzles in trying to discern the stages of composition in the Gospel of John. First, what is the relationship between this Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels? Second, apart from the Synoptic Gospels as potential sources, are there other discernible sources behind the Gospel? Third, was the Gospel composed in several stages at different points in the life of a particular “Johannine” community?
For much of the twentieth century, the distinctiveness of the Gospel led scholars to argue that the author did not know any of the Synoptic Gospels but employed an independent source of oral and written traditions which had some overlap with “Synoptic- like” traditions, especially Mark and Luke. More recently, scholars have argued that the evangelist knew one or more of the Synoptic Gospels, but chose to present the story of Jesus in a different form. The Gospel employs elements of the dramatic form to focus attention on the identity of Jesus as God's Son, “the one coming into the world” (1.9;
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the author may also have incorporated a source designated by scholars as the “signs source” (or sēmeia, Gk for “signs”). The Gospel uses the term “signs” for miracles performed by Jesus, and two of them, which are numbered, frame an early section of the narrative (2.11; 4.54). Different assessments of signs appear in the narrative: sometimes they are regarded positively as the basis of faith (2.11; 2.23); at other times seeking signs draws criticism (4.48). Such differences could result from the incorporation of a distinct signs source.
Some interpreters reject the entire construct of a “Johannine community,” since no external evidence exists for such a community in Ephesus. Moreover, what appear to be awkward textual breaks can be explained as literary devices that were common to Greek drama (see 14.31n.).
In addition to relating Jesus's signs, the first part describes increasing conflict between Jesus and his opponents, culminating in the final plan to put Jesus to death (11.53). This decision comes following the raising of Lazarus, which itself points ahead to Jesus's death and resurrection. So also does Mary's anointing of Jesus in Bethany, which anticipates his burial (12.7–8). Thus, chs 11–12 provide the transition from the first half of the Gospel, focusing on Jesus coming into the world and his ministry, to the second part, focused on his glorification and ascent to the Father.
2 Parts of John’s Gospel
Jesus uses words with double meanings that create confusion. Likewise, Jesus's discourses employ symbolic imagery to describe Jesus's identity. That language leads to questions and protests from listeners. Another literary device is the use of “I am” statements. The Johannine Jesus uses the phrase to define himself by way of objects from everyday life such as bread (6.35), light (8.12), door (10.7), good shepherd (10.11), and true vine (15.1). In some cases, the phrase is used more abstractly. Jesus instructs his listener that he is the resurrection (11.25), the way, the truth, and the life
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In the Synoptic tradition, Jesus's miracles point to the in-breaking of the kingdom of God. In this Gospel, the signs reveal Jesus's glory and bring people to belief in him.
Re: Signs & Miracles in John’s Gospel vs. Synoptic Gospels
Irony also appears regularly as a literary device, where characters unknowingly convey theological truths about Jesus. Two prime examples are Caiaphas's declaration about Jesus's death for “the people” (11.49–52), and Pilate's question “What is truth?” as he stands before Jesus who has proclaimed himself as the truth (18.38).
As early as Clement of Alexandria's statement that “John wrote a spiritual gospel” (Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 6.14.7) readers have tended to assume that the Gospel is less historical than the Synoptic Gospels. While assessing the historicity of any Gospel tradition is always complicated, at least some details in John may be closer to the historical context of Jesus than those in the Synoptic accounts.
John's narrative has Jesus engaged in a ministry of at least three years compared to the single year in the other Gospels. In John, Jesus attends multiple festivals in Jerusalem, including three annual Passover festivals (2.13; 6.4; 11.55). An active ministry of several years makes more sense in providing time necessary to gather followers and attract the negative attention of Roman leaders.
The Gospel of John is also the only one that directly addresses the historical reality of living un...
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In the Gospel of John, Jesus is the Lamb of God crucified on the day before Passover, the same day that the Passover lambs are slaughtered. In the Synoptic Gospels, the Last Supper is a Passover meal that is transformed into a Eucharistic meal.
From a Christian perspective, the Gospel of John offers a rich tapestry of symbolic language that presents Jesus as the image and revelation of God in the world. One who knows Jesus, knows God (1.18; 14.9), and one who follows the commandment of Jesus to love others in the community will abide in God's love and have complete joy (15.10). Believers have been granted eternal life and promised a place with the Father and the Son (3.16; 8.51; 14.1–3). But all of this positive imagery is accompanied by its opposite. One who does not believe has already been condemned (3.18). One who does not abide
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the Gospel regularly labels these nonbelievers as hoi Ioudaioi, “the Jews.” Indeed, a major challenge of understanding the historical context of the Gospel is how to make sense of a narrative that features Jesus in close connection with Jewish traditions and rituals (shown though regular references to the ancestral figures of Abraham, Jacob, and Moses, as well as frequent attendance at Jewish festivals), and also in heated conflict with a group called “the Jews.” Historically, Jesus and all of his disciples were Jewish, so it seems puzzling to hear John's Jesus declare that unbelieving
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Re: John’s Gospel, the translation of “hoi Ioudaioi” (not “all Jews”; maybe Judeans?), and anti-Semitism
Generally, when Gospel writers refer to “the Jews” in antagonistic ways, they have religious authorities in mind.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him was life,a and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.b 10He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11He came to what was his own,c and his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son,d full of grace and truth.
16From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son,e who is close to the Father's heart,f who has made him known.
26John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.”
