Jesus as Teacher in the Gospel of John

Jesus as Teacher in the Gospel of John

Peter’s House in Capernaum

Aqueduct at Caesarea Maritima

The “Burnt House”

2:1-11 First Sign 6:1-15 Fourth Sign

------------------ 6:16-21 Fifth Sign

3:1-21 First Discourse (Nicodemus, the Pharisee)

6:22-71 Fourth Discourse (The "crowd" that sought Jesus out after his feeding of the 5,000)

------------------ 7:1-53a Fifth Discourse (the "Jews" in Jerusalem )

4:1-41 Second Discourse (Samaritan woman, and then Jesus' disciples)

------------------

------------------ 8:12-59 Sixth Discourse (Pharisees who took offence at Jesus)

4:46-54 Second Sign 9:1-41 Sixth Sign

5:1-18 Third Sign 10:1-42 Seventh Discourse (A group of "Jews“)

5:19-47 Third Discourse (A group of "Jews“)

11:1-45 Seventh Sign

Introduction

The "Problem" of the Historicity of the Gospel of John

The Religious-Historical Background of Jesus' Teaching in the Gospel of John

The Eyewitness Origin of Gospel of John

Therefore the speeches are given in the language in which, as it seemed to me, the several speakers would express, on the subjects under consideration, the sentiments most befitting the occasion, though at the same time I adhered as closely as possible to the general sense of what was actually said. (Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, 1.22.1)

The "Problem" of the Historicity of the Gospel of JohnThe Nature of the Discourses in the Gospel of John

What are the objections to the historicity of the Gospel of John? Why are these invalid?

Questions

Jesus’ Teaching in the Gospel of John

John 3:1-6 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again (or from above) he cannot see the Kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" 5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

Jesus' Teaching about the Kingdom of God

What does Jesus tell Nicodemus about the Kingdom of God?


John 18:36 Jesus answered [to Pontius Pilate], "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, my kingdom is not from here."


What does Jesus mean when he says that his kingdom is “not of the world” and “not from here”?

Other Soteriological TermsJesus speaks more often of "life" (zoê) or "eternal life" (zoê aiônios) than he does about the Kingdom of God (see John 3:15-16, 36; 4:14, 36; 5:24, 26, 29, 39, 40; 6:27, 33, 35, 40, 47, 48, 51, 53, 54, 63, 68; 8:12; 10:10, 28; 11:15; 12:25; 14:6; 17:2-3).

Jesus' Teaching in the Gospel of John


“Life” and “eternal life” are complementary terms to the Kingdom of God.Synoptic Gospels: “to enter into life” (“peace,” “new covenant,” “paliggenesia,” "that age,“ “visitation”)Psalms of Solomon "eternal life“ and "Kingdom of our God"

What does Jesus teach about the Kingdom of God in the Gospel of John?

Question


Jesus' Teaching in a Non-Rejection Context

Jesus' Use of Metaphor to Describe Himself as Mediator of Eschatological Salvation

• Light and Darkness• Truth

• Life

• The Shepherd/Gate (John 10:1-21)

Light and Darkness

John 8:12: Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.

John 9:5: As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.John 12:35-36: Then Jesus said to them, "A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, in case darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.

John 12:46: I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me should not abide in darkness.

Parallels to Jesus’ Use of Light1QH 6.17: A source of light shall become an eternal ever flowing fountain, and in its bright flames all the sons of iniquity shall be consumed; [it shall be] a fire to devour all sinful men in utter destruction.

1QM: 13.9-10: You have created us for yourself, [O God], that we may be an everlasting people. You have decreed for us a destiny of light, according to your truth. And the Prince of Light you have appointed from ancient times to come to our support; [all the sons of righteousness are in his hand], and all the spirits of truth are under his dominion.1 Enoch 92:4-5 And he (the great Holy One) will be gracious to the righteous and give him eternal happiness. And he will give him power so that he shall execute judgment with goodness and righteousness. And he shall walk in eternal light. And sin shall perish in darkness forever, and shall no more then appear from that day for evermore.

TruthJohn 5:33: "He [John] has testified to the truth.

John 18:37: "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."John 14: 6: Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.John 8:32: Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."John 17:17: Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

Truth

John 14:16-17: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

TruthJohn 15:26: When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.

John 16:13: But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

John 18:37: "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to me."

Parallels to Jesus’ Use of Truth

1QM 13.9-10a: You have created us for yourself, [O God], that we may be an everlasting people. You have decreed for us a destiny of light, according to your truth.

1QS 3.17b-19a "He [God] created human beings...designing for him two spirits in which to walk until the appointed time for his visitation, the spirits of truth and deceit" 4Q434, 436 (Bless, Oh my Soul) 1.1.8b-9: He [God] revealed to them an abundance of peace and truth.

Life

John 11:25: Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;

John 14:6: Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.John 5:21: For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.John 6:33: For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

John 5:26: For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself

Life

John 6:32-33: Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

John 6:35: Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

John 6:63: The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

Life

John 6:48: I am the bread of life.

John 6:58: This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."

John 6:54-57: Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.

LifeJohn 8:12: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

John 4:13-14: Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Parallels to Jesus’ Use of Life1QS 2.2b-3: May he bless you with all good and preserve you from all evil. May he lighten your heart with the understanding of life and grant you eternal knowledge.1QS 3.6b-7a: For it is through the spirit of true counsel concerning the ways of man that all his sins shall be expiated that he may contemplate the light of life.4 Macc 7:19 Believing that to God they do not die, as our patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob died not, but live to God / 4 Macc 15:3 She loved piety better, which preserves to eternal life according to God’s word.Ps. Sol. 3.12 But those who fear the Lord shall rise up to eternal life and their life shall be in the Lord's light, and it shall never end. / Ps. Sol. 15:13 But those who fear the Lord shall find mercy in it [final judgment] and shall live by their God’s mercy; but sinners shall perish for all time.

The Shepherd and Gate (John 10:1-21)

7 So Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door; if anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know my own and my own know me, 15 even as the Father knows me and I know the Father.

Other Statements of Jesus Concerning his Role as Mediator of Eschatological Salvation

John 5:24: "Truly, truly, I say to you that the one who hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life, and will not come into judgment but pass over from death to life" (see 5:25-26).

John 6:27-29: "Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that remains for eternal life, which the son of man will give to you."


John 6:40: "This is the will of my Father, that the one who looks to the Son and believes in him have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

John 8:24: "I told you that you would die in your sins. For I you do not believe that I am (who I say I am), you will die in your sins." John 8:51: "Truly, truly, I say to you that if anyone keeps my word, he will not see death for eternity."

John 9:39: "For judgment I have come into this world, in order that those who do not see will see and those who see will become blind."



John 10:28: "I will give to them [my sheep] eternal life."

John 12:47b: "I came not to judge the world, but to save the world."

John 14:6 "No one comes to the Father except through me."



Questions

By which metaphors does Jesus interpret himself as mediator of eschatological salvation in the Gospel of John? What does Jesus mean by these metaphors? How does the author of the Gospel of John interpret Jesus?

Lulav on Coin

Street Along Western Wall

Ruins of Synagogue at Kiryat Sefer

Related Teaching in the Gospel of John


Predestination


John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.65 He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."

Future Giving of the Spirit (John 7:37-39)

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 He who believes in me, as the Scripture said, from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water." But this he spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive.




True Children of Abraham (John 8:34-41)

John 8:34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham's descendants; yet you seek to kill me, because my word has no place in you. 38 I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father." 39 They answered and said to him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham. 40 But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. 41 You are doing the deeds of your father." They said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God."




Jesus' Teaching in a Rejection Context


1. Jesus washes his disciples feet as a symbol of the attitude that they should have towards one another (13:2b-18).2. Jesus gives a new commandment to his disciples to love one another (13:34-35; 15:12-14).3. Jesus explains that the eschatological promise of the Spirit would be fulfilled only after he has returned to the Father (14:15-17; 25; 15:26; 16:7-15) See John 7:36-37.4. Jesus says that where he is going he will prepare a place for the disciples and will come again to get the disciples (14:1-4).

5. Jesus warns his disciples of coming persecution (15:18-16:4).6. Jesus offers a prayer to the Father on behalf of his disciples (17).

Documents

Jesus as Teacher in the Gospel of John