Please read Chapters 11-22 of John's gospel. As always, I prefer you read for quality rather than quantity, though, in this case, skimming through all 11 chapters and then gong back to read some chapters more carefully might work best.Your 4th MT study question notes that, while the Gospel of John is in some ways very different from the synoptic gospels, it often complements and supplements the synoptics, sometimes in surprising ways.
Choose a verse or passage from the assigned chapters and a "parallel" verse or passage from one of the synoptics on the same subject (e.g., money, leadership, faith, etc.). Compare and contrast the two verses or passages.
A gospel "synopsis" or a harmony of the gospels can help you find parallel passages. The online synopsis I suggested you use for the earlier extra credit assignment might make this assignment a bit easier.
"Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you also wish to go away?' 6.68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; 6.69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." 6.70 Jesus answered them, 'Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?' 6.71 He spoke of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was to betray him."
ReplyDelete- John Peter's confession
In all of the other gospels, Peter says Jesus is Christ. However, John has not posed this confession as a direct "Who do you say I am?" Instead, Jesus asked if they wished to go back to their secular lives, to which Peter responded no. This clarifies what the other gospels do not. The importance of these passages is Peter's free will. He chose Jesus, and Jesus chose him. He also clarifies who Jesus was referring to in terms of satan, as it is unclear in the parallel passages. This is a perfect example of how John's gospel is a complement and clarification of the others- filling holes but also explaining.
This isn't a specific subject like faith or leadership, but the passage talking about Jesus being mocked by soldiers, which John has more information on than Matthew and Mark combined (Luke does not have this section, at least not as its own dedicated portion). Matthew and Mark briefly describe the soldiers fashioning the crown of thorns and putting a purple robe on Jesus while mocking him as King of the Jews before putting his clothes back on him and leading him away. John also records this, but before Jesus is led away, John takes lots of time to write what else happens, which is mainly an interaction between Jesus and Pilate. John emphasizes Pilate's apparent desire to not kill Jesus, yet Pilate's fear of the mob overpowers him. After Pilate attempts to disassociate himself with the crucifixion, he goes back into where Jesus is held and has what I think to be an incredible yet short conversation. Pilate asks Jesus where he's from, to which Jesus is quiet about, and Pilate seems to get annoyed or perhaps conflicted about what to do. He says, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have the power to release you, and the power to crucify you?" (19:10). Jesus then finally breaks his silence and corrects Pilate about where his power comes from: "You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above... ." John then says Pilate wanted to let Jesus go, but the Jews' rage overpowered him. I think these few verses add a ton to the events before Jesus crucifixion puts into perspective who is in control in a seemingly powerless situation. In the other gospels, the mocking and crucifixion move somewhat quickly, and Pilate may tend to fade into the background as a political figure making a pressured decision. But in John, this short private conversation slows everything down and doesn't necessarily glamourize Pilate, but it does show Jesus' calm demeanor while being basically offered a potential ticket to freedom.
ReplyDeleteAlso, John is the only Gospel that records the line in 19:15, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him!" When I took elementary Greek a few years ago, my teacher brought this passage up and asked us to look at how it's written in Greek: "Αρον αρον, σταυρωσον αυτον," which, when said aloud, sounds more like a chant given the syllables and punctuation. This might make more sense if it's explained it in person, but I thought it was really neat to see how maybe this scene in John would be a collective chant from the crowd rather than a jumbled mess of words like I've seen portrayed in shows or movies before.
I looked up the parallel passages for Jesus' Triumphal Entry. The story is included in all four gospels, but John has a little different perspective and selection of information that he chooses to include.
ReplyDeleteI found that all of the gospels except John include the story of how Jesus got the colt to ride into Jerusalem. John leaves this out and merely says Jesus found it, which is true by the extension of his disciples. Perhaps this part of the story did not need to be included since it was already well covered by the other apostles.
Something that he did include was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesy about that event, which Matthew also included, but the other gospels did not. And while all the gospels made some reference to the people calling Jesus their king, Matthew and Mark did so by mentioning the lineage of David. Luke and John just say “King of Israel.” All say he “comes in the name of the Lord.”
Luke and John are the only two books that mention the Pharisees' reaction to all this. But they mention different aspects of what the Pharisees did and thought, so you really need both to get the full picture.
And the final thing I noticed was that John was the only gospel to give us details about the crowd that was welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem. John tells us that there was a crowd of those who had been with Jesus when he raised Lazarus from the dead who witnessed this entry. John also tells us that the crowd who came to welcome him into the city did so because they had heard about Jesus raising Lazarus. These are a few interesting details that we would not have today except for the preservation of the Gospel of John.
In Luke 10:21-24 Jesus talks about the Father's will, saying, "All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
ReplyDeleteThis section of Luke, and a few passages in Matthew in the Sermon on the Mount, seem to be the only place somewhat comparable to John's account of Jesus' last teaching before his crucifixion, from John 14-17. There are many, many verses where Jesus describes his relationship to the Father, the Father to him, and the Father to his disciples. A few verses that highlight this are as follows
14:6-7"No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
14:10 "Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?"
These verses, along with the surrounding passages, say what Luke describes Jesus saying, but in a much more extensive theological teaching. In Luke, Jesus says the Father is known only by himself or anyone he reveals the Father to. John tells us exactly who it is that Jesus reveals this to. The passage in Luke is contrastly in a different place on the timeline, and the context is a bit different. In Luke, Jesus says those things as a prayer of thanksgiving after the 72 returned that he had sent out. John's account is right before the move into Jesus' betrayal and crucifixion. This would give context for why Jesus' words here are much more in-depth than Luke's.
I find it really interesting that Matthew, Mark, and Luke don't include any of Jesus' words here as they are so beautifully said and really define the divinity of Christ and his relationship to believers. Because of this, I would argue that Luke's Gospel is not the most beautiful book written, but rather John's.
John 18:1-11
ReplyDeleteWhen Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.”[a] Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus[b] said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” 10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant[c] and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
All four gospels show Jesus in the garden before and amidst his arrest. Yet, the synoptics and John reveal it quite differently. The synoptics tend to focus heavily on Jesus' humanity and suffering. One of the greatest passages to show that Jesus was a physical human who went through pain and agony like us. It also describes the weight of not only crucifixion but spiritual outpouring of sin that he undertook.
John doesn't mention this side of Jesus at all. It skims passed that whole scene before his arrest. Yet it does show some things that the synoptics don't. For example, Jesus is more firm in his approach to the soldiers coming to arrest him. The soldiers even fall back when he say that he the one they are looking for.
Both accounts are needed because it completes Jesus' person. His humanity but also his authority and subtle divinity claims.
John 12:25
ReplyDelete"He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."
This verse is in all of the synoptic gospels and is actually listed twice in Matthew. In all of the synoptic gospels, it falls under a section titled "The conditions of discipleship", but in John it's under "Greeks seeking Jesus". I'm aware these section headers are added for reader use and not part of the manuscripts, but I think it's interesting how all but John are labeled similarly. With that being said, John gets this unique title because the section starts with Jesus being sought out by a group of Greeks that came to worship in Jerusalem. This verse feels out of place with the context that John gave in this section. But, I think that looking at this section in the synoptic gospels makes it a little less out of context. All three synoptic gospels start the section with "If any man would come after me...", which is left out of John. I think that Jesus might be making a commentary on the people seeking him out kind of like a celebrity or famous teacher versus seeking out his message as he outlines in the rest of the passage.
I also like the imagery in verse 24 that is exclusive to John.
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."
I think this addition makes it easier to remember the message of this important passage while also possibly providing comfort for persecuted Christians of the time period.
The verse I chose was John 12 1-8. 1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Laz'arus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 12.2 There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Laz'arus was one of those at table with him. 12.3 Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. 12.4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was to betray him), said, 12.5 "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" 12.6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it. 12.7 Jesus said, "Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. 12.8 The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me."
ReplyDeleteThis verse is mechanoid in all four gospels but I am going to talk about it and mark. they are both very similar. In mark though it goes into more detail on why it is ok she didn't sell it. In john however he goes into more of the backstory and why Jesus is there. I think though with both you are getting the same story just told in a little different light.