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).
What do you think is John's purpose in including the "extra" material? How does what John says add to or clarifify the story of Jesus as told by the Synoptic writers?
John's bible is to be a supplement to the Synoptic gospels, according to Eusebius 6:14:7. This is why over 90% of his gospel is original in comparison. On top of that, his gospel centers the focus on a Jesus framed in a superhero light. One of many differences is the very start of John's bible which begins with the beginning of time, in contradiction with the start of his counterpart's gospels that place Jesus in the present century. This way of proclaiming Jesus as God is not seen so upfront in the other texts. In part because I believe John knew that Christianity would spread and was writing to fill the gaps for future churches. He was writing for people like me - Christians in the distant future. We don't need to be eased into the idea of Christ as King like other audiences might; we can be told directly. There are seven miracles John identifies in his words. Five of them are not in the synoptic gospels, so John adds them as "Signs". In this writing, signs like the Wedding of Cana introduce Jesus divinity to the disciples as he reveals himself in glory. These signs are the observation that Jesus is God and fits into his idea of a "Superhero" Jesus.
ReplyDeleteOne thing John includes that the synoptic gospels do not is the long conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus in John chapter 3 Matthew, Mark, and Luke focus more on Jesus’s actions and short teachings, but they do not include this kind of philosophical back and forth. I think John includes this extra material because he wants us to slow down and think about what Jesus means, not just what he does. The Nicodemus scene pushes the reader to consider ideas like spiritual rebirth, belief, and what it actually means to follow Jesus. It also shows Jesus engaging seriously with a religious authority figure, which represents the gap between traditional thinking and what Jesus offered. He clarifies Jesus’s message by focusing less on events and more on meaning, belief, and transformation.
ReplyDeleteThe two passages that stick out to me are Jesus' conversations with Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman. John 3:16 might be the most well-known verse of all time, and I bet many people don't know it's in a section talking with a Pharisee. There are multiple parallels as well between the Nicodemus and Samaritan woman stories. For example, both of them take Jesus' enigmatic language literally (must be born again, drink this water and never be thirsty again), Jesus opens with spiritual metaphors in both passages, and Jesus reveals himself as the Messiah at the end of each one. Many of the synoptic gospels tell stories and lessons from crowds and preaching to the masses that followed Jesus, but John begins the first couple chapters of his gospel spending ample ink recording two one-on-one conversations. It feels very personal. Nicodemus, perhaps afraid of backlash from his colleagues and friends, consults Jesus at night (or maybe wanted to avoid the daytime crowd and have more time to talk, who knows). And the Samaritan woman has lived a life she is ashamed of, a feeling that many people today can probably relate to (not necessarily about relationships, but in general). These stories seem to emphasize theological teaching over historical narrative, which is something I've begun to notice more as I read John in depth. John does not open with a genealogy, nor with lots of geographical or political details, but with his own poetic and theological language, and he keeps this theme as he goes on. Truthfully, I never realized it was John who wrote John 3:16-21 as I always thought Jesus spoke it. John again gives his own words on salvation and belief in Jesus in 3:31-36, something that the other gospel writers did not do in such large quantities early on.
ReplyDeleteThe parable about the sheep knowing the shepherd who enters through the sheep door is exclusively in John 10. This passage gives us a fuller picture of who Jesus is and what he came to do.
ReplyDeleteWe understand how useful parables and stories are to teach points to people, and most of the parables that I remember from the other gospels are about some aspect of the Kingdom of God. Frequently Jesus began by saying, "The Kingdom of God [or of Heaven] is like a…" and then told parables. I think there were other parables also, but as far as I can recall, John is the first book where we see parables about Jesus himself.
Jesus tells different kinds of parables in John and then says, "I am the good shepherd" "I am the door." This is very important for John to include since we don't get to see that in the other gospels. We can get a new perspective and added clarity about Jesus from what John chose to include here.
John's Gospel seems to be laying out who Jesus really is, not just a miracle worker, not just a good teacher, but the very Son of God himself. The other gospels certainly do this too, but John describes it in a very different way. The very beginning of John depicts this right of the bat.
ReplyDelete"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made."
Jesus described as the Word means so much more than being a teacher who called the Pharisees out or showed the Gentiles God was for them too. It seems John is getting at the full, true nature of Jesus - the Son of God in perfect unity with the Father and the Spirit, the one who allowed all that exists to exist. The other gospels tell the story of Jesus, and so does John, but John begins to explain a deeper understanding of the nature of God.
The story of Nicodemus is such a pivotal point in the narrative of Jesus' ministry.
ReplyDeleteJohn 3:1-2
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 are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
The thing I love about the gospel of John is that it has such a personal touch to it compared to the Synoptics. You see first hand Jesus' interaction with the religious elite. I love the amount of dialogue we get back and forth. It helps the reader draw into the text because it's so personal. It's also the ideal passage for how someone receives salvation. It completely flips the common belief on its head and states that someone must be spiritually born again.
One thing included in john would be the conversation between jesus and the samaritan woman at the well. It shows jesus connection to this woman and explains how he is the messiah and why he does what he does.
ReplyDeleteI believe John includes these extra stories because he wants you the reader to understand who jesus is and why you should be following him. What he is truly about
The death and resurrection of Lazarus are exclusive to John. The majority of miracles that Jesus performs are for strangers, but this one is for a close friend. I think that this is an interesting addition because it shows a different side of Jesus. It shows that he had friendship and therefore helps humanize him in a relatable way. While Jesus does have a good relationship with his disciples, I think that teacher/student friendships are a bit different and aren't as relatable to the average reader.
ReplyDeleteI agree I really like how this shows Jesus's divine nature and how he has real feelings. I think you summed up how I feel about this perfectly. - Joseph
DeleteCollin DeLeeuw
ReplyDeleteOne that really stuck out to me was Jesus truing water into wine in chapter 2. The reason I think that I think that it was added was to show another example of why Jesus is so powerful. I think it might be a thing about listening to your parents because Jesus even though he is god in flesh he still had a mother and he listened to here in this story. I think it adds clarity because it show the power of Jesus.
One thing that John includes that is not found in the Synoptic Gospels is the Bread of Life piece in John 6, verse 53–56, where Jesus says, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” This is different then the Synoptic Gospels because they did not include this instead the synoptic gospels included the Last Supper where Jesus mentions the bread becoming flesh.
ReplyDeleteI think John put this material in the gospel to give more depth to the Eucharist. Chapter 6 shows Jesus talking about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. This is added to the Synoptic story by showing that the Lord’s Supper is not just a symbolic meal but is connected to his literal body. - Joseph
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think John includes new things in order to show new sides of the story of Jesus. If John is a later gospel, which it most likely is, then he would be included new parts of the story that people haven't heard of yet, maybe intended to help people better understand Jesus' message. Maybe there were some misconceptions about Jesus' message circulating at the time John wrote his gospel, and John had to write the gospel to clarify, but that's just needless speculation to be taken with a grain of salt. One thing I would like to point out is the Wedding at Canan, where Jesus turns water into wine. John points out in 2:11 that this was the first of Jesus' signs. Maybe some common questions at the time of John writing his gospel was about which miracle was first, or when they miracles happened, as in the same chapter, right after Jesus turned water into wine, he cleared out the temple. Again, this is mostly speculation, so take this all with a grain of salt.
ReplyDeleteReading the Gospel of John one thing that I noticed that is included that isn't in the synoptics is the Samaritan women at the well. I think John includes this because it expands the portrait of Jesus. He shows us who Jesus is and talks more about reflection than the Synoptics do. I think it adds to the story because it deepens the personal encounters and the faith of the people.
ReplyDeleteJohn writes about Jesus turning water into wine in Chapter 2. What sticks out to me is what Jesus says in response to the "no wine" problem his mom tells him about. He says in verse 2, "Dear woman, why do you bring me into this?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." After this is where it gets very interesting to me because he responds in such a way but then continues to turn the water into wine because he obeys his moms commands which was in verse 5 reading, "Do what he tells you." Since Jesus is just doing what his mother has asked of him, he performs his first miraculous sign. John brings more depth to the table and shows how these stories about Jesus are indeed true and should be accepted and followed.
ReplyDeleteIn John 11, he writes of the resurrection of Lazarus. This not included in the synoptic gospels. In these verses, the reader understands Jesus's sorrow for his friend. Jesus knows that Lazarus will be fine and will live. But, this is Jesus's friend, he is obviously going to be upset at the thought of his friend dying. This helps the context of the synoptic gospels because it helps the reader understand that yes Jesus is 100% divine but he is also 100% human with very real human emotions.
ReplyDeleteOne major thing not included in the synoptic gospel is the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. This happens in John 3 and its jesus telling nicodemus that he must be "born again" in order to see the kingdom of god.
ReplyDeleteI believe this story was included to strengthen and reinforce jesus teaching that you must accept him as son of god to have eternal life, basically another example to help your belief