2. Unit IV : St. John’s Gospel
• Leon Morris says in his Commentary on
John: "John is like a pool, in which a
child may wade and an elephant may
swim. It is most simple and profound; it
is for the beginner in the faith and for
the mature Christian. Its appeal is
immediate and never-failing."
3. Author
• St. John the Beloved Disciple
• St. John 21:24
• Disciple whom Jesus loves (13:23; 19:26;
20:2; 21:7; 21:20)
• St. John’s name is never mentioned.
• Probably written 90-100 AD
4. St. John
• One of the sons of Zebedee and Salome (St. Matt
27:56; St. Mark 15:40)
• One of the Three (Sts. Peter, James and John)
• John the son of Thunder; Boanerges - sons of thunder
(St. Mk 3:16-17 cf. St. Lk 9:54)
• Initially a disciple of St. John the Baptist
• Entrusted with care of St. Mary (St. Jn 19:26-27)
• Lead the church in Ephesus
• Emperor Domition – cast out to Patmos
• Returned to Ephesus where he wrote the Gospel and
letters.
• 5 of 27 by St. John
• Called St. John the Theologian because mystery of
incarnation explained – St. John 1:14
5. Aim of the Evangelist
• But these are written that you may (come to)
believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son
of God, and that through this belief you may
have life in his name. St. John 20:31
• Critical of Jewish authorities
• Against the disciples of St. John the Baptist
(St. Jn 3:30; Acts 18:25-19:7; modern day
Mandeans)
• Mystery religions –
• Gnostic – gnosis (wisdom);
• Incarnation – flesh (not docetic) “My Lord
and my God” (20:28)
6. Main Themes
• life - used 36 times. More than any other book.
• Witness - used 47 times. Only 4 times in synoptics
combined. (remember the story of the man born
blind)
• Believe - used 98 times.
• world - used 78 times.
• love, truth, light, darkness, bread, water, shepherd,
door,
• “I am”, “signs”
• Opposites - light/darkness (1:4; 3:19; 8:12; 11:9;
12:35, 46); truth/falsehood (8:44); life/death (5:24;
11:25); above/below (8:23); freedom/slavery (8:33,
36).
7. Differences with Synoptic
Synoptics John
covers ~ 1 year
actions, facts, word covers ~ 3 years
Pictures little action, speculative
~ 60 parables Discourse
teaching “kingdom of God” no parables
descriptive teaching about Jesus
Reflective
Omits much – sermon on mount,
institution
Includes material not in the other
– Nicodemus, samaritan woman,
washing of the feet of the
disciples, St. Thomas
8. Outline of Gospel
• 1:1-18 Prologue
• 1:19-12:50 : Part I – The book of signs
– The Word reveals himself to the world and the
world rejects him (7 signs)
– Initial days of revelation (1:19-2:11)
– First and second miracle in Cana (2-4);
(cleansing temple; Nicodemus; Samaritan
woman)
– OT Feasts and their replacement (5-10)
• Sabbath – (5)
• Passover – the Bread of life (6)
• Tabernacles – source of living water (7:37-
38)
• Dedication – 10:22-42 – (Jesus is
consecrated – read on Hudos Etho)
– Raising of Lazarus and the after math
9. Outline (continued)
• Part II : Book of Glory (13-20)
– “To those who accept him, the Word shows his
glory by returning to the Father in death,
resurrection and ascension.” (Brown, pg. 334)
– Last Supper and Jesus’ Last Discourse (13-17)
• Last Supper - 13
• Last Discourse (14-17)
– Part 1 – ch. 14
– Part 2 – 15-16 vine, world’s hatred,
Paraclete
– Part 3 – 17 High Priestly Prayer
– Passion and death (18-19)
– Resurrection 20:1-29 (2 at tomb; 2 at room)
• Epilogue : 21:1-25 Galilean resurrection
appearances
10. The word became Flesh (John 1:1-14) Prologue
• Logos is God and Creator (1-5)
• Baptist’s status and Mission (6-8)
• Coming of the Logos (9-13)
• Word made Flesh and plan of Salvation
(14-18)
• One incarnate nature of God the word – St.
Cyril (that exalted and veritable tower of knowledge, who
expounded the doctrine of the incarnation of God the Word, our
Lord Jesus Christ, declaring and showing clearly that he became
incarnate; vachanamaya deyvam sareeriayi theernu ennu
nammude karthavesu masihayadu)
11. 7 I AM ("Before Abraham was, I Am” John 8:58)
1. I am the ____ of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry. (John
6:35)
2. I am the ____ of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in
darkness. (John 8:12)
3. I am the ____; whoever enters through me will be saved. (John 10:9)
4. I am the good ____. The good ____ lays down his life for the sheep.
(John 10:10)
5. I am the ____ and the life. He who believes in me will live, even
though he dies. (John 11:25)
6. I am the ____ and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me. (John 14:6)
7. I am the true ____, and my Father is the gardener. (John 15:1)
• Bread
• Light
• Door
• Shepherd
• Resurrection
• Way
• Vine
12. Seven Signs and their meaning
1. Turning water into wine (Jn 2:1-11)
Transformation made by Christ
2. Curing the son of the official (4:43-54)
Cures by Faith
3. Curing the Paralytic (5:2-9) on Sabbath
Restores the lost power of mankind
4. Feeding of the Five Thousand(6:4-13)
Bread of Life who sustains us
5. Walks on Water (6:16-21)
Christ is our guide
6. Curing the Man born blind (9:1-7)
Christ is the light of the world
7. Raising Lazarus (11:1-44)
resurrection and life
*not including the miraculous catch in Galilee
13. Signs and their significane
• John makes it clear that many more signs
were done (20:30)
• Point to who Christ is
• Accompanied by long discourse
14. The Upper Room discourse
• Last Supper in St. John is not Passover meal
but the day before Passover
– JOHN 13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover
– JOHN 13:21 Judas "Buy those things we need for
the Feast,
– JOHN 18:28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to
the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they
themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they
should be defiled, but that they might eat the
Passover. (NKJV)
• Jesus is crucified as the passover lamb in
preparation for passover.
• Christ is the lamb of God
15. Upper Room discourse
• Ch. 13 – Last Supper (washing of the feet
of the disciples)
• Ch. 14 – Christ’s death and coming again
– I will not leave you orphans (14:18)
– Promise of H. Spirit - 14:26
• Ch. 15-16 – Relationship btwn Christ and
his disciples
– Vine
• Ch. 17 – High Priestly Prayer –
– Prays for himself v. 1-5
– Prays for apostles v. 6-19
– Prays for universal church v. 20-26
16. Holy Spirit (Paraclete)
• Jesus promises the Paraclete as the
Presence of God or as a replacement from
Jesus upon his departure. The Paraclete is
modeled on Jesus :
– 1. Both are sent / come from the Father (3:16-17; 14:26)
– 2. Holy (6:39; 14:26)
– 3. Truth (14:6; 14:17)
– 4. Teacher (13:13-14; 14:26)
– 5. Bears witness and reveals (4:25-26; 15:26-27)
– 6. Convince and convict the world (1:12; 16:8-12)
• Paraclete continues the revelation of God
begun in the incarnation (16:14; 14:26; 16:13,
15).
17. Sacramental Teachings of St. John
• Grace through physical universe (Christ
foundation – John 1:14)
• Baptism (3:3 conv with Nicodemas)
• Qurbana (6:25-58) “Except you eat the
flesh of the Son of man and drink his
blood, you have no life in you” (6:53)
