John

1. THE PROLOGUE (1:1–18)

One reason why the Gospel of John was symbolized in the ancient church by the eagle is the lofty heights attained by its prologue. With skill and delicacy John handles issues of profound importance. It comes as no surprise, then, that this prologue has been foundational to the classic Christian formulation of the doctrine of Christ. Here divinity and humanity, preexistence and incarnation, revelation and sacrifice are each discussed with deceptive simplicity. This prologue may well have been an ancient Christian hymn. We know of other hymns from the early church, especially in Paul’s writings, and here too is an artful flowing of language and theology.

1:1–5. The initial allusion to Gn 1 cannot be missed (1:1). John begins by introducing Jesus as the Word (Gk logos). Here he builds on contemporary Jewish thought where the Word of God took on personal creative attributes (Gn 1:1–30; Ps 33:6, 9). In the NT period it was personified and known by some as the immanent power of God creatively at work in the world. John identifies Jesus Christ as this Word and therefore can attribute to him various divine functions such as creation (1:3; cf. 1:10) and the giving of life (1:4).

But John goes further. He is ready to infer some personal identity between the Logos and God. “And the Word was God” (1:1). Attempts to detract from this literal translation for grammatical reasons (e.g., “the word was a god,” or “divine,” etc.) run aground when we consider the number of other times such a divine ascription is given to Jesus: he employs the divine OT title “I am” (e.g., 8:24, 28, 58); he is one with God (10:30); and he is even addressed by Thomas in the Gospel’s final scene as “my Lord and my God” (20:28). The entry of the Word into the world (the incarnation) is described as light shining in darkness (1:5).

In the OT, God carries out his will through his word (e.g., Gn 1–2; Dt 8:3; Ps 33:6; Is 55:11).

1:6–11. Even though John the Baptist’s testimony is clear (1:6–9), still Jesus experiences rejection (1:10–11). But there is more. The darkness is hostile. There is enmity. John 1:5 says that the “darkness did not overcome [the light].” The Greek term translated “overcome” means “seize with hostile intent” (cf. 8:3–4; Mk 9:18). The hostility of the darkness points to the cross. But as the Book of Glory (13:1–20:31) shows, the power of darkness will not prevail.

1:12–13. John indicates, however, that the light has its followers; Jesus has his disciples. Even though his own people—adherents to Judaism—spurn his message (1:11), those who do receive him obtain power to become God’s children (1:12). Verses 12–13 anticipate the story of Nicodemus (3:1–21), in which this rebirth is explored. A careful reading of 1 John shows that “God’s children” and “born of God” were commonplace terms describing Johannine disciples (1 Jn 3:2, 9; 4:4, 7, 12–13). In other words, there will be a powerful transformation of those who embrace this light. In the upper room Jesus will draw out the implications: this power will come about through the Spirit, who will quicken each believer (14:15–31).

1:14–18. The prologue’s finale is found in 1:14–18. John sums up in fresh language what has already been said. Now the abstract thought of light and darkness gives way to concrete OT images. John 1:14 is one of the most important verses in the Bible. The Word did not just appear to be human; the Word became flesh. This assertion would have stunned the Greek mind, for which the separation of the divine spirit and the mundane world (Gk sarx, “flesh”) was an axiom of belief. But the second phrase is equally stunning for the Jew. This Word “dwelt” (Gk skēnoō) among us and revealed his glory. John uses OT terms of the dwelling (literally “tabernacling”; see the CSB footnote) of God with his people. The tabernacle (cf. Ex 25:8–9; Zch 2:10) was the dwelling place of God. Now Jesus is the locus of God’s dwelling. Hence, the glory of God, once restricted to the tabernacle (Ex 40:34), is now visible in Christ.

The OT contrast with Jesus is extended to Moses (1:17), while the benefits of their covenants are compared. Moses gave law; Jesus brought grace. Moses’s request to see God was denied (Ex 33:20; cf. Dt 4:12); but Jesus has come to us from the very heart of the Father (1:18). The authority of his revelation is that much greater (cf. Heb 3:1–6). [The Incarnation]

2. THE BOOK OF SIGNS (1:19–12:50)

The Book of Signs chronicles Jesus’s public ministry. It begins with the traditional Synoptic starting place (John the Baptist) and concludes with Jesus in Jerusalem at his final Passover. Jesus presents himself to Judaism through a series of miracles and compelling discourses but in the end finds rejection. Jesus’s messiahship is shown to be the fulfillment of the principal festivals and institutions of Judaism. But since the Jews fail to grasp the message of Jesus’s signs, John shows us who will: the Greeks. The book closes with Jesus’s final plea to Judaism and a picture of eager Greeks imploring to see Jesus (12:21).

A. The testimony of John the Baptist (1:19–51). The opening frame clarifies the relation between Jesus and John the Baptist and provides a study in the nature of conversion and true discipleship. The sequence of days (1:29, 35, 43) makes clear that it is a literary unit. In each successive day, interest shifts from John to Jesus. John’s disciples even become Jesus’s disciples. The section is closely tied to the unit on the Baptist in 3:22–36, where again John is demoted and Jesus is elevated. The entire section may be “John’s testimony” (1:19).

1:19–28. The Gospel assumes that we know something already about John the Baptist’s ministry at the Jordan River. No introduction is given; instead, we listen as priests and Levites (specialists in ritual purification) question John about his identity and work (1:19). The Baptist makes three specific denials: he is not the Messiah (1:20; cf. Lk 3:15). Nor is he Elijah (1:21a). Jesus elsewhere indicates that John does fulfill Elijah’s spiritual role as messianic forerunner (cf. Mt 11:14; Mal 4:5). Apparently John needs to deny a material identification with Elijah in order to distinguish himself further from Christ. Last, John is not the prophet (1:21b). This no doubt is the messianic prophet like Moses described in Dt 18:15–18. “Prophet” will later become a title for Jesus (Jn 6:14; 7:40).

But if John is none of these popular eschatological figures, who is he? What is he doing? The first question (1:22–23) is answered from Is 40:3. He is a herald, a forerunner (cf. Mk 1:1–3). The second (1:24–27) is also anticipatory: his water baptism will be overshadowed by the appearance of a “more powerful” one who will baptize in the Spirit (1:33; cf. Mk 1:7–8).

1:29–34. The denials of the Baptist are now complete, and the way is clear for true testimony to Jesus to begin. Note that this is not a narrative of Jesus’s baptism but a testimony (1:19), an account in John’s own words confessing the identity of Jesus. That Jesus is announced as “the Lamb of God” is striking (1:29). This might refer to the daily sacrifice at the temple. But it is likely better to view it as the sacrificial Passover lamb of Ex 12 (cf. Is 53:7). Later the Gospel will fully employ this imagery when Jesus is sacrificed on the cross at Passover (19:14, 36).

The chief announcement of John the Baptist centers on the eminence of Jesus. Jesus is superior to John inasmuch as he “existed before [him]” (1:30; cf. 1:15). It would not be unlikely if this included the thought of Jesus’s anointing with the Spirit (1:32–33). This was the principal event at the Jordan. John’s account of this differs from the Synoptics in one respect: two times John remarks that the Spirit descends and remains on Jesus. This permanent anointing stands in stark contrast to the temporary anointing of the OT prophets. This permanence was central to the Jewish depiction of the Messiah (Is 11:2; 42:1).

1:35–42. The testimony of John continues, as he now directs his disciples to follow Jesus. This section and the next model the true character of discipleship. First, disciples must follow Jesus (1:37–38, 43); they must “come and . . . see” (1:39, 46), experiencing for themselves the truth of Christ. And then they must go and bring others: Andrew finds his brother Simon (1:41), and Philip finds Nathanael (1:45). Second, we read a roll call of titles for Jesus—Lamb of God (1:36), Rabbi (1:38), Messiah/Christ (1:41), Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph (1:45), Son of God (1:49), King of Israel (1:49), and Son of Man (1:51). Disciples must know whom they follow.

In 1:35–42 John the Baptist sees Jesus and repeats the identification given at Jesus’s baptism (1:36, repeating 1:29). He then ushers his disciples into Jesus’s company. The language here is important. The disciples’ question, “Where are you staying?” (1:38), employs a vital word for John. “Staying” or “abiding” (Gk menō) appears throughout the Gospel (forty times) and describes the union of the believer with Christ (see, e.g., 8:31, 35; 14:10; 15:4–17). Hence Andrew and an unnamed disciple (John?) abide with Christ.

1:43–51. On day three we meet the first apostles who follow Christ. Now we learn that Jesus has other followers who are not yet apostles and who share a similar intimate discipleship. From Perea Jesus moves to Galilee and calls more followers (1:43). Philip, a native of Bethsaida (east of Capernaum, 1:44), discovers the Messiah, but the focus of the narrative turns to his immediate response. He finds Nathanael (1:45) and extends to him the same words used by Jesus for Andrew in 1:39, “Come and see” (1:46). Disciples must therefore make more disciples in the manner of Jesus.

To be a disciple means coming under the authority of Jesus. In 1:42 Jesus renames Simon as Peter. Now in 1:47–50 Nathanael experiences Jesus’s prophetic power over his life. But this power is minor in comparison to what Jesus will display. The description of Jesus in 1:51 may be based on Jacob’s vision in Gn 28:12. Jesus is the locus of God’s self-revelation on earth. In this regard, this final verse reiterates the affirmation of the prologue: Jesus is the full revelation of the glory and presence of God.

B. Jesus and the institutions of Judaism (2:1–4:54). The stories that hallmark the beginning of Jesus’s public ministry all share a similar theme: messianic replacement and abundance. In chapters 2–4 Jesus is compared with important institutions, and in each instance, his presence makes them obsolete. The former institutions of Judaism cannot sustain the impact of Christ’s coming.

The section has an interesting literary division. The first story is set in Cana of Galilee, and so is the final miracle (the healing of the official’s son). The wedding miracle is referred to as Jesus’s first sign (2:11), while the closing healing miracle is Jesus’s second sign (4:54). These literary indicators define the limits of the section.

2:1–5. We know that Jesus is already in the region of Galilee (1:43), and the best identification for Cana is Khirbet Qana, near Nazareth. John indicates that Jesus arrives here on “the third day” (2:1a). This may refer to traveling time to Cana or fit the day sequence in chapter 1. In the latter case, some believe that John is chronicling the momentous first week of Jesus (a new week of creation?). Cana is a climax of sorts: here the disciples believe in him for the first time because Jesus manifests his glory (2:11).

Weddings were festive events in first-century Judaism, and entire communities participated (2:1b–2). Since Galilee is Jesus’s home, it is not surprising that he is in attendance. When the wine runs out (2:3), Jesus’s mother draws him in. His response in 2:4 is not meant to give offense.

The wedding banquet is an OT symbol of the Messiah’s arrival (cf. Is 54:4–8; 62:4–5), which Jesus often employs (Mt 22:1–14; Mk 2:19–20). The OT also describes this messianic era with the image of an abundance of wine (Jr 31:12; Hs 14:7; Am 9:13–14). Therefore at Jesus’s first public sign (Jn 2:1–12) he announces himself with powerful eschatological metaphors.

2:6–11. The miraculous solution is described in some detail (2:6–9), and as in Synoptic miracle stories, there is a climaxing testimony, in this case on the lips of the steward (2:10). Six stone jars each holding twenty or thirty gallons are filled with water, and this in turn supplies the wedding with an enormous quantity of wine (about 175 gallons).

For the Messiah to come the old institutions must pass away. Jesus enacts his first miracle on a religious device of Judaism. What were these jars? The Mishnah indicated that stone jars could be used as permanent vessels for purification (ritual washing). Jesus has transformed their contents. In the previous chapter John the Baptist offered a ritual washing, but he announced a more powerful baptism to come (1:33). Jesus has now taken up the necessary symbols as the fulfiller of Judaism.

Two remarkable statements frame the story: “They don’t have any wine” (2:3), and “You have kept the fine wine until now” (2:10). This is a poignant commentary on the bankruptcy of Judaism and the arrival of Jesus. The new wine is abundantly superior to the old. But moreover, that which contained the old wine must pass away. [Jewish Marriage and Wedding Customs]

These large, open-mouthed storage jars may be similar to those that held the water Jesus used to perform his first miracle, changing water into wine at Cana.

© Baker Publishing Group and Dr. James C. Martin. Courtesy of the Israel Museum. Collection of the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, and courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority, exhibited at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.

2:12. From here Jesus travels with his family (cf. Mk 6:3) to Capernaum, a village on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. According to the Synoptics, this was an important center of activity for Jesus in Galilee.

2:13–15. Pilgrimage played an important role in the life of every Jewish family. Passover was one such pilgrimage festival in which Jewish families traveled to Jerusalem for worship. Hence Jesus travels from Galilee to Judea (2:13). The story of the temple cleansing (2:13–25) provides us with one of the closest Synoptic/Johannine parallels (cf. Mt 21:12–13; Mk 11:15–17; Lk 19:45–46). Aside from its chronological placement (the Synoptics have it at the end of Jesus’s ministry), the stories are strikingly alike. Some would argue that they narrate the same event.

Jesus is offended by two things that he witnesses. First, although the selling of sacrificial animals (2:14) was necessary for worship, it may be that this usually took place in the Jerusalem market area east of the city in the Kidron Valley. Obviously the high priest Caiaphas has brought the commercial enterprise into the Court of the Gentiles. Second, money changers converted pagan coinage (with imperial images) to acceptable currency in order for Jewish men to pay their half-shekel annual tax (cf. Mt 17:27). The cacophony of noise and the spirit of commercial self-interest have little to do with the purposes of the season. In response Jesus drives out these merchants with a whip (2:15), but John rightly adds that it is simply made of cord, for genuine weapons were prohibited by the temple police.

2:16–22. Again we find here the themes of messianic announcement and replacement. In the OT, the prophets link the ultimate renewal of the temple with the eschatological day of the Lord (Is 56:7; Mal 3:1). Jesus’s rebuke in 2:16 reflects this and stems from Zch 14:21. This is why in 2:18 those who witness this demand a sign—some justification. They recognize the messianic importance of the act. But Jesus’s response picks up another line of OT thought: in the day of the Lord a new temple would be built (Ezk 40–46); this temple would be Jesus’s body (2:21). This reiterates what we have already seen (cf. 1:14, 51): this sacred Jewish institution would find a dramatic new replacement (cf. 4:21–24).

Of course it would be difficult for the citizens of Jerusalem to understand this. The Jews think that Jesus must mean a refurbishing of Herod’s temple begun in 20 BC (2:20). Even the disciples’ comprehension has to await the resurrection (2:22). Nevertheless, Jesus’s words will be remembered, twisted, and used to condemn him at his trial (Mk 14:58).

2:23–25. It is interesting to compare these first two signs of Jesus in Cana and Jerusalem. In Galilee Jesus finds faith (2:11), but in Jerusalem, while some believe (2:23), the Jews there generally lack comprehension. Throughout the Gospel, Jesus will find faith in Galilee and conflict in Judea. Indeed, it will be in Jerusalem that he will be killed. Verses 23–25 describe the unsatisfactory nature of the Jerusalem reception and go on to generalize about the shortcomings of humanity (2:25). They also serve as a transitional section for the next chapter. Nicodemus will be one such man: he has witnessed the signs and come forward (3:2), but he fails to apprehend who Jesus is and to believe.

3:1. Chapter 3, on Jesus and the new birth, seems to consist of two disparate parts: the dialogue with Nicodemus (3:1–21) and the comparison of Jesus and the Baptist (3:22–36). In fact, a connecting thread unites the chapter. On a literary level, Jesus now dislocates yet another office in Judaism, the rabbinate. Nicodemus’s ability as a teacher is faulty (3:10), while Jesus is addressed as “rabbi” (3:2). On another level, the subject Nicodemus cannot penetrate (rebirth, 3:3) is really center stage. In 1:33 we learned that a new baptism in the Spirit would come with the work of Jesus; in 3:1–21 it is explicated. If “born of water and the Spirit” (3:5) refer to this baptism, then the section on the relative merits of John’s baptism (3:22–36) naturally follows and extends the discussion (see 1:33) that Jesus’s baptizing work exceeds that of John. In 4:1–3 we even find the only NT reference to Jesus baptizing, as he is “making . . . more disciples than John” (4:1).

While Jesus is in Jerusalem at Passover (2:13), a Pharisee named Nicodemus comes to him at night (3:1–21). His approach is well intentioned, but his spiritual perception is inadequate. (“Night” in 3:2 may be symbolic, for Nicodemus is not of “the light”; see, e.g., 1:4–5; 3:19–20; 9:4; 11:10; 13:30.) He reappears in 7:50 at a Sanhedrin meeting giving advice sympathetic to Jesus’s case. And in 19:39 his sympathies become explicit: he joins Joseph of Arimathea in burying and anointing the body of Christ.

3:2–8. This passage introduces the first major discourse so typical of Jesus’s teaching in the Fourth Gospel. Here Nicodemus makes three comments (3:2, 4, 9), each of which Jesus greets with a response (3:3, 5–8, 10–15).

When Nicodemus inquires about the character of Jesus’s signs, Jesus replies that rebirth is a prerequisite for seeing the kingdom of God (3:3, 7). Nicodemus’s misunderstanding (3:4) turns on a literal understanding of the Greek phrase gennēthē anōthen, “born again.” How can anyone be born twice? Yet anōthen can also mean “from above” (a spatial versus a temporal rendering; see the CSB footnote), and this is Jesus’s intended meaning. Typically, the Johannine Jesus employs a play on words. Anōthen in John takes the spatial sense (“from above”), as is evident from its use in 3:31 (also 19:11, 23). In other words, entrants to the kingdom must be born from “above,” that place from which Jesus originates. The Christian, as it were, must become like Jesus, who is “from above” (3:31). The theological language for this is brought out in 3:5–8. This birth must consist of water (repentance, baptism, or the ministration of John) and the Spirit (the eschatological endowment brought by Jesus; 7:39; 20:22). This experience cannot be quantified but, like the wind, emerges under the power of God (3:8).

3:9–15. The deficits in Nicodemus’s understanding are common to those who cannot understand heavenly things (3:12; cf. 1 Co 2:1–16). Before Pentecost, this is true of the disciples too (cf. 2:22). But the key that will unlock the problem is the complex of events that includes Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension (3:13–15)—in Johannine language, Christ’s glorification. It is the result of this work that will release the Spirit (7:37–39).

3:16–21. It is difficult to know whether 3:16–21 continues the words of Jesus or represents the comments of the evangelist. The same holds for 3:31–36. Are these the words of the Baptist or the author? Some scholars argue that a certain symmetry should be seen: Jesus and John’s statements are followed by the beloved disciple’s additional remarks (3:16–21 follows 3:1–15 as 3:31–36 follows 3:22–30).

In 3:16–21 we learn how this gift of spiritual birth offered to Nicodemus might be appropriated. Belief in the Son gains eternal life (3:16, 18). Disbelief gains judgment and condemnation (3:18–19; cf. 3:35). This sums up the worldview characteristic of John’s Gospel: one is either attracted to or repulsed by the light (3:19–21); one pursues either truth or evil. There is no equivocation here. Yet the coming of the Son was not inspired by a desire to condemn—it stemmed from love (3:16–17). But judgment is an inevitable result. Light brings exposure (3:20): it reveals who we really are. [Eternal Life]

3:22–30. Is the prospect of Jesus truly better? Evidence from the NT and the first century indicates that John the Baptist had followers who did not go over to Jesus (cf. Ac 19:1–7). The scene now shifts to the work of the Baptist with his disciples (3:22–36), and it makes one point: Jesus’s baptism is superior (3:30).

The scene is set at the Jordan River, where John is at work (3:22–24). A minor crisis arises when it is observed that Jesus’s following is exceeding that of John (3:26). The transition is breeding animosity, but John the Baptist responds with a series of testimonies: the providence of God determines the success of ministry (3:27), and as he made clear at the outset (1:29), Jesus is the Christ and bridegroom (3:28–29); John is merely his advocate.

3:31–36. These concrete expressions (echoing the Synoptic Gospels) now expand into abstract statements. The superiority of Jesus is grounded in his superior heritage: he is from above (3:31a). The Son has come from the Father, but the Baptist belongs to the earth. John the Baptist speaks as “one who is from the earth” (3:31b), but the Son utters the words of God (3:34a). Therefore, there is an inestimable difference. Once more, the Spirit provides the major difference: out of his love for his Son, God has given to him “the Spirit without measure” (3:34b). Jesus’s possession of the Spirit supplies him with superior authority and enables him to offer new birth to people like Nicodemus.

4:1–6. Jesus’s departure from the Jordan River is prompted by his concern that the Pharisees are viewing him as supplanting John the Baptist’s ministry (4:1; cf. 3:22–36). Would the hostility toward John now be aimed at Jesus? In the Synoptics, it is John’s arrest that brings Jesus into Galilee (Mk 1:14). The same is true in the Fourth Gospel. Jesus avoids incrimination stemming from his association with John. To be sure, Jesus’s ministry is similar to that of John: both men employ baptism (4:1–2). Even in Galilee after the death of John, Herod Antipas will fear that Jesus may be John come back from the dead (Mk 6:14–20).

The usual route from the Jordan River to Galilee traversed the rift valley to Scythopolis (Beth-shan) and then went northwest into the valleys of lower Galilee. Instead, Jesus climbs into the Judean mountains and follows the ridge route north through the tribal territories of Benjamin and Ephraim and on into Samaria (4:5–6). The precise location of the city of Sychar remains uncertain; however, it is probably near to or identical with Shechem, inasmuch as the traditional site for Jacob’s well is near there. Further, Shechem is on the road from Judea to Galilee. [The Samaritans]

4:7–15. Jesus’s conversation with the woman of Samaria is striking on several counts. First, the enmity between Jew and Samaritan is well established (see Lk 10:29–37) and stands behind the woman’s words in 4:9. Moreover, few Jewish rabbis would initiate open conversations with women as Jesus does (4:7; cf. 4:27). Nevertheless, Jesus does so, and the ensuing dialogue harmonizes with what we have seen thus far: Jesus overturns the sanctity of an important religious institution. In this case it is the sacred well of Jacob (4:12). As water became wine (2:9) and John’s baptism was replaced by that of Jesus (3:30; 4:1), so now well water will be replaced by living water (4:10).

John 4:7–15 (like the next section) introduces an “earthly” subject and through the questions of the woman leads to a spiritual message. Jesus’s request for a drink of water is rebuffed (4:9), but he issues a challenge: if the woman knew who Jesus was, she would see that he is the supplier of living water (4:10). A second round (4:11–15) turns on her misunderstanding: Jesus cannot supply water because he has no access to the well. But here at last Jesus’s clarification unfolds his meaning. His water ends all thirst and provides eternal life (4:14). John’s only other reference to living water is in 7:38–39, where it is defined as the Spirit. The Spirit is explicitly emphasized as the dialogue develops (4:23–24).

4:16–26. In the next section Jesus’s focus is on true worship. When the light enters the darkness of the world, it necessarily brings judgment (3:19–20). Before the gifts of God can be obtained, the soul must be cleansed of sin. Jesus probes the moral life of the woman (4:16–18), but she does not flee—she admits to Jesus’s prophetic powers (4:19). She chooses to remain in the light; yet now she hopes that the religious institutions of her acquaintance will free her from Jesus’s scrutiny. “This mountain,” Mount Gerizim (a mountain towering over the well), was the Samaritan holy place; Jesus is obviously a Jew who venerates Jerusalem (4:20). But Jesus dismisses these institutions too (as he dismissed the well) (4:21–22): again the new dimension that transcends these is the Spirit (4:23–24). This spiritual worship is not worship in the inner aesthetic recesses of a person: it is worship animated by God’s own eschatological Spirit. Worship must also be in “truth.” It must affirm the realities of truth (Jesus is the truth, 14:6), be doctrinally informed (cf. 1 Jn 4:1–3), and be directed toward Jesus.

Samaria and Jacob’s Well

4:27–38. Now Jesus takes up the subject of true nourishment. When the disciples return from the village (see 4:8), the woman departs in haste, leaving her jar behind (4:27–28). In the light of Jesus’s offer, is it now obsolete? Her positive report in Shechem leads many to make their own inquiries at the well (4:29–30). (Note the parallel on evangelism and discipleship in 1:35–51 with Andrew and Philip.)

Not even the disciples are exempt from misunderstanding Jesus. Jesus sent them out for food (4:8), yet now when Jesus is encouraged to eat he says that he has food enough (4:31–32). The disciples’ misunderstanding (4:33) propels the discourse forward (4:34–38). His nourishment is found in accomplishing his urgent mission. [Rabbi]

4:39–42. Up to this point the dialogue with the woman enjoys a literary structure much like that in chapter 3. But while Nicodemus never reenters the scene to issue his response (suggesting no faith in Jerusalem?), things are different in Samaria. The woman’s testimony converts many in the village (4:39), and Jesus remains with them for two days (4:40) before going north into Galilee (4:43). Although the woman’s testimony bears fruit, those who are invited to come out to see Jesus for themselves (as were Peter and Nathanael in 1:35–50) must obtain their own faith (4:41–42).

4:43–45. There is a progression as Jesus moves from Jerusalem (chap. 3) to Cana (chap. 4). In Jerusalem, Jesus cannot trust men (2:24), and Nicodemus comes making secretive inquiries at night (3:1–2). Then in Samaria, Jesus is received eagerly (4:39–42), while in Galilee the enthusiasm for him is open (4:45). The transition from Jerusalem to Galilee is a transition from unbelief to belief, from darkness to light. The proverb of 4:44 (used in the Synoptics to refer to Nazareth; cf. Mk 6:4) is applied here to Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets (Lk 13:33; cf. Jn 4:19; 6:14).

4:46–54. The miracle in which the official’s son is healed brings Jesus back to Cana (4:46), the town that introduced this section of the Gospel (2:1–12). In both instances the sign of Jesus is numbered (4:54; cf. 2:11), and his work is greeted with belief.

The healing miracle finds a close parallel in the Synoptic cure of the centurion’s servant (Mt 8:4–13) and the story of the Syrophoenician woman (Mk 7:24–30). Both are cures effected at a distance. In John the miracle serves to display the new life promised by Jesus in the preceding discourses (3:16; 4:14, 36). In Cana, as in Samaria, Jesus hopes to inspire belief (4:50), and in this case, the official’s son is saved (4:51). The Johannine account underscores one feature of the miracle: Jesus’s word is powerful and effectual. The very hour of healing is the hour of Jesus’s utterance (4:52). This combination of miracle and belief (4:50, 53) is what distinguishes the Johannine term “sign.” The powerful works of Jesus are designed to evoke a response, to reveal who Jesus is. They are signs that lead elsewhere—to faith.

A well from the Middle East

C. Jesus and the festivals of Judaism (5:1–1042). This major section compares Jesus with the festivals of Judaism in much the same way that 2:1–4:54 focused on Jewish institutions. Jesus is described in the context of each festival (Sabbath, Passover, Shelters, Dedication), and as his discourse expands, elements from the festival will be swept up and given fresh definition. Veiled within the themes of the festival are symbols that point to Jesus, symbols whose true meanings are satisfied in Christ.

The Book of Signs (chaps. 1–12) might be viewed as giving the reader evidence—judicial evidence—for the truth of Christ’s claims. So, too, we have been introduced to witnesses who substantiate Jesus’s case: John the Baptist (1:34), the Spirit (1:33; 3:32–34), and the Samaritan woman (4:39). In chapter 5 Jesus will be forced to itemize his witnesses (5:31–40).

This forensic motif will become prominent in chapters 5–10. The trial of Jesus, which officially commences in chapter 18, is begun already, as interrogators in Jerusalem approach Jesus, examining his case. As they weigh the evidence and make a judgment, this places readers in the position of evaluating the evidence and the testimony for themselves. The section closes (10:40–42) with a final reference to John the Baptist’s testimony (cf. 1:19–35) and the value of Jesus’s signs. By 10:42 the majority of the witnesses, the evidence, and the signs are in. The jury (the reader) may deliberate. [Seven Signs in John’s Gospel]

5:1. Jesus and the Sabbath receive prominent attention in this section. A feast now prompts Jesus to return to Jerusalem (5:1). Three pilgrimage feasts were known at this time—Passover, Pentecost, and Shelters. The text is unclear which is meant here, but at least it serves to introduce us to the literary motif of Jewish feasts that will follow. In this chapter the festival is the weekly Sabbath, a day of worship and rest. Jesus works a healing miracle (5:2–9), conflict follows (5:10–18), and then Jesus provides a major discourse explaining the authority of his work and his divine identity (5:19–47).

5:2–9. The pool’s name, Bethesda, is unclear since manuscripts reflect numerous readings (5:2; see the CSB footnote). John notes that various people with infirmities waited at the pool hoping to benefit from healing power associated with the site (5:3–7). Jesus, however, ignores the pool’s supposed powers and with a word heals the lame man (5:8–9). But as with so many other healing stories in the Synoptics (cf. Mk 3:1–6), it is the Sabbath, and this arouses objections among the Jewish leaders.

At the pool of Bethesda, Jesus heals a man who has been crippled for thirty-eight years (Jn 5:2–9). This model of first-century Jerusalem shows that the pool (right) was housed in a colonnaded structure and was just north of the Antonia Fortress (left) and the temple (far left).

© Baker Publishing Group and Dr. James C. Martin. Courtesy of the Israel Museum. Collection of the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, and courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority, exhibited at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.

5:10–15. When the lame man carries his bed, he violates a well-known Sabbath prohibition (5:10). But since he does not know Jesus (5:11, 13), he cannot indicate to his accusers who directed him thus. This comes later in the temple (5:14), when Jesus and the man meet again. Does 5:14 teach that there was a connection between this man’s sin and his infirmity? The NT elsewhere avoids this conclusion (see Jn 9:3; Lk 13:1–5). Although a causal relationship may not necessarily exist between personal suffering and sin, sin may result in human misery and penalties (see Rm 1:27).

5:16–18. The importance of verses 16–18 cannot be missed. For the first time we learn of Jewish hostility toward Jesus and the plan to kill him (5:18). The judicial theme comes out in 5:16 in the word “persecute” (diōkō), the grammar of which indicates a protracted period of persecution. God and Jesus form the substance of the following discourse. Jesus justifies working on the Sabbath because of his special relation with God (5:17): if God can work, so can Jesus. This is a dangerous defense. Could it be proven?

5:19–30. Jesus’s divine authority is the subject of one of the most exalted discourses in the Gospel (5:19–47). Here Jesus makes explicit claims to divinity inasmuch as he associates himself directly with God. The discourse consists of three units (5:19–30, 31–40, 41–47).

First, Jesus describes his work as continuing the work of the Father (5:19–30). While prohibiting human labor on the Sabbath, the rabbis agree that God sustains the natural processes of life (birth, death, rainfall, etc.). Sovereignty over life was chief among these divine tasks. Jesus justifies his labors by assuming divine prerogatives (5:21). (Note how in 4:46–54 Jesus gave life to a young boy.) In addition, judgment (which condemns or justifies) belongs solely to God. This authority now belongs to Jesus too (5:22–24), who exercises it not only in the present age (5:24) but also in the future, eschatological age (5:25–30).

5:31–40. Second, Jesus buttresses his case by introducing witnesses for his defense. In Jewish law one witness (even a person witnessing of himself, 5:31) was insufficient either to condemn or confirm a charge (Dt 17:6). Therefore, this section answers the legal complaint: four witnesses are ushered forward. John the Baptist (5:33–35), the mighty works or signs of Jesus (5:36), God the Father (5:37–38), and the Scriptures (5:39–40) all substantiate Jesus’s claims.

5:41–47. But what is the root cause of Jesus’s rejection? The third unit provides an analysis and prophetic critique. The problem is not intellectual—it centers instead on inner disposition. Jesus is angered not because they refuse to glorify him (5:41) but because they refuse to glorify God (5:44). The desire for human praise, affirmation, and prestige has crippled them, and they cannot love God (5:42). Human noteworthies are esteemed (5:43b), but the Son, who bears divine credentials, is rejected (5:43a). The very Scripture used to condemn Jesus will soon bring the severest judgment on its possessors (5:45–47).

6:1–4. Jesus and the Passover are the focus of chapter 6. The scene now shifts to Galilee, where in the springtime festival of Passover (6:4) Jesus miraculously feeds a multitude of five thousand people. This is the only miracle of Jesus that appears in all four Gospels (Mt 14:13–21; Mk 6:31–44; Lk 9:10–17). John also echoes Matthew and Mark in that the feeding miracle is followed by the story of Jesus walking on the sea (6:16–21; cf. Mt 14:22–33; Mk 6:45–52).

But this is where the comparisons end. Two typically Johannine features stand out. First, the symbolic elements of the festival are emphasized in order to highlight their christological significance. Passover speaks of Moses, who not only fed the Israelites in the wilderness (Ex 16:4–36) but also became the ideal messianic figure in Judaism. Jesus is therefore depicted as the prophet like Moses (6:14; cf. Dt 18:15) who exceeds the manna miracle (6:30–34, 48–51). Second, the Johannine discourse advances this comparison. When questioned by the Jews, Jesus presses home the spiritual meaning of this event (6:25–65).

The Sea of Galilee was often called the Sea of Tiberias (6:1). The Passover is probably a year after the one mentioned in 2:13. During the intervening year, Mark notes, John the Baptist was arrested, and by the time of the feeding of the five thousand he has been executed (Mk 6:14–29, where the Baptist is beheaded). This lapse of time explains Jesus’s growing popularity (6:2–3).

John 6 carries several OT Passover and exodus themes: feeding the multitudes, deliverance through the water, and bread from heaven.

6:5–15. Jesus’s charge to Philip to feed the people (6:5) recalls the conversation of 4:31–38, in Samaria. Spiritual food is at issue. It is a test (6:6) because Jesus needs to elevate the disciples’ consciousness as to the manner of his ministry. Nevertheless, misunderstanding ensues (cf. 3:4; 4:11, 33). Hence, Philip inventories their savings (eight months’ wages, 6:7), and Andrew spots a boy with a few provisions (6:9). John alone records that the boy holds barley bread, which was the bread of the poor, but symbolically it may recall the great OT feeding miracle of Elisha (2 Kg 4:42). John also notes that it is Jesus who distributes the bread (not the disciples) and that in his prayer of blessing, rather than using the Greek verb eulogeō (“to bless”) as in the Synoptics, Jesus gives thanks (Gk eucharisteō; 6:11; cf. 1 Co 11:24). Is this a veiled symbol of the Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper? This use of symbolism seems natural to Jesus’s teaching in John, and in this chapter the eucharistic application will become more explicit (6:52–58).

The dangers of Jesus’s popularity and the perils of misunderstanding are shown in the crowd’s response (6:14). They have interpreted the sign: Jesus has enacted the “Moses miracle” of Passover. However, Jesus flees (6:15) because the crowd wishes to force on him a political definition of messiah. Mark records this same crisis: Jesus puts the disciples on a boat and personally disappears into the mountains (Mk 6:45–46).

6:16–24. The destination of the disciples is Capernaum, and after they have worked against the wind for hours heading to the fishing village of Peter and Andrew (6:16–19), Jesus joins them—walking on the sea. The fear of the disciples indicates the miraculous and incomprehensible nature of the event. Above all, Jesus reveals himself through yet another symbolic expression, “It is I,” or “I am” (Gk egō eimi; 6:20; see the CSB footnote). In the Greek OT the name of God revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai is egō eimi, or “I am” (Ex 3:13–14). John’s use of this divine OT title elsewhere for Jesus (e.g., 8:58; 18:6) may imply its use here. [“I Am” Sayings of Jesus]

Once the company arrives in Capernaum, Galileans from the earlier site of feeding follow him there and become suspicious because Jesus was not in the boat (6:22; cf. 6:25). Jews from Tiberias likewise search for him and come to Capernaum (6:23–24). The zeal of the Galilean Jews is noteworthy (cf. 4:43–45).

6:25–34. In the Capernaum synagogue (6:59) Jesus provides a full discourse explaining his person and work. Again, the discourse is propelled forward by inquiries (6:25, 28, 30, 34, 41, 52), and at each level the revelation of Christ deepens.

Initially the crowds merely possess the surface apprehension of the miracle (6:25). They must go deeper and unveil the sign, for the signs are revelatory. Like the woman needing water (4:7), these people need imperishable food supplying eternal life (6:27; cf. 4:14). For this food alone they must labor. What, then, is labor? Faith in Christ (6:29). But the human impulse is to demand evidence so compelling that we must believe. If Jesus is making personal claims on the order of Moses, then his sign must exceed that of Moses (6:30). In 6:31 Jesus’s response is an intricate Jewish commentary (midrash) based on one or several OT texts (cf. Ex 16:4, 15; Ps 78:24). The true bread they seek is not dependent on Moses (or Judaism): it is whatever God rains on humans as a gift, and which gives life (6:33). The Jews here resemble the Samaritan woman inasmuch as they are intrigued (6:34; cf. 4:15).

6:35–40. The divine origin of Jesus is a favorite Johannine theme (3:13–31), and John often ironically presents it in innocent inquiries (e.g., 7:28, 34–36). So too the question of 6:25 about Jesus’s mysterious appearance in Capernaum goes unanswered, because now a theological response is at hand. Jesus is the bread of life that has mysteriously descended (6:35, 38). The twin themes of hunger and thirst (cf. chaps. 4; 6) are now satisfied. Belief is still the key (6:36; cf. 6:29); however, now a new note is struck. God is sovereign over the ministry of Jesus (6:38) as well as its results (6:37, 39; cf. 6:44). Those whom God calls are effectively called and securely preserved (6:39–40; cf. 10:14–18; 17:6). In other words, the work of Jesus and the gathering of disciples are both a result of God’s perfect will.

6:41–59. From the crowd’s point of view this revelation is hard to accept, and they murmur (6:41–43). Is Jesus not a commonplace citizen of Galilee (cf. Mk 6:1–6)? How can he descend from heaven? But Jesus knows that further explanation will not complete what is lacking. The gift of faith and the ability to apprehend who Christ really is—these are divine things (6:44–48). Faith is not merely rational persuasion: it includes God’s drawing us (6:44). To stay in Judaism is death (6:49), but to consume the bread of life brings life (6:50–51).

But a deeper revelation is to come: the bread to be consumed is Jesus’s flesh offered in sacrifice (6:51). Still, the discourse is urged forward through a literal misunderstanding. How can humans eat his flesh (6:52)? The following explanation (6:53–58) reinforces this thought and draws on sacrificial images (flesh and blood). If symbolism is still at work (as it likely is), the symbols inevitably suggest the elements of the Lord’s Supper. It is not the sacrament that gives life; rather, salvation is found in the sacrifice behind it and the faith that it evokes (6:35, 40, 47). Outside the Eucharist an admonition to drink blood in any other Jewish setting would be incomprehensible.

6:60–71. But if the descent of Christ gives difficulty to the crowds (6:41–42), this deeper teaching causes the disciples to stumble (6:60). They, too, murmur (6:61). Jesus breaks the impasse by showing that literal flesh is not the key; rather, it is the Spirit who conveys life (6:63). If the Eucharist is still at issue, the message is clear: its physical element “doesn’t help at all” if the Spirit’s power is not present.

But to understand this fully takes more than human minds can grasp (6:64, 66). Jesus repeats the exhortation given to the crowds in 6:44–47. Penetrating the mysteries of God is also a divine gift (6:64–65). The deeper realities offend, and here some disciples draw back and abandon Christ (6:66). But Peter knows that the greatest virtue is to continue embracing Jesus no matter where he might lead (6:68–69).

7:1–5. The third feast to inspire Johannine interest is the Festival of Shelters. Celebrated on 15 Tishri (September-October), commemorating the end of the harvest field labor (Lv 23:39), it also recalls Israel’s wandering and life in shelters (Lv 23:42–43). Along with Passover and Pentecost it was a pilgrimage feast, and every Jewish male was obligated to attend sometime during the course of seven days of worship and sacrifice (Ex 23:14–17; Dt 16:16).

John builds on the symbolic ceremonies conducted at the temple during the festival (Jn 7:2, 37)—two in particular. Water and light each play a ceremonial role based on prophecies in Zechariah. In this context Jesus announces that he is the source of “living water” (7:38) and that he is the “light of the world” (8:12). Just as Sabbath (chap. 5) and Passover (chap. 6) became literary springboards to reveal who Jesus is, so now the Festival of Shelters becomes a place where Jesus unveils himself in Jewish imagery.

Jesus’s reluctance to return to Judea (7:1) is understandable when we recall the events of his last visit. The subject of his death arose then (5:16), and it will arise again (cf. 7:7, 19). In fact, this will be Jesus’s last visit to Jerusalem; in the coming spring he will be crucified. Nevertheless, his brothers (cf. 2:12) urge him to go—to make his identity plain (7:3–4)—but their intentions are not in Jesus’s interest since, as John states clearly, “not even his brothers believed in him” (7:5).

7:6–13. Does Jesus deceive them when he says that he will not go to the feast (7:8) and then he does (7:10)? The earliest interpreters of John viewed this as a classic case of Jesus’s symbolism and its attendant misunderstanding. Jesus’s brothers lack belief and do not have divine insight; not just anyone can fully comprehend the Son (cf. 6:44). “Going up” (Gk anabainō) elsewhere for Jesus means death, resurrection, and ascension (cf. 20:17). This is why Jesus’s “time has not yet fully come” (7:8; cf. 7:6)—Jesus is sovereign over his death and departure (so 10:17–18). He may attend the feast, but he alone will control the hour of death.

Jesus’s arrival is marked by controversy. Judaism is divided (7:11–13; cf. 7:40–44). This echoes the Synoptic picture of Jesus’s final days in Jerusalem, where Jesus’s teachings find both a popular following and the concentrated hatred of the Jewish leadership. It is possible that the Johannine chronology gives the best picture of Jesus’s final Judean visit: he comes to the city in the autumn, teaches in the region during the winter, and is crucified during Passover in the spring.[Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus]

7:14–24. In the now familiar form of the Johannine discourse, questions that misunderstand Jesus provoke him to respond. Here two Jewish objections to Jesus are central to the debate: the authority of Jesus’s teaching and the nature of his origin.

© Ritmeyer Archaeological Design.

Educational standards for rabbis were well established in the first century. Advanced study under a rabbinic scholar in a school was common. The Jewish notion was that no one possessed inherent authority; it was passed down and conferred to the rabbi through ordination. It was as if the authority of Moses was preserved through the generations. Jesus’s problem is this: he is not ordained and possesses no credentials (7:14–15). On whose shoulders is he standing? What is the source of his authority?

The Synoptics attest to Jesus’s uncanny sense of authority (Mt 7:28–29). Here Jesus explains the source of that authority: his authority stems directly from God (7:16–18). Jesus does answer the rabbis in their own categories: his authority was properly conferred to him—but the source of his authority is unconventional. In particular, Jesus demonstrates his authority by overturning traditional teaching on the Sabbath. In 7:22 the rabbinic concept of tradition and authority is employed. Still, Jesus supplants this with his own instruction: doing good (e.g., healing [5:1–18]) is no violation of the Sabbath. Circumcision is the precedent (7:23).

7:25–36. In chapter 5 Jesus asserted his authority in the same way, and it led to speculation about destroying him (5:15–16) on the basis of his claims about himself (5:17–18). The same responses are evidenced here (7:25–36). Again an ironic misunderstanding (7:27) fuels the discourse. Popular Jewish belief held that the Messiah would be concealed until his surprise unveiling to Israel. But the crowds know Jesus’s home—he is from Galilee. But this is wrong at a deeper level. Jesus comes from God (7:28–29). John employs the crowd’s false perception of Jesus’s origin in order to explain Jesus’s true origin. In response, the listeners are divided (cf. 6:66–71). Some are hostile (7:30), but others step closer toward faith (7:31). The light either draws to itself or repels.

Once again the Jewish leadership misunderstands Jesus (7:32–36). Jesus is going where they cannot travel. This of course is his return to the Father, but they take it to mean his travel to prohibited Gentile lands (7:35). This illustrates once more the truth that access to divine revelation rests solely in God’s sovereign hand (6:44–58).

7:37–39. On the last feast day, numerous ceremonies involving sacrifice and ritual water could be viewed at the temple. Reading Zch 9–14, we see the priests portray how in the last days everlasting fountains would flow from Jerusalem (Zch 13:1; 14:8). Pitchers of water from the Gihon Spring were poured on the altar as the Hallel Psalms were sung (Pss 113–18). This was especially meaningful since at this time of year water was scarce in Israel, and people feared drought.

In this setting Jesus sweeps up this symbolism and announces that he is the source of true drink (7:37–38; cf. 4:10), the eschatological Festival of Shelters water. Jesus is the source of the Spirit (7:39a). In 19:34 we may even have a symbol of this flowing when Jesus is glorified (7:39b).

7:40–52. At the middle of the feast (7:14) Jesus’s revelation is met by a response from the people (7:25–31) and the Jewish leadership (7:32–36). On this last day the same applies: the people and the leaders are divided (7:40–52). Some express incipient faith (7:40–41, 46); others show contempt (7:41, 44, 47–49). In both cases the issue of Jesus’s inferior Galilean origin is a problem (7:41–42, 52). In Jn 1:46 this same concern troubled Nathanael, but there was a difference. He had the courage to “come and see” Jesus for himself. This too is the counsel of Nicodemus in 7:51. A true verdict requires an assessment of the evidence—the facts. This applies to the Sanhedrin. But also in John’s judicial literary format, this applies to the reader. The Book of Signs is submitting evidence for our inspection.

7:53–8:11. The section about the woman caught in adultery has always proved difficult. Three questions persist: (1) Is it an insertion into the text of John here? Yes. The best Greek manuscripts do not have it, and when they do, it appears in a variety of places (see the CSB footnote preceding 7:53). It also has a style unlike that of John, and it interrupts the Festival of Shelters story (see 8:12). If it belonged here, 7:53–8:1 would imply that Jesus was at the Sanhedrin meeting in 7:45–52! (2) Is the story authentically from Jesus? Yes. It is similar to Synoptic stories of Jewish entrapment climaxed by Jesus’s profound pronouncement (8:7). (3) Why was it located here in John? The surrounding discourse (esp. chap. 8) asserts themes that the story illustrates. Jesus judges no one (8:15), and his accusers cannot convict him of sin (8:46).

But these concerns should not deter us from the power and authority of the story. The falsehood of the scribes and Pharisees is indicated in two ways. First, the OT law on which they base their charges (8:5) required the punishment of both parties (Lv 20:10; Dt 22:22). The woman’s partner is absent. Second, Jewish law carefully stipulated what evidence needed to be in hand. No execution was possible without a solid case. This extensive demand for evidence made adultery charges rare in Judaism since couples would take measures to conceal themselves. However, the law was aware of men who, rather than divorce their wives for an illicit affair, chose to have them “set up” with witnesses for execution. (If a man thus executed his wife, he became heir to her property, but not if he divorced her.) But this was deemed morally wrong. If a man has discharged his wife thus and engineered testimony (“caught in the act,” 8:4) to execute her, the entire affair may appear legal but reeks of injustice. In Jesus’s eyes the entire situation would be reprehensible.

The woman is simply a pawn for the Jewish leaders who wish to play off Jesus’s well-known compassion for sinners (even women sinners! cf. Lk 7:36–50) against the demands of the law. They wish to discredit Jesus (8:6). However, Jesus does not deny the woman’s sin but draws her accusers into the circle of condemnation (8:7–10).

8:12. John 8:12 returns to the festival setting of Shelters (cf. 7:2). The discourse of 7:14–39 focused on the everlasting temple water of Zechariah. Now Jesus employs a second ritual theme: everlasting light. Zechariah also predicted that light would shine forth perpetually from the temple in the last days (Zch 14:6–7). This too was associated with Moses and the wilderness shelters: was not Israel led by a pillar of light (Ex 13:21)?

Pilgrims to Jerusalem enjoyed the light ceremonies of the temple. Four enormous candlesticks were lit each night, illuminating the brilliant temple limestone. It is a tribute to the Jewishness of John that he records an incidental detail of importance: Jesus is in the area of the temple treasury (8:20). The treasury was in the Court of the Women, the location of the festival lampstands! Beneath the ritual lights of the Festival of Shelters, Jesus announces, “I am the light of the world” (8:12).

“Light” is a frequent metaphor for Jesus in the Gospel (see 1:5; 3:19; 12:46; cf. 1 Jn 1:5). As light, Jesus discloses the person of God for us; illumines life and gives us meaning and purpose; and also exposes sin, judging those who dwell in darkness. These are persistent themes in the Fourth Gospel.

8:13–20. The pilgrims at the Festival of Shelters recognize something authoritative in Jesus’s words but demand legal substantiation (8:13–19). This question was posed in chapter 5 at another festival. In the OT (Dt 17:6) a person cannot be condemned unless two witnesses are present (cf. Mt 18:16; 2 Co 13:1). This is extended to self-testimony. Now, however, Jesus does not inventory his witnesses. He has done this already (5:30–47). The most acute witness to Jesus is the Father (8:18). Jesus’s self-witness is also valid because Jesus can assume the authority of the Father, namely, that of judgment (8:16; cf. 5:22). But since Jesus’s opponents do not know the Father, they can hardly perceive the weight of his testimony (8:19).

The Shelters discourse now takes on the traditional format: misunderstanding on the part of Jesus’s questioners propels the discourse forward, leading Jesus to further self-revelations. Now, however, in Jerusalem, these revelations will become more profound than anything before, and the hostilities more direct. Here (8:59) and at the next feast (Dedication, 10:31, 33), violence seems imminent. If what Jesus says is true, he must be followed or destroyed.

8:21–29. Where is Jesus going? This is the second time this question arises (cf. 7:32–36). Earlier Jesus volunteered no explanation. Now when his audience mistakenly thinks that he will commit suicide (8:22), Jesus unveils something of his true origins. Jesus is returning to the place from which he originated, “from above” (8:23; cf. 3:31). The divine implications of this are explicit in 8:24. Jesus uses the divine name (egō eimi, “I am [he]”) as a description of his identity. In this round (8:24, 28) and the next (8:58), this is the climax of Jesus’s testimony.

Again the crowd misunderstands. “Who are you?” (8:25). “I am” (8:24) usually requires a predicate. Still they fail to see. Jesus bears the full authority of God! But here at last Jesus indicates when they will perceive: at the cross (8:28). This is the second passion prediction in John (elsewhere 3:14 and 12:32–34; cf. the same triple prediction in the Synoptics: Mk 8:31; 9:31; 10:33–34). The metaphoric language in all three passion sayings is critical: the cross is the lifting up of Jesus (not his destruction). “Lifting up” is often used for exaltation (Ac 2:33; 5:31). His elevation on Calvary is the initial step in his departure. It is in this process that his divinity will be unmistakable. He will be exalted.

8:30–36. Jesus discusses Abraham’s true descendants in 8:30–59. The implications of this radical teaching are clear, and controversy is sure to follow. Jesus is overturning the canons of Jewish religion in their entirety! Knowing him who bears this power and authority will bring true freedom (8:32). But again, the Jews understand this in earthly terms: they are free since they are not slaves (8:33). But Jesus is concerned with redemption from spiritual slavery (8:34–36), and this they cannot perceive.

8:37–47. From here Jesus is engaged in the harshest polemic in the Gospel (8:37–59; cf. Mt 23:1–39). Verse 35 is key. If the Jews are not sons in God’s household (as Jesus claims), two results follow: their tenure there is limited, and they have another father. Being a descendant of Abraham (8:37) and being a son (8:38; cf. 8:35) are two different things. Jesus claims that lineage has no effect on spiritual status before God (so Paul, Rm 2:25–29). But their desire to kill Jesus is telling: they have a spiritual father other than God (8:38–43). At once they see where Jesus is headed: at issue is not only Jewish lineage (8:39) but also their sonship. Jesus is challenging both. The lethal attack is launched in 8:44. The failure of Jesus’s opponents to accept the truth and to hear God’s word (8:47) has led them to desire Jesus’s murder.

8:48–59. Jesus’s spiritual critique is now turned back on him, and he is assailed with words not even found in the Synoptics (8:48–49). If the Jews here are children of the devil (8:44), then Jesus is demon possessed (8:48; cf. 7:20). The nearest parallel to this is in Mk 3:22–27, where Jesus is said to be in league with Satan. But Jn 8:48 cuts deeper.

Despite this offense, Jesus presses home the implications of his divine status. This will bring the final crisis. Jesus and those who believe in him are free from the threat of death (8:51; cf. 8:31–33). This is astounding. Does Jesus claim to be greater than Abraham and the other OT heroes who died (8:52–53)? If this is Jesus’s claim, he must be demon possessed. But Jesus takes up the challenge. In 8:56–58 the discourse comes to its climax: Jesus is indeed making personal divine claims as compared with Abraham. Two times in this discourse we hear the refrain, “Who are you?” (8:25), “Who do you claim to be?” (8:53). Now the answer is given. Jesus’s existence has been eternal—before Abraham—and he is the bearer of the divine name (8:58; cf. 8:24, 28). His attackers understand him fully now and try to kill him for blasphemy, but he slips away (8:59; cf. 7:44; 8:20).

9:1–5. The narrative in chapter 9 is closely connected with the previous chapter. We are still at the Festival of Shelters, and Jesus is still affirming that he is “the light of the world” (9:5; cf. 8:12). Here the light of Jesus is parabolically viewed in the service of a blind man who gains his vision. But those who live in darkness without this light cannot see. In the end, the Pharisees are described as blind since they do not possess the spiritual vision or the light of Christ. The blind man makes three confessions of ignorance (9:12, 25, 36) but in the end is led to true vision and faith (9:34–38). The Pharisees make numerous confident statements of knowledge (9:16, 24, 29) but are shown to be ignorant (9:41). The story is symbolic, then, of spiritual vision and blindness complete with their attendant dispositions (cf. Mk 8:14–30).

The healing in 9:1–34 has much in common with the one described in 5:1–18 (Sabbath, pool, interrogation, conflict). Here too the question of the origin of suffering arises (9:2; cf. 5:14). And again, the link between sin and suffering is opaque.

9:6–7. Healing with mud and saliva was well known among the ancients, and Jesus employed it often (9:6; cf. Mk 7:33; 8:23). The focus of the healing, however, is its symbolic element: the man is told to wash in the Pool of Siloam (9:7). This was the pool at the south end of the city filled by the Gihon Spring and was the source for the water ceremonies at the Festival of Shelters. But for John something deeper is at hand. We recall that Jesus replaced these Shelters waters in 7:37–39. Now the pool, which is their source, bears Christ’s name. Siloam means “Sent,” and the Fourth Gospel regularly refers t Jesus as one who is “sent” (e.g., 5:36–38; 8:16, 18, 26). The blind man finds his healing in Jesus both in symbol and in reality.

Jesus not only claims to be greater than Abraham (the father of Israel) but also claims to be equal to God by assuming the divine name “I am” (Jn 8:58; Ex 3:14).

9:8–23. The judicial interest we have witnessed thus far in the Book of Signs takes a fresh turn. Rather than Jesus, the healed man goes on trial. Since it is the Sabbath (9:14), the Jewish leadership feels compelled to investigate a possible criminal violation. The interrogation has four steps, as various witnesses move to center stage.

The Pool of Siloam

Step one involves the interrogation of the man by his neighbors (9:8–12). They are witnesses to the miracle but remain incredulous. After this, Pharisees take over, and they examine the man and his family. Step two (9:13–17) confirms the Sabbath violation but uncovers a flaw of logic in the trial. If God listens to Jesus (e.g., he heals), how can Jesus be a Sabbath violator? Step three (9:18–23) shows how they choose to resolve the dilemma: God is consistent with his law; therefore, the miracle must be a fraud. God does not entertain sin and miracles at the same time. But the man’s parents are no use. They confirm that this is their son and that he was blind, but their fear of the authorities makes them reluctant to say more.

9:24–34. Step four is easily the most important (9:24–34). The man is recalled a second time in hope of finding a way to condemn Jesus (9:24). The brute fact of the miracle cannot be ignored, and yet even with this tangible evidence in hand the religious leaders spurn both the man and Jesus. Their allegiance is set; they are intransigent. The language of 9:28 is important. The Pharisees have polarized everyone’s commitments: you cannot be a disciple of Moses and a disciple of Jesus at the same time. The chasm between church and synagogue is at hand (cf. 8:39–47).

The blind man’s final defense (9:30–33) supports the logic both of his own case and John’s case in the Book of Signs. Are not the signs of Jesus compelling evidence? Why have these leaders rejected the man and Jesus? Because there is no acceptable excuse, the result is judgment (9:39, 41).

9:35–41. In an earlier story the lame man who was healed and who suffered abuse at the temple was found again by Jesus and encouraged (5:14). So now, once this blind man is expelled from the synagogue, Jesus finds him again and commends his efforts (9:35). Since the man has witnessed and accepted the signs, belief is an easy thing (9:38). His disposition to the sign is all-important. But for the Pharisees, whose minds are closed, the light cannot penetrate. They have become blind because they remain in the darkness (9:39). John 9:41 suggests we have personal responsibility for how we respond to the revelation we receive. To see the signs of God and reject them is a more serious matter than never having perceived them at all.

10:1–6. The Festival of Dedication (10:22) introduces us to the fourth festival of Judaism that Jesus attends and that becomes a place of discourse and revelation. The Jewish background provides striking depth to the discourse of Jesus in chapter 10 (see the article “The Festival of Dedication”). Jesus’s conflict with the Jerusalem leadership has reached a peak. Jesus will not publicly debate the Jews again after chapter 10. After the conflict with the Pharisees in chapter 9, which described them as blind (9:39–41), now they are depicted as false shepherds (10:1, 10, 12–13). [The Festival of Dedication]

The teaching of Jesus in 10:1–21 closely resembles the parables of the Synoptics. The parable is given in 10:1–5, a note of incomprehension is recorded in 10:6, and then Jesus interprets the meaning of the parable (cf. the format of Mk 4). The parable itself discusses the legitimate leaders of the sheep. Two criteria set apart fraudulent leaders. First, their entry into authority is wrong (10:1). Sheepfolds were often protective stone fences with one access gate. If the gatekeeper (10:3) has not ordained the shepherd’s entry, he is to be feared, not followed. Jesus alone has true authority because he has obtained the gatekeeper’s invitation. Second, the false leader’s voice cannot be recognized (10:5). Jesus alone knows and is known by the sheep. In John this is a central feature of discipleship: discerning Jesus’s voice and abiding in him.

10:7–10. As in other discourses, the failure of the listeners to understand Jesus’s meaning (10:6) leads him to explain himself more fully (cf. 3:9–14; 7:35–39). Initially Jesus affirms that he is the way (“the gate,” 10:7, 9) through which one finds salvation or pasture. This is an advance over the parable of 10:1–5, wherein the shepherd is distinguished from the gatekeeper and the gate. Now we learn that Jesus distributes not simply access to leadership but life itself. If the parable has allegorical elements, note that now in the interpretation Jesus assumes a new sovereignty over the fold. Has he assumed divine tasks again? The sheepfold is designed to keep out those who would harm the sheep (10:10), and Jesus is their guardian. He refuses access to many, including those like the Pharisees. These leaders destroy, but God sent Christ so that those who believe might not be destroyed (3:16; 6:39; 17:12).

In the OT, God is often described as the shepherd of Israel (Gn 49:24; Pss 23; 78:52–53). Leadership in Israel meant shepherding, and thus impious Israelite kings and leaders were called false shepherds (1 Kg 22:17; Jr 10:21; 23:1–2; Ezk 34:1–31). In contrast, Jesus is the good shepherd (Jn 10:11, 14).

10:11–18. But Jesus is also the good shepherd (10:11, 14). The superiority of Jesus’s work is given. Not only is his devotion to the sheep such that he is willing to die for them while others flee from danger (10:11–13, 17); he also knows them deeply—so deeply that in 10:15 an appropriate analogy for this knowledge is Jesus’s relationship to his Father. As Jesus is in the Father, so the disciple is in Christ (cf. 14:20, 24).

A variety of secondary themes emerge from these teachings. Is there only one flock of Jesus? Is Judaism the limit of his care? John 10:16 indicates the contrary: “other sheep” refers to members (Gentiles?) beyond Judaism. Is the death of the shepherd something tragic—beyond his control? Not at all. His power enables him voluntarily to die and regain his life (10:18). Elsewhere in the NT, God raises up Jesus (Ac 2:24; Rm 4:24; Eph 1:20; Heb 11:19; 1 Pt 1:21). But in Johannine thought the Father and the Son possess the same powers (10:28–30). The Son controls the hour of death entirely (2:4; 7:6, 8; 8:20).

10:19–21. The responses to Jesus’s discourses have followed a pattern that is seen again here. At Passover, the Festival of Shelters, and now at the Festival of Dedication, a division erupts among the listeners (10:19; cf. 6:41, 60; 7:25, 45). There is no neutral position for one who is faced with Christ’s revelation. Either hostility (10:20) or the seeds of faith (10:21) will follow. Those who believe are ready to cast off the extreme charge of demon possession lodged against Jesus at the Festival of Shelters (7:20; 8:48). Jesus’s teachings and miracles (esp. 9:1–7) are confirming evidence for them.

10:22–25. This narrative epitomizes Jesus’s ultimate claims about himself and the fateful Jewish reaction (10:22–39). With this encounter we reach a sort of crescendo. The evidences accumulating in the Book of Signs will shift following this chapter. Here the height of Jesus’s self-revelation is completed: his identity with the Father is now explicit (10:30, 33) and centered on his claim to the title Son of God (10:34–36). Similarly, the hostilities are keen: twice attempts are made on his life, but he escapes (10:31, 39).

The temple courtyard was surrounded by colonnaded porches that gave shelter from the weather. Solomon’s Colonnade was on the east. Since it is winter (the season of Dedication) Jesus is found there sheltered from the cold Jerusalem wind (10:22–23). In light of the judicial emphases that we are following, here the christological inquiries take on new significance. The evidence has been displayed (10:25), and now Judaism aims its two charges that will reappear later at the formal trial: (1) Are you claiming to be the Messiah (10:24; cf. Lk 22:67)? (2) Are you the Son of God (10:33–36; cf. Jn 19:7 and Lk 22:70)?

10:26–30. The way in which Jesus defends his claims and explains Jewish disbelief affirms that God is sovereign over who accepts revelation. The leaders are simply not of Jesus’s fold and hence cannot hear his voice (10:26–27). This divine control over revelation has appeared elsewhere (6:37, 44, 65; cf. 17:6). Understanding the signs alone is a divine gift.

In 10:28–29 the sovereignty of Jesus and God over the flock is in parallel (“no one will snatch them out of my/his hand”). This operational or functional unity leads to the essential or ontological unity of 10:30. These verses are crucial and have played a vital role in the formation of trinitarian doctrine. Christ has regularly assumed divine prerogatives, and he has emphasized his oneness with the Father. Now the doctrinal point is explicit. The authority of Jesus’s messiahship rests above all on his unique relation with the Father.

10:31–39. The Jewish leaders judge Jesus’s statement as blasphemy (10:31–33). Jesus in turn debates like a rabbi. First, he notes that the general ascription of “gods” was known in the OT (Ps 82) and used for those who were vehicles for the word of the Lord (10:34–35). Is the Messiah not at least this? Second, the Messiah is more. If the first premise is correct, what do we say of him who is a unique vehicle of the word of God—who is the Word (Jn 1:1)? Of course Ps 82:6 does not mean that agents of God are divine, but the presence of the term “god” alone is sufficient for Jesus to make his point following rabbinic theological logic.

As we have seen with the other Jewish festivals, messianic replacement is used again to unveil Jesus’s identity. The Festival of Dedication recalled the cleansing and rededication of the temple by the Maccabees. In 10:36 Jesus has been “set apart” and sent into the world. This term (Gk hagiazō, “to set apart, make holy”) recalls the Maccabean story (1 Maccabees 4:48). Jesus is the truly consecrated temple of God (cf. Jn 1:14; 2:21).

The final appeal of Jesus (10:37–38) again rests on his works and their evidential value. The Jews have obtained the signs sufficient for belief. And these will point the way toward the conclusion of the unity of the Father and the Son (10:38; cf. 10:30). But just as the former revelation of this brought hostility (10:30–31), so now Jesus’s opponents attempt to arrest him (10:39).

10:40–42. Jesus now withdraws before the crucial events of his final week (10:40). He knows the region of the Jordan and Perea well (Mt 19:1; Mk 10:1), and this is his refuge. Soon he will climb the ascent from Jericho to Bethany and inaugurate the week of the passion.

In the literary format of John these verses indicate a major transition. Jesus has withdrawn from public purview. The public signs are over. The Book of Signs, which began with John the Baptist (1:18), now anticipates its completion with a second reference to him (10:40). The Fourth Evangelist even reminds us of the subject of these ten chapters. Although John worked no signs, Jesus did (10:41); and those who witnessed these and perceived their truth found faith (10:42).

More signs await those disciples of the inner circle (chaps. 11–12), and we as readers are privileged to view these. The final plea for belief, however, will come to us at 12:44–50, when we with the rest of the disciples will have viewed sufficient signs, sufficient evidences from which to reach a verdict about Jesus.

Perea and Bethany

Jesus is outside of Judah, likely across the Jordan River in Perea (cf. Lk 10:40), when he hears the news about Lazarus (Jn 11:6). After waiting two days, he and his disciples travel to Bethany in Judea, where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus live (Jn 11:17–18).

D. Foreshadowing death and resurrection (11:1–12:50). Chapters 11 and 12 provide a transition, preparing us for John’s second book, the Book of Glory (chaps. 13–20). Jesus’s signs are finished, and he is advancing toward “the hour”—the hour of death, resurrection, and glory.

While the Synoptics at this point expand on Jesus’s teachings in Jerusalem during his final spring visit (cf. Mt 21–26), John has chosen a miracle story that epitomizes Christ’s mission and fate. The Lazarus story (11:1–44) sums up Jesus’s career. It is the ultimate sign. Jesus, the source of life (10:28; 11:25), now gives life to one man. But even this ultimate revelation is condemned, leaving Jesus judged as worthy of death (11:50). Moreover, woven into this story are hints of Jesus’s own passion. He too will die and come forth. The Lord of life will lay down his life and return from the grave like Lazarus. Later in the same town of Bethany, Mary will anoint Jesus—figuratively preparing him for burial (12:3–8).

11:1–4. The village of Bethany (11:1), two miles east of Jerusalem, was the regular residence of Jesus while he was in Judea (cf. Mk 11:11; 14:3). While Lazarus is not known in the Synoptics (but see Lk 16:20), Luke does refer to the sisters Mary and Martha (Lk 10:38–42). The profile of the two sisters in Luke (the compulsive Martha; the contemplative Mary) is paralleled in John (11:20; 12:2–3).

While Jesus was in the Jordan Valley (Jn 10:40), his friends must have known his whereabouts, since Mary and Martha are able to contact him (11:3). Jesus’s response to Lazarus’s illness (11:4) is similar to his explanation of the blind man’s infirmity in 9:3. Sometimes crises serve divine purposes so that God may be glorified when they are resolved. [Mary, Martha, and Lazarus]

11:5–16. That Jesus does not respond at once (11:6) in no way disparages his love for the family (11:5). There are problems with a return to the mountains of Judea, which the apostolic party fully realizes (11:8, 16). Threats of death have been known for over a year (5:18; 7:25), and some have even tried to kill Jesus already (8:59; 10:31). But the Lord feels the pressing need to depart (11:7). His time is short, and just as with the hours of daylight for the traveler, each hour must be used to maximum benefit (11:9–10; cf. 12:35–36). The spiritual light now present is even more valuable than this.

Jesus is the light of the world (11:9; cf. 8:12), and while he is present and able to dispel darkness, his work must progress. The task at hand is the revival of Lazarus, who is now dead (11:11–14; note the familiar use of misunderstanding). A paradoxical exchange is thus at hand: Jesus chooses to risk death in Judea in order to save a man from death. He indeed is the good shepherd who is willing to lay down his own life for the life of his sheep (10:15).

11:17–19. It is a tribute to John’s interest in historical detail that he mentions the exact location of Bethany (11:18) and how long Lazarus has been dead (11:17; cf. 11:39). Jesus purposefully waits two days before going to Lazarus so that when he finally arrives, four days have passed since Lazarus’s death. This is an impossible situation in the Jewish context. Most rabbis held theories about the impossibility of resuscitation after three or four days of death. Since four days have passed, there is apparently no hope for Lazarus. Even Martha thinks that Jesus cannot do anything (11:24, 39). Our story is making a point: Lazarus is fully dead by anyone’s standards, and the miracle (11:43–44) involves resurrection, not resuscitation. When Jesus enters the hill country, it is clear that the customary mourning is under way (11:19; cf. 11:31).

11:20–32. Although Martha is the first to greet Jesus on the road (11:20–27), Mary will come later (11:31–32), and John no doubt wants us to compare them. Both women express the same words (11:21, 32). Jesus is the Lord of life (11:25), but the women despair. Their hope is in a healing miracle because resurrection is so far beyond their comprehension (11:26–27). While Mary is overcome (11:32; cf. 12:3; Lk 10:39), Martha pursues a conversation.

“Even now” (11:22) implies faith—Martha believes that even now in death Jesus may be able to do something. But is the only comfort in the last days, the future resurrection? Ironic misunderstanding (11:23–24) gives the conversation its classic Johannine form and allows Jesus to elevate his meaning. The resurrection life is a present experience! Eternal life begins now for the person who trusts in Christ (11:25–26). The horror of death is gone (cf. 3:16–21). When pressed, Martha cannot affirm Jesus’s powers to this extent; but still she holds on to what she does know (11:27). Jesus is her Lord; knowledge of his powerful abilities will come with time.

11:33–39. One unique feature of this story is the way in which Jesus expresses his emotions over Lazarus’s death (11:33, 35, 38; cf. Lk 19:41). He does not approach suffering and death dispassionately. He feels the pain. He knows tragedy and has feelings. In this case these emerge out of his love for his friend Lazarus (11:36).

Lazarus was buried in a typical first-century stone tomb (cf. Jesus’s tomb, 20:1; Mk 15:46). Since these were designed for multiple burials, there would be no difficulty reopening it (11:39) if sufficient help was available. Again we are given a second confirmation that Lazarus is dead (11:39), this time in graphic terms. But this does not deter Jesus. As his feeding miracle demonstrated that he was the bread of life (6:35), and as his healing of the blind illustrated that he was the light of the world (8:12), so now he will prove that he is the resurrection and the life (11:25).

11:40–44. All that Jesus does has one aim: to promote the glory of God (11:40). His audible prayer heard here (11:41–42; cf. 12:27) serves this purpose. Jesus is no miracle worker with simple powerful feats at his disposal. His deeds are signs that promote belief. They reveal something of God’s presence at work, and they illumine Christ as God’s divine agent.

Burial cloths further confirm Lazarus’s death (11:44) and provide another parallel to Jesus’s burial (19:39–40; 20:5–7). The unusual reference to a face cloth appears only here and in 20:7. One interesting difference, however, is that Lazarus requires aid with his bindings—Jesus’s grave clothes are noticeably left behind.

Traditional tomb of Lazarus in Bethany. Jesus weeps at the tomb of Lazarus, but then he calls him out of the grave (Jn 11:43).

11:45–53. As with so many other signs of Jesus (e.g., 7:40–44), the onlookers immediately divide into two camps. Here at Bethany, too, the events compel some to believe, while others file a report with members of the Sanhedrin, who determine Jesus’s fate (11:45–46). The deliberations of the Sanhedrin, now called to a formal meeting about Jesus, typify the drift of the Jewish leadership’s reaction to Christ since chapter 9: Jesus’s signs seem compelling, but the practical implications of this are more than they can bear (11:47–48). What if the masses start to follow him? Would it not upset the fragile political equilibrium with Rome? Would Caesar tolerate a messiah? The Sanhedrin must choose either to follow the logic of Jesus’s truth, regardless of the cost, or to retreat into the safety of their own nicely controlled religion.

Caiaphas chooses the latter (11:49–50)—that Jesus must die in order to save Israel’s precarious freedoms—but John takes this as a prophecy that even the high priest himself misunderstands (11:51–53). Of course Jesus must die for the sake of the Jewish nation (and for that matter the Gentiles; 11:52), but in a sense the Sanhedrin will never understand.

11:54–57. Because of the high council’s resolve to kill Jesus (11:53) he goes into seclusion in much the same way that he did after the Festival of Shelters (cf. 10:39–42). Ephraim’s location (11:54) has proved perplexing. It may be the OT village of Ophrah (Jos 18:23) northeast of Bethel (modern et-Taiyibeh).

With the pilgrimage festival of Passover at hand (11:55), everyone is expecting Jesus to appear. Questions are alive in both the crowds and the Sanhedrin (11:56–57), and for good reason. The last pilgrimage feast (Shelters, Jn 7–9) witnessed numerous conflicts with Jesus. The city is astir with anticipation (7:10–13, 25–26, 32–33). Therefore, precautions are taken: if Jesus appears in the city from his wilderness retreat, his whereabouts should be reported (cf. 11:46).

12:1–8. Both John (12:1–8) and the Synoptics (Mt 26:6–13; Mk 14:3–9) record the anointing at Bethany, and the settings are virtually identical (cf. Lk 7:36–38). Jesus’s return from the wilderness (11:54) is prompted by another Passover, one year since the last festival, celebrated in Galilee (6:4). Jesus returns to Bethany, where Lazarus, Mary, and Martha live (12:1), and from here he will make his final visit to Jerusalem (12:12).

Again Mary and Martha take up their usual roles (cf. Lk 10:38–42; Jn 11:20): Martha busies herself with the duties of a hostess, and Mary makes an unusual gesture of devotion to Jesus (12:2–3). Imported from North India, this perfume was precious indeed, and the anointing was extravagant (12:5). When Mary lets down her hair (cf. Lk 7:38), she breaks Jewish convention—women never did this in public. But this is simply more extravagance, justified because no devotion to Jesus can be excessive (cf. Mk 14:6).

Judas is the antithesis of all this. Money is his concern since he is the treasurer (12:6b; cf. 13:29). But his flaw is twofold: care of the poor cannot come before undiluted worship of Christ (12:8); and when this care springs from an impure heart (12:6a), its spiritual value evaporates.

12:9–19. Jesus’s final visit to Jerusalem is recorded in 12:9–50. Before long the presence of Jesus in Bethany becomes public knowledge, and crowds arrive to see both him and Lazarus (12:9). Although the Sanhedrin desired to seize him when he appeared (11:57), the crowds may have interfered with a clean arrest (cf. Lk 19:47–48). The Johannine account introduces a new element. Lazarus’s death is planned too (12:10–11) because he has become a celebrity (12:17–19).

The Triumphal Entry

It is this fame spreading from Bethany that greets Jesus as he rides into the city from the eastern hills (12:12–16). The triumphal entry into Jerusalem is narrated in each of the Gospels (Mt 21:1–11; Mk 11:1–10; Lk 19:28–40), and John’s differences stem chiefly from his abbreviated version. The crowd celebrates Jesus’s arrival with festive displays and shouts (12:13). The OT explanation in each account comes from Zch 9:9, although John amends Zechariah’s “Rejoice greatly” to “Do not be afraid” (12:15). This may be a unique allusion to Zph 3:14–17, in which the prophet dispels the fears of Israel. For John, Jesus’s arrival is a fitting fulfillment.

12:20–26. The celebrations of the Jews are now echoed by an unexpected interest among some Greeks in Jerusalem (12:20–36). This is unexpected because Greeks are Gentiles (though these may be proselytes) and unaccepted by Jews. John’s irony cannot be missed: when Jesus’s efforts to unveil himself to Israel have been exhausted, Greeks arrive, eager to see Jesus (12:20–21). Jewish reluctance is exceeded by Greek zeal.

Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a young donkey, evoking the prophecy of Zch 9, which John quotes (Jn 12:15).

Jesus’s response to Andrew and Philip’s report (12:22) is extremely important. The “hour” that has been put off for years (cf. 2:4; 7:6; 8:20) has now arrived (12:23). Jesus recognizes the culmination of all that he has been attempting in Judaism. The cross and death are all that remain (12:24). But in John it is not a death of disgrace and shame; Jesus will be glorified, and this will mysteriously result in great things. The same is true of his followers (12:25–26). Self-effacement and self-denial are the only pathways to finding the company of Jesus or the honor of the Father (cf. Mt 10:37–39; Mk 8:34–38).

12:27–30. The humanity of Jesus can be seen in how even he wrestles with the truth that his hour has come (12:27; cf. Mk 14:36). Strength is found here and later in Gethsemane, when he submits himself to God’s higher purposes. The glory of God is manifest when his servants persevere in temptations such as this and in ultimate trials (12:28–29). The cross will be the ultimate test for Jesus, and here in the midst of God’s glory Jesus himself will be glorified (17:1–5).

The crowds receive the confirming voice from heaven just as they received the signs (12:28–30). Throughout his Gospel, John’s view of revelation has taken shape: a sign from God is revelatory only when it is greeted by faith. The Book of Signs will speak only to those whom the Father is already giving into the Shepherd’s hand (6:44–45; 10:27–29).

In Jn 12:20, when the Jews have rejected Jesus, he brings his message to receptive Gentiles. Mark’s Gospel follows a similar structure. The watershed is in Mk 8:27–30, but prior to this revelation at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus finds an unprecedented response among the Greeks (Mk 7:24–30, 31–37; 8:1–10). Once Judaism fails to embrace the signs of Christ, Gentiles are given the opportunity (Mt 21:41–44; Lk 2:32; 4:25–27; Rm 1:16).

12:31–36. It is now time for Jesus to define his hour of death and glory. It too will be a sign, but how will it be received? Can the average person accept that the world’s judgment will be inaugurated when one man is crucified (12:31–33)? This crowd cannot (12:34)—but neither could the disciples at this point (Mk 8:31–33; 9:30–32; 10:32–34). But fortunately the crowd stays with Jesus; they keep inquiring. In the previous chapter Martha could not comprehend all that Jesus revealed (11:21–27), but still she held on to the light she possessed. When confusion and uncertainty are at hand, John would not have us walk away in disbelief. Jesus now affirms the same (12:35–36a). Continue to engage God! Embrace the light! Walk in it!

Jesus’s disclosure of himself is finished (12:36b). He now hides himself from public view because his signs are completed, and they are left for us to interpret.

12:37–43. John the evangelist, the narrator (2:22–25; 3:16–21, 31–36; 7:5), now sums up the meaning of Jesus’s public ministry. John 12:37 makes plain what early Christianity was forced to acknowledge: Jesus’s many signs fell on disbelief. John draws on texts from Isaiah that must have been commonly used in the early church (Is 6:10; 53:1; cf. Mt 13:14–17). Isaiah too found disbelief in Israel and attributed it to God’s sovereignty over revelation (12:38–41). John has woven this theme into the Book of Signs. Hence the unbelievers are unable to believe (12:39); God affects their perception (12:40). In 12:41 Isaiah’s words are interpreted as prophecies directed to Jesus because the glory Isaiah viewed (6:1–5) is Jesus’s glory too. This closing frame in the Book of Signs repeats the prologue: Christ is the glory of the Father unveiled for human eyes (1:14).

But has no one believed the signs? Has not God opened the eyes and ears of some Jewish leaders? John has not neglected these: there are some who believe, but they fear persecution (12:42). Nicodemus typifies these men (3:1–21; 19:39), for when he did speak up (7:50–52), he was severely rebuked. Similarly, the parents of the blind man feared expulsion from the synagogue (9:22). Nevertheless, the praise of God awaits those people of prominence and esteem who ignore the cost and make their faith visible (12:43).

12:44–50. The Book of Signs concludes with a harrowing cry from Jesus imploring Jews to believe. It reiterates much of what has gone before. Jesus is light; he reveals God and disperses the darkness (12:44–46; cf. 1:9; 8:12). Above all, he has not spoken on his own authority; he is God’s agent in the world.

Belief in Christ is belief in God. To see Christ is to see the Father (12:44; cf. 14:9). Even the words of Jesus have not been his own but stem from what the Father has directed (12:49–50; cf. 17:6–8). This truth, however, has serious implications inasmuch as there will be a divine accounting for all Jesus has said (12:47–48).

Summary. The signs are complete, and the Book of Signs may now close. Evidence for Jesus’s case is public. The Sanhedrin has made its decision about him (11:53), but the crowd still asks, “Who is this Son of Man?” (12:34). For them and for us the Book of Signs is open for examination. From John’s point of view, these signs will compel us to believe.

3. THE BOOK OF GLORY (13:1–20:31)

With chapter 13 we move to another major literary division in the Fourth Gospel, which contrasts directly with the Book of Signs (1:19–1250). The contrast is chiefly one of perspective. Here the audience is narrowed to the circle of disciples who follow Jesus to the cross. In 12:36 Jesus “hid” himself, indicating an end to his public self-disclosure. Now his focus is on “his own” (13:1; 17:6–19). The Gospel will now concentrate on the coming of “the hour” (12:23, 27; 13:1)—that is, the hour of his glorification (13:31–32). It is not an hour of tragedy but one of victory that involves Christ’s passion, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Just as the many signs of Jesus were accompanied by discourses, so too this last sign of death and resurrection will be interpreted by lengthy teaching in the upper room (chaps. 13–16).

The Gospel imitates the arc of a pendulum: it begins at a high point, descends, and elevates again. The Johannine prologue reflects this too, as the Word is in God’s presence (1:1), experiences rejection (1:10–11), and then returns to places of glory (1:18). With the Book of Glory we are in the upward swing of the arc. The lowest point was reached when Judaism confirmed Jesus’s death (11:50), and John was forced to explain Jewish disbelief (12:37–50). The highest point comes with the return from the grave of the glorified Lord and the disciples’ receiving life-giving power (20:22; cf. 1:12–13).

A. The Passover meal (13:1–30). In the Synoptic Gospels, the emphasis at the Last Supper is found in the words of institution during the meal (Lk 22:14–23). While it comes as a surprise that the Fourth Gospel does not record this (but see 6:52–58), we find that another event, the foot washing, is prominent (13:1–20). The theme of servanthood so central to the narrative, however, does appear in Luke in the upper room: Jesus rebukes the disciples’ interest in greatness and authority as he instructs them about servanthood (Lk 22:24–27). [The Dating of the Last Supper in John and the Synoptic Gospels]

13:1–5. Foot washing was a common custom in first-century Palestine due to the wearing of sandals and the dry, dusty roads. A good host would provide a servant who would work in this capacity, but if none were there he certainly would not take up the chore himself, as Jesus does (13:4–5). That which enables Jesus to serve like this may be described in 13:3. Jesus has perfect self-esteem: he knows of God’s love expressed in his origin and destiny and therefore can relinquish human status to become a servant.

13:6–20. A variety of themes run through the narrative. First, foot washing speaks of Jesus’s death. Jesus’s dialogue with Peter (13:6–10a) explains that an understanding of this will come about only after Jesus’s death (13:7; cf. 2:22; 12:16). Since this washing is the criterion for fellowship with Christ, Peter dare not object (13:7–8). Cleansing (through the cross; baptism?) speaks of cleansing from sin; hence it is not just any washing that is important: Jesus must cleanse his followers (13:8). As in other dialogues, misunderstanding follows. Peter’s zeal for Christ leads him astray: if he supplements Jesus’s provision, will he have more of Christ (13:9)? John 13:10 gives Jesus’s reply. The reference to bathing (which is new) is often seen as an allusion to baptism, in which case Jesus may mean that once a disciple is cleansed of sin through conversion/baptism, only partial washing (confession) is needed for postbaptismal sin (cf. 1 Jn 1:8–2:6).

Second, impurities speak of Judas (13:10b–11). The metaphor of cleansing and impurity shifts from Peter to the larger group of apostles at the end of 13:10 (the final “you” in 13:10 is plural). Not only is Peter partially clean, but so are the disciples (13:11) since Judas Iscariot is among them. This will be developed at length in verses 21–30.

Third, foot washing is a symbol of mutual service (13:12–17). In this sense Jesus has modeled behavior he wishes his followers to emulate. If service on this order is possible for him, then it cannot be beneath us (13:16). Here disciples are pressed beyond a mere knowledge of Jesus’s will. Blessing follows faith expressed in deeds (13:17; cf. Mt 7:24–27). But as in Jn 13:10–11, when Jesus’s thoughts are interrupted by the imminent betrayal of Judas, so here service on this order is not possible for anyone who is not called (cf. 6:44; 10:29). This applies to Judas in particular (13:18–19).

13:21–25. While the Fourth Gospel does not explore the motives behind Judas’s betrayal or the overtures of the Sanhedrin (see Mt 26:14–16, 20–25; 27:3–10; Lk 22:3–6), it does provide a poignant account of the beloved disciple’s inquiry. This is the first real introduction to the story of this disciple. When Jesus expresses his dismay concerning the betrayal (13:21), the disciples examine themselves (13:22; cf. Lk 22:23), and Peter prompts the beloved disciple (John) to ask Jesus (13:23–24). The disciples are reclining on a couch around a low table. John is to the right of Jesus and hence in the best position for a confidential question (13:25).

13:26–30. Two times in this account we learn that Satan is the true power behind Judas (13:27; see also 13:2). It is interesting that Satan’s appearances are so few in this Gospel. It contains no exorcisms, and Satan’s only role involves the efforts of those who are Jesus’s fiercest opponents (the Jews, 8:44; Judas Iscariot, 6:70; 13:2, 27). Satan’s chief work is in undermining Jesus’s testimony and his glorification. No suspicions are raised when Judas departs (13:30a) because he was the custodian of the group’s funds (cf. 12:6) and he had tasks to do: acquire provisions for the festival and give special offerings to the poor on Passover night (13:28–29).

John 13:30b is crucial because it marks the time after which Jesus may instruct his chosen disciples privately and fully. Judas has departed, and the final sentence notes that “it was night.” This motif has symbolic as well as literal value. The hour of death, pushed forward by Judas, is when the light of the world is extinguished (9:4; cf. Lk 22:53).

B. The Farewell Discourse (13:31–17:26). In the upper room, Jesus now instructs his faithful followers at some length. The discourse runs from 13:31 to 16:33 without narrative interruption and concludes with Jesus’s prayer (17:1–26).

The literary form of this section is called a farewell speech. Other Jewish farewell speeches show elements similar to those found in Jesus’s farewell: (1) a plea for obedience to the law (Jesus speaks of his new commandment of love [13:34; 15:12]); (2) writings left behind (the Fourth Gospel itself is a chronicle of Jesus’s life now deposited for his followers); (3) Spirit-filled representatives to carry on the work (Jesus promises the Spirit of truth [14:17], who anoints the disciples for his work); (4) relief for the anxiety of those left behind (Jesus speaks of comfort, terming the Spirit “the Counselor” [14:16, 26; 15:26]).

It is evident, then, that Jesus recognizes the importance of this evening and is making his formal farewell. He addresses his disciples’ worries in light of his imminent death and departure. But above all he holds out a promise and hope centered on the coming of the Holy Spirit—one who will guide, teach, encourage, empower, and mediate to the believer the comforting presence of Christ.

13:31–38. The specific subject of the Farewell Discourse is Jesus’s departure to the Father (13:31–143), and here we see John’s technical language being employed. “Glorification” has been used to describe both Jesus’s ministry (8:54; 11:4; 12:28) and his death (7:39; 12:16, 23). Now this latter specialized usage comes in full (13:31–32; cf. 17:1); the cross is another time in which Jesus is glorified, and in turn so is the Father (21:19). But glorification as a process is complex: it is not just Christ being lifted up on the cross; rather, it is the entire passion, from betrayal to empty tomb—a process that inaugurates his return to the Father. Hence 13:31 states that Jesus’s glorification has already begun. The onset of “the hour” is behind him; his departure is under way (13:33).

As Jesus mystified his Jewish audience at the Festival of Shelters with this teaching (7:33–36), so now Peter is perplexed (13:36–38). He presses the question about departure, and unlike the Jewish leaders in chapter 7, he knows that it may involve death (13:37; cf. 8:21–22). Nevertheless, Jesus answers now in full, and chapter 14 will seek to answer the question of Christ’s departure, provision, and return. But Jesus is not simply intent on explaining this. The character of the surviving community (the church) is also important (see 13:34–35). The command of love expressed in unity and fidelity to Jesus will be taken up in chapters 15 and 17.

14:1–4. In early Christianity, the problem of Jesus’s departure was resolved by looking forward to his second coming. However, the discourse in chapter 14 is a reassessment of this. It begins with a description of the traditional futurist hope: Jesus is preparing rooms in heaven (14:2) and someday will return to transport his followers there (14:3). The discourse then introduces three questioners (Thomas, 14:5; Philip, 14:8; Judas, 14:22) who ask leading questions so that Jesus’s answer may be sharpened. In the end this futurist eschatology is refashioned into what is called realized eschatology. That is, hope and comfort can be realized now. Thus the coming of Jesus (14:3) shifts to the coming of the Spirit (14:23, 28). The “rooms” (Gk monē, 14:2) of heavenly dwelling become rooms (monē, “home,” 14:23) of divine indwelling.

The sequence of exchanges has an interesting thematic development. There are four interlocking steps: (1) Jesus: I am going and coming (Gk erchomai, 14:1–4). Thomas: We do not know the way you are going (14:5). (2) Jesus: I am the way to the Father (14:6). Philip: Show us the Father (14:8). (3) Jesus: You have seen the Father already. I will manifest him (and myself) to you (14:9–11). Judas: How will you manifest yourself (14:22)? (4) Jesus: In the Spirit—by coming (Gk erchomai, 14:23) to you.

14:5–7. For Thomas the chief concern is whether they will accompany Jesus (14:5). It is not a moral or ethical way; it is salvific. The way to be found is the way of salvation leading to the Father (14:4–17). Two surprises come about: Jesus is both the means (14:6) and the end (14:7). There is no suspended hope, because the object of their faith (the Father) is now present in Christ. In him the Father is already present (cf. 8:19; 10:30, 38).

14:8–14. Philip now inquires about this Father-Son relationship (14:8–11), and Jesus makes himself explicit. It is the Father himself who is present in Jesus (hence John’s full divinity of Jesus), and this validates both his words and his works. Whenever the Father is present, he manifests himself. This pertains to Jesus’s followers as well (14:12–14), who will be enabled to exhibit similar works.

Running through these verses is a theological parallel between the Father’s relation to the Son and the Spirit’s relation to the disciple. As the Father abides in (Gk menō, 14:10) Jesus, so too the Spirit abides in (menō, 14:17) the believer. Thus the confidence of Christ can be ours: as the Father was committed to his Son, so Jesus through his Spirit will stand with us in every need (14:13–14). The point in these verses is not that every prayerful request will be granted but that the character of Christ’s relationship with God at this level may be ours. But here we must recall Jesus’s consistent submission to his Father’s will (5:19, 30; 6:38; 7:16–17; 8:28–29) and his desire simply to glorify (12:28; 17:4) and please (8:29) God.

14:15–17. The provision of Jesus that will bring about this relationship is declared to be the indwelling Spirit, who now bears two new names: the Counselor (14:16) and the Spirit of truth (14:17a). “Counselor” (Gk paraklētos) is unique to John (see 14:26; 15:26; 16:7; 1 Jn 2:1) and expresses the Spirit’s strengthening, equipping role. A paraklētos was a judicial advocate (see 15:26–27; cf. Mt 10:16–20), and here Jesus says that Christians alone can enjoy the Spirit’s aid (14:17b). As Jesus was alien to the world (1:10), so too his provision of the Spirit will be unknown and unrecognized. As Jesus was on trial in the world (cf. the Book of Signs), now his followers have a judicial aid to support them (15:18–27).

14:18–24. Jesus’s reassuring words now pick up the language of the second coming. In Judaism, disciples who had lost their rabbi were often called orphans (14:18a), but this will not be the case for Jesus’s followers—he will come back visibly (14:18b–19). But what sort of return is this if the world cannot take part? Will there be no secular verification? Remarkably the description of the coming of the Counselor in 14:15–17 parallels the coming of Jesus in 14:18–21. Note the stress on love and obedience (14:15, 21), the world (14:17, 19), personal recognition (14:17, 19), and indwelling (14:17, 20).

Judas (not Iscariot, 14:22) asks the question that brings the discourse to its climax. If the manifestation of Jesus mentioned in 14:21 is private, then it needs some explaining. Finally, Jesus says that the hope he has been describing here is not apocalyptic at all. Jesus’s return can also be found in the inner experience of the Son and the Father within the believer. The room of dwelling (see 14:2) is now redefined and found in the disciple’s heart (14:23).

14:25–31. Jesus provides further reassurance by predicting beforehand the impending crisis (14:29–31) and affirming that he will indeed return (14:28). But as we have seen, this is a redefined return. The chief attribute he desires for them is peace (similarly, Paul in Rm 5:1; Eph 2:17), and this will come about through the Spirit (14:26; cf. Eph 2:18). After his resurrection, when Jesus appears to the disciples, “peace” is his first word (20:19, 21), and this is followed by their anointing with the Spirit (20:22).

This second promise of the Counselor (14:25–31) contributes to our understanding of the roles of the Spirit (cf. 14:16). Here the emphasis is on revelation. The Counselor will be a teacher (1 Jn 2:22–27), bringing back to memory the sayings of Jesus (14:26). The Spirit will be a preserving, conservative force in revelation, reiterating Jesus’s words. Once again we see the Spirit functioning like Jesus: as Jesus was dependent on the Father (14:10), so the Spirit depends on Christ.

15:1. The vine metaphor (15:1–17) builds on the emphases of Jesus in chapter 14. The verb for indwelling (Gk menō; 14:17) appears numerous times (15:4–7, 9–10), but now it is viewed in terms of its results. Spiritual experiences must lead to fruit-bearing in the form of obedience and love.

Rather than claiming to be the vinedresser and assuming the prerogatives of God (e.g., Jn 5), Jesus is the vine (which stands for Israel in the OT) (15:1). Union with Jesus means participation in the new Israel, the people of God (cf. Paul, who uses a similar metaphor in Rm 11:17–24). This theological notion has appeared elsewhere, in Jn 10:7 (“I am the gate for the sheep”) and in 14:6 (“I am the way”). Attachment to Jesus is the only means of access to God’s household. In other words, Jesus marks the beginning of the new Israel.

15:2–6. Two themes dominate the section. First, the believer must have an inner apprehension of Christ (in Spirit; 14:23). Abiding or remaining (Gk menō) in Christ is a prerequisite Christian experience. Initially, Christ dwells in us (15:4–5), but this is no tribute to our merit; for our acceptability as vessels—our cleanliness—is his accomplishment (15:3). Conversely, we abide in Christ, and this is the origin of fruitful living. Just as branches are barren when they are not attached to the vine (15:4), the possibility of separation from the Vine is a dreadful prospect (15:2, 6).

The vine/vineyard metaphor is used frequently in the OT. Israel is often depicted as a vine transplanted from Egypt (Ps 80:8–11) and brought to fertile soil (Ezk 17:1–6). Enemies may trample the vineyard (Jr 12:10–11), but God tends it carefully and looks for fruit (Is 5:1–7). The vineyard is a symbol of the locus of God’s activity, his nurture, and his expectations (cf. Mt 21:33–41).

Second, there should be outer evidence of Christ’s indwelling. The passage carefully balances our mutual participation with God. Our effort is necessary. For instance, on the one hand, we must devote ourselves to Jesus’s words and be obedient (15:7, 10). But on the other hand, it is also the nurture of God that causes us to flourish and glorify him (15:8). “You can do nothing without me” (15:5). Jesus describes God as a vinedresser who prunes with skill, knowing the benefits that will accrue to the branch in later seasons.

15:7–17. The results of this reciprocal abiding are given in 15:7–17. (1) Prayer with confidence. Certainty comes with prayer joined to spiritual union (15:7, 16; cf. 14:12–14). (2) Assurance. We acquire confidence in Jesus’s love for us because it is modeled on God’s love for him (15:9–10; cf. 17:26; see also Rm 8:35–39). (3) Joy. This is not mere happiness but a deeper tranquility that is free from worry and knows God’s purposes are good (15:11; cf. 16:20–24; 17:13). (4) A new community. Jesus exhorts his followers to love one another (15:12, 17; see also 13:34; 17:21; cf. 1 Jn 2:7–11). As his love for us is modeled on God’s divine love for him (15:9), now our love for one another should be modeled on his love and sacrifice (15:13, 17).

The remarkable summary of Jesus’s offer and expectations appears in 15:14–17. What especially stands out is his offer of friendship. In Christ, disciples have unparalleled access to God. Jesus has become the sort of friend marked by complete candor, honesty, and transparency because he has unveiled himself fully (15:15). Moreover, this is not a casual thing passed out indiscriminately; Christ has chosen us to be his friends (15:16)! If he has offered this qualitative relationship to us, we must extend it to one another (15:17).

15:18–25. Early Christianity was unanimous in its outlook on the world. Insofar as the church formed a radically new community, it experienced strife and conflict with society. Paul describes persecution as virtually a constituent part of the Christian experience (1 Co 4:11–13; 1 Th 2:13–16; 2 Tm 3:10–13). This treatment was expected because the disciples of Christ had inherited the hostilities shown to their master (15:18). Jesus predicted these conflicts in his final teachings (Mt 10:17–25; 24:9–14; Mk 13:9–13), and here the subject is addressed in full (Jn 15:18–16:33).

Jesus explains that the precedent for this experience is his own (15:20). Christ and his followers are alien to the world’s values and therefore cannot obtain its affections (15:18–163). Jesus has selectively created a new order—“I have chosen you” (15:19)—and this implies judgment on the old. The language here is strong: hatred will typify the division between church and world.

The world’s guilt is based on its accountability before divine revelation. God in Christ has come, spoken, and acted on our behalf (15:22–24), and our response forms the basis of our judgment. This is a common Johannine theme (5:45; 9:18; 12:37).

15:26–16:3. Nevertheless, the disciples will not be alone in these conflicts. Jesus reminds them again of the Counselor (15:26–27; cf. 14:16, 26), who will be their aid. This promise dovetails with similar promises in the Synoptics (Mk 13:11), but John has heightened the judicial setting. In the Book of Signs (Jn 1–12) we saw how Jesus’s ministry was described in forensic terms: he was on trial before a world that was weighing the evidence (signs). Now this lifelong trial is promised for the disciples. This metaphor explains the origin of the Spirit’s new title. A paraklētos (“Counselor”) is a legal assistant or advocate who aids and counsels. The Spirit substantiates our testimony (another legal term) as we too are placed on trial before the world. [The Holy Spirit in the New Testament]

Jesus is quite specific about the extent of these hostilities in order to equip his followers for the near future (cf. 1 Pt 4:12). In 16:1 the Greek word behind “stumbling” is skandalizō, which means to trip (a skandalon is a trap or stumbling block). In Johannine thought this term refers to anything that causes the disciple to fall away or weaken in faith (6:61; 1 Jn 2:10; cf. Mt 26:31).

16:4–11. The further work of the Counselor now receives attention. In 16:4–15 we come to Jesus’s fourth and fifth predictions (cf. 14:16, 26; 15:26). The closing subject of chapter 15 (the world) continues to be Jesus’s concern. While sorrow may follow Jesus’s departure (16:4–6), it is actually necessary for him to go, since the coming of the Spirit is dependent on his death/glorification (16:7; cf. 7:39). In some fashion the Spirit and Jesus are mutually exclusive; or, as we shall see in chapters 19 and 20, the Spirit comes in the midst of Christ’s glorification. The Spirit is Jesus’s Spirit and is released in his death (cf. 19:30, 34; 20:22).

The relation between the Spirit and the world has been gradually developing. In 14:15–16 we learned that the world cannot know the Spirit. In 15:26–27 we saw the Counselor serving as a defense advocate before the world’s hostilities. Now in 16:8–11 the Counselor passes to the attack. This too is a judicial description, for in Jewish courts accusers could themselves be accused and convicted. The Counselor will engage the world through the mission of the church. The Spirit will substantiate the church’s voice, inwardly persuading the hearts of its hearers and strengthening its witnesses.

16:12–15. The final Spirit saying turns to a new subject and should be compared with 14:25–26. In this earlier passage the Spirit’s work was conservative, preserving the historical sayings of Christ. Now we learn that there are things to be revealed that are yet unknown (16:12). The Spirit will be a guide into truth, especially that which pertains to future disclosures (16:13). Thus Jesus is predicting a prophetic anointing similar to that known to Paul (1 Co 12:29; 14:21–23; Eph 4:11; 1 Th 5:19–20; cf. 1 Jn 2:26–27). But the Spirit will not diverge from the historical revelation of Jesus Christ (16:13–14).

16:16–24. The picture so far has developed thus: Jesus must go away, but he will return; yet this return will be realized in a significant way through the Spirit’s indwelling the Christian. The Spirit will instruct, defend, empower, and guide the disciple within the world. The remaining question—When will these events take place?—will point to the resurrection (16:16–33).

Seven times we find a reference to “a little while” (16:16–19), which indicates the disciples’ worry about the interval between departure and return. Their concern is understandable, since in 16:10 Jesus said that they would see him no more; however, a time of seeing him (16:17, 19, 22) precedes this final removal, and it is not too distant. That this refers to the resurrection can be seen in two ways. First, joy will hallmark their attitude (16:20–22, 24), and after the resurrection, when they see Jesus, rejoicing is their response (20:22). Second, “seeing” Jesus is a part of their witness. In fact, Mary’s exclamation in 20:18 is, “I have seen the Lord!” With this evidence it is no surprise to find that the coming of the Spirit, the anointing described throughout these chapters, is finally given after the resurrection (20:19–22).

16:25–33. Besides joy, another advantage of this day is a deepened knowledge of God and his will (16:25–28). The era of misunderstanding will be over, and accurate perception will be ours (cf. 2:22; 12:16). John 16:25–28 parallels 16:12–15 inasmuch as it implies a gift of previously unknown insight into God. Hence access to the Father is direct (16:26–27) because Jesus and the Father will be united with us (14:9, 23; 17:21).

Proof that the disciples are not yet equipped—and need to be—can be seen in 16:29–33. They think they understand clearly (16:25, 29) and have full belief. But this cannot be theirs until the Spirit is on them. In fact, they will flee when the crisis of the cross is upon them (16:32). But Jesus understands the limitations of his people; when they grieve over their flight, their recollection of these words will bring comfort (16:33).

17:1–5. Having concluded his discourse, Jesus now turns to prayer. Each of the Synoptic Gospels records a time of prayer in the garden of Gethsemane (Mt 26:36–46; Mk 14:32–42; Lk 22:40–46), and no doubt Jn 17 should be compared with this.

The first words of the prayer (in Greek) bear a significant Johannine phrase: “the hour has come” (17:1). This hour has been anticipated from the outset (2:4; 7:30; 8:20) and is described as the time of Jesus’s glorification (12:23, 27; 13:1; cf. 19:14, 27). This glorification is a process culminating in Jesus’s return to the Father by way of the cross. Now Jesus prays that his glory (and the Father’s) might be evident (17:1–8). In the Book of Signs Jesus’s works manifested glory (1:14; 2:11; 11:4, 40; 12:28). But if these signs were veiled, now he asks that his last great sign would speak powerfully (see 12:32).

In the prologue to the Gospel we learned how the arrival of God’s Son made the glory of God visible (1:14). Now Jesus mentions that this effort has been successful (17:4). Those who are chosen, who have apprehended this glory, find life (17:3); but it is a salvation strictly mediated through the Son. The Son himself possesses glory—a glory shared with the Father—and this will be reappropriated upon Christ’s return (17:5). This thought draws us into the incarnational theology of John. Coming from the Father, the Son takes up our humanity at great expense, only to return once more to his original glory with the Father (cf. Php 2:5–11).

Jesus’s prayer of departure in Jn 17 is similar to the departure of Moses in Deuteronomy. Moses’s final words spoken from the plains of Moab (Dt 1–31) are followed by two prayers (Dt 32–33). In Moses’s first prayer he blesses God, and then he goes on to bless Israel. In Jesus’s prayer we find the same two interests: Jesus turns from his own concerns (Jn 17:1–8) to those of the church (Jn 17:9–26).

17:6–8. The glory of God has been visible in Christ in yet one more way. Jesus has revealed God’s name (17:6). Paul says the same: this Christ who emptied himself is the bearer of “the name that is above every name” (Php 2:9). The name of God is a vital OT concept beginning with Moses’s experience on Sinai (Ex 3:13–15; Dt 12:5; Is 52:6), and Jesus has given this throughout his public ministry in the great “I am” sayings (e.g., 8:28, 58). In the OT, possessing God’s name is precious; it implies relationship, obedience, and knowledge. Only Christians possess God’s name in this sense, and they alone draw the correct inference: the Son who bears this name has come from God and must be believed (17:7–8).

17:9–19. Jesus now prays exclusively for his followers even though they have been on his mind all along (17:6–7). In one sense this is a continuation of the prayer for glory (17:1–5). Christ’s glory is continually manifested through the lives of his people (17:10). But this will happen only if they, like him, are holy (17:19). Three petitions of Jesus for his people will achieve this end.

(1) Unity (17:11–12). Christ prays that the unity shared between him and the Father might be realized in the church. Christian unity stems from personal faithfulness in God’s presence. Like the good shepherd of 10:7–18, Jesus has protected his sheep until now, but other provisions will soon be necessary. (2) Joy and perseverance (17:13–16). Conflict will hallmark the life of any who simultaneously live in the world and adhere to God’s word (see 15:18–16:4a). Jesus, however, asks not simply for spiritual protection but for a new disposition: joy in the midst of suffering. (3) Holiness (17:17–19). This attribute reflects the presence of Christ because he, like God, is holy. Sanctification comes through sustained exposure to the truth found in God’s word. It is not just a superior moral effort but something deriving from the holiness of Christ, in whose presence we are to live.

17:20–26. Once before Jesus hinted at the church, which would grow much later. The good shepherd has “other sheep that are not from this sheep pen” (10:16). Now Jesus turns directly to concerns for others who will believe as a result of his disciples’ work. Jesus’s chief concern in 17:20–23 is again for unity. Again he asks that the Father-Son relation would be the model of this unity (Jn 17:21; cf. v. 11). And again it is facilitated only by a profound spiritual unity with God in Christ (17:21, 23). Unity is not merely a human achievement but flows from a mature walk with Christ.

Now we read Jesus’s final private teachings for his disciples before his arrest. John 17:24–26 sweeps up subjects from the entire Farewell Discourse but emphasizes one central theme: Jesus desires that he and the Father indwell the believer, conveying to that person the certainty of God’s love. While God’s presence will be experienced at the end of time (17:24), the Holy Spirit will manifest the reality of Christ in us in this present world. Jesus’s final prayer asks that two things be “in” us: God’s love and Christ’s presence. Later John will write the same thing. How do we know that we abide in him? We bear God’s love (1 Jn 4:7, 16) and Christ’s own Spirit (4:13).

C. The passion (18:1–19:42). Much of John’s narrative of Jesus’s trial, death, and resurrection overlaps with the Synoptic Gospels. The consistent sequence of events in the passion of Jesus both here and in the Synoptics shows how this story had an ancient, pre-Gospel history. It may have been the first narrative circulating among the early Christians who needed to answer the apologetic question, “If Jesus was the Messiah, why was he crucified?”

John, however, offers his own perspective on the passion of Jesus. John theologically reshapes a story of agony into a story of victory and glory (note 18:36). He is no doubt emphasizing themes important to him when, for instance, the arresting party falls to the ground at the mention of the divine name (18:6). Yet this does not mean that John has dramatically embellished his account with no regard for history. Incidental historical details abound, such as the name of the high priest’s slave (18:10–11), his relation to Peter’s questioner in 18:26, and the type of courtyard fire (charcoal, 18:18). When added to the harmony of this account with the Synoptics, these details lend significant credibility to John’s independent account (cf. the interrogation before Annas, 18:13–14, 19–24).

A major theme of Jesus’s prayer in Jn 17 is for unity among his disciples. If 1 John is evidence (cf. 1 Jn 2:7–11, 18–21), the later church of the apostle John must have been torn by divisions. The Gospel of John therefore was written for a church in need of unity.

18:1–11. It was the custom of Jewish celebrants on Passover to spend the night after their meal in prayer and meditation. Jesus does the same, crossing the Kidron Valley east of Jerusalem and entering a garden (18:1). The place of the arrest is apparently familiar to all, since Judas, who left during the meal (13:30), now arrives with the arresting party (18:2–3). The authorities have found exactly what they needed: a quiet place where Jesus can be arrested without public notice.

John and Matthew stress the armaments of the party and imply that they expect a fight. John 18:3, however, tells us that a detachment of Roman troops assists. Rather than record Judas’s identifying kiss, John writes that Jesus takes the initiative to voluntarily identify himself (18:4–5). His hour has come, and he will instigate its advance. The emphases that follow are uniquely Johannine. When Jesus utters the divine name (“I am”), the party falls prostrate in awe (18:5–6). When they recover, he exchanges his life for the freedom of his followers (18:8–9; cf. 6:39; 17:12; and the shepherd, 10:11–18). Peter’s zeal is misguided (18:10–11) since interfering with “the hour” is just as wrong as hastening its approach (7:6–9).

These ancient olive trees stand in the courtyard of the Church of All Nations on the Mount of Olives. The church marks the traditional location of the garden of Gethsemane.

18:12–14. Once Jesus is bound he is taken for a preliminary interrogation before Annas, who served as high priest from AD 6 to 15 (18:12–13). Even though Annas is deposed now, he still retains his title due to his weighty influence. In fact, all of his five sons became priests (cf. Lk 3:2; Ac 4:6). His son-in-law Caiaphas is featured in the Synoptic trial and given only passing reference in John (18:13–14; see also 11:49; 18:24).

18:15–18. Intertwined in the trial sequence (18:12–27) is the story of Peter’s threefold denial (18:15–18, 25–27; cf. Mk 14:66–72). Jesus has predicted Peter’s fear of identification in this crisis (Jn 13:36–38), and now it is fulfilled. John diverges, however, from the Synoptic story. He records that “another disciple” (likely John) who was acquainted with the priest let Peter into the courtyard (18:15–16). It is interesting that John records the specific type of fire (18:18). A charcoal fire will appear once again in 21:9, when Jesus reunites with Peter.

18:19–24. The Jewish interrogation is briefly recorded here, but certainly extensive questioning occurred. The Fourth Gospel does not record the charges and countercharges found in the Synoptics. Instead (as with the arrest) Jesus initiates and provides the substance of the dialogue. It is his hour of glorification. He is in control. His chief defense is that his teachings have been public—open to the inspection of all (18:20). In other words, no inquiry will uncover more than is already known. On a literary level, the Book of Signs has provided exhaustive evidence for Jesus’s trial. No more is required.

18:25–27. See the commentary on 18:15–18.

18:28–32. From the house of Caiaphas (thought to be located on Jerusalem’s western hill or “upper city”) Jesus is led to the praetorium, or the governor’s headquarters (18:28a). It was necessary to involve the Roman authorities in capital cases since the Roman subjugation of Palestine had eliminated numerous Jewish judicial powers (18:31). Based in Caesarea with numerous troops, the Roman governor Pilate (AD 26–36) came to Jerusalem occasionally to conduct his administrative duties with the Jews.

This entire narrative section (18:28–1916) is a carefully written unit full of dramatic suspense. Pilate moves in and out of the praetorium (18:29, 33, 38; 19:9, 13), establishing the innocence of Jesus and exploring his title of “king.” In fact, kingship becomes the principal theme (18:33, 36–37, 39; 19:2–3, 12, 14–15, 19–22) until Pilate’s caution turns to fear (19:8). Even when Jesus is crucified, Pilate insists on Jesus’s title in death (19:19–22).

Pilate meets with the Jewish leadership outside his residence so that they might not become ritually unclean due to contact with Gentiles (18:28b). The accusation that Jesus is a criminal (18:30) is less clear than the Synoptic charges that bring political offenses to mind (especially Lk 23:2). Pilate is initially unmoved and prefers to leave the case in Jewish courts, but his audience reminds him of the Roman restriction prohibiting the Jews from carrying out capital punishment (18:31).

18:33–38a. Pilate now goes inside (18:33) to Jesus, who is in custody and speaks with him. In this round Pilate’s first inquiry is important: “king” was a political title that was enjoyed in Judea only by Herod the Great. Is Jesus making a political challenge with this word? Jesus accepts the title but redefines it: his kingdom is otherworldly (18:36). He is not an insurrectionist of the sort that Rome fears. Pilate feels no threat and glibly dismisses Jesus, but his closing remark (“What is truth?”) shows that he cannot be one who recognizes Jesus’s voice (18:38a). Soon, however, Pilate’s interest will be piqued.

18:38b–19:8. Jesus is innocent, and this judgment is conveyed outside (18:38b). But since Pilate’s generous overture is rejected (18:39–40), Jesus is flogged (19:1), a severe punishment often preliminary to crucifixion. However, the mocking of the soldiers serves another purpose: this is Jesus’s symbolic coronation. He is hailed “king” and so arrayed (19:2–3), but Pilate hopes that the severity of Jesus’s pitiful condition and profuse bleeding will permit him to be released (19:4–5). Instead, Pilate is met with calls for death (19:6), which would usually give a governor no hesitation. But now the crowd offers a new title for Jesus: Jesus claims to be the Son of God (19:7). The round closes differently than the previous one. Pilate is afraid (19:8).

19:9–12a. When Pilate reenters the praetorium (19:9a), the glib tone of 18:38 has disappeared. “Son of God” was a metaphysical claim; it evoked a meaning not unknown among Romans. Pilate’s initial question (19:9b) shows that he is probing the identity of Jesus. Like Nicodemus earlier (3:1–21), Pilate is making a discreet inquiry. And like many who came to Jesus, he has to choose to follow the light or the darkness. Pilate’s reflex to his own power (19:10) is completely demolished when Jesus explains how the governor actually derives his power from God (19:11a). Furthermore, Pilate has been the unwitting pawn of other powers, the Jews, who have instigated this trial (19:11b). The round ends with Pilate’s earnest desire to release Jesus (19:12a; cf. Mt 27:18–19).

19:12b–16. As Pilate readies himself to come outside, already voices meet him. But now a new threat is hurled at him, and his stamina collapses. “Caesar’s friend” (19:12b) was a technical term meaning “loyal to Caesar,” and it referred to people who had distinguished themselves in imperial service. It was the guarantee of a good career. Therefore Pilate must choose between this new king and Caesar.

Pilate chooses secular acclaim above divine approval (cf. 5:44; 12:43) and goes through the motions of making a judicial edict. The “Stone Pavement” (Aramaic gabbatha, “elevated place”?) may have been a visible platform for such pronouncements (19:13). The time of this announcement, “about noon,” is indicated (19:14) because of a theme that will arise during the crucifixion. The hour of Jesus’s condemnation is the hour when the temple began to slaughter the ritual lambs for Passover. Jesus is one such lamb (19:31–36).

The decision between Caesar and the king Jesus, weighed earlier by Pilate, is decided now by the chief priests (19:15). This is their irrevocable rejection of Christ (cf. Mt 27:24–25).

19:17–18. Each of the Gospels is content to give us a brief description of the crucifixion (19:17–37), thereby sparing us its gruesome details. It was despised by Jews and Romans alike and employed mainly in the provinces for slaves and criminals. Following a severe flogging with a metal- or bone-tipped whip, the victim was forced to march to the site of death carrying the crossbeam, even though often the individual was already fatally injured. Jesus has already been scourged thus (19:1; cf. Mk 15:16–20). The Synoptics mention that Jesus’s condition is so serious that he cannot carry anything as he walks (Mk 15:20–21).

Golgotha is the Aramaic word for “skull” or “cranium” (19:17); the name may derive from the shape of a hill or simply be an apt metaphor for a place of death. It was certainly outside the city walls of Jerusalem.

19:19–22. The extended attention given to the title on the cross is strictly Johannine (cf. Mk 15:26). While it conveys historical information, its chief importance is theological. Jesus’s death has been described as his glorification (e.g., Jn 7:39; 13:31). It has also been called his “lifting up” (3:14; 8:28; 12:32, 34) inasmuch as he is returning to the Father and to his previous glory (17:1–5). Therefore, the cross is not a place of defeat or humiliation. It is a further revelatory sign since it will evoke faith and create followers (12:32).

If we keep this in mind, then the place of regal language (kingship) becomes clear: Christ, already crowned (19:2), is now enthroned (19:19–22). The irony of the scene fits well the two-level understanding that has accompanied the signs and discourses throughout the Gospel (e.g., 3:3; 4:7–8). Pilate misunderstands the truth that he so valiantly defends. Only John mentions that the title is in three languages (19:20), and this underscores his interest in those outside of Judea who are also a part of Christ’s fold (cf. 10:16; 12:20; 17:20).

19:23–24. The Romans customarily removed and confiscated the clothing of the crucified, thereby heightening his shame and giving the soldiers some benefit for their labors. This occurs at Golgotha (cf. Mk 15:24). John’s narrative explains that Jesus’s garments are divided four ways, but he focuses on a seamless undergarment valued by the guards (19:23). Its preservation is explained from Ps 22:18, but its symbolic meaning may lie elsewhere (19:24). The garments of the high priest included this item (Ex 28:4; 39:27), and it may suggest some priestly symbolism for Jesus (cf. Heb 4:14; Rv 1:13).

19:25–27. The presence of women at the cross is striking (19:25). Unlike the apostles, who have fled, the women would be safe from incrimination because of ancient Near Eastern chivalry giving them a protected status. We see that John attends as well but for one purpose: Jesus’s first word from the cross makes provision for his mother’s future (19:26–27). Mary is taken into the beloved disciple’s care.

19:28–37. The remaining activity on the cross emphasizes two theological themes. First, Jesus is a Passover victim dying a sacrificial death (cf. 19:14; also 1:29). Jesus’s thirst (19:28) echoes Ps 22:15, while the hyssop branch reflects Ex 12:22 and Passover symbolism. Hyssop was used with blood on Israel’s doorposts in Egypt. John is the only one of the evangelists to mention the hyssop (cf. Mk 15:36), or to speak of the Roman breaking of legs (19:31–32). The Passover lamb could have no broken bones (19:36; see Ex 12:46). Jesus was already dead (19:30), but if a man were not, a violent blow to the legs with a lance would hasten death since the body would no longer have the leg support needed to push up to take a breath. Finally, there is the blood from Jesus’s side (19:34). The sacrificial blood cannot be congealed—it must be a living victim—and here John has provided proof.

Second, the hour of death ushers forward the Spirit. As Jesus discussed his departure (13:16), the Spirit was promised to replace the presence of Christ (14:16) and to turn grief into joy. Here on the cross two allusions connect the Spirit and the hour of glory. In 19:30 Jesus gives over the Spirit. The phrase is different from that in the Synoptics and is found nowhere in Greek literature for death. “Give up/over” (Gk paradidōmi) means handing something on (1 Co 15:3), and here Jesus directs himself not to the Father but to those followers below. This is a symbolic act depicting an anointing about to come (Jn 20:22). The blood and water (19:34)—especially the water—may also be symbolic. John 7:37–39 states that living waters will flow from Christ; in the context (7:39) this is related to the Spirit and the hour of glorification. Thus 19:34 may fulfill 7:37–39, indicating that at the hour of death Jesus’s spirit is about to be released.

19:38–42. Since the Passover would officially begin at dusk, Joseph from Arimathea and Nicodemus remove the body of Jesus so that he can be buried before the feast. Mark notes that Joseph is a member of the Sanhedrin (Mk 15:43); Matthew mentions his wealth (Mt 27:57). Along with Nicodemus (Jn 3:1–15; 7:50–52), Joseph exerts his influence on Pilate to obtain Jesus’s body (19:38). The myrrh and aloes (19:39) along with linen cloths (19:40) were commonly used in Jewish burials, but the amount of spices (about seventy-five pounds) seems extraordinary.

Three of Jesus’s seven last words from the cross are recorded in John.

D. The resurrection (20:1–29). The final chapter of the Book of Glory concludes those elements that make up the hour of Christ’s glorification. First, there is the account of the empty tomb, which records the evidence of the resurrection but emphasizes above all the faith of the beloved disciple (20:1–10). Second, Matthew’s story of Jesus’s appearance to various women (see Mt 28:9–10) has a parallel in the account about Mary Magdalene, a woman who dramatizes the grief of the apostolic company and their joy upon seeing Jesus again (Jn 20:11–18). Finally, Jesus appears to his disciples and during his visit breathes on them the Holy Spirit (20:19–29).

20:1–2. Mary’s arrival at the empty tomb is before morning (20:1; on Mary see 19:25 and Lk 8:2), and although John mentions her alone, the Synoptic Gospels say that she is accompanied by other women (cf. Mt 28:1; Mk 16:1; Lk 24:10). Rolling-stone tombs were designed to offer future access to a tomb for secondary Jewish burial or for additional primary burials. Mary’s surprise centers not so much on the fact that the stone is rolled back (for to her mind Joseph or Nicodemus might have reopened it) but on the absence of Jesus’s body (20:2). The text gives no indication that she believes in his resurrection at this point (20:9). For her, Jesus’s body has simply been reburied elsewhere.

20:3–10. Mary’s report to the disciples introduces a complete shift in subject. While the story provides numerous details about what they view (20:5–7), it primarily emphasizes the relation between John (the beloved disciple) and Peter. In the Fourth Gospel, John always gains the upper hand. He outruns Peter to the tomb and looks in first (20:4–5). Even though Peter goes in first (20:6), John believes when he enters (20:8; cf. 20:29). This theme appears elsewhere in the Gospel. At the Last Supper, for instance, Peter recognizes in John some unique access to Christ (13:23–24). In 18:15–16 the beloved disciple admits Peter to the high priest’s home. And in 21:6–8 they are contrasted once again. The profundity of the Fourth Gospel and its penetration into the truth of Christ indicate John’s depth of faith and experience, to which these narratives of contrast bear witness.

20:11–18. Weeping (20:11, 13, 15) is a prominent theme in Mary’s encounter with Jesus and has a special Johannine usage. Elsewhere it appears at Lazarus’s funeral (11:31, 33), which is a paradigm of Jesus’s death. Moreover, it is found in Jesus’s own prediction (16:20). Mary experiences the grief of being without Jesus. Yet Jesus has remarked that this mourning would become rejoicing (16:22).

Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the risen Jesus in John bears some resemblance to two separate Synoptic narratives in which Mary also appears (Mt 28:1; Lk 24:10). Mary now witnesses two angels (Jn 20:12), just as in Luke two angels appear to the women when they arrive at the tomb (Lk 24:4–9). Afterward Mary meets Jesus (Jn 20:16–17), similar to the account in Matthew about women seeing Jesus near the tomb (Mt 28:9–10).

Mary misunderstands Jesus’s appearance, thinking him to be a gardener (20:14–15). But when he calls her by name, she at once recognizes his voice (20:16; cf. 10:3). Yet now she misunderstands the meaning of Jesus’s presence. Mary is trying to “cling to” the joy she has found in his resurrection (20:17). But Jesus’s permanent presence with her will be in another form. This is precisely the message of the Farewell Discourse (16:22). Jesus’s “coming” will also be in the Spirit, who will indwell his followers individually (14:18–26). [Jesus’s Postresurrection Appearances]

The message Mary is to convey (20:17) is that the final steps of departure are at hand. This is necessary, since the coming of the Spirit is directly dependent on Jesus’s departure (16:7). The story of Mary, therefore, is an interpretative vehicle that underscores the transition now under way. Jesus will not leave them as orphans (14:18) because as he moves through “the hour” he will give his Spirit.

20:19–23. On the evening of this Sunday, Jesus appears to the disciples and provides confirmation of his resurrection (20:19–20). Twice he speaks of “peace” (20:19, 21), fulfilling that which he promised in his farewell (14:27; 16:33). Seeing the Lord was also a part of this promise (16:16), as was rejoicing (16:20; 20:20). In other words, Jesus is recalling his words from the upper room, and this includes the coming of the Spirit (20:19–29).

This is a definitive gift of the Spirit and no symbolic event. The comments in 7:39 are satisfied: Christ has been glorified, and the gift is given. The breathing of Jesus (20:22) echoes Gn 2:7, when God gives life to Adam. Jesus is such a creator (Jn 1:3), and the Spirit gives life (6:63). Thus, the gift of the Spirit is Christ’s re-creation. Above all, Jesus has given his own breath, his own Spirit, and the personal dimensions of his indwelling are emphasized.

In this hour Jesus also transfers to his disciples his own mission. He sends them forth (20:21) in the same way the Father commissioned him (13:16, 20; 17:18). The basis of the church’s authority is that it bears the commission of Christ, as well as the divine Spirit. The authority over sins (20:23) also reflects Jesus’s ministry (3:19–20; 9:40–41). The judgment of Christ stemmed from his revelation of the light and the response of his listeners. The mission of the church is to continue the revelatory work of Christ in the world.

20:24–29. When Jesus met with the disciples, Thomas (11:16; 14:5; 21:2) was absent (20:24). He receives news that Jesus is risen (cf. 20:18) but claims that unless he can acquire this certainty himself (i.e., “see the Lord”) he will not believe (20:25). On the following Sunday the group is gathered again, and Jesus appears, offering to Thomas that which he seeks (20:26–27). Thomas provides the Gospel’s final response to Jesus when he offers the ultimate title of divinity and lordship to him (20:28).

Jesus’s final words speak to Thomas and to the church together. While “seeing” forms the basis of the apostolic witness (Ac 1:21–22; 1 Co 15:3–8; 1 Jn 1:1–4), it cannot belong to all. Those who believe without seeing—without demanding signs (cf. Jn 4:48)—are more blessed still (20:29).

E. Conclusion (20:30–31). This is a natural conclusion to the Gospel. The Fourth Evangelist stresses the purpose of his Gospel: that we might believe (20:31). The Gospel is a record of signs—of evidences—that the reader must weigh (20:30). It stems from Jesus’s disciples, who are trustworthy witnesses (see 19:35), and in particular from the testimony of John (21:24). Its aim is to lead us to faith in Christ because in him alone can we find life.

4. EPILOGUE (21:1–25)

A. The miracle of 153 fish (21:1–14). Both Mark and Matthew record a resurrection appearance to the apostles after Sunday morning, and Matthew specifically identifies Galilee as the place (Mt 28:16–20; Mk 16:12–20; 14:26–28). This is also the Johannine setting. The story of the miraculous catch of fish has close parallels with another miracle (Lk 5:1–11). Here Jesus repeats the earlier fishing miracle, and this repetition becomes the vehicle of revelation. (The same is true of the meal in 21:9–14 as well as Peter’s triple confession in 21:15–17, echoing his triple denial, 18:15–18, 25–27.) Jesus takes them through the same experience twice, and in this discloses his identity to them.

21:1–8. The Sea of Tiberias is an alternate name for the Sea of Galilee (21:1). The apostles and a number of additional disciples have returned to their native Galilee after Jesus’s resurrection (cf. Mt 28:16), some apparently assuming their former occupations (21:2–3).

Jesus takes charge of Peter’s fishing venture. Despite a night of fruitless toil (21:3; cf. Lk 5:5) they are obedient to the voice on the shore, even though they do not yet recognize Jesus (21:4–5; cf. 20:29). Just like in the earlier fishing miracle (Lk 5:6), the nets are filled (21:6), and just like before (Lk 5:8), Peter responds prominently in devotion to Christ (21:7). However, the familiar superiority of the beloved disciple appears even here (cf. 13:23–24; 20:3–4, 8). He recognizes Jesus first, and on his word Peter runs to the beach (21:7). The beloved disciple’s response is interesting in light of this rivalry motif: he stays with the fish and brings them safely to shore (21:8).

Although Peter’s despair is turned to jubilation at the size of the catch and the appearance of Jesus, the meaning of the miracle lies deeper. Jesus is revealing himself by evoking memories of past activities. Jesus is also emphasizing the mission of the disciples. When Jesus directs their work, they will prosper. And the beloved disciple has indeed chosen the correct task: to remain with the fish so that none are lost (21:9; cf. Mt 4:19).

21:9–14. The fish and bread served by Christ (21:13) recall the feeding miracle in 6:1–14. (Peter might even recall an earlier charcoal fire [21:9; cf. 18:18].) Here the recently caught fish play a central role. The beloved disciple has not neglected them (21:8), and Jesus orders Peter to bring the net finally ashore (21:10–11).

Resurrection Appearances of Jesus

B. Jesus and Peter (21:15–23). 21:15–17. This exchange between Jesus and Peter is one of the most celebrated dialogues in the Bible. Its interpretation turns on our understanding of 21:15: “Do you love me more than these?” What is Jesus’s comparison? On the one hand, is Peter being asked if his love for Christ exceeds his love for fishing? This is plausible since it was Peter who instigated the trip to sea (21:3), and Jesus will challenge the apostle to recommit his efforts to ministry with the new sheep metaphor. On the other hand, “these” may refer to the other disciples. If Peter’s love for Christ excels generally, then it should be followed by a coordinate care for God’s flock. Either way, Jesus’s challenge to Peter is that he consider carefully his love for his Lord and take up the task of shepherding.

The dialogue enjoys numerous interplays of Greek synonyms: two words for “love,” the flock, tending/caring, and “know.” Of these pairs of synonyms, the interplay of verbs for “love” has inspired the most comments. (Jesus uses agapaō twice and then phileō in the final exchange; Peter uses phileō throughout.) This variation is likely a feature of John’s Greek style, as the other synonym pairs suggest. The verbs agapaō and phileō were interchangeable in the first century, and even John himself seems to use them as synonyms (cf. 3:35; 5:20; 13:23; 19:26; 21:7, 20).

Although Peter has failed Jesus miserably, he is now restored (Jn 21:15–19) and will soon be used by God in a powerful way (see Ac 2–4).

However, if the use of the synonyms bears some deeper meaning, then two options are possible. Either Jesus consents to Peter’s verb and we find in phileō an affectionate love Peter desires to express, or agapaō is the greater love (a sacrificial love), and Jesus is challenging the quality of Peter’s affection. In this sense Peter confesses some limit to his love.

21:18–19. Jesus now turns to a description of the fate of Peter and John and especially what it will mean for Peter to “follow” him (21:19). Peter once announced that he was willing to follow Jesus even to death (13:37). Jesus demurred, predicting Peter’s denial (13:38). But now all things are changed. Jesus now predicts Peter’s faithfulness even to death (21:18), and John, for fear that we might misunderstand, provides an explanatory note (21:19; so too 12:33). “Stretch out your hands” implies crucifixion (21:18). While we know that Peter was martyred in the 60s, Tertullian in the early third century AD explains that he died on a cross.

21:20–23. The discussion of Peter’s martyrdom opens the subject of the beloved disciple’s death. The nature of Jesus’s comment (21:22) and the editorial notes of the writer (21:23) indicate that within the community of believers was a belief that John was going to survive until the second coming of Christ. But he did not. Here is evidence of the dismay that must have gripped the church during the eventual death of the apostles. Jesus’s words are repeated (21:23): disciples should continue to follow and not be distracted by speculations about Christ’s future will. For John’s church the message is clear: John’s survival may not have been Christ’s will at all. [John 21 and the Editing of John’s Gospel]

C. Appendix (21:24–25). These final notes (labeled by the CSB as the “epilogue,” a term we have chosen to use for the entire last chapter) assert the authority of the beloved disciple as a reliable eyewitness and as the originator of a trustworthy historical tradition. This same sort of confirmation is given in 19:35. From 1 Jn 1:1–4 we can see how John’s connection with the historical events of Jesus’s life was valued. Moreover, the Gospel bears eloquent testimony to the power of John’s spiritual perception of Christ, and this too must have been deeply respected.

The disciples of John who penned these words identify themselves in the plural “we” of 21:24. They have survived their pastor and now have collected his teachings for the church. The process must have been difficult, for as 21:25 indicates, the amount of material at their disposal was voluminous.