5. John
5. John
CONTENTS
Like the other canonical gospels, John’s gospel sets out to tell the story of Jesus’ origins, ministry, death, and resurrection. Like them, it does not purport to be neutral. The evangelist sets out to engender faith (John 20:30-31), and to that end he shapes his witness with the needs of his readers in mind. 1
Like many other facets of the gospel of John, its basic structure seems fairly simple until one starts to think more deeply about it. Doubtless this complexity wrapped in simplicity is the reason why scores of studies on John’s structure have been published during the last two or three decades.
On the face of it, the fourth gospel offers a prologue (John 1:1-18) and an epilogue, or appendix (21:1-25), between which are the two central sections, 1:19-12:50 and 13:120:31. Under the influence of two or three influential scholars, these are now frequently designated, respectively, Book of Signs and Book of Glory, 2or Book of Signs and Book of the Passion. 3
Nevertheless, the designation "Book of Signs” makes it sound as if the signs are restricted to John 1:19-12:50, whereas 20:30-31 makes it clear that from the evangelist’s perspective the entire gospel is a book of signs: the passion and resurrection of Jesus is the greatest sign of all. Moreover, although Jesus’ passion is related in chapters 13-20, the passion narrative itself does not begin until chapter 18. If chapters 13-17 can be included on the ground that they are thematically tied to the passion, so also are many passages in chapters 1-12 (e.g., 1:29, 36; 6:35ff.; 11:49-52).
Others have advocated a quite different structure. Wyller, 4for example, holds that John 10:22-29 is the "structural summit” of the work, the "change of fate” of the hero, around which the rest of the material is organized. Despite the superficial plausibility of his argument, it is difficult to believe, on thematic grounds, that these verses have quite the structural importance Wyller assigns to them, and almost impossible to believe that Plato’s simile of the cave is the most plausible model for the structure of a gospel. Another scholar has detected a massive concentric structure patterned to have the concentric structure of the prologue. 5However, structures that are so complex and disputed as not to be intuitively obvious should not be assigned much credibility.
Trying to account for all the complexity in John, one recent and important discussion of the structure of John’s gospel finds major chiasms and what the author calls bridge-pericopes and bridge-sections—sections that fit into two or more structured units and that tie them together. 6For instance, he suggests that John 2:1-12:50 might be called the Book of Jesus’ Signs, that 11:1-20:29 is the Book of Jesus’ Hour, and that the overlapping chapters, 11-12, constitute a bridge-section. Although this or that detail may be disputed, he does succeed in showing how unified and tightly organized the fourth gospel is. Many have pointed out, for instance, that individual sections of various length are neatly brought to a close (e.g., 1:18; 4:42; 4:53-54; 10:40-42; 12:44-50; 20:30-31; 21:25).
One of the reasons why critics find so many mutually exclusive structures in John is that his repeated handling of only a few themes makes it possible to postulate all kinds of parallels and chiasms. Another is that various structures seem to serve as overlays to other structures. For instance, it has often been noted that the section John 2:1-4:54 reflects a geographic inclusio (i.e. a literary device that both introduces and concludes a passage by the same literary feature): the action moves from Cana to Cana. But although that device helps us see the boundaries of this unit, it is less than clear that Cana per se is so important in Johannine thought that it should be accorded paramount theological significance, beyond its minor role in helping readers to follow the movement of the text.
Following the prologue (John 1:1-18), Jesus’ discloses himself in word and deed (1:19-10:42). This large unit begins with a prelude to Jesus’ public ministry (1:19-51). As in the synoptic tradition, John the Baptist is first introduced: his relation to Jesus is articulated (1:19-28), as is his public witness concerning Jesus (1:29-34). The prelude ends with reports as to how Jesus gains his first disciples (1:35-51).
The rest of this first large unit (John 1:19-10:42) may be divided into three sections. The first reports Jesus’ early ministry: his signs, works, and words (2:1-4:54). This includes the first sign, namely, the changing of the water into wine (2:1-11), the clearing of the temple (2:12-17), and the utterance about Jesus’ replacing the temple (2:18-22). The inadequate faith of many who trust him at this juncture (2:23-25) sets the stage for the exchange between Jesus and Nicodemus (3:1-15), the dialogue rapidly turning to monologue. Twice in this chapter the evangelist himself apparently offers his own extended comment, the first at this point (3:16-21), and the second after his description of John the Baptist’s continuing witness concerning Jesus (3:22-30, followed by 3:3136). On his way to Galilee, Jesus stops in Samaria and leads both a Samaritan woman and many of her countrymen to faith in himself (4:1-42). The section is capped by the second sign, the healing of the official’s son (4:43-54).
In the next section (John 5:1-7:53), there are more signs, works, and words, but now in the context of rising opposition. The healing of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda (5:1-15), which connects sin and illness, is performed on the Sabbath, and this triggers some opposition, which Jesus quickly transforms into a Christological question, especially regarding the nature of his sonship to the Father (5:16-30). These central Christological claims give rise to treatment of the witnesses concerning Jesus (5:31-47). The feeding of the five thousand (6:1-15) and the walking on the water (6:16-21) serve to introduce the bread of life discourse (6:22-58), where Jesus’ claims that he is himself the true manna (esp. 6:27-34), the bread of life (6:35-48) that must be eaten. This gives rise to more hesitations: opinion is divided over him, and even some of his disciples turn against him, while he himself retains the initiative in determining who truly are his followers (6:59-71). Skepticism and uncertainty regarding him continue, even among members of his own family (7:1-13). This means that the first round of exchanges at the Feast of Tabernacles (7:14-44), climaxing in his promise to pour out the eschatological Spirit consequent on his own glorification (7:37-44), is frankly confrontational and leads to the first organized opposition from the Jewish authorities (7:45-52).
After the pericope of the woman caught in adultery (John 7:53-8:11), which we believe was not part of the original text (see discussion below 5. John, TEXT), the last section (8:12-10:42) reports climactic signs, works, and words in the context of radical confrontation. The second round of exchanges at the Feast of Tabernacles (8:12-59) ends with Jesus telling the authorities they are children of the Devil, while he himself is none less than the "I am”—and this sparks off a futile attempt to stone him to death. The healing of the man born blind (9:1-41), in which no connection between sin and the man’s condition is allowed, comes to its climax with the denunciation of those who think they see. In chapter 10, Jesus presents himself as the good shepherd of the sheep. The effect is to make his own messianic flock the one locus of the people of God, with predictable reactions from the Jews (10:1-21). At the Feast of Dedication, Jesus’ claims to be both Messiah and Son of God engender open opposition (10:22-39), prompting Jesus to make a strategic retreat to the area where John the Baptist had earlier baptized—a retreat that prompts the reader to recall John’s true witness and that is nevertheless accompanied by growing numbers of people who are placing their faith in Jesus (10:40-42).
Although many include the next unit, John 11:1-12:50, as part of the Book of Signs, there appear to be good reasons for treating these chapters as something of a transition. The account of the death and resurrection of Lazarus (11:1-44) is both a foil and an anticipation of Jesus’ death and resurrection and directly leads to the judicial decision to kill Jesus (11:45-54). In the next section (11:55-12:36), set during the "Jewish Passover” (11:55-57) in anticipation of the death of the true Passover lamb, Mary anoints Jesus in anticipation of his death, thereby displaying sacrificial love for him—the only kind of any value (12:1-11); the triumphal entry announces Jesus’ kingship, but the ominous signs are already present that this kingship will be unlike any other (12:12-19); and the arrival of the Gentiles triggers Jesus’ announcement of the dawning "hour” of his death and exaltation (12:20-36). This transitional unit concludes with a theology of unbelief, that is, theological reflections that reveal the nature and inevitability of unbelief (12:20-36).
The final major unit of the book depicts Jesus’ self-disclosure in his cross and exaltation (John 13:1-20:31). It opens with the last supper (13:1-30), but instead of preserving any report of the institution of Holy Communion, John recalls how Jesus washed his disciples’ feet (13:1-17), an act that simultaneously anticipated the unique cleansing effected by his impending death and left an example for his disciples to emulate. Jesus’ prediction of the betrayal (13:18-30) leaves no doubt that he remains in charge of his own destiny, in submission to his Father’s will. The so-called farewell discourse that follows—partly dialogue and partly monologue—is conveniently broken up into two parts (13:31-14:31 and 15:1-16:33). In some ways, this farewell discourse explains the significance of the last sign—Jesus’ own death and exaltation—before the sign itself takes place and thus becomes a theology of the place of Jesus and his death and glorification in the stream of redemptive history, including the role and function of the promised Paraclete, the Holy Spirit whom Jesus bestows on believers in consequence of his exaltation. There follows the prayer of Jesus (17:1-26), in which Jesus prays for his own glorification (17:1-5), for his disciples (17:6-19), for those who will later believe (17:20-23), and, climactically, for the perfection of all believers so as to see Jesus’ glory (17:24-26). The trial and passion of Jesus follow (18:1-19:42), with particular emphasis on the nature of Jesus’ kingship. The resurrection of Jesus (20:131) includes not only several resurrection appearances but the remarkable saying regarding the gift of the Spirit and the forgiveness of sins (20:19-22) and the equally remarkable confession of Thomas, "My Lord and my God!” (20:28). This large unit ends with a concise statement of the fourth gospel’s purpose (20:30-31).
The epilogue (John 21:1-25) not only ties up several loose ends (e.g., Peter’s restoration to service) but, in symbolic ways, points to the growth of the church and the diversity of gifts and callings within the church. Appropriately, it ends with the greatness of Jesus (21:25).