John's Gospel

John's Gospel

1. I am sayings

   • 'I am the bread of life'
     • Moses Polemic - Jesus showing he is the Messiah. Jesus bread lasts fills spiritually and physically. Moses' bread only lasted a day.
   • 'I am the light of the world'
     • He carries the way through sin and darkness.
   • 'I am the Good Shepherd/ Gate'
     • He will protect those who follow him. He will let them enter into the Kingdom of God aka heaven.
   • ' I am the True Vine'
     • Those who follow him and believe in him will bear fruit.

2. Miracle/ Signs

   • Feeding of the 5000
   • Raising of Lazarus
   • Water into Wine
   • Healing of the Official Son
   • Healing at the Pool of Siloam
   • Healing of the paralysed man
   • Walking on Water

3. Key Groups

   • Sadducees
     • Interacted with Romans, Political Leaders from connection with Romans
     • Small Wealthy influential group, Didn't want change
     • Didn't believe God had a purpose behind past events
     • Didn't believe in: the Resurrection, Rewards/ Punishments after death, Angels/ Demons, and the Final Judgement. Pharisees believed in all of this.
   • Zealots
     • Smallest Group
     • Believed they had no master but Romans had to be defeated - Judas was a leader led revolt in AD 6. SImon was a Zealot
     • Agreed with Pharisees but believed in Liberty
     • Called Dagger men = violent revolutionary group hid daggers in clothes
   • Pharisees
     • Had nothing to do with Romans, clashed with Sadducees.
     • 6000 People
     • Strict + Popular, well respected, claimed divine authority, had lots of rules and regulations to keep the Law. Found in each town
     • Believed God was only concerned with Law not interested in Jesus' ministry, He denounced them hypocrites as only kept their own laws
   • Essenes
     • Believed they were the only ones faithful to God's convent
     • Preserved O.T. writings in jars in caves Monastic Group, Dead Sea Qumran
     • Awaited the Holy War - God and Evil, believed they were to participate
     • Convinced the prophecies were being fulfilled in their day
     • Waited for God to defeat enemies like the Romans, and believed they were sent as God's chosen people
     • Would take over and put worship of God right in the Temple - KEEPERS OF THE TRUTH

4. Purpose

   • Theological interpretation
   • To record Christological truths of Jesus' identity
   • Jesus as perfect passover lamb
   • Jesus' divinity revealed from the beginning
   • Readership = Greek and Jewish
   • Purpose = Refuting Heresies, historical, evangelistic, Christological, encouragement of persecuted believers
   • Identity revealed
   • Evangelists highlight salvation Jesus will bestow = Cleansing of the Temple, Healing at the Pool, Confessing the Messiah, Feeding of the 5000, Triumphal entry
   • Jesus references to unique + intimate relationship with God, and unique task given to him by God
   • Evangelistis refers to 'life' as eternal life = comes from believing in Christ
   • J.A.T. Robinson = ' the Fourth Gospel is designed to serve as an evangelistic tool aimed at converting Hellenistic Jews to Jesus Messiah.'
   • Author Selected events
   • Fesser = 'Fourth Gospel is 'biographically unreliable.'