John's focus in John 18-21

koot van wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD)

Kyungpook National University

Sangju Campus

South Korea

Conjoint lecturer of Avondale College

Australia

30 May 2010

The gospel of John was written no different than the other gospels. There are not surprises or gnostic influence or Greek deviations in the book. There is no kerugmatic angle that is different. The analysis of Rudolf Bultmann et al can be flushed down the toilet. It is all attempts to sound scientific and rewrite the gospels with neo-orthodox jargon riding the crest of a hermeneutics of suspicion with reason in the throne of the heart and faith cast out.

The "in the beginning was the Word" descriptions of chapter one is no Logos borrowing from neo-Platonism or any of these similar theories proposed by the Germans in the past. The role of the Word in creation is embedded in the description of the account of Creation by Moses in 1460 BCE in Midian: God spoke and it was. He created by His Word. His Word is revelation to all the prophets since "the Word of the Lord came to me". The Word is spoken by someone to someone. Since it is God's Word, therefore the Word is associated with God from the beginning. John is just more grown into the Old Testament truth when he started to write his gospel. He knows the Old Testament better and the corners of his descriptions reveals this deeper understanding. It is the same with the book of Revelation and the Old Testament. There is no new idea but embedded thoughts are given explicit character in Revelation that was already somewhere in the Old Testament implicit.

Our focus here is the  gospel of John chapters 18-21. From the footwashing in chapter 13, John focussed in chapter 14 on Jesus and His Father, Jesus, in chapter 15 on Jesus and the Spirit, Jesus, and in chapter 16 on Jesus and the Spirit, Jesus and in chapter 17 in the prayer for glorification (17:1), sanctification (17:11) and justification (17:25).

Then comes chapters 18-21.

John focused in these last chapters on persons. If one takes the hand and see the divisions of the lids of each finger, one can start with the thumb writing down all the people that John has focused on until the end in chapter 21. 

Thumb

Judas

Caiaphas

Point finger

Peter I

Caiaphas

Peter II

Middle finger

Pilate

Women

Soldier

Next finger

Joseph of Armithea

Mary Magdalene

disciples

Smallest finger

Thomas

John

Peter

Smallest finger

The three characters that John discussed in chapters 20:20-21:25 deals with three legitimacy questions.

a. legitimacy of Jesus (Thomas)

b. legitimacy of the beloved disciple (John)

c. legitimacy of Peter's love

Next finger

The three persons focussed on here is the a classification between outsiders and insiders. Joseph of Armithea and Mary Magdalene are two outsiders that were very kind to Jesus. The disciples are insiders and in contrast are their reactions.

Middle finger

Here the oscillation is between power and the weak. When Roman power was at work against Jesus, the men ran away and it was the woman who approached Jesus on the cross. Except John since Jesus said to John, "there is your mother". Pilate and the soldier piercing Jesus are presented.

Point finger

Here the polar situation is the reaction of the historical covenant high priest and the personal selected disciple both in denial of Jesus the Messiah. Caiaphas was supposed to be representing the function of Jesus on our behalf in a covenant relationship that God had with His people but He denied Jesus. Peter was trained in the University of Jesus for three and a half years but failed when the examination came.

Thumb finger

Here we have Judas who betrayed Jesus and Caiaphas the high priest who denied the historical Jesus.