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Gospel of John
John, chapter two: Smashes our institutionalized Worship
Chapter two is powerful, but to see fully what the writer is doing in this chapter we need to go back to chapter one and take note of his style. Paper and ink are expensive when this was written two thousand years ago. One needed to economize their words. Thus the power of what is being said is not only in the message of the words but it is also in the choice, arrangement, recurrence, and weaving of those words. Let me explain:
The writer of this gospel is a master weaver. Notice in chapter one the recurring words “next day”, “Lamb of God”, and “Come and see.” The words “next day”, Τῇ ἐπαύριον in Greek which more literally means “on the tomorrow”, occur three times in John 1:29, 1:35, and 1:43. Thus “next day” establishes the reality of time – Jesus comes in time, he is real, a point in time. The “next day” are the first words in a sentence introducing what happened on that day and marking a unit of events . This is the major thread as they are the first words around which the other recurring words are woven – the “Lamb of God” is John (the Baptist’s) announcement in the first two “next days” of John 1:29 and 1:35. “Come and see” are in the second and third “next day” of John 1:35 and 1:43, with John 1:35 being the connecting link.
Also note the progression! John (the Baptist’s) first “Lamb of God” is spoken in general and not to anyone in specific. The second “Lamb of God” in John 1:35 is spoken specifically to two of his disciples and the “come and see” in that section is also specifically addressed to those same two and by Jesus. On the last “next day” of John 1:43 the “come and see” has progressed. This time not spoken by Jesus but by Philip.
Life and faith are a journey of “next day” after “next day” for Jesus to be established in our real time. It begins with the general announcement of who Jesus is – the Lamb of God. Then announced and heard as a personal statement inviting us to see Jesus as our Lamb of God. As we wonder about this Jesus may we realize his pure invitation, “come and see!” Then when we hear his call to “follow me” we will know we are getting it when in response to people’s resistance to our witness we respond simply, “come and see!”
“In the beginning” is how this gospel begins in a repetition of Genesis 1. In Genesis 2:18-20, the first action of “Adam” and God together is to find a partner for Adam which is done by naming. So in John 1, Jesus’ first action is to name Simon as Cephas, or Peter in Greek (John 1:42) and to greet Nathanael (John 1:47-49 in such a way that Nathanael feels he has been named. The beginning of this gospel is all about the WORD. Jesus is that Word, and the writer weaves us into that Word. Just as in the ordered days of creation so this Word (Jesus) comes to us. God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light (Genesis 1:3).” The light has come (John 1:4-5)! Hear the declaration “Lamb of God” and “Come and see!” This is THE WORD who names us! On him the angels of God ascend and descend (John 1:51)!
Seeing this weaving action is very important to understand the Gospel of John and very much true in order to understand chapter two. Chapter two is not a recording of events in the life of Jesus. This is a gospel! It is the message of Jesus Christ calling us to life! The writer has two events in this chapter side by side – the wedding at Cana of Galilee and the cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem at Passover. Notice the cleansing of the Temple story has no reference to time. Also, though still at the beginning of the gospel, this story of the cleansing of the Temple emphasizes people believing in Jesus, seeing the signes he was doing, and the disciples not understanding until after the resurrection. Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Mt 21, Mk 11, Lk 19) all have the story of the cleansing of the Temple but at the end of Jesus’ ministry in Holy Week.
Thus it may well be Jesus only cleansed the Temple once, at the end of his ministry, the writer of this gospel knows that, and the writer is not intending to state that it happened at the beginning of Jesus ministry. This is a gospel. It is not a memoir. This gospel writer seldom tells the same stories included in the other three gospels. When the writer does include one of the stories in Matthew, Mark and Luke we instantly know this is VERY important and key to Jesus. Thus when the gospel writer not only includes the story of the cleansing of the Temple, but also puts it very early in the gospel – this is even more attention. The point is not when Jesus cleansed the Temple; the writer is not interested in the correct order of events (purposely showing us that right from the start). This is a gospel; it is all about Jesus. The writer is emphasizing in this arrangement that Jesus is the Temple – the new Temple, the new place of worship, the true object of worship.
This heightens the point in chapter one as well. Human beings institutionalize God! We institutionalize the most direct means by which God comes to us and we worship those means rather than God. It is neither the Scriptures (chapter one) nor the Temple (chapter two) that save us, that we ought to worship, that we need to protect and concentrate on and do exactly right and keep holy. It is God who saves, who alone is holy, alone is worthy of worship, and who keeps and protects and saves us!
Chapter 2:1-11 is sign of what Jesus brings and gives us as the Word in action, “Fill the jars with water,” and the Temple Jesus is, “You have kept the good wine until now!”
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
John, chapter one
Gospel of John
John, chapter one: Smashes our institutionalized Bible
All religions and philosophies proclaim they have the truth and their truth is better, more correct, honest and truthful than all others. Christians also fall into this pursuit and definition of truth as information. We then trump others by basing our truth in God’s Word – “God has spoken, we have God’s Word, we know God’s Word, we are moved and directed by God’s Word – listen to us!”
The Gospel of John smashes this nonsense. JESUS is the Word – from the beginning, with God, is God. Note all the words used in chapter one describing Jesus – the Word (1:1), life (1:4), the light (1:5), will of God (1:13), glory of God (1:14), full of grace and truth (1:14), before all (1:15), the Father’s heart (1:18), John not worthy to untie his sandals (1:27), Lamb of God (1:29), Spirit descending and remained on him (1:32), baptizing with the Holy Spirit (1:33), Son of God (1:34), Messiah (1:41), (written in the Law and Prophets (1:45), King of Israel (1:49), and Son of Man (1:51).
All other words and testimonies (written and spoken, holy and human) are NOT the light, but they point to the one who is the truth, the light, the Lamb of God. The Gospel of John begins with the same language of Genesis chapter one and asserts that this “creating” Word became human in Jesus, for Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God (verses 1-13) who alone reveals the heart of God (verses 14- 18), to which all other significant testimony points (verses 19 31), who connects Father and Holy Spirit – God to us (verses 32-34), who invites us to “come and see” (verses 35-46), who announces ever greater things until we see heaven opened and the very angels of God pointing to Jesus (verses 47-51).
The sin in us is not that we are wrong; it is that we are “dead”. Being right gets us nowhere; we are still dead! Yet how we pursue being right! How much effort we devote politically, religiously, theologically, morally, socially – if we are “Christian” – properly institutionalized and belong to the correct political party (and vote right), the correct denomination, with the proper lists of beliefs, right moral judgments, belonging to the right crowd, etc! Doing such is good, nice, okay; but it has nothing to do with Jesus. Even when we base our action in the Bible, even quote it – it has nothing to do with Jesus.
It is helpful for us to understand the term “the Jews” that is frequently used in this gospel (John 1:19; 2:18,20; 3:1; 5:10,15,16,18; 6:41,52; 7:1,11,13,15,35; 8:22,48,52,57; 9:18,22; 10:24,31,33; 11:8,19,31,33,36,45,54; 12:9,11; 13:33; 18:14,20,31,36,38; 19:7,12,14,21,31,38,40; 20:19) as a reference to an institutionalized, acculturated, group that views itself as a unit – the Jews – and as fully representative of the true and pure people of God. In the Gospel of John the term “the Jews” is best read as referring to neither a specific ethnic group nor a specific religious group, but rather to any religious group that identifies itself as the sole people of God and the proper spokes people for God. “The Jews” are anyone and any group that identifies people who do not think, believe, behave, and act like them as not really a Jew or not really one of God’s people.
The gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke and the letters of Paul have been around a while at this point. The writer sees how the early church is regarding those written documents as the Word of God along with the Hebrew Scriptures. However, just as “the Jews” do with the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament), the early Christians are also tempted to read their own interpretation into the letters of Paul and the gospels. Just as Eve did in Genesis 3:3, humans add to God’s Words. The writer of this gospel sees how people are already adding their interpretation to God’s Word and forming Jesus and the “scriptures” written about Jesus into their own image. It is always tempting to declare people must act, accept, believe, behave, worship, practice, and be warned and afraid as the “Word of God” declares (that is according to my interpretation and my additions).
The writer of this gospel includes John’s (the Baptist’s) humble witness in this first chapter (John 1:19-28) as the declaration to us for the attitude, the use of the Bible, and the view towards Jesus that we are to follow. Notice the above understanding of the term “the Jews” is the context in which to understand John’s witness, and that the gospel writer heightens this understanding of “the Jews” by emphasizing the specific groups, “priests and Levites from Jerusalem” (John 1:19) and the Pharisees (John 1:24) who are checking out John the Baptist and to whom he makes his declaration. Secondly, note the content of John’s reply: “Among you stands one whom you do not know … I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals.” Oh that we might develop and hold to such humility! Oh that we admit and boldly declare that among us does stands one who is our Messiah and Savior (Lamb of God), whom we do not know fully, and who is so beyond us that we are not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals!
The Gospel of John means what it states – JESUS IS THE WORD OF GOD. Jesus is the living Word-light-will-grace-truth-heart of God to which John the Baptist and ALL other written and verbal testimony points; who rather than inspired by the Holy Spirit gives the Holy Spirit, invites us to come and see God, and who knows us (rather than being impressed by our knowledge) because Jesus is the one who opens heaven upon whom the angels ascend and descend!
Any institution or person that proclaims a written, defined, correct testimony about God, is institutionalized nonsense. We do not need information, not even information packaged as God’s will, God’s truth, God’s Word, even if it is written. Being wrong is not the problem; we are dead! We need a living, breathing, in the flesh God! Jesus doesn’t give us words. He is THE Word – GOD! Let us humbly give witness to him admitting our unworthiness and pointing to Jesus as the Lamb of God! It is to Jesus that we respond to “come and see” (John 1:39,46), to follow him (1:43), and see greater things than what we have yet understood and claimed (1:50). It is Jesus who is The Word of God!
John, chapter one: Smashes our institutionalized Bible
All religions and philosophies proclaim they have the truth and their truth is better, more correct, honest and truthful than all others. Christians also fall into this pursuit and definition of truth as information. We then trump others by basing our truth in God’s Word – “God has spoken, we have God’s Word, we know God’s Word, we are moved and directed by God’s Word – listen to us!”
The Gospel of John smashes this nonsense. JESUS is the Word – from the beginning, with God, is God. Note all the words used in chapter one describing Jesus – the Word (1:1), life (1:4), the light (1:5), will of God (1:13), glory of God (1:14), full of grace and truth (1:14), before all (1:15), the Father’s heart (1:18), John not worthy to untie his sandals (1:27), Lamb of God (1:29), Spirit descending and remained on him (1:32), baptizing with the Holy Spirit (1:33), Son of God (1:34), Messiah (1:41), (written in the Law and Prophets (1:45), King of Israel (1:49), and Son of Man (1:51).
All other words and testimonies (written and spoken, holy and human) are NOT the light, but they point to the one who is the truth, the light, the Lamb of God. The Gospel of John begins with the same language of Genesis chapter one and asserts that this “creating” Word became human in Jesus, for Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God (verses 1-13) who alone reveals the heart of God (verses 14- 18), to which all other significant testimony points (verses 19 31), who connects Father and Holy Spirit – God to us (verses 32-34), who invites us to “come and see” (verses 35-46), who announces ever greater things until we see heaven opened and the very angels of God pointing to Jesus (verses 47-51).
The sin in us is not that we are wrong; it is that we are “dead”. Being right gets us nowhere; we are still dead! Yet how we pursue being right! How much effort we devote politically, religiously, theologically, morally, socially – if we are “Christian” – properly institutionalized and belong to the correct political party (and vote right), the correct denomination, with the proper lists of beliefs, right moral judgments, belonging to the right crowd, etc! Doing such is good, nice, okay; but it has nothing to do with Jesus. Even when we base our action in the Bible, even quote it – it has nothing to do with Jesus.
It is helpful for us to understand the term “the Jews” that is frequently used in this gospel (John 1:19; 2:18,20; 3:1; 5:10,15,16,18; 6:41,52; 7:1,11,13,15,35; 8:22,48,52,57; 9:18,22; 10:24,31,33; 11:8,19,31,33,36,45,54; 12:9,11; 13:33; 18:14,20,31,36,38; 19:7,12,14,21,31,38,40; 20:19) as a reference to an institutionalized, acculturated, group that views itself as a unit – the Jews – and as fully representative of the true and pure people of God. In the Gospel of John the term “the Jews” is best read as referring to neither a specific ethnic group nor a specific religious group, but rather to any religious group that identifies itself as the sole people of God and the proper spokes people for God. “The Jews” are anyone and any group that identifies people who do not think, believe, behave, and act like them as not really a Jew or not really one of God’s people.
The gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke and the letters of Paul have been around a while at this point. The writer sees how the early church is regarding those written documents as the Word of God along with the Hebrew Scriptures. However, just as “the Jews” do with the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament), the early Christians are also tempted to read their own interpretation into the letters of Paul and the gospels. Just as Eve did in Genesis 3:3, humans add to God’s Words. The writer of this gospel sees how people are already adding their interpretation to God’s Word and forming Jesus and the “scriptures” written about Jesus into their own image. It is always tempting to declare people must act, accept, believe, behave, worship, practice, and be warned and afraid as the “Word of God” declares (that is according to my interpretation and my additions).
The writer of this gospel includes John’s (the Baptist’s) humble witness in this first chapter (John 1:19-28) as the declaration to us for the attitude, the use of the Bible, and the view towards Jesus that we are to follow. Notice the above understanding of the term “the Jews” is the context in which to understand John’s witness, and that the gospel writer heightens this understanding of “the Jews” by emphasizing the specific groups, “priests and Levites from Jerusalem” (John 1:19) and the Pharisees (John 1:24) who are checking out John the Baptist and to whom he makes his declaration. Secondly, note the content of John’s reply: “Among you stands one whom you do not know … I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals.” Oh that we might develop and hold to such humility! Oh that we admit and boldly declare that among us does stands one who is our Messiah and Savior (Lamb of God), whom we do not know fully, and who is so beyond us that we are not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals!
The Gospel of John means what it states – JESUS IS THE WORD OF GOD. Jesus is the living Word-light-will-grace-truth-heart of God to which John the Baptist and ALL other written and verbal testimony points; who rather than inspired by the Holy Spirit gives the Holy Spirit, invites us to come and see God, and who knows us (rather than being impressed by our knowledge) because Jesus is the one who opens heaven upon whom the angels ascend and descend!
Any institution or person that proclaims a written, defined, correct testimony about God, is institutionalized nonsense. We do not need information, not even information packaged as God’s will, God’s truth, God’s Word, even if it is written. Being wrong is not the problem; we are dead! We need a living, breathing, in the flesh God! Jesus doesn’t give us words. He is THE Word – GOD! Let us humbly give witness to him admitting our unworthiness and pointing to Jesus as the Lamb of God! It is to Jesus that we respond to “come and see” (John 1:39,46), to follow him (1:43), and see greater things than what we have yet understood and claimed (1:50). It is Jesus who is The Word of God!
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