Text and Traditions Exam Notes VCE 2012 GOSPEL OF JOHN

Ego Eimi Statements: These statements reveal significant information about the identity of Jesus. It is generally agreed that this technique is intended as an allusion to gods revelation of his name in Exodus 3.14: I am who I am and that the Johannine Jesus is understood to be claiming for himself the name of God. F. Moloney argues that in the ego eimi statements with a predicate (e.g. I am the way, the truth and the life Ch. 13), Jesus not only announces who he is but what he does.
o I am the bread of life 6:35- Jesus is not describing who he is but what he does; he nourishes with a bread that produces life. Jesus claims that he is perfecting the former gift, the life giving nourishment provided by Torah. Gone are the limitations of chosen people, as Jesus promises that anyone who would come to him will not hunger and that anyone who believes in him will not thirst. No longer will Moses, the manna, Wisdom, or Torah provide sufficient nourishment. Jesus the bread of life, will satisfy the deepest needs of humankind, all hunger and all thirst (Moloney) I am the light of the world 8:12-announes within the context of a feast in which the Temple became the light of Jerusalem. Jesus words comes from the identification of the Torah as the light that was given to the world in Jewish wisdom traditions. He presence of the light calls for decision, as the light of Jesus brings a double possibility. One can remain in darkness or walk in the light of life by following Jesus On the one hand Jesus perfects the liturgy of Tabernacles; on the other his revelation of light brings judgement. The acceptance or refusal of Jesus revelation of the Father is at the heart of every discussion. As well as the link between the light ritual at the celebration of Tabernacles and the use of the light to speak of the Torah it as also possible that there is a reminiscence of the pillar of fire leading the wandering Israelites through the desert. Comes from a wisdom background. I am the good shepherd 10:14 Jesus no longer concerns himself with others who claim to be shepherd but with the relationship he has with his flock and with his Father. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep, and his sheep know him, but behind the mutuality of the Good Shepherd and his sheep lies the fundamental mutuality between the Father and Jesus: as the Father knows Jesus so also does Jesus know the Father. I am the resurrection and the life 11:25- Jesus reveals himself as the resurrection and the life and then points to the essential nature of belief in him as the only way to resurrection and life. This self-revelation of Jesus announces that faith in him brings life both now and hereafter. The believer, even if he or she dies physically, will live spiritually, and the believer who is alive spiritually will never die spiritually. Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and this the believer on this side of death lives in spirit, and the one who believes in him now will live on the other side of physical death. I am the way, the truth and the life Chp.14 I am the true vine and my Father is the vine grower 15:1

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How does the author address the historical and socio-cultural context of the audience? The Gospel of John was written for an audience who needed spiritual and emotional support. The audience of this Gospel seems to have been a group of Jewish Christians, who were in a situation of increasing tension with the Jewish leaders and its synagogue, according to G. Goonsen and M. Tomlinson. They were torn between their Jewish and the Christian community which would have caused their faith in Jesus to be tests. F. Moloney and R. Brown, claim that the audience for this Gospel was the Johannine community who was expelled from the Synagogue. At the time, this community, with its acceptance of Jesus as the Davidic messiah, was the catalyst for the debates that began between the Jews and the Johannine Christians. The author wanted to highlight the issues that the Johannine community was facing which was persecution as a consequence of their faith in Jesus and experiencing a wavering faith in Jesus as the messiah and Son of God. It has been indicated that the division that occurred between the Johannine Christians and the Jewish leaders prompted the writing of the Gospel of John. Debate reigned between these two religious groups because the Jews believed that the acceptance of Jesus as the Davidic Messiah and the development of high Christology, meant that the Johannine Christians were abandoning Jewish monotheism by making a second God, as claimed by R. Brown Led to hostility towards the Jews and a great debate and also rejection for those believers in Jesus who did not make public break from the Synagogue. Socially, there was tension amongst the communities. There was hatred, fear and constant persecution for those who struck out with the faith and belief in Jesus. o The author of this Gospel knew the suffering and doubts the Johannine community had. In writing this text, the author helps strengthen their belief and faith in Jesus as the one sent by God. Conflict with the Jewish= cut off from their Jewish rituals and traditions, Divisions within the Johannine community= o Messiah of Davidic or Mosaic background o How to live as a follower of Jesus Johannine community were experiencing a crisis in faith: o Was Jesus the Son of God divine? o Was he the one sent by the Father? Jesus no longer physically present with them, therefore, they were unable to really understand how to be the children of God, how they were expected to follow in the way and words of Jesus, as he was not there to guide them through their journey of wavering belief and executions. The author was very focused on addressing his community, most of who found themselves in a very hostile situation with the Jewish Synagogue, and who were completely cut off from their Jewish roots. The Johannine Jesus speaks explicitly of his divinity and his pre-existence, openly addressing the concerns of the audience and their ongoing persecution at the hands of the Romans and Jewish religious leaders. In highlighting Jesus pre-existence with the Father throughout the Gospel, by continually describing Jesus relationship with the Father, his divinity through his signs and his teachings; the author is aiming to reassure the Johannine community in a time of political, social and cultural upheaval. Jews= not ethnic group but those who reject Jesus; grappling with Jesus identity References to the hour including the Passion Narrative The hour of Jesus unfolds gradually across the Gospel. For the major part of his ministry it is not yet(2.4, 7.4,30; 8.20). However, though tis first association is with a marriage feast it is eventually associated with the violence. Toward the close of the public ministry, as the threat of Jesus violent end approaches through a lifting up on a cross, the hour of violence has come, and is associated with Jesus glorification.

 Is further explained as the hour through which Jesus must pass in order to return to the

Father and the hour that creates a new family of Jesus.

Refers to Jesus ultimate glorification, the sacrifice for the salvation of the people, resulting

in the glory of God being revealed to the world- the Holy Spirit for guidance to ensure the ongoing presence of God in the lives of the disciples, to become children of God and share in the unity and intimacy Jesus has with the Father, gifted with eternal life.

Dualism and Misunderstanding Misunderstanding is a distinctive feature of the Gospel of John and characterised by the following elements: o Jesus makes a statement which is ambiguous o The listener responds literally or with a question that shows that the higher meaning has been missed o An explanation is provided by Jesus. The misunderstanding provides an opportunity for Jesus teachings to be clarified or themes to be developed. (R. Culpepper) Examples include: o 11:11-15, 11:23-25; 12:32-34; 13:36-38; 14:7-9 o 2:19-21; 3:3-5; 4:10-15; 4:31-34 Dualism is the use of contrasting language and images and is attributed by many scholars to the Hellenistic influence of Gnostic philosophy, which believed in the existence of two worlds: the material world and the spiritual world. These opposing realities were expressed in language: o Light/Darkness o Truth/Falsehood o Flesh/Sprit o Life/Death o Faith/Unbelief o Above/Below This technique is employed to inform the reader of the identity of Jesus as the divine Son of God and the consequences, in this life and beyond, for those who accept or reject Jesus. Testimony and Witness The prologue states: There was a man sent from god, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him (1:6-7) Johns mission was to pave the way for Jesus, to bear witness to the signs of Jesus and ultimately Gods glory, which shines through Jesus actions. Especially in the first century Palestine, in order for something to bear truth, one must have a witness testimony, which gives testament to ones arguments. In this case, John was the one who was the witness to the identity of Jesus, as the Lamb of God, in order to reinforce the fact that Jesus is the one who will reveal the glory of God to the world, who will be the ultimate sacrifice for the people in order for them to receive salvation for their sins and be able to find a place beside the Father in the Kingdom of God.

Chapter 15 Many scholars trace the metaphor of the vine as far as v.8, as the theme of the relationship between the father and the Son becomes dominant in v. 9 The metaphor of the vine and the vinedresser is best understood in light of the everyday reality of vines and vine keeping. Such practices bear upon what Jesus is saying about the Father and himself, and ultimately about discipleship. The Father cares for the fruitful branch on the vine, pruning it so that it will become more fruitful, and he destroys the branch that bears no fruit by separating it from the vine Jesus is the life-giving vine but it is the Father who promotes growth and decides on the destruction of the unfruitful branches. The disciples at the table, listening to the discourse, are fruitful branches, united to the vine and pruned by having heard the word from the Sent One of the Father. Because they have heard and accepted the word of Jesus the pruning process is already in lace. The indication of 13:10 that the disciples were all clean is repeated, but now they are told that this cleanliness comes from the word of Jesus.

 Jesus is the vine, the Father is the vinedresser, and disciples, made clean by the word of

Jesus, can be fruitful branches of the vine

The life-giving bond with the vine must not be taken for granted: it is not enough to be with The metaphor of the vine continues as Jesus clarifies the need for abiding. No branch can

him and to have received his word, they must abide in him and he will abide in them

ever bear fruit if it is separated from the vine, and no disciple will ever bear fruit alone. one another is the supreme act of Jesus love for them. Jesus love for his won, comes into play.

They are to love with a love that is continuous and lifelong, and the measure of their love for The symbol of the self-gift of Jesus in the foot washing and the gift of the morsel, acting out Jesus love is the greatest love of all. Jesus loves without limit, laying down his life for the disciples, despite the fact that they are

still locked in their ignorance, one of them is a betrayer, and another will deny him. Past and present failures will not be held against them. In loving his disciples Jesus is responding to the commands of his Father. They will respond to his love by doing what he commands them: by loving one another as he has loved them. This chapter provides guidance and comfort to communicate the revelations of God. The author addresses the struggle of faith o Jesus life provides the blueprint of how the disciples should live, are called to o Love each other; focusing onto the bringing of others to faith in the knowledge that they too have unity and intimacy with the Father o Reliance on God is available to them V.18o Aligned with the forces of darkness o Faith makes masters and servants equal o Light- effectively extinguishing the darkness when choose to live in the light o Reassuring community of Jesus- addressing questions that they community have about Jesus identity o Mirror effect Jesus with the Father in the beginning the same as the disciples being with Jesus from the beginning. Belief and Unbeliefo V.4 o V.5 o V.7 o V.11 Identity of Jesuso To reject Jesus is to reject God Expectations of Jew; reject the God the Jews say that they believe in o God has sacrificed his son for the salvation of the world o Community is invited to trust and believe in Jesus, as the author claimed Relationship between Jesus and the Father o God speaks through Jesus actions intimacy o Wisdom stretches Socio-cultural historical o V.18- Moloney: world described in three ways. o First century Palestine community experiencing crises in faith; through suffering, faith is true; belief in Jesus is the correct way to worship God o V.5 Law Mosaic Law; covenant given to Moses: between God and the people; people were to observe the Law. As a righteous Jew; live by observing the Law faithfully. o Faith in Jesus is not a betrayal of Jewish beliefs, but the perfection of worship o Advocate in the messenger spirit to continue Jesus words the journey of discipleship Discipleship o It is an escalation of the disciples journey toward their own fullness of faith in Jesus. By telling his disciples to abide in me as I abide in you, Jesus is essentially asking his disciples to understand what being the followers of truth entails.

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Discipleship is such an important theme throughout this chapter as it falls within the second division of Jesus final discourse, according to scholar Raymond Brown; by claiming the disciples as the branches of his vine, Jesus is inviting them to become closer to God and share with Jesus unity with the Father. In this case, the disciples are to bear much fruit, and in terms of discipleship, it is to bring others to belief in God and therefore, be granted the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the children of God. For the Johannine community, this theme aims to reassure and strengthen their wavering faith and to also give them a sense of direction to also enforce the word of Jesus to the world This theme is continually referenced to throughout the Gospel of John. There is a development with the disciples understanding of Jesus and their understanding of the works that Jesus does and what Jesus wants them to do after his death It is an important theme as it conveys the disciples of Jesus journey of faith to complete and utter belief and worship.

Chapter 21 20:30: concludes the Gospel Chp 21- considered to be the epilogue of the Gospel of John V.1-8: daybreak- a new day dawning after the resurrection of Jesus o Half-light; disciples dont recognise him still A struggle to come to authentic faith; move in and out of understanding the significance of his signs, his teachings o Jesus still loves then even with the struggle Reassuring the Johannine community; reminds us of frailty of human beings; recognise his relationship with God. o Children reaffirming how they are the children of God Fishing was the occupation o Cast outto spread words of Jesus to fish to other people o Chp 15 ask and it will be given to you unity with God, work. Jesus directs them, in this case, and they are fruitful o Contrasting responses: Peter; impulsive, passionate in his attachment to Jesus; however, audience sees his human frailty denying Jesus three times Beloved disciple proclaims Jesus identity first on the Beach of the Sea of Tiberias o At the foot of the Christ o Supper physically reclining on Jesus as a consequence of his authentic faith o Is an authentic model of faith Contrasting journeys are held in relief between Peter and the Beloved Disciple V.9o Feeding of the five thousandEucharistic undertone; Eucharist central sacrament in the Christian Church o Third time Jesus appeared to the Disciples after resurrection o Continuing expression of their worship to share in the bread of Christ o Reaffirmation of faith Peter Feed my lambs allowed to gain all this food to sustain the o To bring others to faith o Sustenance through faith in Jesus. Fulfilling what he prophesised o Tend my sheep protect, nurture and care for followers Three fold affirmation love for Jesus= three fold denial of Peter o Feed my sheep- enters Johannine discourse; predicting Peters death as a consequence of his faith in Jesus o Another persons journey is not his concern; reinforcement of work needing to spread life o Misunderstanding gift of eternal life but not actually LIVING FOREVER Expecting the second coming of the Messiah= the Parousia

The Johannine community. Adds to their crisis of faith since Jesus has not come back Reinforcement that author of Gospel is the Beloved Disciple .: the testimony entrained in the pages is true as he was the authentic model of faith o Truthfulness of Gospel cannot be doubted Techniques: o Symbolism: V.5 fish V. 6 cast the net V.15 lambs V.16 sheep Boat v.3, 6 Naked Daybreak Night The net was not torn o Repetition: Fish x7 Cast x2 Love x7 Death x2 Lord x7 Boat x3 Themes: o The identity of Jesus: v.7, v.12, v.14, v.19, v.24 o Belief/Unbelief: v.4, v.12, v.7, v.8, v.24-25, v.15-17 o Discipleship: v.5-children, v.15-17, v.6, v.12, v.3, v.18 Johannine Words/Phrases: o Children o Glorify o Testifying o Lord o Disciple o Beloved Disciple o Very truly (attributed to historical Jesus) Socio-cultural setting: o Fishingoccupation of many in first century Palestine, boats o Lamb, sheep agricultural society and using analogies to relate to audience. Practices that are dependent on it o Breakfast sacramental o Sea of Tiberias o Cana o Galilee o Testimony

Jesus Relationship with the Father Throughout the Gospel of John, the author emphasises the unity and the intimacy that Jesus shares with God. It is a relationship that pre-existed before the creation of the world, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God (1:1) Continually, this Jesus links himself with that of Gods own glory and knowledge, My teaching is not mine but his who sent me (7:16) which is a constant issue for the Jews, as Jesus is claiming he is a part of God, or is God. The father is the authority pertaining to the destiny of Jesus, how his hour has not yet come, connects to this idea that only when God approves of it, is the hour in which Jesus will be able to reveal the glory of God through his death and resurrection, in order to fulfil his mission and be able to go back to sit at the right hand of the Father

 Stop making my Fathers house a marketplace! (2:16)- alluding to the connection between

that of Jesus and God; how he is his fathers son.

Jesus ego eimi statements which aim to reveal his relationship with God, claims his unity

and shared unity with the Father- with the Jews there is an immediate association between Moses and Jesus claiming to be God- accusing Jesus of blasphemy. By the author describing Jesus as the Word, he highlights Jesus relationship with the Father by proclaiming that Jesus is the inner voice, the communication of God to the people. o This shows a deep bond between father and son. Signs It is only in the Gospel of John that Jesus actions to help reveal his identity and his relationship with God are referred to as signs. These signs are miraculous actions, which are a way for Jesus to show his divinity and omniscience to the people, so that they can come to believe. These signs are also used by the author to reassure the Johannine community of Jesus identity and his power, his divinity that would only occur if he was the Son of God and had God on his side. Jesus performs seven signs overall, all a part of the Book of Signs (1:19-12:50). John makes a great contribution by the use of signs which attest to out Lords deity and claims to be Israels Messiah. They are: o Turning water into wine in Cana (2:1-11) Jesus did this as the first of His miraculous signs, in Cana of Galilee. In this way He revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him. ~John 2:11 o Healing an officials son in Capernaum (4:46-54) he went to Him and begged Him to come down and heal his son, who was about to die. So Jesus said to him, Unless you people see signs and wonders you will never believe! Sir, the official said to Him, come down before my child dies. Jesus told him, Go home; your son will live. The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and set off for home. Then the father realized that it was the very time Jesus had said to him, Your son will live, and he himself believed along with his entire household. Jesus did this as His second miraculous sign when He returned from Judea to Galilee. ~John 4:47-54 o Healing an invalid at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem (5:1-18) Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began persecuting Him. So He told them, My Father is working until now, and I too am working. For this reason the Jewish leaders were trying even harder to kill Him, because not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was also calling God His own Father, thus making Himself equal with God. ~John 5:16-18 o Feeding the 5,000 near the Sea of Galilee (6:5-14) Now when the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus performed, they began to say to one another, This is certainly the Prophet who is to come into the world. ~John 6:14 o Walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee (6:16-21) they caught sight of Jesus walking on the lake, approaching the boat, and they were frightened. But He said to them, It is I. Do not be afraid. Then they wanted to take Him into the boat, and immediately the boat came to the land where they had been heading. The next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the lake realized that only one small boat had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded it with His disciples, but that His disciples had gone away alone.So when the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. ~John 6:19-24 o Healing a blind man in Jerusalem (9:1-7) Jesus heard that they had thrown him (the man born blind and now healed) out (of the synagogue), so He found the man and said to him, Do you believe in the Son of Man? The man replied, And who is He, sir, that I may believe in Him? Jesus told him, You have seen Him; He is the one speaking with you. He said, Lord, I believe, and he worshiped Him. Jesus

said, For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight, and the ones who see may become blind.I am the good shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father and I lay down My life for the sheep.Another sharp division took place among the Jewish people because of these words. Many of them were saying, He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind! Why do you listen to him? Others said, These are not the words of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see, can it? ~John 9:35-39; 10:14-15, 19-21 Raising dead Lazarus in Bethany (11:1-45) Jesus replied, Your brother will come back to life again. Martha said, I know that he will come back to life again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live even if He dies, and the one who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this? She replied, Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God who comes into the world.Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of the deceased, replied, Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell, because he has been buried four days. Jesus responded, Didnt I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God? So they took away the stone. Jesus looked upward and said, Father, I thank You that You have listened to Me. I knew that you always listen to Me, but I said this for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that You sent Me. When He had said this, He shouted in a loud voice, Lazarus, come out!

Fulfilment Theme The author of the Gospel of Johns intention was to depict Jesus Christ as the one who fulfils the beliefs, traditions, rituals and practices of the Hebrew Scriptures. Verse 1 of the prologue talks o the Word, hinting at the notion of a pre-existence and importance of the word to the Father. The Word, in this case, refers to Jesus Christ and conveys to the audience that the Word of God is only spoken through Jesus Christ. o Greek meaning logos relates to the belief that Jesus is the inner voice of God, whee his thoughts and beliefs are illustrated through Jesus. Links with creation/ the world. John the Baptists testimony to Jesus as this was he whom I said, he who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me (1:15) is of significance to the Prologue and the Gospel as a whole with the development of the theme of fulfilment of the Old Testament. o Johns testimony alludes to Isaiah, a reference in the Hebrew Scriptures; by the author combining this reference with that of the testament of Jesus identity, it conveys to the audience of the belief that it is only through Jesus, through the Word, that the observance of the beliefs and traditions of the Hebrew scriptures can be perfected. By quoting Isaiah demonstrates the idea of the saviour; the Messiah prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures is finally appearance in the flesh and appearance of Jesus. o Aims to portray Jesus as fulfilling those predictions and subsequently, the themes of the Messiah The constant allusion to the Law and Moses by Jesus alludes to the Mosaic law of the Jewish traditions, the foundation of the Hebrew Scriptures. The author of Johns Gospel deliberately references the Law and Moses, as it is an obvious and powerful way to relate Jesus with the perfection and fulfilment of Jewish tradition and beliefs. o The mosaic law of the Hebrew Scriptures refers to the covenant that the book place on the top of Mt Sinai where, in gaining the gift and promise of Gods love and guidance, the Israelites have to obey the law given to Moses. o The law refers to this covenant and by relating one of the most significant events of the Hebrew Scriptures with Jesus, the author conveys to the audience that only through the promise and bond between Jesus and the Father, can the people obey and observe the faith in fulfilling and satisfying way.

It aims to relate Moses relationship with his God, to Jesus unity and intimacy with his Father; a deliberate attempt to demonstrate that through Jesus, the Hebrew Scriptures can only be fulfilled. By using the Jewish festivals as a framework in order to base the destinations and signs of Jesus, the author is also showing that it is only through Jesus can the ritual observance of these festivals be properly worshipped and perfected. Jesus appearance and teachings in the Temple (2:13-23, 7:14, 28: 8:1, 20) also emphasise to the Johannine community of Jesus identity as the Son of God as he is in the Temple, in Gods house, where the author placed him in order to show that it is only through Jesus where one can communicate with God, praise him and worship him. o Faith and Unbelief Throughout the Gospel of John, the author highlights the different journeys of faith that the main characters are going through. The Jews in this instance does not refer to the actual ethnic group, but those who reject Jesus identity as the Son of God and align themselves to the forces of darkness Mary, the mother of Jesus is an example of a model of authentic faith. She appears twice in the gospel, 2:1-12 and 19:25, and always seems to have an unwavering faith in her son, she never doubts or questions his actions. Even though Jesus disciples fled in result of the persecution and arrest of Jesus, his mother is still with him. Her love for Jesus is unconditional o Has a steadfast belief in Gods plan for her son; knew of his divinity before anyone else. John the Baptist is a model of authentic faith. He appears in the Gospel in; 1:6-7, 1:19-28, 1:29-34, 1:35-36, 3:23-30, and 10:40-42. o He knew of Jesus before he appeared because his mission given by God was to pave the way for the light, to bear witness to the light and give testimony to Jesus as the Lamb of God, as the Son of the Father. o His faith is completely unwavering, believed and therefore helped others to come to belief. o Was literally Jesus first disciple in the way that he understood and fully grasped Jesus identity and the mission set by God for him The Beloved disciple is another example of a model of authentic faith. He is the disciple who is the one who Jesus loves. He came to complete faith, fully grasping Jesus identity and understanding his teachings and his works. His complete faith is usually contrasted with that of Simon Peter. o He is used by the author to show that because of his complete fullness of faith, receives Jesus unconditional love and utter devotion, his ability to recline on Jesus, having that allowance because of his belief in Jesus o Appears in the gospel: 13:23-25, 19:26-27, 20:3-8, 21:7, 21:20-24 Simon Peter is a model of a changing faith. Throughout the Gospel, the author seems to emphasise how Peter is unable to come to complete faith, how he does not fully grasp the identity of Jesus. His belief in continually contrasted with that of the Beloved Disciple. o Simon Peter is most notably known for his three-fold denial of Jesus at the time of his arrest, showing is complete misunderstanding and inability to be unwavering in his belief with Jesus o Struggles to come to authentic faith and shows his humanity. Scholars believe that this idea is used by the author to highlight that Jesus divinity and omniscience will never be fully understood by the human mind, because it is so out of ones ability to comprehend at the basic level of a human being. Titles used when in faith: o Son of God o The Sent One o Messiah o Lord Titles used when in unbelief o Prophet o Rabbi o Teacher

Techniques and Forms Allusion: references to people, places and events of significance in the Hebrew Scriptures and/or direct quotes from the Scriptures. This technique is used by the author of Johns Gospel to reinforce Jesus as the fulfilment of Jewish beliefs and traditions. Consequently, the Johannine community is reassured that Jesus is in fact the Messiah, Son of God. o 1:1,1:17,11:25, 12:15, 13:18(Psalm 41:9) Symbolism: a symbol is an image, action or person that is understood to have a transcendent significance Irony: the basic feature of every irony is a contrast between a reality and an appearance. In Johns Gospel, the reader is placed in a privileged position of understanding the truth of Jesus identity, his words and actions which those within the text often fail to grasp o 1:11, 1:45, 5:39-40, 5:18, 5:45-47, 11:48, 12:41, 13:29 Paradox: a statement containing two ideas that seem to contradict each other. This technique, in Johns gospel, often highlights the failure of individuals or groups to grasp Jesus identity and the true significance of his words and actions o 12:25, 14:2-3, 11:25 Chiasm: ideas which are states and then repeated in reverse order, is a feature of the fourth Gospel; reinforcing a central teaching.
Hymn: The Johannine prologue has the character of a poetic hymn; it contains a staircase

parallelism where a prominent word in one line then appears in the next. The Chiasm, which includes ideas, which are stated and then repeated in, reverse order; is a feature of this form. Scholars argue that it may well have had its origins in the liturgy and worship of the early church. Discourse: the form generally includes double meaning or irony which leads to misunderstanding on the part of the audience. As the dialogue or monologue continues Jesus takes the opportunity to communicate the deeper meaning of his words. Jesus discourse concentrates on Christological and faith issues: who Jesus is as the one sent from the father and what is means to believe in Him as the divine Son. (J. Bailey and L. Vander Broek) Miracle: a miracle story can be classified as either a: Healing Miracle, a Nature Miracle, or an Exorcism. The narrative tells a marvellous breakthrough in the struggle against oppressive restrictions on human life (A. Wire). The signs in Johns Gospel reveal the identity of Jesus and reveal Gods glory to the world. Prayer: this form, in Johns Gospel, affirms the unity and loving intimacy that exists between Jesus and the Father. Jesus knows that all that he asks of the Father will be given an in the same way the disciples are assured that whatever they ask, in Jesus name will be given to them. Narrative: this set passage is presented as a narrative Dialogue: the narrative is interspersed with dialogue between

Socio-cultural setting (terms and phrases) Pharisees: (Aramaic- separated ones) This group saw themselves as separate from the common people and non-pharisaic Jews. A relatively small but highly significant group of strict religious Jews They placed a heavy emphasis on legal and religious purity. They accepted both the oral tradition and the scriptures They believed in the immortality of souls: those who lived righteously would have the power to be revived and live again; those who lived in sin would be condemned for eternity After the destruction of the Temple in 70ce they played the leading role in reconstituting Judaism at Jamnia in 90ce, thus transforming Second Temple Judaism into Rabbinic Judaism. Alms: gifts to the needy. Almsgiving is a common practice in the Bible that recognises Gods blessings and maintains proper community relations. In the Hebrew Scriptures care for the poor is recommended (Isaiah 58:6-8) as just behaviour fulfilled by tithing and the leaving of fallen produce for the poor.