John concludes his narrative by pointing to himself. He identifies the writer of the fourth Gospel narrative as the man who leaned upon Jesus’ breast the night before he was crucified (John 21:20, 24). It was he, the disciple whom Jesus loved, singled out from all others in that manner, who asked the Lord who would betray him. Peter asked him specifically to inquire of the Lord about the identity of the betrayer, precisely because he was not one of the Twelve, because Jesus said it would be one of the Twelve who would betray him. As Jesus and Peter walked together, the disciple whom Jesus loved followed at a distance, and Peter inquired of Jesus what would become of him (John 21:21). Nevertheless, Peter was told only what would become of himself, no one else (John 21:18). Jesus wanted to heal Peter’s depressed and broken spirit, not merely satisfy his curiosity (John 21:22). Read the rest of this entry »
To dine with Jesus is to be forgiven by him. However, although knowing one is forgiven for past disloyalty and indiscretions is a good thing, and understanding such a thing goes a long way to restoring a relationship, nevertheless, healing the breach in a relationship isn’t complete until the offending party is confident enough that it won’t occur again. What if I screw things up again, will that end it? Will you ever grow tired of forgiving me or of my inadequacy? Will this be the final time you forgive me? Will I ever be able to please you well enough that we could walk together without my remembering how inadequate I am to serve you? Forgiveness can only take one so far in healing a relationship. There is more to healing a broken spirit than knowing one is forgiven by the offended party. Judas didn’t make it, but Peter and the other disciples would. Read the rest of this entry »
In the night before his crucifixion and as they walked from the upper room to the Mount of Olives, Jesus told his disciples that, after he was risen, he would go before them into Galilee (Matthew 26:30-32). After Jesus rose from the dead, the angels told the women who had come to the sepulcher that Jesus had risen and to remind his disciples of what he had told them, concerning meeting them in Galilee (Matthew 28:5-7, cp verse-10). This was the only scheduled meeting of Jesus with his disciples after his resurrection that is revealed in the Gospel narratives (cp. Mark 14:26-28). All others were extemporaneous. Moreover, both the time and the place of that meeting were also revealed (Matthew 28:16). All post resurrection appearances were done with one (John 20:14) two (Luke 24:13-16), perhaps five or six (Matthew 28:9), eleven or maybe also with others (Mark 16:14; cp. Luke 24:33-36). However, if folks knew of a scheduled meeting was to occur, certainly many more would be present even from among the unbelievers, and Paul mentions that meeting (1Corinthians 15:6). Read the rest of this entry »
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One might presume that the great sorrow and despair of the crucifixion, which was wiped away in the resurrection of Jesus settled all matters, so let’s get on with preaching the Gospel, the great commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Well, “not so fast” seems to be the reply we are given in the final chapter of John. There were real matters of confidence and worthiness that had to be addressed. Consider Peter’s shock, when he realized he had actually done what Jesus said he would do in denying even knowing him. How is it that Peter could simply leave that behind with “onward Christian soldiers” as his battle cry? While the hymn may inspire some of us to preach the Gospel (probably not), but such a thing was far from Peter’s mind and heart. Read the rest of this entry »
We are told that after eight days, Jesus once again appeared to the Twelve (John 20:26). Most scholars believe this means eight days after the resurrection, which places his visit on the following Sunday. But, this isn’t true! The Passover was an eight-day festival commemorating the Jews’ coming out of bondage. Jesus, the Passover Lamb, was crucified on the first day of that festival, so the eighth day would have been Wednesday, eight days after Jesus was crucified. Leaven, a type of sin, had to be removed from each home on the first day, but as circumstance would have it, men really aren’t that good at being perfectly obedient. Read the rest of this entry »
We notice, as we continue reading, that Thomas wasn’t with the other eleven (cp. Mark 16:14; Luke 24:9, 23), when Jesus appeared to his disciples on the day of his resurrection (John 20:24). In other words, Judas had not yet hung himself (cp. Matthew 27:5), and he was with the other ten Apostles on the first day of the week, when Jesus appeared to them. We don’t know for certain why Thomas wasn’t there with the eleven, but we can surmise. John’s Gospel record is the only narrative that mentions Thomas other than numbering him as one of the Twelve (cp. Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15). Just before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, John tells us that, Jesus was warned not to enter Judea, because the Jewish authorities sought his life (John 11:7-8), but Thomas, called Didymus, said: “Let us go, that we may die with him!” (John 11:16). He is mentioned once more after finishing their last meal with Jesus, and Thomas said: “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5). Read the rest of this entry »
Later, toward evening on the day of the resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples in the upper room, despite the fact that the doors were locked for fear of reprisals from the Jewish authorities (John 20:19). Jesus simply stood in their midst, and announced his presence by saying, “Peace be to you!” Why would that be the greeting he used for his disciples? Was it simply: ‘Shalom!’ as is used by so many Jews even today? I don’t believe so. Peace for the Jews takes in a wide variety of good will wishes. It could mean any one or all of the following: good health (Luke 8:48), freedom from evil intent and danger (Luke 11:21), from family and social discord (Luke 12:51), and even national security (Luke 14:32). However, while all these things are very desirable blessings, what Jesus had in mind entailed much more. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the most surprising and interesting things about my study of chapter 20 of John’s narrative concerns what I learned in the account of the resurrection of Jesus, and, we need to keep in mind that Jesus is the Beginning of the new creation (Colossians 1:18; Revelation 3:14), vis-à-vis not that Jesus has a beginning, but that he is the Beginning or Leader/King of the new creation. We need to compare this creation with the first one! What I find interesting is this: he used women to witness to men (Jeremiah 31:32). In the beginning of the first creation, Adam spoke with God first, and he taught the woman what the Lord said. However, his witness proved to be a false witness, because he lied to her about touching the tree (Genesis 3:3). Nevertheless, in the new creation women were used to witness to men, and they proved to be accurate witnesses, but they weren’t believed! Read the rest of this entry »
Many modern believers have sought to compile a harmony of the day of the resurrection, Jesus’ appearances, the women who came to the tomb, and where and about what time of day these things occurred. For example, it is implied that Matthew’s women told the disciples of Jesus’ resurrection, for not only had the angels told them, but Jesus appeared to them on their way (Matthew 28:5-11). Luke names some of the women, and definitely says they told the disciples, but no one believed them (Luke 24:4-11). However, Mark’s women, except for Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9-11), said nothing to no one (Mark 16:4-8). How do we account for such discrepancies?[1] When and where did Jesus appear to the women, and when was it that he appeared to the disciples? Who was there and who was not? Read the rest of this entry »
In John 19:38 we are introduced to a man named Joseph. He was from Arimathaea, which some conclude was ancient Ramah in Ephraim, the birthplace of Samuel (1Samuel 1:1, 21). Joseph was a disciple of the Lord, but a secret one, because he feared the Jewish authorities, namely, the Pharisees, would cast him out of the synagogues (cp. John 12:41-43), if his relationship to Jesus had become known.[1] To be cast out of the synagogues probably meant that one was cast out of Jewish society in general, and therefore excommunicated. So, by coming to Pilate and asking for Jesus’ body to bury, Joseph put himself at risk, in that he was a respected ruler, who had gone public in identifying himself with Jesus, whom the council had judged to be a criminal and a blasphemer. Read the rest of this entry »
Moses mentioned in the Law, “If a person commits a sin punishable by death and is executed, and you hang the corpse on a tree, his body must not remain all night on the tree; instead, you must make certain you bury him that same day, for the one who is left exposed on a tree is cursed by God. You must not defile your land, which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance” (Deuteronomy 21:22-23). Here in John the Jewish authorities had come to Pilate, requesting that those who had been crucified would have their legs broken to hasten their deaths, and that they should be taken down and buried before the Sabbath (John 19:31). Read the rest of this entry »
John doesn’t mention several events that occurred that day, which are recorded in the Synoptics. The fourth Gospel was probably the last narrative written about Jesus, so John would have known what was recorded in the other Gospel narratives. Therefore, what we find in this Gospel reflect the thoughts and choices John made to compile his witness of Jesus’ life. John is very different from the Synoptics, in that many events here are not recorded there, and vice versa. For example, John doesn’t speak of the darkness that covered the land, but he is the only writer who records the presence of Jesus’ mother and what Jesus did to care for her in his absence. Moreover, he doesn’t record the earthquake that caused the veil of the Temple to be torn from top to bottom, but he does record the words he said, when he cried out aloud. He made choices both to leave out what was already recorded, unless what was said elsewhere was absolutely essential to what he wanted to say in his own account, and he made choices to add what he knew occurred that the Synoptics left out. Read the rest of this entry »
There, at Golgotha, Pilate’s soldiers crucified Jesus with two other men, one on either side of him (John 19:18). The other men were robbers (G3027), according to Matthew and Mark (Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27), and malefactors or criminals (G2557), according to Luke (Luke 23:32). Thus, fulfilling the Scripture: he was numbered with the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12; cp. Mark 15:28). The accusation, which Pilate had written down to be nailed above Jesus’ head was: “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews” (John 19:19). Each of the Synoptics phrase the accusation slightly differently: This is Jesus King of the Jews (Matthew 27:37), King of the Jews (Mark 15:26), and This is the King of the Jews (Luke 23:38. Read the rest of this entry »
One might ask, what has the Garden of Eden to do with the crucifixion? ‘A great deal’ would be my reply, for it is here that the Messiah was first promised, and it is here that the crucifixion became necessary. Moreover, the geography of Genesis 2 and 3 become important to locate the actual site of the crucifixion! How so? The Tabernacle and later the Temple of God was modeled after what the scriptures tell us about the Garden and Eden itself. Read the rest of this entry »
We are told in the fourth Gospel narrative that Pilate turned Jesus over to his soldiers to be crucified, and they led him away (John 19:16). Some scholars tell us that both Matthew and Mark record a scourging just before Jesus was led away to be crucified (Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15), but a closer look at what is said in the Synoptics seem to refute that idea. In other words, Jesus had one scourging and that was to gain popular pity for Jesus, not to torture him. Nevertheless, Pilate was unable to gain enough pity for Jesus that would allow the governor to release him. Nevertheless, Matthew and Mark does tell us that Pilate had Jesus scourged before he delivered him over to be crucified. What shall we say of this? I believe the text is telling us that Jesus received double punishment at Pilate’s hand—a scourging with the intention of releasing him, and a verdict of guilty to the charge of his being the Son of God, which was the accusation that got him crucified. Read the rest of this entry »
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