Rounding of John's Gospel account - some concluding thoughts

 

I've been writing about John's Gospel for nearly month now, and having reached the end and commented on a large proportion of it (I have not covered every single passage), what has struck me the most?

The thing that strikes me most is the sheer amount of controversy in John's gospel.  None of it is tame - particularly to those hearing at the time.  And there are many who are baffled or deeply offended by Jesus' words and actions - offended to the point of crucifying him.

Firstly, there is Jesus' statements about who he is.  Before Abraham was, I AM (John 8:58).  Not only was Jesus declaring himself to be greater than Abraham, but declaring himself to be Yahweh - that is, God.  If not true, then it's hugely blasphemous.  But Jesus shows himself to have the authority of God - he turns water to wine, creates food, calms storms, heals bodies and even raises the dead.  This is what baffled those who did not want to or could not believe he was God - who could he be?  This wasn't just another teacher, another rabbi.  This was God.

Following on from this are Jesus' claims about the way to God.  Jesus says: I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me (John 14:6).   He shows that human rules and regulations, and even the Jewish law given by God, cannot make a person right with God.  And for those who pride themselves in their holiness through their own efforts, this is deeply offensive.  He teaches: “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent...It is the spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all" (John 6:29,63).

And he has controversial things to say about the human heart as well.  Even those who the world regards as the religious leaders do not meet with Jesus' approval.  He reveals humanity as constantly seeking to put ourselves at the centre, wanting the world to be on our terms, serving our desires, and glorifying ourselves and our efforts to achieve holiness (e.g. John 2, John 5, John 6, John 18).

Finally, there's the way that Jesus breaks across all barriers in radical love.  He talks with a Samaritan woman, washes his disciples feet, and clears the temple in anger at the barriers people have put up to worship.  In John with have a balance of theology (in Jesus' teachings about himself and the father, which form the basis for our understanding of the trinity) and action.  Both show us that God is love (1 John 4:8)  And the ultimate act of radical love was dying that brutal death on the cross - for us.

And what about us?  We are safe in him if we follow him.  He promises never to let us go.  He has done it all, and all that is left to remain in that love.

Jesus teaches us many other things, but to use the words of John himself: Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. (John 21:25).