The Gospel according to John Christology

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The Gospel according to JohnChristology
Discipleship

• Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.
• Loyola Institute for Spirituality, Orange, CA
• http//catholic-resources.org

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Major Gospel Themes

• Trinitarian Theology
• Who is God?
• Christology
• Who is Jesus?
• Discipleship
• How do we live?
• Pneumatology
• Role of Holy Spirit?
• Eschatology
• What's in the future?

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Christology in the Four Gospels

• Mark
• Son of God (powerful)
• Son of Man (crucified)
• Matthew
• King (Son of David)
• Teacher (like Moses)
• Luke
• Lord (of ALL nations)
• Savior (esp. the needy)
• John
• Logos/Word (revealer)
• Only-begotten Son (sent from the Father)

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Christology Discipleship Mark

• Powerful Son of God
• Trust have faith be not afraid
• Crucified Son of Man
• Take up your cross and follow me

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Christology Discipleship Matt

• King, like David
• Be loyal subjects obey his commands
• Teacher, like Moses
• Be good students learn put into action

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Christology Discipleship Luke

• Lord of ALL nations
• Welcome strangers/enemies no us/them
• Savior of ALL, esp. the needy
• Help the poor, sick, old, weak, children

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Portrait of Jesus, acc. to John?

• What painting might best capture how Johns
  Gospel portrays Jesus?

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John s Christology

• Titles attributed to Jesus
• Titles already in the Synoptics
• Titles new/unique to John
• How Jesus is portrayed
• His Words / Teachings
• His Works / Signs
• His Passion Resurrection

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Christological Titles in John

• Titles for Jesus also in the Synoptics
• Christ (19x) / Messiah (2x)
• Son of David
• King of the Jews King of Israel
• Son of God
• Son of Man
• Prophet, Savior, Lord, Teacher, etc.
• Titles in the Synoptics, not in John
• Emmanuel only in Matthew

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Christological Titles in John

• Titles for Jesus unique to John
• Logos/Word
• Only-begotten Son
• Lamb of God
• Revealer/Worker
• Sent from the Father
• Paraclete
• Equal to God
• I AM

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The Divine Word / Logos

• Greek Logos
• Word, phrase, sentence, speech
• Reason, communication, thinking/logic
• OT Gods attributes personified
• Face of God
• Hand of God
• Voice of God
• Wisdom of God
• Law/Torah of God
• Word/Speech of God

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The Divine Word / Logos

• Ref. to Jesus only in Johns Prologue
• In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
  with God, and the Word was God. (11)
• And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and
  we have seen his glory, the glory as of a
  father's only-begotten son (monogenes hios),
  full of grace and truth. (114)
• No one has ever seen God. It is God the
  only-begotten Son (monogenes hios), who is close
  to the Father's heart, who has made him known.
  (118)

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The Only-Begotten Son of God

• Greek monogenes hios
• "For God so loved the world that he gave his only
  -begotten Son, so that everyone who believes
  in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
  Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world
  to condemn the world, but in order that the world
  might be saved through him. Those who believe in
  him are not con-demned but those who do not
  believe are condemned already, because they have
  not believed in the name of the only -begotten
  Son of God." (John 316-18)
• "God sent his only -begotten Son into the world
  so that we might live through him." (1 John 49)
• Luke 712 (Nain) 842 (Jairus) 938 (Anon.)
  Heb 1117 (Isaac)

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Other Christological Titles in John

• The Lamb of God
• John 129, 36 (cf. 1 Cor 57 Acts 832 1 Pet
  119)
• The One Sent from the Father
• John 434 536-38 728-29 173-25
• Equal to God
• John 518
• Paraclete
• Implied in John 1416
• I Am (fifty-four times see HO)

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I AM

• Hebrew YHWH Greek EGW EIMI

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I AM in the HB/OT

• Hebrew YHWH Greek EGW EIMI
• Gods Proper Name I Am Who Am
• Pronunciation Yahweh? (not Jehovah)
• Exod 314 God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM.
  And he said, Say this to the people of Israel, I
  AM has sent me to you.
• Exod 62 And God said to Moses, I am the
  LORD.
• Deut 64-5 Hear, O Israel The LORD is our
  God, the LORD alone. You shall love the LORD your
  God with all your heart, and with all your soul,
  and with all your might.
• Deut 3239a See now that I, even I, am he, and
  there is no god beside me
• Most of these are translated EGW EIMI in the
  LXX.

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I AM Sayings in John

• Absolute Emphatic Claims I Am.
• 426
• 620
• 824, 28, 58
• 1319
• 185-8
• Predicate Emphatic Images I Am
• Familiar biblical images
• Bread, Light, Life, etc.

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Passages with Multiple Titles

• 11-18 (Prologue)
• logos God life light, true light
• the Father's only-begotten Son
• 119-36 (John the Baptizer)
• the one whom you dont know the one coming after
  me
• the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
  world
• the one who ranks ahead of me because he was
  before me
• the one on whom you see the Spirit descend and
  remain
• the one who baptizes with Holy Spirit
• the Son of God
• the Lamb of God.

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Passages with Multiple Titles (cont.)

• 138-41 (first two disciples)
• Rabbi (teacher) Messiah (Christ)
• 145 (Philip)
• one about whom Moses and Prophets wrote, Jesus
  son of Joseph from Nazareth
• 149 (Nathanael)
• Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King
  of Israel!

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Passages with Multiple Titles (cont.)

• 47-30 (Samaritan woman)
• a Jew Sir/Master prophet Messiah
• 911-30 (man born blind)
• Jesus prophet from God Son of Man Lord
• 1127 (Martha)
• Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah,
  the Son of God, the one coming into the world.
• 2028 (Thomas)
• My Lord and my God.
• 2031 (Evangelist)
• ... so that you may come to believe that Jesus
  is the Messiah, the Son of God...

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Christology Discipleship John

• Word/Logos Only-Begotten Son
• Revealer Sent-One Equal to God I Am
• Discipleship Enter Relationship
• See and/or hear Jesus words actions
• Come to believe/trust in him
• Become children of God
• Receive eternal life
• Remain/live/abide/dwell in Him
• Have His/Gods Spirit dwelling within
• Love one another as Jesus has loved us
• Bear good fruit, that will last

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Expectations for Disciples in John

• Do what I command you!
• Only commandment in this Gospel Love one
  another as I have loved you
• Repeated in 1334-35 1512, 17
• Also in 1 John 311,14,23 47,11-12,20-21
• Expectations
• Main requirement BELIEVE
• Remain / dwell / live / abide
• Love one another
• Bear fruit

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Disciples within Johns Gospel

• No apostles in John (in 1316 messenger)
• Instead, disciples, brothers/sisters, friends
• First five disciples (119-51 and later refs.)
• Andrew ?? Simon Philip Nathanael
• Jesus often dialogues with them (Q A)
• The Twelve
• Not individually named ref. in 667-71 2024
• The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved (BD)
• From Last Supper to Resurrection (also earlier?)
• Other named anonymous disciples
• (See handout add Nicodemus Joseph of
  Arimathea)

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Named Anonymous Disciples

• Jesus mother (21-12 642 1925-27)
• Judas Iscariot (670-71 124-8 132, 21-30
  182-5)
• Man Born Blind (91-41, esp. v. 28)
• Martha, Mary, Lazarus of Bethany (111-45
  121-8)
• Thomas Didymus/Twin (1116 145 2024-28 212)
• Another Judas (1422)
• Mary of Magdala (1925 201-2 2011-18)
• his mothers sister, Mary the wife of Clopas
  (1925)
• Joseph of Arimathea (1938-42)
• Sons of Zebedee (212)

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Women in the Fourth Gospel

• 21-12 Mother of Jesus at Cana Wedding
• 41-42 Samaritan Woman at the Well
• 111-45 Martha Mary intercede with Jesus for
  their brother Lazarus
• 121-8 Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus
• 1925b-27 Mother of Jesus other Women at Foot
  of Cross (incl. Mary of Clopas)
• 201-2 Mary Magdalene discovers Tomb Empty
• 2011-18 Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
• 81-11 Adulterous Woman not originally in
  John
• Q Which inspires you most as a model of faith?

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