Saint John’s GospelThe Book of Glory and The Epilogue

Freshmen ReligionPeriod F

Mr. Perrotti

Prayer

Psalm 139Please remember the message of John to bring

Christ alive in all of us, our God and Savior.John was one of the closest friends of Jesus, he calls us to create the same type of relationship. Defend him as John did, Praise Him as John did, Love Him as John did, Glorify Him as John did!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IyaS-vy-Hs.com

The Book of Glory

• The Book of Glory (13:1 – 20:31)• John’s version of “The Paschal Mystery” –

Passion, Death and Resurrection• John does not talk about the Ascension of

Christ included in the Acts!• Like other parts of John, he is very selective in

what he includes as he makes the assumption that his readers have read one or all of the Synoptics!

The Three Passion Predictions

• Originally these predictions were found in Mark, John puts his own spin on them!

• John borrows Marks “Lifting up sayings”

– “The Son of Man must be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” - John describes Jesus as “willingly walking to the cross” not being “handed over” as described in the Synoptics

The Three Passion Predictions

• Cont.

– The second instance comes in Jn 8:28. Again the stress is that it is all the Father’s doing. I am doing the will of my Father. John portrays Jesus as having a mission a job to do.

– The third instance comes in Jn 12:32,34. “His will be done” I must return to my Father!

The Last Supper

• John really concentrates on the washing of the feet, which symbolizes the service needed by the Apostles!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItcURbkjXOAThe• service and “Great Commission” are important

to John.• He does not overlook the Consecration, but

Service and Commitment are what he wants us to learn from his version of the Last Supper!

The Agony in the Garden

• John’s version of this event is as portrayed in the Synoptic Gospels.

• But in his version, Jesus gets an answer of confirmation from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

• For John, the death or acclamation of Jesus is a glorious act, which brings glory to God. It is all in the saving plan of God, all at its appointed time.

The Agony in the GardenJohn shows Jesus at his best!

• Unlike the Synoptic Gospel, John portrayed Jesus as Glorified and victorious while in the Garden.

• He quotes Isaiah who predicted this event in approximately 700 BC

• He prays for us, rather then himself. Its John’s perfect expression of Jesus as God!!! Remember his entire reason for writing his Gospel.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX0NCIVTbTQ.com

The Book of Glory – Final Discourse

• A discourse is a speech, homily or instruction• John then devotes almost five chapters to

farewell discourses• Jesus declares his unity with the Father,

promises to send the Paraclete • Paraclete refers to the Holy Spirit!• Describes himself as the "real vine," explains

that he must leave (die) before the Holy Spirit comes, and prays that his followers be one

Final Discourse

• In the New Testament, Chapters 14-17 of the Gospel of John are known as the Farewell Discourse given by Jesus to eleven of his disciples immediately after the conclusion of the Last Supper in Jerusalem, the night before his crucifixion. Judas had already left!

Components or Parts of the Discourse

• Jesus explains to the Apostles that he is going away, and were he is going they cannot follow.– It is here were the Synoptics predict Peter’s Denial– He promises for the first time to send the Holy

Spirit.– He walk’s to the Garden in prays that he may join

his Father in Glory!– At this point he re-emphasizes his commandment

to “Love one another”

Components or Parts of the Discourse

• The next part of the discourse contains the allegory of The Vine – Remember allegory means parable, symbol or

metaphor.– He is the Vine and we (and the Apostles) are the

Branches. Those who believe will grow stronger, those who do not will wither away.

– He simplifies everyone into two groups – those who believe and those who do not – reference to earlier argument in Church.

Final Discourse in the Garden

• In the final part of the discourse Jesus prays for his followers and the coming church.

• This is the longest prayer of Jesus in any of the gospels, and is known as the Farewell Prayer or the High Priestly Prayer.

• The key themes of the prayer are the glorification of the Father and petitions for the unity of the disciples through love.[

• Jesus prays to the Father that his followers "may all be one as we are one" and that "the love with which you love me may be in them, and I in them."

Death of Christ

• John describes the death of Christ as Jesus’s “final act” before he returns to His Father.

• He describes the crucifixion as the incarnated Christ’s greatest act of Glory – Doing my Father’s will –Very different from Mathew, Mark and Luke.

• His return in three days will be in His original state as God.

• John briefly mentions the Ressurection.

Turning Point of John’s Gospel

• When John finished his description of discipleship and begins what he call “The training of the Apostles”

• This occurs from John Chapter 12 thru Chapter 17 or the major portion of the Book of Glory.

• It is important to John to show his friends, the other Apostles learned from Jesus’ words and actions so they could carry out His Mission

John’s Farewell

• I have showed and written these things so that you may believe that Jesus is God, sent to us to save us from sin.

• The last Part of John Book of Glory and it is believed that his disciples helped him finish before he died.

The Epilogue

• Conclusion of John’s Gospel in his final Chapter brings everything together and completes his mission.

• It is believed that this part of the Gospel was inserted later as it was suggested it was written by John’s disciples “whom loved him dearly!

Major Thoughts

• Called the Spiritual of Divine Gospel– because it told the story of Jesus in symbolic ways

that differ sharply at times from the other three. – The “I Am “ statements allow John to use

symbolism different than the Synoptic Gospels who rely on the Parables. There are no parable is John’s Gospel!

– The symbolism of John's gospel while it is probably the most suggestive of any in the New Testament, is also provocative (stimulating)

Major Thoughts

• The language of John's gospel is intentionally antagonistic at times toward Jewish tradition and toward Jewish sensitivities.– the very language and the symbolism that is so

rich within John's gospel also has a decidedly political tone to it in terms of the evolving relationship between Jews and Christians. “You must eat my flesh and drink my blood” – Those words would be offensive to a Jewish person!

Major Thoughts

– Unlike Mathew who tried to connect Jesus to the Jewish heroes and traditions, John does the exact opposite. “There are those who believe and those who do not” John left no middle ground!

– John's gospel is witness to a Christianity that's moving farther and father away from Jewish tradition.

– In fact it's seeing Jewish tradition often as actually hostile to the Christian movement.

Final Meditation