JOHN!

THE EAGLE FLIES HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER BIRD, AND IS SAID TO BE THE ONLY LIVING CREATURE  WHICH CAN LOOK DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN AND NOT BE DAZZLED BY IT. THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES, THE CHURCH HAS USED THE EAGLE AS A SYMBOL FOR THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST.JOHN. THE CHOICE IS APPROPRIATE, FOR ST JOHN'S GOSPEL. FOR IT SOARS AT SUBLIME HEIGHTS. JOHN FOLLOWS DIFFERENT CHRONOLOGICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL PATTERNS THAN THE FIRST THREE GOSPELS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS (MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE) REFER TO JESUS ATTENDING ONLY ONE PASSOVER. JOHN REFERS TO THREE PASSOVER OBSERVANCES; COMPARE MARK 14:1, 12, 14, 16, WITH JOHN 2:13,23;6:4; 11:55; 12:1; 13:1; IS JOHN TALKING ABOUT THREE DIFFERENT PASSOVER OBSERVANCES; OR IS HE MERELY TALKING ABOUT THE PASSOVER INSTITUTION?  VARIOUS ANSWERS ARE SUGGESTED, AND ARE USED TO SUPPORT THEORIES ABOUT THE LENGTH OF JESUS MINISTRY.  AS THE GOSPEL BEGINS JESUS IS SOMEWHERE NEAR WHERE JOHN THE BAPTIST IS WORKING, PRESUMABLY JUST NORTH OF THE DEAD SEA, JESUS GOES BACK TO GALILEE  AND AND WORKS IN CANA AND CAPERNAUM AND THEN TO JERUSALEM.  THERE IS NO "MESSIANIC SECRET," JESUS DEITY'  IS DECLARED FROM THE OUTSET. A SERIES OF TITLES IS ASCRIBED TO HIM IN JOHN'S FIRST CHAPTER, CULMINATING  IN A REFERENCE TO HIM REPLACING THE FOUNDATION STONE IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES OF THE JERUSALEM TEMPLE. AFTER HIS RESURRECTION, THOMAS ADDRESSES HIM  AS LORD AND GOD.IN JOHN 1:48, JESUS ALLUDES TO NATHANAEL SITTING UNDER A FIG TREE, AN ILLUSION TO CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO PREVAIL WHEN THE "MESSIANIC AGED"  BROKE IN, MICAH 4:4; 1 KINGS 4:25. THOUGH THE MESSIANIC AGE BROKEN IN WITH JESUS, THE NATURE OF HIS KINGSHIP WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HIS PEOPLE WERE
EXPECTING, FOR HE ASSUMED THE ROLE OF SERVANT.  JESUS REVEALS HIS GLORY TO THE WORLD. JOHN SHOWS THAT HIS GOSPEL INCORPORATES TRADITIONS OLDER THAN THOSE FOUNDED IN THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS. OTHERS ARGUE JOHN MOVES FROM THEME TO THEME WITH A GRAND INDIFFICANCE TO THOSE FINER POINTS OF CHRONOLOGY WHICH EXERCISE THE MINDS OF CONTEMPORARY WESTERN HISTORIANS. THEY ARGUE THAT HE INTENDED HIS GOSPEL TO BE A SERIES OF SERMONS ABOUT TRUTHS JESUS TAUGHT., RATHER THAN A BIOGRAPHY. AT TIMES IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINES WHERE JESUS FINISHES SPEAKING, AND WHERE THE EVANGELIST ADDS HIS OWN WORDS: TO ILLUSTRATE WHERE SHOULD QUOTATION MARKS BE PLACED 3 :13-16?  JESUS IDENTITY IN MARK CHS. 1-8 JESUS DOES NOT SPELL OUT IN WORDS WHO HE IS, AND DISCOURAGES ANY REFERENCE TO HIS   MESSIAHSHIP  UNTIL HIS ACTIONS HAVE DEMONSTRATED WHAT KIND OF MESSIAH
HE HAS COME TO BE BE. ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE GOSPEL, HE ASKS WHO THE CROWDS THINKS HE IS, MARK 8:27-30. JOHN APPROACHES THE QUESTION OF, JESUS IDENTITY QUITE DIFFERENTLY. FROM THE VERY OUTSET. HE DECLARES WHO JESUS IS, AND WHY HE HAS COME.. IN DOING SO, JOHN DRAWS HEAVILY ON OLD TESTAMENT AN INTERTESTAMENTAL CONCEPTS. JOHN APPROACHES THE QUESTION OF JESUS IDENTITY QUITE DIFFERENTLY. FROM THE VERY OUTSET, HE DECLARES WHO JESUS IS, AND WHY HE HAS COME. THE EXPRESSION "IN THE BEGINNING..." (1:1)  HARKS BACK TO GENESIS (SOME INTERPRETERS DETECTS HINTS OF A SEVEN DAY SCHEME. JOHN DESIRES IS TO DECLARE THAT JESUS LIFE AND MISSION BROUGHT A NEW BEGINNING TO THE CREATION/ HUMAN RACE. THE TERM "WORD" WAS WIDELY USED IN PHILOSOPHICAL DISCUSSION IN JOHN'S WORLD. THE PAGAN WORLD THOUGHT OF "WORD" (LOGOS) AS THE CONTROLLING POWER THAT PERMEATED THE CREATIVE ORDER, AND URGED HUMANITY TO DISCOVER WHAT IT IS AND TO LIVE IN HARMONY WITH IT; TRANQUILITY AN ORDER WOULD RESULT. THE JEWS TALKED ABOUT WISDOM AS THE DIVINE BLUEPRINT IN CREATION AND LIFE WISDOM WAS THE FIRST THING GOD CREATED, AND AFTER IT CAME INTO EXISTENCE IT ADVISED GOD ABOUT ALL SUBSEQUENT CREATIVE ACTS. EVENTUALLY WISDOM WAS THOUGHT OF AS A 'PERSON." THE OLD TESTAMENT
 UNDERSTANDS "THE WORD OF GOD" AS GOD'S REVELATION OF HIMSELF, WHETHER IN CREATION, IN DEEDS OF POWER AND GRACE, OR IN PROPHECY. JOHN CALLS CHRIST "THE WORD," HE REVEALS AND IS THE DIVINE WISDOM, PLAN AND BLUEPRINT. HE IS GOD INCARNATE, COME-IN-THE-FLESH.  HE IS GOD'S ULTIMATE OF HIMSELF. THROUGH INVOLVEMENT IN ISRAEL'S HISTORY AND THE WORD'S OF THE PROPHETS, HE NOW REVEALS HIMSELF IN A PERSON. WHEN JESUS IS  SUBSTITUTED
FOR "WORD" JOHN'S MESSAGE BECOMES CLEAR. ALTHOUGH JOHN MAKES NO MENTION OF THE FALL INTO SIN (GENESIS 3), HE USES TERMS LIKE "DARKNESS AND "LIGHT" TO DECLARE THAT FALLEN HUMANITY LOVES DARKNESS OF IGNORANCE AND SIN RATHER THEN THE LIGHT OF GOD'S SAVING TRUTH 3:19,20.  TERMS USED IN GENESIS 1 TO REFER TO THE PHYSICAL CREATION ARE USED TO DESCRIBE SPIRITUAL PROCESSES. THOUGH THE WORLD PUT THE SON OF GOD TO DEATH, IT WAS NOT ABLE TO SNUFF OUT THE LIGHT THAT HE BROUGHT. CHRIST'S LIGHT SHINES MORE BRIGHTLY, AND THE WORD RINGS OUT MORE CLEARLY. DARKNESS IMPLIES THOSE WAYS OF THINKING, ACTING AND SPEAKING  THAT ARE NOT IN KEEPING WITH THE "LIGHT' GOD HAS REVEALED IN CHRIST. DARKNESS" DESCRIBES CONDITIONS WHERE GOD IS ABSENT, AND "LIGHT" THE OPPOSITE, ALSO LOOK AT EPHESIANS 5:1-14. JOHN STATES THAT THOSE WHO COME TO FAITH IN JESUS UNDERGO A NEW BIRTH. THIS IS NOT A SECOND PHYSICAL BIRTH, BUT BEING BORN INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD. THIS BIRTH TAKES PLACE THROUGH THE WILL OF GOD WHEN HE, IN GRACE AND THROUGH HIS SON GATHERS PEOPLE BACK INTO HIS DIVINE FAMILY AND TEACHES THEM TO WALK AS HIS BELOVED CHILDREN ONCE AGAIN. TRAGICALLY, WHEN CHRIST CAME TO HIS OWN CREATION, IT DID NOT RECOGNIZE HIM. THOSE CLAIMING TO BE THE PEOPLE OF GOD REFUSE TO WELCOME HIM, EVEN SO, SOME DID COME TO FAITH AND MEMBERSHIP IN THE ETERNAL FAMILY. JESUS THE ETERNAL WORD, DID NOT ARRIVE UNANNOUNCED. JOHN THE BAPTIST HERALDED HIS COMING. JOHN INSISTED THAT HIS OWN ROLE WAS MERELY TO PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE GREAT FINAL EXODUS (RESCUE) THAT WAS SOON TO TAKE PLACE. THE EVANGELIST LOCATES JOHN'S MINISTRY ON THE EAST BANK OF THE JORDAN, INDICATING THAT HE CALLED HIS JEWISH HEARERS OUT OF THE LAND, AND MADE IT NECESSARY FOR THEM TO ENTER IT AGAIN THROUGH A WATER-CROSSING. O.T. EXILE-PARTING THE RED SEA. "AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US, "DWELT" LITERALLY MEANS "TENTED" OR "TABERNACLED."  JOHN DECLARES THAT GOD NOW DWELLS AMONG HIS PEOPLE, NOT INVISIBLY IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES WHICH ONLY THE HIGH PRIEST COULD ENTER ONE DAY EACH YEAR, BUT IN THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST. BECOMES  THE INVISIBLE GOD BECOMES VISIBLE IN THE DIVINE-HUMAN WORD. JOHN 1:29-51 CONTAINS A SERIES OF TITLES WHICH STATE WHO JESUS IS, AN DEFINE HIS MISSION. THESE ARE: "LAMB OF GOD," RABBI (TEACHER), "MESSIAH," "SON OF GOD, KING OF ISRAEL," "SON OF MAN," FURTHERMORE, JESUS SAYS TO NATHANAEL, " BEFORE PHILIP CALLED YOU, WHEN YOU WERE UNDER THE FIG TREE, I SAW YOU,  DURING  THE PREVIOUS CENTURIES  THE HOPE WAS THAT WHEN THE MESSIAH CAME, PEOPLE WOULD EXPERIENCE THE SECURITY AND PLENTY OF SITTING UNDER A PERSONAL VINE AND FIG TREE. JESUS STATEMENT IN 1:51 IS PUZZLING: " TRULY, TRULY, I SAY TO YOU, YOU WILL SEE HEAVEN OPENED, AND THE ANGELS OF GOD ASCENDING AND DESCENDING UPON THE SON OF MAN." THE HOLY OF HOLIES IN THE POST EXILIC AND HEROD'S TEMPLES WAS EMPTY, APART FROM A LOW, FLAT STONE BUILT INTO THE FLOOR AT ITS CENTER. THE STONE WAS CALLED "THE FOUNDATION STONE".
IT WAS ABOUT EIGHTEEN INCHES SQUARE, AND THREE FINGERS BREADTH HIGH. JEWISH TRADITION HELD THAT JACOB SLEPT ON THIS STONE WHEN HE SAW A LADDER REACHING UP TO HEAVEN, WITH ANGELS ASCENDING AND DESCENDING ON IT, GENESIS 28. IN JESUS DAY THE RABBIS ASCRIBED NUMEROUS FUNCTIONS TO IT. IT WAS THE POINT FROM WHICH THE WORLD GREW IN THE INITIAL CREATIVE PROCESS, THE "NAVEL OF THE EARTH." IT WAS THE POINT OF CONTACT BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH, BETWEEN GOD AND HUMANITY. IT HELD THE SUBTERRANEAN WATERS IN CHECK. IT WAS ALSO THE PLACE WHERE, ON THE ANNUAL DAY OF ATONEMENT, BLOOD WAS SHED TO ATONE FOR THE NATION'S SIN. JESUS DECLARED THAT HE REPLACED THE STONE AND THE HOLY OF HOLIES, AND THEIR FUNCTIONS.
 THIS WAS BUT THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF "REPLACEMENTS" THAT OCCURS IN THE ENSUING CHAPTERS. AT THE TIME OF JESUS, THE JEWS VIEWED DEATH AS A GRIM EXPERIENCE AND BELIEVED THAT ISSUES OF JUDGMENT AND ETERNAL LIFE WOULD BE RESOLVED IN THE RESURRECTION THAT WOULD TAKE PLACE WHEN MESSIAH CAME. JESUS TAUGHT THAT THOSE WHO BELONGED TO HIM HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED THE VICTORY OF THE RESURRECTION, AND THAT ISSUES OF JUDGMENT AND ETERNAL LIFE ARE DETERMINED ALREADY IN THIS LIFE. DEATH IS MERELY THE DOORWAY INTO ETERNAL LIFE. JESUS ENABLES US TO SEE BEYOND IT AND WHAT IS TO COME, NAMELY "THE GREAT "SEPARATION," AND ' THE WELCOME HOME FOR HIS OWN.