Why Aren't There Any Parables in the Gospel of John?
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We see the parables of Jesus in the three Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. So why not in the Book of John? He was considered one of Jesus’ closest friends, the “disciple Jesus loved” (John 13:23, 19:26).
It seems unlikely that John did not understand the parables or did not recollect them when he came to write his account of Jesus’ ministry. Was it simply that his method and focus was different from that of Matthew, Mark, and Luke? Theologians often point to a different emphasis in each of the gospels, so why did John’s emphasis cause him to omit the parables?
What Is a Parable, and Why Did Jesus Use Them?
First, we must explore what parables are, and why the Lord used them. “Parables are stories and illustrations drawn from real-life experiences,” observes one expert.
For example, Jesus uses illustrations drawn from business life: a land owner rents out his vineyard to others, then sends servants to collect payment. When they refuse to pay and kill his son, the renters pay the consequences (Matthew 21).
The Parable of the Prodigal Son involves the issue of inheritance, although it turns the matter on its head (Luke 15). When a farmer sows seeds, Jesus wanted listeners (and later readers) to think of sharing the gospel (Mark 4).
Several men are travelling along the road to Jerusalem, and one is robbed. A kind man looks after him, demonstrating what it means to be someone’s neighbor (Luke 10). Arthur W. Pink explains: “The popular definition of Christ's parables is that they were earthly stories with a heavenly meaning. How man gets things upside down! The truth is, that His parables were heavenly stories with an earthly meaning, having to do with His earthly people, in earthly connections.”
The settings and characters of his parables were relatable to Jesus’ audience, even though the stories themselves were enigmatic. In fact, they were designed to be puzzling to some of his audience, yet rich with meaning to those who understood what he was trying to teach, which was the gospel itself. Within those parables was direction (how to follow Jesus), comfort (the Lord will ensure justice is served), and affirmation (Jesus is the Son of God). But to others it was a rebuke (the Pharisees knew they were the bad renters, Matthew 21:45).
In the story of the Vineyard Owner, we realize that the owner is the Son whom the Father sent, and whom the wicked men killed. We also discover how the Father will respond: “He will completely destroy those terrible men [...] and lease his vineyard to other farmers who will give him his fruit at the harvest” (Matt. 21:41).
The Pharisees rejected the Son and had him killed; therefore, the Gentiles will be invited to become sons and daughters, to glorify the Father, and to share the gospel with others. In the story of the Good Samaritan, for example, we see what it looks like to live out the command to love one’s neighbor at great cost to oneself. Christians today, diving into those stories, uncover layer upon layer of wisdom, reassurance, and revelation.
And yet, as Pink pointed out, there are few who understand. “It is to be deplored that the rationale of our Lord's parabolic form of teaching should be known to so few.” The language of parables was not a secret between Jesus and the disciples. Those who did not understand did not necessarily lack intellect, but were unwilling to submit to Jesus as Lord. They were unwilling to become humble before him, confess sin, and receive forgiveness. Hardness of heart shrouds these stories in mystery.
Meanwhile, even his enemies often knew what Jesus was saying. They understood the rebuke, the warning, but took it as blasphemy. The Pharisees’ problem was “moral and thus volitional, not intellectual. They choose not to believe our Savior’s words. Those who take up their cross gain more access to kingdom truth; those who reject Him lose whatever insight they had.”
We know what the parables are for and see them in the three synoptic gospels, so why did John omit them, given how meaningful they are?
Extended Metaphor in the Gospel of John
John Lanier asserts that there is, in fact, a parable in the Gospel of John; it is an extended word picture. Jesus compares himself to the prosaic figure of a shepherd, guarding his sheep from predators. “As He lovingly cares for His sheep, it is His ‘voice’ that matters most (John 10:4). In ancient Israel, shepherds would go in front of their sheep and lead them (rather than driving them from behind) purely by voice recognition.”
Jesus’ was establishing his identity as Messiah, their Savior and King. “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3). The disciples and future followers needed to follow his teachings, listen to his voice, and tune out the corrupt voices which sought to delude them.
Another deeply comforting metaphor found in the Book of John is that of Jesus as the Vine. He supports the branches, which are all believers. “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Again, the purpose of this metaphor is to explain who Jesus is, his relationship with his disciples and, later, for followers of Jesus Christ in every generation to grasp their need to ensure Jesus is the very center and foundation of their lives.
Yet, so many scholars argue that there are no parables in the Gospel of John, perhaps because these images were for those who already professed their love for Jesus. He is revealing more of himself to them, teaching about a personal relationship with him and what it looks like for anyone who is really just paying lip service or plotting (as Judas Iscariot did) to deceive and betray. There is comfort and warning: “If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers” (John 15:6).
By contrast, the parables were part of his wider teaching and, as Pink said, often involved a volitional aspect. Would the listeners, like the Prodigal Son, repent and come to the Father? Would those who rented the vineyard humble themselves and serve the master? Would followers love and serve their neighbors? He was speaking to Pharisees, the average Jew, to the Gentiles: everyone who had yet to make up his or her mind about him.
The parables are really talking about Jesus’ death and resurrection, discussing repentance and forgiveness, and so on. They explore fruitfulness in the gospel which this Messiah brings to the world. “Parables partly concealed truth, prompting genuine seekers to ask questions” explained one writer.
The Consistency of John’s Style
The synoptic Gospels are so-named because synoptic refers to a synopsis or overview, a summary. John had something else in mind: “Jesus did many signs or miracles, but John included a select few of them with the purpose of revealing that Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah” wrote one theologian.
If one compares the language of John’s gospel with that of Revelation, one of the consistent features is John’s use of imagery to try and explain what is virtually impossible for the human mind to grasp – the sinless nature of a man who was both human and divine. Though he was God, he was also a man, and he bled as only a human being can bleed.
While the parables featured in Matthew, Mark, and Luke are notably absent, so are several other facets, says Pink. There is no genealogy, account of Jesus’ baptism, his forty days in the wilderness, or the transfiguration. As for the parables, “this is a very notable omission.” Their purpose was to “conceal from those who had rejected Him, what was comprehensible only to those who had spiritual discernment. But here in John, Christ is [...] revealing God.”
Ultimately, all of Scripture is “God breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16), so whatever John wrote is what the Lord inspired him to write. He points to hope: no more pain or sorrow for believers (Revelation 21:4). But he also points to the alternative; Jesus warned the church of Laodicea: “because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16).
Final Comparison
Mark’s gospel is brief, his emphasis on Jesus (and disciples) as servants; Matthew explains how Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophecy; Luke is pragmatic, systematically explaining the life of Christ to his Gentile audience (Luke 1:3). Jesus spoke in parables, so they wrote those down from their own recollections and those of eyewitnesses in order to convey as accurate a picture as possible of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection.
The Lord inspired John to show what it was like to be a follower, offering a compelling and personal invitation to readers for generations to come. This is not to say that the use of parables signaled a lack of emotion in the other Gospels, only that John’s emphasis was different.
John’s gospel provides the key to understanding the parables. Once one accepts Christ as the Vine, the Shepherd as one’s only Savior and King, the treasure of Christ’s parables is unlocked.
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