John

Jesus also declared that "I and the Father are one." Jesus and God are not, according the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, identical persons but separate persons who are of identical nature.

At this the Jews picked up stones to kill Him, for it was blasphemy for a man to claim to be God (10:33). Jesus responded to their anger by pointing back to the Old Testament where, in accord with the worldview of the ancient Near East, rulers and judges, as emissaries of the heavenly King, could be granted the honorary title "god" (Ps. 82). If they could be culturally comfortable with that title for those to whom the Word of God came, why did they rebel against the idea that the Messiah would be God's Son? And if this does not make sense, Jesus argued, then simply look at my life and the miracles performed. This did not persuade the Jews, and again they tried to seize Jesus for execution.

Lazarus was the brother of the sisters Mary and Martha. Mary had poured perfume on the feet of Jesus and wiped them dry with her hair (12:3). Jesus loved all three of them. His two-day delay was probably to ensure that the miracle He was about to bestow would be clearly understood to be a resurrection from the dead, not a resuscitation from a severe illness. His disciples urged Him not to go, for there were individuals there who desired to seize and kill Him. Thomas, often known as the doubter, here revealed the depth of his personal commitment to Jesus when he said to his fellow disciples: "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

One of the most moving scenes in the life of Jesus is the death of Lazarus. Here we see not only the power of Jesus to raise the dead, but the emotions of Jesus moved by the grief of those around Him. Martha's faith is evident as she approached Jesus, four days after the death of Lazarus, and professed belief that He could save her dead brother. When Mary came as well and Jesus saw her grief and the grief of those with her, he was "deeply moved in spirit and troubled." Scripture then tells us that Jesus wept.

What could testify more to the divine nature of Jesus than to exhibit the power needed to raise someone from the dead?

Wishing to teach an important truth about how God hears and answers the prayer of belief, Jesus prayed aloud. Note that the raising of Lazarus serves as something of a foreshadowing of the power to resurrect all believers one day to fellowship and eternal life in Christ. Unlike Lazarus, who was raised only to die again, Christians will be raised to eternal life.

The resurrection of Lazarus caused many to place their faith in Jesus. It also led to a meeting of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was the high court of the Jews. In the New Testament period, it was composed of three groups: the chief priests, the elders, and the teachers of the law. Its membership reached seventy-one, including the high priest, who served as the presiding officer. Under Roman jurisdiction the Sanhedrin was given great power, but it could not impose capital punishment (18:31).

Their concern was self-preservation. If Jesus continued as He had, then people would continue to place their faith in Him as the Messiah. If the Romans then heard that a Messiah was being heralded by the Jews, they would come and destroy the threat, including the Sanhedrin. Therefore much of the opposition to Jesus was sociopolitical in nature.

The remark by Caiaphas about their ignorance was one of rudeness. He understood the political dimension more fully than the others, who were actually thinking in terms of guilt or innocence. For Caiaphas it did not matter whether Jesus was guilty or innocent of wrongdoing. What was important was that the death of one man was worth the viability of the Jewish nation under Roman rule. Historically, Caiaphas was in error; for despite the death of Jesus, the Jewish nation perished in a.d.. 70.

The prophecy of Caiaphas was truer than he could have imagined. He prophesied the death of Jesus for the Jewish nation in order to alleviate political tensions, not knowing that Jesus' death would be for the spiritual salvation of the Jewish nation and for the world.

This portion of John's Gospel contains a host of important elements. First, there is the devotion of Mary. The perfume used was expensive, a luxury item for herself, selflessly given in devotion to Jesus. That she poured it on the feet of Jesus was an act of humility, for attending to the feet of another person was the work of a servant. Wiping the oil with her hair was also unusual, for respectable women did not unbraid their hair in public. Mary exhibited unrestrained love and devotion to Jesus that went against personal cost and concern for perception.

Second, is the deceit and corruption of Judas. This is the sole passage that reveals the wicked character of Judas prior to his betrayal of Jesus. While the author of this Gospel relates Judas's dishonesty in hindsight, at the time Judas must have been highly esteemed, for he was trusted with caring for the money bag. All too often individuals have been able to deceive people regarding their relationship with God, but never is God Himself deceived, for He sees into the very heart of every person.

Third, is the judgment of Jesus on both Mary and the poor. Jesus affirmed Mary's act of devotion and linked it to His own burial. Mary did not intend for this to be the significance of her act, but it was perceived by Jesus in this manner, knowing of the growing shadow of the cross. In discussing the use of the expensive perfume on Himself rather than selling it to assist the poor, Jesus said, "You will always have the poor among you." Unfortunately, many throughout the centuries of Christian history have misinterpreted this statement by Jesus as an excuse to neglect the poor. This was far from the intent of Jesus, who exhibited care and concern for the poor throughout His ministry. The point Jesus was making was that Mary's act of devotion at that particular time and place was worthy of the cost.

The triumphal entry into Jerusalem coincided with the Passover Feast. The palm branches were symbolic and used in celebration of victory. The response of the crowds to Jesus was spectacular. The shout of "Hosanna!" is a Hebrew term meaning save which had become an expression of praise.

The Gospel of John emphasizes the royalty of Jesus. Here is the only Gospel that records that the people also shouted, "Blessed is the King of Israel!" The crowd's exultation, as well as Jesus' riding a colt, was not seen by the disciples until after His death, burial, and resurrection as the fulfillment of prophecy. This moment, perhaps more than any other, was the high mark of Jesus' popularity and influence. In only a matter of days, however, the "Hosanna!" would turn to "Crucify him!" (19:15).

The request of some Greeks to interview Jesus occasioned a lengthy response from Jesus regarding the road that lay before Him. Throughout the Gospel, Jesus had avoided situations that would hasten His death. But now the "hour" had come for "the Son of Man to be glorified." Jesus' death and subsequent resurrection is what is in mind by the term "glorified." Jesus presented Himself as a role model for our perspective on life. Life should not be loved from a temporal perspective but hated as that which represents our sinful separation from God our Creator. This is not, as the life of Jesus demonstrated, a rabid asceticism but an attitude that puts more importance on the world to come.

Jesus understood that His death would bring life to many. Nonetheless, Jesus' heart was "troubled," which is all John wrote in relation to the Gethsemane passages of Jesus' final hours recorded in the Synoptics. Jesus' troubled heart surely came more from the idea of bearing the weight of the sin of the world as a sinless Being than the mere physical and emotional agony that awaited Him. While Jesus contemplated praying to God for deliverance from that which awaited Him, He remained on the course God had willed for His life.

Not only would Jesus' death offer liberation to men and women from the bounds of sin, but it would bring judgment upon the world and drive the prince of the world from its midst. The cross achieved salvation for those who would believe, brought judgment upon the world for the refusal to believe, and defeated Satan's rebellion once and for all. The lifting up of Jesus on the cross would be the beacon that would draw all persons—meaning without regard to sex, race, social status, or nationality—to Himself for deliverance from sin.

How could the Jews have witnessed so many miraculous deeds and remain in unbelief? The answer is found in prophecy. Jews both would not and could not believe. They would not believe when they should have according to what they had witnessed. They could not believe, not because they had freedom of choice removed from them, but because they had purposely rejected God and chosen evil. Thus God turned them over decisively to their choice. Those who had chosen to believe were afraid to make their decision public for fear of excommunication. Even these believers were indicted for caring more for the approval of others than for the approval of God.

What is Jesus' relation to those who reject Him? John made clear that it is not judgment (12:47). It is not that judgment for unbelief will not take place (12:48), only that the primary mission and role of Jesus was not judge but Savior (12:47b). Again, the close relationship between God and Jesus is clearly exhibited in regard to thought and deed (12:44-45,49-50).

A word should be given regarding the difference between "last day" and "last days." The latter refers to the current period of time, begun when Christ entered the world (Acts 2:17; Heb. 1:2; 1 Pet. 1:20; Jude 18). The "last day" (singular), however, refers to the consummation of time and history when the great resurrection and judgment will occur of all persons (1 John 2:18).

The love of Jesus for His disciples, and those who would come to be His disciples, is shown in the washing of the disciples' feet. The servant motif, so prevalent in the Gospel of Mark (Mark 10:45), is here revealed as well in the Gospel of John. Servanthood is a direct extension and representation of love (13:1). What enabled Jesus to perform this act of utter humility was a keen understanding of who He was, where He had come from, and where He was going (13:3). This is a key to humility in all per-sons—a healthy and balanced understanding of who they are.

If Jesus, Lord and Teacher, washes our feet, how much more should we wash one another's feet (13:14). What is at hand is not the institution of an ordinance of foot-washing, as this passage has sometimes been interpreted, but the lifestyle of humble servanthood.

At the moment that Jesus identified Judas as His betrayer, Scripture tells us that "Satan entered into him"; and Jesus said, "What you are about to do, do quickly" (13:27). This is the only use of the name "Satan" in the Gospel of John, and it is unclear whether here is actual possession or simply the motivation from Satan to evil. The fellow disciples, however, did not realize what Jesus was referring to, thinking that it had something to do with Judas's responsibilities as keeper of the money bag (13:28). Jesus had to be betrayed, but Judas did not have to be that betrayer. It has often been commented that the difference between Judas and Peter, both of whom betrayed Christ, is that Peter sought forgiveness, but Judas did not.

After Judas's departure, Jesus made clear that His time with the disciples was short (13:33). The heart of this passage is found in verses 34-35: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." "Here Jesus was saying that love among Christians must be in the vanguard of all that we are about. Further, if we fail in this endeavor, then the world will be given the right to deny that we are disciples of Christ. Our love for one another will be the distinguishing mark of authenticity that we truly follow Christ.

Such words from Jesus regarding His upcoming departure, not to mention the forecast of Peter's betrayal, cast a net of depression upon the meal. Now come words of comfort from Jesus: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me" (14:1). Trust in God is the one true remedy for anxiety. Jesus completed the remedy for their concern by painting a beautiful portrait of the life that awaits them upon their reunion (14:2-4).

Jesus responded that a life given in belief and faith in Him will pave the way to eternal fellowship with Him (14:6). Jesus' claim to be the way, the truth, and the life is of great importance. Jesus is not one among many ways to God but the only way to God. The early church was even called "The Way" because of its insistence upon this point (Acts 9:2; 19:9,23). That Jesus embodies and proclaims the truth is a theme throughout the Gospel of John. Jesus also offers life itself, life through God the Father, the Creator and Giver of all life.

The last verse in this section has been fuel for much debate regarding proper interpretation and application. Was Jesus saying that we have unlimited power over God in determining what He will or will not do for us if we simply pray in Jesus' name? Clearly not, for this would be out of accord with the rest of the scriptural witness. God is sovereign over all and subject to none. We are to pray in accordance with the will of God as exhibited in the life and teaching of Jesus. When we pray in that manner, surely it will be answered. To pray in Jesus' name is to pray in accord with Jesus' will and mission. Such a prayer request is far different from an idea of prayer as some type of shopping list handed to God that He is then bound to perform. Yet the enormous spiritual power that courses through the spiritual veins of the believer should not be underestimated in light of our involvement with the growing kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit empowers believers to do and to be all that Christ would have us to do and to be.

John's Gospel pays much attention to the Holy Spirit. This is the first of several passages that teach about the nature and role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church and the individual believer (15:26; 16:7-15).

Here the Holy Spirit is referred to as the "Counselor" who will be with the disciples forever (14:16). Note that Jesus called the Holy Spirit "another" Counselor, suggesting that the work of the Holy Spirit would take the place of His role in their lives. The word "Counselor" is a legal term that goes beyond legal assistance to that of any aid given in time of need (1 John 2:1). The Greek word is Paraclete, which suggests adviser, encourager, exhorter, comforter, and intercessor. The idea is that the Spirit will always stand alongside the people of God. The Holy Spirit is also referred to as the "Spirit of truth" (14:17). This means that truth is that which characterizes the nature and mission of the Spirit. The Spirit testifies to the truth of God in Christ and brings people toward that truth through conviction leading to repentance and faith. The Spirit will continue to bring the presence of Christ into the lives of the disciples (14:16-18,20).

To love Jesus is to obey Jesus (14:15,23). If one does not obey Jesus, it is an act of lovelessness (14:24). Obedience and love cannot be separated for the believer. The Holy Spirit will also serve as a reminder to the disciples of all that Jesus has taught (14:25), sent forth by both God and the Son (14:26). The role of the Holy Spirit as the One who "reminds" the disciples of what Jesus said and taught should not be overlooked in regard to its importance in relation to the writing of the New Testament and for the ongoing life of the church. Jesus' effort is one of comfort as He prepares to leave His disciples for the agony of the cross. Here Satan would be allowed to stir people's hearts toward great evil, but never is that to be understood as Satan having power over Jesus (14:30). Jesus willingly submitted to the cross in order to fulfill God's will (14:31).

Here Jesus put forth another declarative "I am" statement, this time asserting that He is the "true vine" and that God is the gardener (15:1). In the Old Testament the "vine" is frequently used as a symbol of Israel (Ps. 80:8-16; Isa. 5:1-7; Jer. 2:21). This symbol was often used when Israel was lacking in some way. Jesus, however, is the true Vine.

Two scenarios are presented that should be seen as representative for the Christian life: first, the one who is on the vine and producing fruit (Matt. 3:8; 7:16-20) and second, the one who is on the vine who is not producing fruit. The productive vine is pruned for greater production, while the nonproductive vine is cut off for destruction. The key to producing fruit is one's relationship to the vine, to "remain in the vine" (15:4-5,7). Apart from Christ nothing can be accomplished (15:5). The verse "Ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you," as with 14:13, needs to be seen in the context of one who is firmly part of the vine (15:16). When one is in such a close and dynamic relationship with Christ, requests coincide with His will. In other words, asking whatever you wish and having it granted is dependent upon the first clause of the verse: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you" (15:7).

What is the result of a life that remains firmly planted in Christ? Here the suggestion is that you will be hated by the world (15:19). Christ was hated and rejected because of the conviction that pierced the heart of every person He encountered. Because of the life and teaching of Christ, individual persons know the truth and therefore have no excuse for those choices which deny God's rule (15:24).

This conviction will not end with the life and ministry of Jesus, for the Counselor, or Holy Spirit, will continue to testify to the hearts and minds of persons through truth of Christ and the claims of Christ (15:26), as will the disciples (15:27). Why did Jesus share this with His disciples? "So that you will not go astray" (16:1). Jesus prepared His followers for the reality of the cross they too would bear because of His name.

Jesus chided His disciples for their concern over their own situation upon His departure rather than concern over where Jesus was going to be (16:5). Again turning to His discussion of the Holy Spirit, Jesus made clear that His departure was worthwhile if only to allow for the coming of the Counselor whom Jesus Himself would send (16:7).

In a carefully detailed statement, Jesus outlined the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, all related to the work and person of Christ. First, the Holy Spirit will convict the world in the area of sin that results from disbelief in Jesus (16:9). Second, the Holy Spirit will convict the world in the area of righteousness in light of the life of Jesus (16:10). Third, the Holy Spirit will convict the world in the area of judgment because Jesus defeated the prince of the world who now stands condemned (16:11). Only through the Holy Spirit can an individual be brought to repentance leading to faith. It is not good works that elevate our status before God but the crosswork of Christ. The Holy Spirit enables the follower of Christ to live out the Christ life.

The Spirit of Truth will guide the disciples into all truth (16:13). His purpose will be to reveal Christ (16:14). The mark of the work of the Holy Spirit, then, is whether Christ is made central and glorified.

The disciples were experiencing understandable anxiety and confusion regarding all that Jesus had shared with them. Jesus comforted them by proclaiming that no matter how dark the hour may prove to be, the dawn will follow! Two "dawns" seem to be at hand, the first being the resurrection and the second being the day they will be with Jesus forever in heaven.

Prior to Jesus' death, the disciples had no need to pray in His name, for Jesus was there to be asked personally! This dynamic element of conversation was not to be lost, only now it would be through the Counselor that Jesus would send. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus serves as the intercession on our behalf before God, thereby eliminating the need for Jesus' direct intercession (thus not a contradiction of Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1). Persecution will surely come, including trials from living in a fallen world, difficulties in life, and even discipline from God. But Jesus' words of comfort are paramount with His passionate plea to "take heart! I have overcome the world" (16:33).

Here we have the beginning of the longest recorded prayer of Jesus (17:1-26). Many interpreters have called it Jesus' "high-priestly" prayer. In the first section of the prayer, Jesus noted that the cross would bring glory to Himself, for it was the will of God and the means of salvation for all who would believe.

Most of this portion of Jesus' prayer is devoted to the welfare of the disciples. Jesus prayed specifically for their protection in the area of unity (17:11), emphasizing again the importance of the unity of the body of Christ, the church. This is not organizational unity but interpersonal, relational unity. Jesus also prayed that they would be protected from the evil one, or Satan (17:15), who is more than active in the world and bitterly opposed to the things of God (1 John 5:19). Finally, Jesus prayed that God would sanctify them through the word of truth (17:17). Sanctification is the divine process whereby God molds us according to His holiness. It is the bringing to bear upon our lives the moral absolutes of the living God in such a way that they affect how we live and think. Sanctification and revelation are inextricably inter-twined, for without God's revelatory word to our life the process of sanctification cannot begin.

Here Jesus' prayer turns specifically to those who would come to believe through the disciples' message and testimony (17:20). Again the theme is unity (17:21-23). Christians form the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13) and the household of faith (Eph. 2:19).

Some divisions and controversies are necessary and unavoidable. The purification of the church is as insistent a theme as the unity of the church. Jesus Himself said that He came not bearing peace but a sword. What He meant was that the truth of God can never be neutral, but it divides truth from that which is false by its very nature. Jesus' plea for unity has to do more with the petty controversies and bitter divisions that often plague relationships. The love that binds Christians together should overcome all such grievances, demonstrating to the world that the people of God are unique and unprecedented in their fellowship, drawing the nonbelieving world to faith in Christ.

John is the only Gospel that records that the attack on the servant of the chief priest was carried out by Simon Peter on a man named Malchus (18:10). Luke recorded Jesus' healing of the man's wound (Luke 22:51).

His concern for the disciples at the moment of His own arrest is evident (18:8). Peter's effort at defending Jesus was rebuked by Jesus Himself, for despite Peter's good intentions, the "cup" that was before Jesus had to be embraced. It should be noted that "cup" was often used as a reference to suffering (Ps. 75:8; Ezek. 23:31-34), as well as the wrath of God (Isa. 51:17,22; Jer. 25:15; Rev. 14:10; 16:19).

The two interrogations may have been enacted to give the semblance of a fair trial for Jesus, though it was far from just by any stretch of the imagination. Peter's first denial, all four Gospels report, came as the result of the challenge of a slave girl. She asked Peter if he was one of the disciples of Jesus, which Peter promptly denied (18:17).

The interrogation of Jesus by the high priest brought out Jesus' response that what He had taught had been taught publicly and that nothing had been taught in private that was not openly said to the crowds. This brought a blow to the face as if such a reply was improper when answering the high priest (18:22). This blow was illegal for such questionings. Jesus' reply was that what He had said was simply the truth and should not be rejected or reacted to with such violence. Note that John treated the Jewish trial with great brevity, devoting the majority of his narrative to the Roman trial.

Peter's second and third denials, followed by the prophesied crow of the rooster, are recorded just before John recorded Jesus' interaction with Pilate (13:38). Two plots are being simultaneously revealed by John, (1) Peter's denials and (2) Jesus' interrogations and mock trial. Both constitute a drama of betrayal, one by the people who should have received Christ as King and one by a person who should have remained loyal to Christ as King.

One of the most ironic observations in all of Scripture is made by the apostle John. In order to avoid ceremonial uncleanness, the Jews who had plotted to kill an innocent man and were now executing that plan did not enter the palace of the Roman governor (18:28). The decision to take Jesus to Pilate was to ensure that He would be killed.

This Gospel records three major conversations held between Jesus and an individual person who was being confronted with the truth and the claims of the gospel. In John 3 Nicodemus was a religious man who sought Jesus in order to pursue his spiritual questions. The

Samaritan woman in John 4 was neither religious nor a skeptic but rather one who represented worldliness in its most common form. She was indifferent to the spiritual, living a life of moral self-indul-gence. Pilate, however, is indicative of the modern secularist. Hardened to that which would speak to his soul, he was neither open nor inquisitive about the gospel.

Pilate's first question was perfunctory, almost a leading question in order to investigate the nature of the Jewish complaint. Jesus' answer was disarming and brought about a transparent reply from Pilate regarding the political tensions that had led Jesus to his feet. Speaking in terms Pilate would understand, Jesus admitted being a King but a King of far more than an earthly, temporal realm. Many individuals throughout Christian history have misinterpreted the kingdom of God in earthly terms.

As was His custom, Jesus then turned the discussion toward His mission. He informed Pilate that His kingly role was identified with testifying "to the truth. Everyone on the side of the truth listens to me" (18:37). Pilate's response has become legendary: "What is truth?" (18:29). Was it a serious question? sarcastic? We simply do not know. What is clear is that upon voicing the question, Pilate went out to the Jews and dismissed their charges against Jesus and offered to release Him in celebration of the Passover. The Jews, however, demanded Barabbas, a man who was both an insurrectionist and a murderer (Luke 23:19).

The physical and emotional torment that Jesus suffered is beyond description. He was not only physically beaten but ridiculed and mocked. Perhaps as one last effort to have Jesus released, Pilate presented Him before the crowd after His beating in order to see if now they could accept His liberation (19:4). The Jews, however, insisted on His death because Christ claimed to be the Son of God (19:7).

Pilate's claim that he had the power to free or crucify Jesus brought the following response: "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin" (19:11). What should perhaps be noted here is Jesus' intimation that Pilate, though not the initiator of the death of Jesus, was not without sin.

Every word of John's Gospel leads to this moment, for the "hour" had finally come. As if one last effort to cleanse Himself from guilt, Pilate had the title "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews" fastened onto the cross where Jesus was crucified in Latin, Aramaic, and Greek (19:19). Every prophecy regarding the Messiah, even to the gambling for His clothing, was fulfilled (19:24; see Ps. 22:18).

Crucifixion was the Roman means of execution for slaves and criminals. The victim was nailed to a cross shaped either in the traditional form, or in the shape of a T, X, Y, or I. The nails were driven through the wrists and heel bones. Present at the cross were Jesus' mother, His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene (19:25). Also present was the author of this Gospel, the apostle John, whom Jesus instructed to care for His mother (19:27).

The actual death of Jesus was preceded with words fitting the narrative John had written: "It is finished" (19:30). What was finished? The mission of Jesus, the Son of God, to die a substitutionary death for sinful persons. As a result of His death on our behalf, our sin was atoned for, and eternal life through Jesus became attain-able through trusting faith.

With these final words Jesus "bowed his head and gave up his spirit" (19:30). This rather unusual way of describing someone's death intimates that Jesus died voluntarily as an act of the will. After the death of Jesus, a soldier pierced His side, "bringing a sudden flow of blood and water" (19:34). From a medical standpoint the mix of blood and water from the spear's thrust was the result of piercing of the sac that surrounds the heart (the pericardium) as well as the heart itself. The author of the Gospel, the apostle John, then offered his testimony that he was a witness to this event and that even to the final moment every detail fulfilled the prophecies concerning the Messiah (19:35-37; see Exod. 12:46; Num. 9:12; Ps. 34:20; Zech. 12:10).

After the death of Jesus, most of the disciples were nowhere to be found, yet at that moment two individuals who had previously been afraid to make their allegiance known came boldly forward to care for the body of Christ. These two were Nicodemus (John 3) and Joseph of Arimathea, a rich member of the Sanhedrin who had not agreed to the condemnation of Jesus (Matt. 27:57; Luke 23:51). Jesus was laid in a tomb following a traditional Jewish preparation.

The first person to the tomb of Jesus was Mary Magdalene. Upon seeing the stone removed from the tomb, she ran to Peter and John, exclaiming that they had taken Jesus from the tomb. Mary did not understand that Jesus' body had not been stolen but that He had been raised from the dead. Peter and John ran to the tomb, finding only the strips of Jesus' burial clothes. Peter and John, as did Mary, failed to understand that the resurrection had taken place (20:9).

Commentators often have suggested that Mary Magdalene was the first to see Jesus following His resurrection because she was the person who needed to see Him the most. After all the others had left the empty tomb, she stood alone by its side weeping. Two angels appeared to her, asking her why she was expressing such grief. After answering that someone had taken her Lord away and she didn't know where He was, she turned and saw Jesus.

The tenderness of the moment when he said "Mary" and her recognition of Him and cry of "Rabboni!" (teacher) is one of the emotional highlights of the entire Gospel. Jesus' warning not to "hold on" to Him for He had "not yet returned to the Father" is at first confusing (20:17). When Jesus spoke of not having returned to the Father, clearly the ascension is in view. Also to be considered here is the idea that Jesus was not to be held to in the same sense as before the resurrection, for now Mary's relationship with Him would be through the Holy Spirit (16:5-16).

Jesus encountered a group of frightened disciples behind locked doors and gave them what they needed most—Himself. He showed them His hands and His side in order to dispel any doubt that they were seeing anything but their crucified Lord (20:20). As with the "Great Commission" recorded in Matthew 28, Jesus decisively gave His followers the command to go into all the world and continue His ministry. To enable them to respond to this task, they received a pre-cursor of the full coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost—almost as a deposit for that which was to come fully fifty days later—breathed to them now from the very mouth of Jesus (20:22).

Jesus stated that if the disciples forgave anyone, they were forgiven, and if they did not forgive them their sins, they were not forgiven. At first glance this is a remarkable statement that seems out of step with the role and authority of the disciples. It was not the disciples who could forgive sins but Jesus. The literal reading from the Greek is more clear, stating: "Those whose sins you forgive have already been forgiven; those whose sins you do not forgive have not been forgiven." God's forgiveness is not dependent upon human forgiveness, but rather forgiveness is extended by God as a result of individual responses to the proclamation of the gospel by fellow human beings.

Thomas's doubt was that of many in the modern world. Unless he could see, taste, touch, and hear what was being presented as reality, he would not accept it as the truth. As Jesus noted, however, "blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (20:29).

John's purpose statement is included here, following the resurrection, in order that the reader may know the reason for this carefully detailed narrative of the life and teaching of Jesus. This Gospel was "written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (20:31). The purpose of the Gospel of John is to present Jesus as God in human form and that through faith in Jesus, individuals would embrace salvation to eternal life.

The miraculous catch of fish, an almost casual appearance and fellowship of the risen Christ with the disciples, constitutes the third recorded appearance of Jesus following His resurrection. Here Jesus demonstrated again His power over the natural world.

Following their breakfast meal on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus turned to Peter and asked a series of questions related to Peter's devotion. The first word for love, used in Jesus' first two questions, refers to a love that involves the will and personality. The second kind of love, indicated by the word for love used in the third question of Jesus, refers more to the emotions than to the will.

Regardless of whether or not much is to be made of these word distinctions, the key issue is that of love for Christ, and this Peter surely expressed. His earlier three denials are here answered in three affirmations of love and service. Jesus clearly wanted love for Him to include both will and emotions, demonstrated in a life of discipleship and devotion to the church.

Then Jesus forecast the kind of death Peter would die in order to glorify God. The early church understood the "stretching out of hands" mentioned here to mean crucifixion. Tradition understands the death of Peter to have been by upside-down crucifixion.

The final words of the Gospel of John change from firsthand narrative to that of a plural perspective. It would seem that the Gospel of the apostle John was preserved and then another author, equally inspired by the living God, added his own testimony on behalf of a community of faith as witness to the truth of all that the apostle had written. Not everything from the life of Christ was recorded but only those things the author felt supported the goal of leading individuals to belief in Jesus as the Son of God who came to take away the sins of the world.

Theological and Ethical Significance. From this Gospel we learn much about God as Father. Contemporary believers are indebted to John for their habit of referring to God simply as "the Father." The Father is active (5:17), bringing blessing on those He has created. He is love (3:16; see 1 John 4:8-10). We know love because we see it in the cross; it is sacrificial giving, not for deserving people but for undeserving sinners. He is a great God whose will is done in bringing about our salvation (6:44).

The Gospel throughout focuses on Jesus Christ. It is clear that God in Christ has revealed Himself (1:1-18). God is active in Christ, the Savior of the world, bringing about the salvation He has planned (4:42).

John's Gospel tells us more about the Holy Spirit than do the other Evangelists. The Spirit was active from the start of Jesus' ministry (1:32), but the Spirit's full work was to begin at the consummation of Jesus' own ministry (7:37-39). The Spirit brings life (3:1-8), a life of the highest quality (10:10), and leads believers in the way of truth (16:13). The Spirit thus universalizes Jesus' ministry for Christians of all ages.

In response to the work of God in their lives, Christians are to be characterized by love (13:34-35). They owe all they have to the love of God, and it is proper that they respond to that love by loving God and other people.

Barrett, C. K. The Gospel According to St. John. Second Edition. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1978.

Bruce, F. F. The Gospel of John: Introduction, Exposition and Notes. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983.

Carson, D. A. The Gospel of John. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991.

Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to John. New International Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971.