I thought it would be nice this week for me to post a small taste of the work that we are doing. We studied the Gospel of John last week and it really impacted both of us strongly, particularly with who Jesus really is and how much he loves everyone. The writing below is a theme summary of the book. For each book we study, we pick one prominent theme from the book and trace it throughout the book. We write this summary after we have studied and written about more of the details of the text of the whole book. This theme summary is part of our final application.
The theme that appeared to be most prominent in this book was Christology, or the personhood and character of Christ. This book is packed with descriptions of who Jesus was and the function that he has in the world. The book starts right away with who Christ is and basically covers all the aspects and themes about him that will be expounded upon in the book. (Chapter 1) He is described as the Word, or embodiment of all wisdom, that he has been from the beginning, with God, and he is God. He is described as life and the light of men. He became a man and is the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. Jesus is the only true God, and he reveals God. (Chapter 1:1-18) Some of the most significant statements about Jesus are the ways he described himself. He describes himself as living water (v 4:13-14) and also as the bread of life (v 6:35). He refers to himself as God, I am. (v 8:58) Jesus also calls himself the good shepherd (v 10:11, 14). He refers to himself as the resurrection and the life (v 11:25) Jesus calls himself the way, the truth, and the life (v 14:6), as well as the true vine. (v 15:1) All these illustrations pointed to aspects of his character and the way he acted toward his people.
To the original readers of John, these ideas would have been a lot to take in. Certain things would have spoken different things to different people, for the readership of this book was likely quite varied. Regardless of their background, these descriptions of Jesus would have showed a few main points: that he loved them, and they must believe in him in order to have eternal life. They would have seen him as the one they were looking and waiting for, whether they were Jews waiting for a promised Messiah or Greeks seeking ultimate knowledge. Jesus is portrayed as the eternal hope and rest for all, who brings life and healing to a world that is broken and desperately wicked. They would have seen in him a God who can identify with their sorrows and troubles and who is not afraid to be personally involved in their lives. To the Greeks particularly, this would have been quite revolutionary, for their understanding of God was that they would never attain him, but had to strive through many levels of spirituality and knowledge throughout their lifetime. The Jewish readers would have particularly identified with all the analogies Jesus gave about himself. They would have seen him as both their spiritual and physical provider. They would have realized that only in him could they find true life and be near to God.
The things that Jesus meant to the original readers are very similar to the meaning he has to today's readers. A much more diverse audience has access to this book today, but these words about Jesus are timeless and relevant to all people. All are looking for life, wisdom, and sustenance, whether they realize it or not. Jesus is portrayed in this book as the answer to all man's problems. He is the only one who can truly unite people and bring peace to the earth. Most of all, he is the only one who has answers to the questions of the soul. Not only does he bring more abundant life on earth, but he also brings eternal life, the true hope of glory for weary souls. Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly" in John 10:10. This is ultimately what he means to us all.
Hope you enjoyed this and that it gave you a small picture of what we are learning. Know that Jesus loves you deeply and he gave everything so that you could have life, to the fullest. Erika
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