The Passion of Jesus in Johns Gospel

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The Passion of Jesus in Johns Gospel

• John 181-1942

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Themes in Johns Passion Narrative

• Johns Treatment of the Jews
• Johns community has become separated from
  mainstream Judaism John lays the blame for
  Jesus death on the Jews

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Themes in Johns Passion Narrative

• Johns Treatment of the Jews
• Johns community has become separated from
  mainstream Judaism John lays the blame for
  Jesus death on the Jews
• Jesus The New Passover Lamb
• Beginning with John the Baptist, Jesus is
  identified with the lamb who saves- he dies on
  the day the lambs are being slaughtered

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Themes in Johns Passion Narrative

• Johns Treatment of the Jews
• Johns community has become separated from
  mainstream Judaism John lays the blame for
  Jesus death on the Jews
• Jesus The New Passover Lamb
• Beginning with John the Baptist, Jesus is
  identified with the lamb who saves- he dies on
  the day the lambs are being slaughtered
• Jesus is G-d
• Jesus controls the action, deciding how - and
  when- he dies

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Themes in Johns Passion Narrative

• Johns Treatment of the Jews
• Johns community has become separated from
  mainstream Judaism John lays the blame for
  Jesus death on the Jews
• Jesus The New Passover Lamb
• Beginning with John the Baptist, Jesus is
  identified with the lamb who saves- he dies on
  the day the lambs are being slaughtered
• Jesus is G-d
• Jesus controls the action, deciding how - and
  when- he dies
• The Beloved Disciple
• Found only in Johns Gospel- who is it?

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Johns Treatment of the Jews
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Johns Treatment of the Jews

• The Jews answered him, We have a law, and
  according to that law he ought to die, because he
  made himself the Son of
• G-d. When Pilate heard this statement, he
  became even more afraid.
• - John 197-8

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Johns Treatment of the Jews

• My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my
  kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants
  would be fighting to keep me from being handed
  over to the Jews. - John 1836
• Pilate tried to release him but the Jews cried
  out, If you release him, you are not a friend of
  Caesar.
• - John 1912

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Jesus The Passover Lamb
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Jesus The Passover Lamb

• Behold the Lamb of G-d who takes away the sins
  of the world
• John the Baptist, John 129

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Jesus The Passover Lamb

• It may be eaten in one and the same house you
  may not take any of its flesh outside the house.
  You shall not break any of its bones.
• - Exodus 1246

• When they came to Jesus and saw that he was
  already dead, they did not break his legs this
  happened so that the scripture passage might be
  fulfilled Not a bone of it will be broken
• John 1933, 36

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Jesus is G-d
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Jesus is G-d

• Jesus, knowing everything that was going to
  happen to him, went out and said to them, Whom
  are you looking for? They answered, Jesus the
  Nazorean. He said to them, I AM.
• When he said to them I AM, they turned away and
  fell to the ground.
• - John 184-6

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Jesus is G-d

• No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down
  on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power
  to take it up again.
• - John 1018

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Jesus is G-d

• When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, It is
  finished. And bowing his head, he handed over
  the spirit.
• - John 1930

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The Beloved Disciple
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The Beloved Disciple

• Unique to Johns Gospel, the Beloved Disciple is
  a mysterious character
• He appears at key points in the Gospel (the Last
  Supper, the foot of the Cross, the empty tomb,
  the Resurrection)
• The Beloved Disciple has a special relationship
  with Jesus- he seems to know more, understand
  more, and love more
• Has the author placed himself in the Gospel?

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The Beloved Disciple

• Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were
  his mother, and his mothers sister, Mary the
  wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus
  saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved
  standing beside her, he said to his mother,
  Woman, here is your son. Then he said to the
  disciple, Here is your mother. And from that
  hour the disciple took her into his own home.
• - John 1925-27

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The Beloved Disciple

• So they cast the net over the right side of the
  boat, and were not able to pull it in because of
  the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus
  loved said to Peter, It is the Lord.
• - John 216-7

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The Beloved Disciple

• Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom
  Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon
  his chest during the supper When Peter saw him,
  he said to Jesus, What about him? Jesus said to
  him, What if I want him to remain until I come?
• It is this disciple who testifies to these things
  and has written them, and we know that his
  testimony is true.
• - John 2120-24

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The Beloved Disciple

• On the first day of the week, Mary came to the
  tomband saw the stone removed from the tomb. So
  she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other
  disciple whom Jesus loved. So Peter and the other
  disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both
  ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
  and arrived at the tomb first Then the other
  disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at
  the tomb first, and he saw and believed.
• - John 201,2-4,8

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Crucifixion- Byzantine Icon, 14th century
Church of the Virgin Mary- Island of Lindos
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Crucifixion- Hieronymus Bosch ca.1450-1516
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(No Transcript)
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Crucifixion - He Qi- China
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Le Christ jaune (The Yellow Christ)- Paul Gaugin-
1889
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Crucifixion- Nabil Ananis- Palestine 2003
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Themes in Johns Passion Narrative

• Johns Treatment of the Jews
• Johns community has become separated from
  mainstream Judaism John lays the blame for
  Jesus death on the Jews
• Jesus The New Passover Lamb
• Beginning with John the Baptist, Jesus is
  identified with the lamb who saves- he dies on
  the day the lambs are being slaughtered
• Jesus is G-d
• Jesus controls the action, deciding how - and
  when- he dies
• The Beloved Disciple
• Found only in Johns Gospel- who is it?

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- If John (and others) has placed himself at the
foot of the Cross, how do I find myself there? -
How am I being invited to enter into the Tomb
this Lent?- What parts of Johns story are most
powerful/ meaningful for me? Why?