The Presentation of the Person of Jesus in John's Gospel

The Presentation of the Person of Jesus in John's Gospel

Throughout John’s Gospel Jesus is portrayed in different ways. He is

described as “flesh” yet he also has divine qualities and

characteristics. John regards Jesus as Logos meaning “word”.

According to Lightfoot the logos had “diverse origins and might convey

different shades of meaning to different readers”. Such readers would

be Jews and Greeks. This quote proves one of John’s main purposes to

be universal.

First the Jewish background relating back to the logos or ‘Word’ of

God. This was seen as a creative force as mentioned in chapter 1

Genesis. This also connected to the prophets where they delivered

God’s word to the audience. Wisdom was spoken of with a connection

with Sophia.

Greek background the reason and the outward expression of inward

thought. For the stoics, logos was the all – pervading presence of

God, the mind of God guiding and controlling life. They searched for

the ‘divine spark’ to become a child of God. Philo of Alexandria was

a Hebrew and a historical figure that came to earth and lived with

mankind. This exemplifies this of Jesus.

Logos is vital for the evangelist’s appreciation of the person of

Jesus but only used in the Prologue. This was to show pre-existence,

creator, life and light of men, flesh which is ‘sarx’ superior to John

he Baptist, an encounter between the earthly and the heavenly.

Jesus is also described as the ‘son of God’ in 1v14 ‘Became flesh and

dwelt among us, full of grace and truth’. Unique as the Son of God

who shares his glory, has power and authority, divinity. Jesus refers

to God as Father as in 3v35...

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...fe to judge us and our sins and this emphasised in

Revelation 11:15.

From John the Baptist mentioned in the Prologue, Jesus is superior to

the one who gives testimony to him; John bears witness to the light,

Jesus is the light. Bultmann maintains John emphasises Jesus in order

to oppose a Baptist sect.

The humanity of Jesus 1v14 flesh, blood and water flowed from his side

on the cross, ‘Behold the man’ said by the Pilate. Docetists

maintained Jesus only seemed human; in reality he was God. However,

Jesus walked, talked, was tired, sat down, carried his cross and

died. Jesus also had emotions, he wept, he loved and his humanity,

e.g. when he became flesh he was the logos, when he was tired at the

well, he also gave living water, while his resurrected body can be

touched by Thomas, he is ‘My Lord and my God’.