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The Passion and Resurrection Narratives in the 4th Gospel
Harrington, W. J., John: Spiritual Theologian; Chapter 7
- + Jesus Before the Jewish Authorities (18:12-24)
- + Jesus Before Pilate (18:28-19:16a)
- + The Crucifixion of Jesus (19:16b-27)
- + Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene (20:11-18)
- + In the House (20:19-29)
- + The Conclusion Of The Gospel (20:30-31)
- + Conclusion (21:1-25)
The Arrest (18:1-11)
When Jesus had ended the solemn prayer of ch 17 he went,
with his disciples, across the Kidron valley to a garden. Judas, who knew the
place, guided a Roman military attachment and some temple police. Jesus,
fully aware of all that was to happen, took the initiative and strode forward
to accost the band. They declared that they sought "Jesus of Nazareth".
At the God-presence in him, manifest in his affirmation I am" (ego
eimi) they were rendered powerless, stricken to the ground. Jesus,
completely in charge of the situation, laid down his terms: they may arrest
him, on condition that they did not detain his disciples. Judas is included
among those who must be permitted to go free. "I did not lose a single
one of those whom you gave me" (v 9): a paraphrase of the assurances of
6:39; 17:12. Judas, too, had been given by the Father and he stands within
the Father's loving care. Simon Peter struck out impetuously and cut off the
right ear of Malchus; he was rebuked by Jesus. Only now was Jesus arrested,
and-only ecause he permitted it.
The Passion (18:12-19:42)
John presents the passion as the triumph of the Son of
God. The dramatis personae are sharply characterised. Despite appearances,
Jesus is always in control. He is the Judge who judges his judge (Pilate) and
his accusers ("the Jews"). He is the King who reigns, with the
cross for a throne: 1, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all to
myself." The Jews are not the whole Jewish people but its leaders who
see Jesus as a danger to them, the establishment, and who are determined to
destroy him.
Such are "the Jews" in the story-line, since for
John and his contemporaries "the Jews" are the leaders of a later
Judaism vigorously opposed to the now distinctive Christian movement. Pilate
recognises, and three times acknowledges, the innocence of Jesus. He
desperately tries to compromise but ends by yielding to political blackmail.
He is a man who will not make a decision for or against Jesus - and finds
himself trapped.
Jesus Before the Jewish Authorities (18:12-24)
Jesus was brought before Annas, a former high priest who
had been deposed by the Romans but who still had considerable influence. This
was not a formal trial but an interrogation. Jesus was questioned about his
disciples and his teaching. His answer was that he had taught "plainly",
in face of "the world". He implies that the word is still available
through his disciples. The episode throws light on the confrontation of the
evangelist and his community with contemporary Judaism. Jesus becomes a
defender of his followers against attacks of Judaism. Jesus was then sent to
Caiaphas the actual high priest. In view of his earlier cynical political
decision (and unwitting prophecy), "it is better for you to have one man
die for the people" (11:50), Jesus cannot expect justice. As in the
synoptics John, too, has Peter's denials of Jesus (18:15-18,25-27).
Jesus Before Pilate (18:28-19:16a)
The synoptic accounts of the trial before Pilate tell us
little, whereas John's dramatic reconstruction does bring out the
significance of it. Only John makes clear why Jesus was brought to Pilate in
the first place and why Pilate gave in to having him crucified. Only John
shows the interplay of subtle (and not so subtle) political forces on Pilate
and indicates how Pilate's original questioning of Jesus concerned a
political charge against him. Yet Mark, we now realise, has given the key to
the trial in the title "King of the Jews" (15:2); thereafter he
stresses that it is as King of the Jews (Messiah) that Jesus is rejected by
the crowd and crucified. In John this theme of Jesus' royal status dominates
the encounter between Pilate and Jesus. Recognition or rejection of it is the
decisive issue for Pilate and "the Jews". It is they who are on
trial.
There is a further theological reason for John's stress on
the Roman trial. We are to see Pilate in the light of the rest of the fourth
gospel. He provides an example of an attitude to Jesus which purports to be
neither faith nor rejection: the typical attitude of those who try to
maintain a middle position in an all or nothing situation. Pilate's
reluctance to make a decision for or against the Light leads to disaster.
Because Pilate will not face the challenge of deciding for the Truth in Jesus
and against the Jews, he thinks he can persuade the Jews to accept a solution
that will make it unnecessary for him to declare for Jesus. This is the
Johannine view of the episodes of Barabbas, the scourging, and the delivery
of Jesus to the Jews as "your King". For John, this trial is our
own tragic history of temporising and indecision. Pilate, the would-be
neutral man, is frustrated by the pressure of others. He failed to listen to
the truth and decide in its favour. He, and all who would follow him,
inevitably end up enslaved to this world.
The Johannine presentation of the Roman trial is highly
dramatic. It is structured in seven episodes or scenes. There are two
settings or stages: the outside court of the praetorium where "the Jews"
are gathered; the inside room where Jesus is held prisoner. Pilate moves back
and forth from one stage to the other. The atmosphere is notably different in
either setting. Inside, Jesus and Pilate engage in calm dialogue; outside is
clamour as Pilate is pressurised to find Jesus guilty. Pilate's passing from
one setting to the other is expressive of an internal struggle: while
becoming increasingly convinced of Jesus' innocence he finds himself being
forced to condemn him.
Scene 1: Outside
Jews Demand Death (18:28b-32))The Jews who had brought Jesus to Pilate would not enter
the Gentile praetorium. To do so would involve ritual defilement and prevent
them from celebrating Passover. Pilate went out to them; they insisted that
Jesus was a criminal deserving death. The execution would be according to
Roman law: death by crucifixion. Jesus had already referred to his death as a
"lifting up" - on a cross! "And I, when I am lifted up from
the earth, will draw all people to myself" (12:32).
Scene 2: Inside
Jesus and Pilate on Kingship (18:33-38a))Pilate questioned Jesus: "Are you the King of the
Jews?" Jesus wanted to know how he understood the title: in a political
or in a religious sense? He himself proclaimed the otherworldly realm of
truth; he separated his kingship from anything that could threaten Pilate.
His purpose was to bear witness to "the way things really are" -
the way God is, the way God is related to the world. "What is truth?"
- Pilate rejected Jesus' offer. He does not belong to God.
Scene 3: Outside
Pilate finds Jesus not guilty (18:38b-40))Pilate had shown that he was not on the side of truth. He had
turned from the light. He was the one on trial. He went outside and declared
that, having interrogated Jesus, he could find no case against him. Verse 38a
is the first of Pilate's three "not guilty" statements (see 19:4,
6). He tried the ploy of the Passover amnesty: "Do you want me to
release for you the King of the Jews?" They shouted back: "We want
Barabbas" - a known bandit.
Scene 4: Inside
Soldiers Scourge Jesus (19:1 -3)>Pilate, in failing to grant Jesus justice, is forced to a
travesty of justice. He ordered Jesus to be scourged. Scourged though he had
already pronounced him innocent! His scourging of an innocent man proves that
man's innocence! Pilate is getting more deeply embroiled. The soldiers
twisted some thorn branches into a mock crown (diadem) and decked Jesus in a
castoff soldier's cloak. They saluted him: "Hail, King of the Jews!"
The kingship theme, already introduced in the dialogue with Pilate, would
persist. Ironically, this mockery serves as a declaration of who Jesus is.
John strengthens the kingship motif. In the synoptic narrative, Jesus was
stripped of his "regal" trappings (see Mk 15:20); in John, Jesus
goes to the cross dressed as a king.
Scene 5: Outside
"Behold the Man!"(19:4-8)>Pilate had Jesus presented to the crowd - all bloody as
he was from the scourging and decked in the mock crown and robes: "Here
is the man!" He was showing them a pathetic human being who was no
threat to either Rome or "the Jews". Pilate declared, "I am
bringing him out to you," but, "Jesus came out": he is still
master of his destiny. It is an ironical presentation of Jesus as the Son of
Man. The crowd howled for his death: "Crucify him!" In exasperation
Pilate retorted: "Crucify him yourselves; I have no case against the
man." They shot back: "According to our Law he ought to be put to
death: he has claimed to be Son of God." Here is the theological reason
why "the Jews" brought Jesus to trial before Pilate. This claim was
emerging as the great issue between Jesus and Christians - viewed by the
former as a threat to monotheism.
Scene 6: Inside
Pilate and Jesus on Power (19:9-11)>Pilate was now quite alarmed: the unbelieving
politician is superstitious. He came inside and asked Jesus: "Where are
you from?"; it is the fundamental question of Johannine christology.
Jesus was silent. When Pilate invoked his authority he was told bluntly: "You
would have no authority over me if it had not been decreed so from above; but
those who have handed me over to you are more guilty than you." Jesus'
ultimate authority is "from above". Pilate was now desperately
anxious to release Jesus. He had been challenged by Truth - and had sought to
compromise. He was hopelessly trapped. His next attempt to have the case
dismissed was met with naked blackmail: "If you set this man free you
are not Caesar's friend; anyone who makes himself king is a challenge to
Caesar." Pilate was aware that his standing in Rome was, just then, not
very secure; he could not risk a suggestion of disloyalty to the emperor.
Time had run out on him. He could no longer evade a decision.
Scene 7: Outside
The Jews Obtain Death (19:12-16a)>Pilate yielded to the Jewish demand for Jesus'
crucifixion. John's account of the passing of the sentence of death is
detailed, dramatic and theological; the only points of parallel with the
synoptics are in the repeated call for crucifixion and the outcome of Jesus'
being "handed over". The Old Testament background to this verb (para-didomi),
used by all the evangelists, implies that Jesus was "delivered up"
to his enemies "according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God"
(Acts 2:23); there was a mysterious divine purpose. The real trial was over
when "the Jews" uttered the fateful words: "We have no king
but Caesar." This is akin to the statement in Matthew's account: "His
blood be on us and on our children!" (Mt 27:25). Both evangelists are
reflecting not history but apologetic theology. The tragedy of Jesus' death
was viewed through the hostility between church and synagogue in the late
first century AD. The audience at the trial is made to voice a Christian
interpretation of the Jewish rejectionof Jesus.
John also tells us that this was the hour when the
Passover lambs were being sacrificed in the temple. It is supreme Johannine
irony: the Jews renounce the covenant at the very moment when the priests
begin to prepare for the feast which annually recalled God's deliverance of
his covenanted people. By the blood of a lamb in Egypt Yahweh had marked them
off to be spared as his own. Now, they know no king but the emperor and they
slay another lamb. At that moment, just before the Passover, as Jesus set out
for Golgotha to shed his saving blood, the trial of Jesus ends with the
fulfilment of that proclamation at the start of the gospel: "Here is the
lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (1:29).
The Crucifixion of Jesus (19:16b-27)
Jesus was led out, laden with the cross-beam and without
human assistance, to Golgotha, the Place of the Skull. "Carrying the
cross by himself" - there is no Simon of Cyrene: John's christology has
no room for Jesus' needing or accepting help. Jesus was crucified between two
others. Pilate had ordered an inscription which was affixed to the cross: "Jesus
of Nazareth, the King of the Jews"; he had the notice written in Hebrew,
Latin and Greek. The annoyed Jews protested: "It should read, "this
man claims to be king of the Jews"." Pilate retorted: "What I
have written, I have written." As representative of imperial Rome Pilate
had made a heraldic proclamation, couched in the sacred and secular languages
of the day - a worldwide proclamation of Jesus' Kingship. Supreme irony! This
King is drawing all people to himself (12:32).
In 19:25-27 John has by the cross the Mother of Jesus and
the Beloved Disciple. The mother of Jesus was the first person in the story
to trust unconditionally in the word of Jesus (2:3-5). Now, lifted up on the
cross, Jesus bids her accept the Beloved Disciple as her son. He bids that
model disciple accept the mother of Jesus as his mother. Jesus had
established a new family. "Because of the cross and from the moment of
the cross a new family of Jesus has been created. The Mother of Jesus, a
model of faith, and the disciple whom Jesus loved and held close to himself
are one as the disciple accepts the Mother in an unconditioned acceptance of
the word of Jesus."
The scene is surely symbolic as a new relationship is set
up between the mother and the disciple. The disciple "took her to his
own". The model disciple obeys unquestioningly the word of Jesus. Mark
tells us that, at the crucifixion, "there were also women looking on
from a distance" (Mk 15:40; see Mt 27:55; Lk 23:49) and makes no mention
of the mother or of any male disciple. It is wholly unlikely that women and a
follower of the condemned Jesus would have been permitted to stand at the
very place of execution. Here the theological creativity of John is very much
in evidence.
Jesus' Last Words (19:28-30)
Jesus was conscious that his hour had drawn to its close;
all had. now been accomplished. In response to his call, "I thirst,"
John notes that a sponge full of sour wine was raised to his lips "on a
branch of hyssop" - a small plant that could not sustain a sponge.
Pointedly, in Ex 12:22 it is specified that hyssop be used to sprinkle the
blood of the Passover lamb on the doorposts of the Israelite homes.
Plausibly, John introduced the unlikely hyssop here to suggest that Jesus was
fulfilling the role of the Passover lamb. The last word of Jesus, "It is
finished!" is a cry of victory: now Jesus will draw all people to
himself. "Then he bowed his head and handed over the Spirit" (v
30b). In 7:37-39 Jesus promised that when he was glorified those who believed
in him would receive the Spirit. His last breath was the outpouring of the
life-giving Spirit - his Spirit.
Aftermath of the Death (19:31-37)
The final details, the not breaking of Jesus' legs and the
flow of blood and water, have no parallel in the synoptics. True Passover
Lamb, not one bone of Jesus was broken (see Ex 12:46). The flow of blood and
water is another proleptic reference to the giving of the Spirit, following
on Jn 19:30. There is more to it. Remarkable is v 35, the narrator's
insistent testimony to that flow of blood and water. It is surely a word to
the reader. The "water" of baptism (see 3:5) and the "blood"
of the eucharist (see 6:34,54,55-56) are here linked with the cross. Jesus,
physically absent from the community, is, nonetheless, present in Spirit
(19:30), baptism and eucharist. The Johannine communtiy is urged "to
believe" this, to take it to heart. Note that blood and water flow from
the dead Jesus. The drama of the cross does not end in death but in the flow
of life that comes from death. The death of Jesus on the cross is the
beginning of Christian life.
The Burial of Jesus (19:38-42)
Joseph of Arimathea, a recent disciple of Jesus, got
permission from Pilate to remove the body of Jesus. He and that other secret
disciple, Nicodemus, now "came out" and gave Jesus a royal burial.
They bound his body in linen cloths, sprinkling a lavish quantity of perfumed
spices between the folds. Then they laid him in a new unused tomb in a nearby
garden. The whole is historically quite at odds with the "dishonourable
burial" account in Mk 15:42-47.
Previously in John's gospel, believers who adhered to Jesus
and were identified as his disciples have been contrasted with those who
believed but were afraid to have it known that they were disciples. At this "hour"
of the death and burial of Jesus the beloved disciple in 19:31-37 is the
example par excellence of the first group of believers. Hitherto Joseph and
Nicodemus in 19:38-42 have belonged to the second group; but now they are
presented as transformed through Jesus' victory on the cross.23
The Resurrection (20:1-29)
John has preserved two versions of what, in the synoptic
tradition, is the womens" visit to the tomb, Jn 20:1-3 and 11-13.
Underlying the first of them (vv 1-2) would seem to be the earliest form of
an empty tomb narrative in any gospel. John has introduced the Beloved
Disciple and has, for his own dramatic purpose, reduced the original group of
women to Mary Magdalene, preparing the way for the later Christophany to her
(vv 14-18). It is this christophany, and not an angelic spokesman, which
explains the meaning of the empty tomb (vv 12-13). But the tradition which
was thus rewritten is very early indeed. In vv 1-2 Mary Magdalene is not a
believer but one quite confused.
Thoroughly Johannine is 20:1-10. At Mary Magdalene's
disturbing news (v 2) "Peter and the other disciple" hurried to the
tomb. In the tradition, Peter's companion was unnamed. John has introduced
him as the Beloved Disciple so that his coming to faith might interpret the
significance of the empty tomb. The burial cloths and, more unexpectedly,
their arrangement, are a sign that Mary's interpretation of the empty tomb ("they
have taken the Lord out of the tomb/ 20:2) is not the correct one. Jesus had
not been "taken" anywhere. Rather, he had left mortality behind
him. Only the Beloved Disciple (vv 2, 8) seeing the sign, believed - "he
saw and believed" (v 8). Manifestly, he believed, even before any
appearance of the risen Lord, in the risen Christ himself. The fact of the
matter is that while the Ijeloved disciple" is a real person and the
source of John's tradition, he also represents the Christian disciple who is
sensitive, in faith and love, to the presence of the risen Jesus. With this
one exception - thelogical exception - of the Beloved Disciple who saw with
eyes of faith, the "empty tomb" is never regarded as a reason for
faith. The conviction that Jesus can no longer be found in the tomb because
he is risen Lord (and not for any other reason) follows on encounter with the
risen Lord.
What is the significance of the resurrection of Jesus? The
confession, "God raised Jesus from the dead", implies more, much
more, than the deed of raising from death. It implies that the kingdom of God
-the rule of God - has indeed come in Jesus. The resurrection should not be
regarded in isolation. In declaring, "Christ is risen" one is acknowledging
that God's saving promises have been accomplished in Jesus. Jesus had seen
his whole life and his whole mission in relation to the fulfilment of such
promises: "We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel" (Lk
24:21). It was because of their former hope in him that the disciples were
able to interpret the resurrection as God's confirmation of all that Jesus
stood for. Because he was raised from the dead, Jesus holds decisive
significance for us. Because of the fact of his resurrection we know that
meaningless death - and meaningless life - now have meaning. Jesus died with
the cry on his lips: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
(Mk 15:34). The seqel was to show that God had never abandoned Jesus. We have
the assurance that he will not abandon us. We do, for our comfort, need
Marcan christology to balance the Johannine.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene (20:11-18)
Mary, at the tomb (vv 11-13), has not advanced beyond the confusion
of w 1-2. Quite like Luke's Emmaus story where the two disciples conversed
with the 'stranger" (Lk 24:13-19), Mary speaks with this 'stranger"
(Jn 20:14-15). She recognised him at his calling her by name. This reminds us
of 10:3 - the Good Shepherd "calls his own sheep by name". Her
joyous instinct was to cling to him. She has to learn that the time of
association with the earthly Jesus is past. His "hour" is still in
process - the "hour" of death, resurrection and return to the
Father. Mary is given a mission: apostle to the disciples. She brings an
astounding message. Up to now, in the narrative, Jesus alone was Son. Now, he
speaks of my Father and your Father, my God and your God! The God and Father
of Jesus is God and Father of his "brethren". Christians are no
longer Jesus' disciples, not even his "friends" (15:15), but his
brothers and sisters. Mary Magdalene went - a journey that was a journey of
faith. "I have seen the Lord"; she, als, had achieved the fullness
of Johannine faith. "Another foundational character from the earliest
Christian community has journeyed from the darkness of unfaith through a
partial faith into perfect belief. "
In the House (20:19-29)
Though the disciples had been assured by Mary Magdalene
that the Lord was risen, they hide away "for fear of the Jews"; the
message of the good news does not spare Christians from fear. Jesus came to
dispel their fear and bring the peace that only he can grant. At his death
Jesus had breathed his Spirit on that little family at the foot of the cross.
Now he breathes the Spirit upon this community.
It is significant that in John the church is founded by
the risen Lord. When Jesus breathed upon the disciples a new creation was
taking place. Just as God made "the man" into a living being by
breathing life into him (Gen 2:7), and as in Ezekiel 37 the dead bones of
Israel were stirred to life by the breath of God, so the life of the church
comes from the breath of the Spirit of Jesus. This is the new, eternal life,
which Jesus brings to being, which plays such a major part in John's gospel.
In this sense, everything is already accomplished when Jesus breathes life
into his disciples. And he entrusts them with a mission. The mission is
nothing more or less than the one he had received from the Father and,
indeed, accomplished by his death and resurrection: the reconciliation of men
and women with their Parent (the forgiveness of sin). To carry out their
mission they are enlivened and inspired by the Holy Spirit, which is Christ's
Spirit, making them one with him. They are to be Christ to the world. They
willbe channels of God's forgiveness of sin and will lay bare sinfulness.
The episode of Thomas (vv 24-29) is of great importance
for the fourth evangelist and is, indeed, climactic in his gospel. The
disciple, Thomas, passed from unbelief to belief. Thomas had refused to
accept the word of the other disciples and insisted on having personal proof
of the reality of the resurrection of Jesus (vv 24-25). In the event, he came
to belief without need of the crude verification he seemed to demand
(20:25,27-28). It was enough to have seen (v 29). Nonetheless, v 27 is the
assurance that the risen Jesus is the crucified Jesus. It is unfortunate that
Thomas has been remembered for his stubbornness - "doubting Thomas."
He deserves to be remembered for the most forthright confession of faith in
the gospel: "My Lord and my God." The text should be interpreted in
the same way as similar texts in chapter 12 ("Whoever sees me sees the
Father" and "the Father and I are one"). As the One Sent Jesus
is, at a very deep level, one with the Father. Today we might say that Jesus
is wholly transparent o God. Thomas" confession is an acknowledgment and
proclamation of the God revealed in Jesus. It is, likely, a confessional
formula of the evangelist's church.
Thomas has made the last utterance of a disciple of Jesus.
The evangelist adds a comment that is crucial for all disciples of the risen
Lord. "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who
have not seen and yet have come to believe"(v 29). The evangelist is
writing for a generation that has not 'seen" the Lord, for whom Jesus is
absent. Here is a word of consolation. This later generation of believers is
not less privileged than the foundational disciples. They share with them a
common faith in the Lord, though he be not visible. In a sense, they are,more
blessed; they have believed without seeing. We recall that the Beloved
Disciple had already believed without seeing (20:8). These Johannine Christians
are his true disciples.
The Conclusion Of The Gospel (20:30-31)
Christians who have not seen and yet believed have been
declared blessed (30:29). Now, in this conclusion, they are told that all
that has gone before, in this gospel, has been written for them. In the
story, disciples, again and again, were summoned from unfaith, through
partial faith into authentic faith. The readers are presumed to have attained
genuine faith. They are now being urged to persist in their faith and to
deepen it: "But these are written so that you may go on believing... ".
They are to believe, wholly, that Jesus is Messiah, a Messiah who is Son of
God. He is the "one sent" who has made the Father fully known. As
such, he is giver of eternal life. They will have this life in virtue of
their believing relationship with him.
It is the desire of the author that all those who read
this book or hear its proclamation be a community of beloved disciples. The
book was written so that a narrative that reports how Jesus had lived his story
might confirm what was proclaimed in the Prologue. The author believes
passionately that Jesus' life story proves the claims made for him in the
Prologue.23
The conclusion to the fourth gospel, which states the
purpose of the gospel, does also state the purpose of all the gospels. All of
them are concerned with christology and discipleship. They are written to
deepen understanding of Jesus so that deeper knowledge of him and faith in
him will inspire and lead to a richer life of discipleship.
Conclusion (21:1-25)
The gospel proper has ended at 20:30-31; this chapter 21
is an appendix. After an introductory listing of the disciples concerned (vv
1-3), we have an appearance of Jesus by the lakeside, Peter's reaction, and
the miraculous draught of fish (vv 4-8); then Peter's hauling the net ashore,
followed by breakfast with Jesus (vv 9-14); and finally the commissioning of
Peter and the prophecy of his death (vv 15-19). The chapter is built around
Peter and the Beloved Disciple. In a fishing scene and at a meal Jesus
reveals himself to his disciples; he invites them to faith. The ease and
intimacy of his meeting with them is reminiscent of their first meeting
(1:37-39). But the disciples have difficulty in recognising him (21:4,12).
This is a constant feature of the resurrection narratives in all gospels: the
Lord is not at once recognised; it required some word or familiar gesture to
make him known. This is an effective way of making the point that Jesus had
not returned to life as before but had passed, beyond death, o new life with
God. He is Jesus - and yet he is different - transformed. Though Peter will
be given the more important role (vv 7,11) it is the Beloved Disciple who is
sensitive in faith to the presence of the risen Jesus and recognised him (v 7).
The miraculous catch of fish, with its symbolic reference
to "fishers of people" (Lk 5:10), is summons to an apostolic
mission. At the lakeside breakfast Jesus "took the bread and gave it to
them" (v 13). His gesture answers the question how Jesus remains present
to his disciples: he is present among them as they share the eucharistic
meal.
In vv 15-19 Peter, who had failed his Master (18:15-27),
is now reinstated and is entrusted with a pastoral mission. Peter's story is
one of calling, falling and recalling. It is noteworthy that he is entrusted
with "my lambs and my sheep". The Lord is, and remains, "the
chief Shepherd" (1 Pet 5:4); there can be no other. Peter asks of the
Beloved Disciple: "Lord, what about him?" (v 22). The actual
situation is that both Peter and the Beloved Disciple are dead and the
Johannine community is coming to terms with a new and difficult situation. It
has linked up with the Great Church but continues to extol its revered
founder. It is he, that Beloved Disciple, who is source of their distinctive
story of the life and teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus. He is an
anonymous saint - and they are the best kind! Verse 25, as conclusion of the
epilogue, is a conscious echo of the original conclusion (20:30-31). The
fourth gospel is, indeed, a story of Jesus. It is not the whole story.
Jesus was arrested, but on his terms. He took command and
was in command to the end. He spoke forthrightly to the high priest. The
trial before Pilate is high drama as Jesus and Pilate dialogued. It became
increasingly clear that Pilate was the one on trial. At the end, after thrice
pronouncing Jesus not guilty, he condemned an innocent man.
Carrying his own cross, Jesus went to Golgotha. In a
closing gesture he confirmed the Mother and Beloved Disciple as models of
faith. Jesus chose his moment of death - the moment when all is fulfilled.
His last breath was bestowal of the Spirit. As Passover Lamb, not a bone of
him was broken. He was given a royal burial by two erstwhile hidden
disciples.
The Beloved Disciple was the one who understood the
meaning of the empty tomb. Mary Magdalene recognised the voice of the Good
Shepherd. She was sent (apostolos) to proclaim the good news. Jesus came to
his disciples to bestow on them the Spirit - his new presence. Thomas became
the occasion of our comfort: the blessedness of those who believe without
seeing. This gospel, like each gospel, was concerned throughout with
christology and discipleship.
An Epilogue narrates the rehabilitation of Peter and
confirms the status of the Beloved Disciple. Both are dead. The Good News
abides.
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