Sent: A Working Resource for the Gospel of John and the Letters of John

By Stan Johnson

Has Johns Gospel ever seemed an enigmaa wondrous and enticing enigma, but nonetheless puzzling? SENT provides a resourceful entre into Johns Gospel, that will be of encouragement to pastors, teachers, and small group leaders alike.

As a resource to Johns Gospel and the Letters of John, SENT seeks to combine the concluding statement of John 20 with Jesus affirmation of John 17:

But these [signs] have been written in order that you might believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, the One who said, As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

Given this combination, SENT addresses two questions: to whom was Jesus sent and with what message? Moreover, through the entre of John 17, Jesus I AM statements resonate profoundly, even as the voice of Johns Gospel echoes throughout the Letters of John.

SENT provides Scriptural texts in Greek and English, study questions, and meditations. The format is simple: divided into workable parts, it follows the course of the academic year in conjunction with the Christian calendar. It may be used devotionally or as an aid to teaching and preaching.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781512704648

Stan Johnson

Stan Johnson, born and raised in Salinas, California, has degrees from UC Berkeley, Princeton Theological Seminary, the University of Notre Dame, and Louisville Theological Seminary. As a pastor-teacher, he has ministered in California, Indiana and Massachusetts, and feels a keen pull to Malawi, where he has been invited to teach regularly at the Josophat Mwale Theological Institute. With his wife, Mary, he greatly enjoys their seven grandchildren.

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Copyright © 2015 Stan Johnson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Regarding Parts 1, 3 and 6, the Scripture quotations contained therein are from:

the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyrighted 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America, and are used by permission. All rights reserved.

Regarding Parts 2 and 4, Scripture taken from:

the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

Regarding Parts 5 and 6, Scripture quotations are from:

the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked SBLGNT are from the SBL Greek New Testament. Copyright © 2010 Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-0463-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-0464-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015912251

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/21/2015

Contents

With profound respect,

this resource is dedicated

to my faithful brothers and sisters,

Nkhoma Synod, Malawi,

and to the many others who labor

on behalf of the

Central Church of Africa: Presbyterian.

And with genuine thanksgiving,

it is dedicated

to our family of faith,

First Presbyterian Church,

Quincy, Massachusetts,

who sent us forth in love.

Preface

The Present Approach:

With regard to the Scriptures and any particular text of Scripture, this resource presupposes three basic questions:

1) What does the text say?

2) What did it mean?

3) What does it mean?

The answer to the first question is dependent upon the transmission of those ancient, Biblical texts in their original languages. For this reason, within this resource the Greek text of the New Testament has been included. Here great reliance is placed upon the diligent expertise of scholars, who, having also relied upon a wonderful history of transmission, have sought to provide texts closest to the chosen words and/or word-order of the New Testament’s first authors.

The answers to the second question are manifold, but will primarily centre upon the literary and historical context of any given passage. Here knowledge of New Testament Greek (and so again the inclusion of the Greek text) in combination with a Greek lexicon and concordance are very helpful—but not absolutely essential. A comparison of two or three different translations with an appropriate dictionary at hand can prove greatly beneficial. The intent, however, is to discern the author’s literary meaning and purpose, which will therefore prompt further questions: Generally and specifically, what is the literary context of a given passage? What both precedes and follows a particular text? What is its structure? Does it contain repeated words, phrases and/or themes? Is its vocabulary colorful or unusual? And does it refer to prevailing customs, of which its first recipients were knowledgeable?

This latter question then opens a text, not only to its literary but also to its historical and/or cultural context. Bible commentaries and dictionaries now help to address questions regarding a particular culture or its historic setting. With their aid, a further question can be asked: What did the text mean to its original audience and/or recipients?

As to the third question, the application of the text will probably not be radically different for a first century or a twenty-first century audience. This noted, the cultural differences between first-century Rome and twenty-first century Lilongwe are marked, and therefore how one applies love one another or enter no town of the Samaritans might vary greatly. The meaning of a passage should not vary greatly from its original intent to its present-day reception; but the application of that meaning might vary widely. For instance, who of the first century could realistically have conceived of a world of TVs, cell phones, and air travel, and how these impact thought-forms, communication and relationships? And yet, human behavior, apart from modern advances, appears fundamentally consistent from one era to the next, from one culture to another.

As a concluding thought, the approach presented here seeks to avoid the adage: a text without a context is a pretext. That is, the approach here seeks to draw-out from the text its meaning (i.e. exegesis), rather than reading-into the text one’s own thoughts and feelings (i.e. eisegesis).

The Questions:

With each passage of Scripture, questions have been provided. The intent of these questions is two-fold: to provide text-specific questions, which might unlock an incident and its meaning; and, to provide inductive questions for small group Bible studies. These questions assume the above mentioned Approach, even as they hope to encourage an imagined picturing of the setting and what occurred within each incident. Picturing an incident is very helpful in gleaning its meaning: if we can see, we might truly understand.

If the questions are to be used within a small group setting, the following guidelines are encouraged:

1) Each group session is to be enjoyable and informational—and non-threatening.

2) Personal concerns shared by group members should remain within the group.

3) Group members need not feel compelled to answer any or all questions.

4) Group members should be encouraged to be sensitive to one another, by listening to and affirming one another, without dominating the conversation.

5) A group leader is more a facilitator rather than a teacher. That is, the group leader seeks to guide the group through the discussion questions, helping group members learn from the text and from one another. Clearly, however, the group leader must be familiar with the passage, the questions and their possible answers.

The Meditations:

The meditations of this resource have been provided merely as examples. Originally they were sermons, consisting of an introduction, textual reflections, and application. In their present form, they are intended to prompt further reflection and/or discussion, with the sincere hope that the Word of the Lord might be heard.

Regarding Textual Reflections, these are given, in order to help those who hear the text to better understand the literary and/or historical context of the passage. These Reflections are intended to draw-out meaning, and in that regard they are intended to be exegetical. This noted, they are intended neither to be a Biblical commentary nor a scholarly lecture. Instead, they are intended to clarify understanding, so that appropriate applications might be made. As a consequence, this resource does not address those questions surrounding the authorship and/or the dating of John’s Gospel and the Letters of John.

Regarding Application, generally one or two applications have been given, but these do not exhaust the variety of possible applications. The same Biblical passage, even shared by the same person among the same congregants, might elicit different applications. For instance, the same passage (e.g. John 1:1-18), shared at a baptism or shared at a funeral, would most likey be heard and applied differently; nevertheless, the passage might be appropriate for either setting, given the particulars of people and place.

Prayer:

Throughout this resource, much attention has been given to the work of exegeting John’s Gospel; and yet, without the gracious work of the Spirit of Christ, who makes all of us alive to the text of Scripture (i.e. John 14:26), this work will be for naught. Prayer, one of our primary means of communicating with the Risen and Living Lord, is essential. Ultimately a good sermon or a good study is one through which the Living Word is heard, through which a disciple encounters afresh her or his Lord. For this to occur, as was true for John the Baptist (John 3:30), the messenger/preacher/teacher must recede into the background. Our Lord must increase, whereas we must decrease.

Translations:

Within this resource, three fine translations have been provided. Others could have been used to equal benefit. As always and when possible, it is most helpful to compare several translations, if one cannot work with the Greek text. But again, we have been blessed with many fine translations.

Part 1.

Just As He Was Sent

This resource employs Jesus’ words of John 17 as its entrée into the heart and message of John’s Gospel. Such a deliberate choice is not a critique of John and his utterly profound Prologue, but is rather a reflection of the great frequency with which the verb to send, ἀποστέλλω, occurs within his Gospel. Just as Jesus sent His disciples of the first century, so too He sends His disciples of the twenty-first century.

1. Text and Questions:

John 17: 1-5

1: After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you,

² since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

³ And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

⁴ I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do.

⁵ So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. (New Revised Standard Version.)

1: Ταῦτα ἐλάλησεν Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἐπάρας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἶπεν· Πάτερ, ἐλήλυθεν ἡ ὥρα· δόξασόν σου τὸν υἱόν, ἵνα ὁ υἱὸς δοξάσῃ σέ, 2 καθὼς ἔδωκας αὐτῷ ἐξουσίαν πάσης σαρκός, ἵνα πᾶν ὃ δέδωκας αὐτῷ δώσῃ αὐτοῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. 3 αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωὴ ἵνα γινώσκωσι σὲ τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν. 4 ἐγώ σε ἐδόξασα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, τὸ ἔργον τελειώσας ὃ δέδωκάς μοι ἵνα ποιήσω· 5 καὶ νῦν δόξασόν με σύ, πάτερ, παρὰ σεαυτῷ τῇ δόξῃ ᾗ εἶχον πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι παρὰ σοί. (SBLGNT.)

1. Questions for verses 1-5:

Jesus prayed in terms of glory: what do you think He meant by glory?

How would you describe Jesus’ relationship with His Father?

What authority was given to Jesus?

How did Jesus define eternal life? What is the implication of this definition?

What great claim did Jesus make about His life upon the earth? What other and further claim did He make?

1. Text and Questions:

John 17: 6-8

6: "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

⁷ Now they know that everything you have given me is from you;

⁸ for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. (New Revised Standard Version.)

6: Ἐφανέρωσά σου τὸ ὄνομα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις οὓς ἔδωκάς μοι ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου. σοὶ ἦσαν κἀμοὶ αὐτοὺς ἔδωκας, καὶ τὸν λόγον σου τετήρηκαν. 7 νῦν ἔγνωκαν ὅτι πάντα ὅσα δέδωκάς μοι παρὰ σοῦ εἰσιν· 8 ὅτι τὰ ῥήματα ἃ ἔδωκάς μοι δέδωκα αὐτοῖς, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔλαβον καὶ ἔγνωσαν ἀληθῶς ὅτι παρὰ σοῦ ἐξῆλθον, καὶ ἐπίστευσαν ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας. (SBLGNT.)

1. Questions for verses 6-8:

What does it mean to make manifest or evident your name?

How was it that the disciples knew who sent Jesus?

What is the content of the disciples’ belief?

Once again, describe Jesus and the Father’s relationship.

1. Text and Questions:

John 17: 9-11

9: I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours.

¹⁰ All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.

¹¹ And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.

Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. (New Revised Standard Version.)

9: ἐγὼ περὶ αὐτῶν ἐρωτῶ· οὐ περὶ τοῦ κόσμου ἐρωτῶ ἀλλὰ περὶ ὧν δέδωκάς μοι, ὅτι σοί εἰσιν, 10 καὶ τὰ ἐμὰ πάντα σά ἐστιν καὶ τὰ σὰ ἐμά, καὶ δεδόξασμαι ἐν αὐτοῖς. 11 καὶ οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ εἰσίν, κἀγὼ πρὸς σὲ ἔρχομαι. πάτερ ἅγιε, τήρησον αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου ᾧ δέδωκάς μοι, ἵνα ὦσιν ἓν καθὼς ἡμεῖς. (SBLGNT.)

1. Questions for verses 9-11:

What further claim did Jesus make? How do you understand this claim?

How did Jesus understand His position?

What was His desire for the disciples?

If this desire was fulfilled, what would be the result?

1. Meditation: Yours

John 17: 1-11

John 17 has often been considered as Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, offered just prior to His going to Gethsemane, where He became the High Priest offering Himself as the pure sacrifice. From this perspective two questions might follow, thus informing our understanding of John 17:1-11. First, how might the anticipated offering of Himself have influenced what He prayed? And second, given His offering, how might He have understood His disciples’ calling?

Textual Reflections:

Listening to another person’s prayer often reveals the heart and mind of that other. This has been true for me, as I have listened to Jesus’ prayer. In John 17 we hear Jesus praying only hours before His betrayal, arrest, flogging, shameful ridicule and crucifixion. His was and is a most remarkable prayer:

First, He prayed for the eleven disciples gathered about Him. He prayed that His holy Father might keep, preserve and/or protect them in His and His Father’s name. Here Jesus alluded to the ancient Hebrew understanding: one’s name often indicated one’s character. Thus, to be kept in the Father and the Son’s Name was to live in those traits so characteristic of God: creative power, righteousness, justice, compassion, mercy, longsuffering, generosity, faithfulness, freedom and grace. Jesus prayed that these traits might characterize His disciples, in order that His disciples might be one, even as Jesus and His Father were and are one. He prayed that His disciples might be united, and that their union might be based upon those relational characteristics, which transcend creed or cause.

Second, Jesus prayed in terms of His oneness with the Father. His prayer reflects a profound reciprocity between Son and Father: the Father was to glorify the Son, in order that the Son might glorify the Father. The Son’s authority, His words, work and even His disciples were gifts given to Him by His Father—gifts He now sought to return to His Father. With their return, He could claim: All that is mine is yours, and all that is yours is mine. By affirming this reciprocity—this oneness—Jesus made three further, astounding acknowledgements: First, He had now completed the work the Father had given to Him. Without question (even given His prayer in Gethsemane), He knew that He had done what had been asked of Him, neither more nor less. Second, He had known glory with the Father prior to creation—all that was, is and will be. And the third acknowledgement is this: knowing the only true God and His Son whom the Father sent is knowing eternal life. Eternal life is not a future occurrence but a present-time relationship. Jesus was sent not to establish a new religion, but to reestablish an absolutely severed relationship between a holy God and an unholy people.

Application:

If Jesus’ prayer reveals much about the heart and mind of its Author, then we do well to ponder the observation of C.S. Lewis: either these are the words of one who spoke the truth: a death-row prayer gains nothing by deceit and/or ostentatious disclaimers; or, these are the words of one who was sadly even if sincerely delusional.¹

Believing that His prayer reveals the truth about who He was and is, I would ask of you several questions: What does your prayer-life reveal about your heart and mind? and, for what and whom do you most regularly pray? I must confess that my prayer-life is greatly ego-centric, but very unlike Jesus’ prayer. Admittedly, Jesus’ prayer is ego-centered but only so that others, first His Father and then His disciples, might benefit from His life. He prayed that His life might be given-away for the sake of others: as the Apostle Paul later wrote, Jesus did not regard equality with God something to be grasped, but rather, poured Himself out, humbling Himself, becoming an obedient servant even unto death upon a Roman cross. Do you pray that your life might be spent, completely depleted, given-away for the sake of others? Jesus did.

Because Jesus has gone to the Father and is with the Father, we can experience eternal life now: knowing the only true God and the One He sent, Jesus Christ, the very Son of God. And so, yet another question: Are you presently experiencing and enjoying eternal life? To experience eternal life, to know the Father and the Son, is to pray as Jesus did: what’s mine is yours. Take my life; take my time; take my treasures; take my talents—they’re yours even as I am yours.

2. Text and Questions:

John 17: 12-16

12: While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled.

¹³ But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.

¹⁴ I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.

¹⁵ I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.

¹⁶ They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. (New Revised Standard Version.)

12: ὅτε ἤμην μετ’ αὐτῶν ἐγὼ ἐτήρουν αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου ᾧ δέδωκάς μοι, καὶ ἐφύλαξα, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀπώλετο εἰ μὴ ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας, ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ. 13 νῦν δὲ πρὸς σὲ ἔρχομαι, καὶ ταῦτα λαλῶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἵνα ἔχωσιν τὴν χαρὰν τὴν ἐμὴν πεπληρωμένην ἐν ἑαυτοῖς. 14 ἐγὼ δέδωκα αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον σου, καὶ ὁ κόσμος ἐμίσησεν αὐτούς, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου καθὼς ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου. 15 οὐκ ἐρωτῶ ἵνα ἄρῃς αὐτοὺς ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἀλλ’ ἵνα τηρήσῃς αὐτοὺς ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ. 16 ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου οὐκ εἰσὶν καθὼς ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου. (SBLGNT.)

2. Questions for verses 12-16:

Jesus spoke of His relationship to His disciples: what was that relationship and what was changing?

He also spoke of the world: what do you think He meant by that word?

What will be the disciples’ joy and why?

What did He ask, and what did He not