Please read Chapters 11-22 of John's gospel.Your 4th MT study question notes that, while the Gospel of John is in some ways very different from the synoptic gospels, it often complements and suplements the synoptics.
Choose a verse or passage from the assigned chapters and a "parallel" verse or passage from one of the synoptics on the same subject (e.g., money, leadership, faith, etc.). Compare and contrast the two verses or passages.
The chapter that stands out to me (and potentially John since he provides the most detail of this event compared to the other Gospels) is Chapter 11 with Lazarus. People have argued that Jesus' lethargic attitude in the beginning is a sign that He didn't care as much. Anyone with basic apologetics knowledge would know that this would be false, as Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha. Ideally, Jesus uses Lazarus as the example of His power over death after Lazarus dies, and then Jesus raises him from the dead.
ReplyDeleteShortly after this, the plot to kill Jesus was in full effect, thus the start to building to the climax of the Gospel.
I liked the passage where Jesus enters Jerusalem in John chapter 12. Mark and Luke present this passage in very much a similar way, and Matthew does as well: simply adding more to the Old Testament prophecy around that. John adds some things though, that really help to complement the other gospels. He states at the beginning that there was a great crowd there from the feast, and doesn’t really go into detail about the colt that Jesus’ disciples find. I also found verse 16 to be very interesting: “His disciples did not understand at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him.” This gives light to the idea that John was writing this a little later, and it give us some context for what the disciples were thinking about and had realized after Jesus had risen from the dead. I think it also helps give the picture that the early church didn’t just stay stagnant; they were continuing to think and grow and learn and they kept putting the pieces together of everything Jesus did while he was on earth.
ReplyDeleteI compared the passage where Jesus predicts his betrayal. John has a whole account of the situation in which Jesus announces to his disciples that one of them will betray him. In looking at the same passages in Luke and Matthew, the accounts are much shorter and doesn't go into as much depth as the account in John. John's account of Jesus' prediction is much longer and also has much more dialogue than the other two accounts of the same passage. All three accounts get the same point across, however.
ReplyDeleteI chose to compare John 13:31-35 and Luke 18:31-34. Both these are Jesus talking to his disciplines that he will die. Both have Jesus talking about himself in third person. In the John passage it is not as descriptive as Luke. In Luke, Jesus says that he is Son of Man and he will be killed by non-Jews and he will rise on third day. In John Jesus says he receives his everything from God. He also says he will be killed.
ReplyDeleteJohn 13:1-17 talks about Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. He is humbling himself and showing humility by washing other peoples feet. Jesus is using this as symbolism saying, "“Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."
ReplyDeleteHe is the teacher that has set an example. This story really stood out to me. I don't remember seeing it in any of the other gospels.
I found it really interesting that in John 18 he talks about Peter denying Jesus once, then John goes on to talk about Jesus going before Annas before jumping back to Peter Denying Jesus two more times. Matthew and Luke on the other hand list Peter denying Jesus as one continuous event and don't even mention Annas. Its interesting to see John add just a little bit more detail since it is a supplement to the synoptic gospels
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