The Gospel of John and the Religious Quest. Johannes Nissen

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The Gospel of John and the Religious Quest - Johannes Nissen


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of humankind (v. 4). Hence, there is no doubt whatsoever that the Word plays a crucial role in God’s creation, cf. also the Christ hymn in Col 1:15–20.

      This Logos Christology makes sense as a means of describing God’s working in all human lives. On the other hand the Fourth Gospel also affirms that religion as a human phenomenon is deeply ambiguous: “The light shines in darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (1:5).

      The Incarnated Word as the Interpretation of God

      The response to this fundamental ambiguity in the human being may be found in the second part of the Prologue, which in a confessional form expresses the unique character of the Christian message. The climax is the incarnation in v. 14: “The word became flesh and lived among us.” After the incarnation the Word is not just present in the world as that which shines in the darkness—cf. the concept of Logos Spermatikos. Now God has revealed himself in his fullness in the only begotten Son. In him is grace and truth. No one is comparable with him, not even Moses. The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ, that is in his person (1:17). The uniqueness of Jesus is underlined even in the concluding verse 18. No one has ever seen God—but the only Son, the incarnated Word, has interpreted him to all mankind. The linguistic form of the verb (in Greek: aorist) is a clear indication that the verse refers to the historical and personal life of Jesus. God’s real nature is expressed in his encompassing love and power.

      There is a yearning among human beings to see God. John does not deny this, but he insists that it is merely through the incarnated Word that man is able to know who God is. It is in believing in Jesus, the incarnated Word, that people can see God, cf. 1:18 and 14:9: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” In the middle of the Prologue (vv.11–13) the emphasis is on human decision. Jesus came to his own (i.e., all people or perhaps just the Jewish people), but his own did not accept him. However, to all those who did receive him was given the power to become the children of God. These words remind us of the thrust of the entire gospel: that those who believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, may have life in his name (20:31); the point is that they are born of God.

      Particularity and Universality in the Interpretation of Christ

      This analysis of the Prologue shows that from its very beginning the Gospel is cosmic and universal in perspective. The issues are all ultimate: the origin and meaning of creation, the attainment of authentic life, and the search for God. These are elements common to all religious systems. But a Christian interpretation cannot remain here; and so John moves from these universal elements to the earthly, historical Jesus. The movement is from the universal to the particular, from the global to the local, from eternity to history, from the impersonal to the personal. Men and women are called to follow that movement, and thereby realize that Jesus Christ is the unique revealer of the living God (1:18).

      The Gospel as a whole also reflects a movement in the opposite direction: from the historical and concrete to the universal and cosmic. A salient feature is the emphasis on the universality of Christ. One of many examples is the cross of Jesus with its inscription: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews,” written not only in Hebrew, but also in Latin and Greek (19:20), that is, the major languages of that time. Towards the end of his public work Jesus is found by some Greeks wishing to see him (12:20ff.). He answers their request by speaking of his suffering, death, and glorification, and says that he will draw all people to himself when he is lifted up from the earth (12:32). The universal importance of Jesus is also underlined by the use of many different titles of Christ; this is particularly evident in 1:35–51, cf. “Images of Christ” in Part Two.

      Contemporary perspectives

      Syncretism and accommodation


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