OK SHERLOCK ... let's figure this out!
RECAP: Once upon a time (yeah, pretty long, long ago)I began a Bible study on the book of John. When I got to Ch.3 I came to a clumsy, screeching halt because I faced the fact that ... well ... I had no idea what was going on from John 3:1 to John 3:15. So! I backed up, and began trying to figure it all out by asking and exploring the questions my confusion spawned. Question 1: Why would a really good writer like John write such an obscure account? What was I missing??
OK! Fact: John was a good writer!. So...given "good writer" why did the beginning of Chapter 3 "seem" so ... well ... confusing? The problem HAD TO BE, I reasoned, with me. I was missing something. What did I know and what were the 'givens' that would help clear my understanding?
I took a step back, well more like 3 or 4 steps, to come at this story with perspective. In a puzzle, like a crossword puzzle, you look at clues and you look at context and you decide what those things tell you to help you know the answer to the puzzle. The Gospel of John is a unique gospel. The other 3 are synoptic, that is they give a synopsis or short pretty chronological retelling of the life, ministry, and death of Jesus. Not John. He tells us at the end of the book that he was purposeful about inclusion and exclusion of stories; he tells us he had a driving purpose.
John 20:30-3130
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. NIV
John does not begin his gospel like the other gospel writers, either. Matthew begins with the genealogy and then the events of Joseph being told by an angel to marry Mary, followed in short order by the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Mark begins with John the Baptist baptising Jesus. Luke starts with the Zechariah, John the Baptist's dad, hearing that he and Elizabeth are going to have a baby. All write about significant moments in the life of Jesus. But John leaps way back ... Genesis 1:1 back. John begins with the pre-incarnate Jesus at Creation. He then writes an amazing image-filled preface to his Gospel. In fact it seemed to me that where the other gospel writers wrote stories -- and did write them wonderfully -- John wove a tapestry, a work of art in words and images instead of thread and yarn.
OK! Fact: John was a good writer!. So...given "good writer" why did the beginning of Chapter 3 "seem" so ... well ... confusing? The problem HAD TO BE, I reasoned, with me. I was missing something. What did I know and what were the 'givens' that would help clear my understanding?
I took a step back, well more like 3 or 4 steps, to come at this story with perspective. In a puzzle, like a crossword puzzle, you look at clues and you look at context and you decide what those things tell you to help you know the answer to the puzzle. The Gospel of John is a unique gospel. The other 3 are synoptic, that is they give a synopsis or short pretty chronological retelling of the life, ministry, and death of Jesus. Not John. He tells us at the end of the book that he was purposeful about inclusion and exclusion of stories; he tells us he had a driving purpose.
John 20:30-3130
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. NIV
John does not begin his gospel like the other gospel writers, either. Matthew begins with the genealogy and then the events of Joseph being told by an angel to marry Mary, followed in short order by the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Mark begins with John the Baptist baptising Jesus. Luke starts with the Zechariah, John the Baptist's dad, hearing that he and Elizabeth are going to have a baby. All write about significant moments in the life of Jesus. But John leaps way back ... Genesis 1:1 back. John begins with the pre-incarnate Jesus at Creation. He then writes an amazing image-filled preface to his Gospel. In fact it seemed to me that where the other gospel writers wrote stories -- and did write them wonderfully -- John wove a tapestry, a work of art in words and images instead of thread and yarn.
OK -- tomorrow: What does the preface in John 1 do to help me understand. What do I already know, and what tidbits of clarity and what conclusions can I glean from what I know?
ok... I'm interested on where you are going with this. I feel like I should already know where you are going with this, or have heard you teach this before, but I am being lead along blindly - not sure what the conclusion is and very intrigued.
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