2 - Announcement: John 1–4

Summary

The opening chapters of the Gospel of John characterize Jesus in terms that are rooted deeply in the biblical past and that look forward to the future foreseen by Israel’s prophets. This chapter offers a close reading of several key sections in these opening chapters of John, specifically 1:1–18; 1:19–51; 2:13–22; 3:1–21; and 4:4–42. The readings offered here will show the Gospel’s sustained interest in presenting Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel’s eschatological expectations in a way that also grounds Jesus’ significance in the major symbols and commitments of the Jewish tradition. While presenting Jesus in these ways, John’s characterization of Jesus also closes down alternative visions for how God’s people might be faithful to their past as they anticipate God’s promised future. John presents Jesus and his significance through dense allusions, evocative scenes, and carefully constructed dialogues. As we examine John’s presentation of Jesus, it will be important to keep in mind throughout the following exegesis the primary claim of this study: that John consistently portrays Jesus as the one who provides an innovative continuity that links Israel’s past to its promised future.