Fr. Randolf Flores, SVD is the professor from the Philippines. He helps us to have a clear foundation on the Johannine community. I have contributed this report.
1. What is the role of Nicodemus in the Forth Gospel?
There are three passages in the Gospel of John where we can find the names of Nicodemus are mentioned. First, we found his name appeared in the conversation with Jesus (3:1-20) but apparently he has just disappeared and left us only the teaching of Jesus. The second time is that when they discussed about the origins of the Messiah (7:40-52). And the third time that we found the name of Nicodemus appeared is that when they buried Jesus in the tomb (19:38-42).
The name of Nicodemus is mentioned only in the Gospel of John. We cannot find elsewhere in the other New Testament writings. One might presume that Nicodemus is served as a figure of the one who has been progressing in faith. Like Nicodemus, we have our own journey of faith that from an unfaithful one becomes a partial faith one and gradually becomes a perfect faith in Jesus.
Nicodemus, a Pharisee and probably might have been one of a member of the Sanhedrin, came to see Jesus “at night”. The mention of the word “night” is a symbolic used in John as it stands for ignorance or evil. Because Nicodemus might not want others to know that he has contacted with Jesus.
In verses 3- 5, after the formula of Amen saying, Jesus mentioned about being born of water and spirit. This is echoing the motif of Baptism which Nicodemus did not understand when Jesus said about being born from above. Nicodemus, in this story, is served as a representative of the group of Pharisees. They denied believing in Jesus not even in his works.
Consequently, Jesus developed his teaching about his incarnation and the salvation plan that will be fulfilled by Jesus. Jesus connected his teaching with the story of Moses in the desert. Moses is the Hero of Israelites who gave them the law. In the story, because of Moses lifted up the serpent that the people might have life, this is a typology of the cross of Jesus. The life that we receive from Jesus is an eternal life not just a physical life as it was in the time of Moses. The cross of Jesus which was lifted up will grant salvation for us.
The figure of Nicodemus reflects my own experience of the journey of faith. Sometimes, when there is a problem in my life, I turn to God and pray to him putting my faith in him with a hopeful trust that God will always help me. But whenever I am happy or at peace, I do not think about the help of God or even pray to him. Then the problem occurs again and this time I am reminded about my faith again. During the catechism class I always encourage the students to have faith in God and put all their trust in him. The word of encouragement I gave in the class seemed to be no power because there was no experience or deeds that give flesh to the words. It is clear to me that without any experience I cannot share with other about my own faith. It has become a cycle process of believing in Jesus. And therefore, like Nicodemus, I need to make my own journey of faith become a perfect faith which is a gradual process in my life and make my faith become tangibility.
2.How does John portray Jesus as the good shepherd?
In chapter 10, we have seen four characteristics of the good shepherd as following;
1. The good shepherd is contrast with the thief. (Jn 10: 1-6)
2. The good shepherd is like the gate for the sheep. (Jn 10: 7-10)
3. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (Jn 10: 11-12)
4. The good shepherd knows his sheep. (Jn 10: 14-21)
The fourth character of the good shepherd here indicates the intimate relationship of knowing each other. The shepherd, who is Jesus himself, knows each and every one in his flock. This character leads us to the significant relationship especially in the Old Testament. It is not just an intellectual knowledge but rather an intimate knowledge. This is very important to notice that the good shepherd is able to name each and every one of his flock. He laid down his own life for them.
In the Old Testament we have an image of David, the shepherd who protected his own sheep from the lion or the bear (1 Sam 17:35-36). Subsequently, he was anointed to become the king of Israel (2 Sam 5:3) who united the whole country and protected his own people. For Israelites, David is the great king. But on the contrary, there is also an image of bad shepherds or bad kings, likewise, Jeroboam, Ahab, Omri, Rehoboam, Ahaz etc. These kings did not lead the people into a way of righteousness and faithful to the Lord who is their only true king.
The bad shepherds mentioned in the gospel of John, which I think, they were in the time of Jesus. The Pharisees and religious leaders were the bad shepherds in the time of Jesus because they did not lead the people to the right way but rather they impose on people burdens hard to carry and accused people of committing sins. When the people were about to come to Jesus who is the gate, they persuaded them and pulled them out of the way. Therefore they are the bad shepherds. In the time of the foundation of the gospel of John, there might be also the bad shepherd who taught people the wrong way or even the heresy. In our contemporary, there are also some kind of bad shepherds, they, somehow, do not protect they own sheep but rather destroy them.
In chapter 9, we have a figure of the blind man who hears and recognizes Jesus. This character serves as a paradigm for us, as the disciples of Jesus we must listen to his voice and follow him. The blind man was able to recognize Jesus. He is an example of a sheep in the flock guided by Jesus, the good shepherd.
In the early Christian community, there were the apostles and Fathers of the Church who tried to take care of the people, teaching and explaining the life of Jesus. During the persecution, they sacrificed themselves for the sake of Christ. This is the reason why we have such a wonderful saying of Tertullian (160-225 C.E.) as “The blood of Christians is effective seed” (semen est sanguis Christianorum, Apologeticus, 50, 13).
An example of a good shepherd, I would like to mention the life of Father Jean Mary Dantonel, M.E.P. He was my spiritual director who has just passed away last month. He is a French missionary who dedicated his whole life for the mission in Thailand and especially in Lux Mundi Major Seminary. Though his mission was different from other missionaries, he totally gave up his life and led his flock to the eternal truth. As a philosopher, he enlightened the seminarians to know the Absolute truth and how to pursue it. As a spiritual director, he guided the boys to realize their actual selves. As a good shepherd, he knew each and every one of his own flock. He laid down his life for them to protect them from an unjust judgment. For this reason, I proudly say that he is a good shepherd who follows the footsteps of his master, Jesus Christ.
3.Why was Jesus condemned to death, and by whom?
There are two accounts that we can only find in the gospel of John;
1.John precisely gave us the detail of the conversation between Pilate and the
Jewish authority (Jn 18:28-32).
2.The interrogation of Pilate about the origin and power of Jesus (Jn 19:9-12).
According to Brown, the observation of Fr. Boismard O.P., a French Dominican scholar, has shown us an interchange of the scenes between outside the praetorium and inside the praetorium. There are seven scenes in this rotary episode as following;
1.The Jews requested death penalty on Jesus from Pilate. (Jn 18:28-32)
2.Pilate asked Jesus about his kingship. (Jn 18:33-38a)
3.Pilate found no guilt in Jesus. (Jn 18:38b-40)
4.The soldiers mocked at Jesus. (Jn 19:1-3)
5.Pilate found no guilt in Jesus. (Jn 19:4-8)
6.Pilate questioned about the origin of Jesus. (Jn 19:9-12a)
7.The Jews obtained death penalty on Jesus. (Jn 19:12b-16)
The portrait of Pilate in the Gospel of John points to us that he did not want to be responsible for the death of Jesus. John put that he found no guilt in Jesus for three times. He even wanted to release Jesus but he could not resist the demanding of the crowd. He was once reported to Caesar. Pilate, therefore, had to hand Jesus over to them. However he proclaimed the kingship of Jesus and, later on, gave the permission to remove the body of Jesus.
According to Russel, the evidences of the Jewish historians, Philo and Josephus, revealed to us that Pilate had difficulties with the Jewish authorities. At the beginning of his power in Jerusalem, he infuriated the Jews by having a divine emperor marching into the City and set the headquarters in the corner of the Temple. From then, he always had conflicts with the Jews.
It is very interesting that in Jn 19:5 we found the word “Ecce homo” which means “behold the man!” After finding no guilt in Jesus, Pilate tried to persuade the people to sympathize on Jesus who is the Man of Sorrows, who was rejected by the Jews. In a literary sense, one might see that Jesus was the one who was being judged, but on the other hand, I think Pilate was the one that being judged. He had conflicts in his mind whether to follow his conscience or to please the Jews. And in a spiritual sense, it was the Jews who were being judged by Jesus. Because they failed to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah who comes to save them.
4.Who is Mary of Magdala in the Fourth Gospel?
The name of Mary of Magdala was mentioned twice in chapter 20, which has served as an important figure of the journey of faith. In John 20:1, we have Mary of Magdala who was the one who came to the tomb very early in the morning. We have a noticeable word that John put in this passage, dark. The word “dark” is a symbol of unbelief of evil. We have, therefore, a movement of Mary who at first did not believe in the resurrection of Jesus. Later on in John 20:18, after having a conversation with the risen Lord, Mary was the first one who announced the good news to the disciples. These two passages are very good example of the journey of faith, which might begin from unfaith to a partial faith and gradually become a perfect faith.
In the tomb, John tells us, Mary sees the two angels while Luke puts two men standing inside (Lk 24:4), Mark writes that a young man sitting inside (Mk 16:5) and Matthew inscribes an angel sitting outside. Brown indicated that it is the variants of oral tradition. But what is happening in the tomb has been deliberating the faith in the disciple.
At first, Mary cannot recognize the risen Lord but when he asks her of whom is she looking for. She thought it was the gardener. This reminds us about the role of God in the creation. In Genesis, God takes care of all the plantations and He is the one who makes it grow. Therefore the role of God is somehow like a gardener. Later on Jesus calls her “Mary”, by this voice that she is able to recognize the Lord. This figure brings us back to the Good shepherd narrative in chapter ten “they will hear my voice”.
Consequently, Jesus said to her not to hold him because he is about to ascend to the Father. We can say that for John, the crucifixion, resurrection, exaltation and ascension, these are a part of a single event. That is why Jesus sent Mary to bring the good news to his disciples whom are now not only his friends but his children. The work of Jesus on the cross has brought power for the disciples to become the children of God (Jn 1:12).
St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 – 1153) introduced the title of Mary as “the apostle of the apostles” because she is sent by the Lord to tell the disciples about the good news of the resurrection. The meaning of the word “apostle” is one who is being sent. For Mary, in this context she is the one who is sent by the Lord.
5.How is the first letter of John related to the Gospel of John?
The purpose of 1John is to confirm and explain the true teaching in the gospel of John for the Johannine community because there was the rise of the group of those who deny that Jesus is Christ, the Son of God. They, therefore, are called the antichrists. According to Brown, they probably thought that salvation came solely from the entrance of the Son of God into the world, so that the historical career of Jesus had no salvific importance.
The author of 1 John also warns the readers to beware of the antichrists especially from their false teachings. One might call them heretics. They claim not committing sins. They also deny the incarnation of the Son.
There are different qualities of God explained in this letter, likewise, God is light, God is just and God is love. In the gospel of John, these titles are attributed to Jesus. In 1 John, the author emphasizes the humanity of Jesus and also the divinity of Christ whom he calls God (1Jn 5:20).
The instruction of 1John encourages the reader to walk in the light. We have already the concept of duality in Johannine theology. Then light and darkness are in pair of the view of the author. Darkness is a symbol of evil, so those who do not believe in Christ, they do not practice his commandment. Therefore their ways lead them to death. On the contrary, those who walk in light are the people who follow the commandment of Jesus. Walking in the light also implies to do and live the life in accordance with the truth.
We should love one another because we are begotten of God by faith and Baptism, because God is love. Therefore, to remain in love is to abide in God. This intimate relationship has a radical meaning of faith and love. We must acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God. Our faith is rooted in love and because of this deep relationship we can overcome the world and conquer the evil one. The teaching of this letter presents to us an instruction of walking in the light of God, living as children of God with love and faith in him. Those who believe in God must, therefore, love God because God is love. They also have to love one another by sharing with others the faith and the love of God.
I can see some similarities in theological teaching between the gospel of John and 1John. Both of them have the common idea which emphasize on the word (logos), light and darkness, life and death, truth and falsehood, the new birth of the Christian, children of God, the Holy Spirit of God and the intimate relationship between the Father and the Son. These theological ideas encourage us to be communion with God by sharing our lives with others. It is a reflection of the new commandment that Jesus commands us to love one another. Because God is love and he who loves is born of God and knows God. By doing so, we will abide in love and share in his eternal life.
Some links:
http://www.catholic-resources.org/index.html
(karlrahner)
http://www.introductiontojohn.blogspot.com
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