Exegesis of the Introduction of Jesus

John 1:29-34
NT 503: The Gospe !ccording to John
"e#$ %tephen %&oc's
(r$ )&u *$ Ngu+en, -*.
/ongreg&tionis -0&toru1 (e&t&e *&ri&e .irginis
-cto0er 3, 2014
Ngu+en 2
This pericope 2John 1:29-343 definiti#e+ introduces Jesus to the 4ourth Gospe n&rr&ti#e,
&nd e&0or&tes on John the (&ptist, si1ut&neous+ de1onstr&ting the high /hristoog+ &nd
&re&d+ &nticip&ting the &ct of rede1ption th&t 5i cose the &ccount$
T5o textu& issues shoud 0e noted$ The first is the preposition& phr&se 6 in #$
32$ This 1&+ t&'e &s its su07ect either the spirit 2 3 or the do#e 23, +ieding
the &tern&te re&dings 8descending fro1 he&#en i'e & do#e9 &nd 8descending i'e & do#e fro1
the s'+$9
1
The difference 1&+ &1ost 0e ignored, ho5e#er, 0ec&use the critic& e#ent is the
descent of the spirit to re1&in on Jesus, &nd the det&is 8do#e9 &nd 8fro1 he&#en:s'+9 &re
see1ing+ 1ore de#icefu for eng&ging the Je5ish &udience th&n c&rif+ing theoogic& ter1s$
The second textu& issue is the &ncient di#erse re&dings of the fin& phr&se in #$ 34:
$ -ther &ncient &uthorities re&d 28the chosen one93$ Though scho&rship &0ounds,
the pre#&iing exp&n&tion for the di#ersit+ of texts is th&t it see1s 1ore i'e+ th&t &n e&rier
8chosen9 #ersion 5&s re5ritten &s 8son of God9 th&n the opposite 1ut&tion, &nd th&t 5ith its
expicit /hristoogic& &nd Joh&nnine connections, the 8son of God9 re&ding 5oud 0e preferred$
2
(runer notes th&t the ;(% &so chose this re&ding for their 5or'ing Gree' text, 0ut
%chn&c'en0erg &nd *c<ugh prefer 8chosen9 or 8eect9 re&dings, especi&+ for their connection
to Is$ 42:1$ This interpret&tion 5oud 0e supported 0+ )&estini&n Je5s, 5ho identified the
suffering ser#&nt &s &n indi#idu&, 5here&s the <eenistic co11unities understood th&t ser#&nt
in & coecti#e &ppic&tion$
3
This short text is dense 5ith Joh&nnine 'e+5ords$ !1ong the 1ore not&0e &re: 0&pti=e,
&10, do#e, testif+:re#e&, son of God, &nd see$ (&ptis1 is presented in t5o for1s: John is the
one 5ho 0&pti=es 5ith 5&ter, &nd Jesus 5i 0&pti=e 5ith the ho+ spirit 2#$ 31 &nd 333$ The
i1&ge of the &10 2 3 is 1ore intriguing, 0ec&use its specific connection to the
re1o#& of sins is unprecedented in Je5ish tr&dition> it 5&s not the proper &ni1& for &n
expi&tor+ s&crifice$ The strongest Je5ish i1&ger+ to support this is the sient &10 of the
1 ?eon *orris$ The Gospel According to John, The Ne5 Intern&tion& /o11ent&r+ on the Ne5 Test&1ent 2Gr&nd
"&pids: @1$ ($ Eerd1&ns )u0ishing /o, 19A13, 151$
2 (e&se+-*urr&+, John, .o$ 3B, World Biblical Commentary, %econd Edition 2N&sh#ie: Tho1&s Neson, 19993,
21$
3 4rederic' C&e (runer, The Gospel of John: A Commentary 2@ii&1 ($ Eerd1&ns )u0ishing /o1p&n+, 20123,
9A-9D$
Ngu+en 3
suffering ser#&nt in Is$ 53$
4
It coud &so 0e the &te Je5ish icon for #ictorious strength$
5
The 0est
underst&nding of this i1&ge see1s to co1e fro1 the co1posite identific&tions 5ith the
&fore1entioned s+10os &nd the &ctu& 5itness of JesusE fin& &ct of rede1ption, th&t is, &
hoistic her1eneutic th&t t&'es into &ccount the Je5ish context &nd the tot&it+ of this Gospe$
B

The do#e 5&s & respected 0ird 2not hunted or e&ten3, &nd e#o'ed the 1e1or+ of cre&tion 2GodEs
cre&ting spirit o#er the 5&ters3$
A
The %pirit coud 1e&n po5er, ife, &nd e#en God in Je5ish
circes, &nd 5oud 0ring to 1en the truth of God &nd the &0iit+ to recogni=e &nd pre&ch it
cour&geous+$
D
(&ptis1 5&s &n i11ersion, 5ith connot&tions &s f&r &s the i11ersion of
consciousness under the infuence of strong drin' 25hich is & feeting effect3> JohnEs 0&ptis1
signified ce&nsing &nd dedic&tion$ /o10ining & of these i1&ges 2do#e, spirit, 0&ptis13, Jesus,
on 5ho1 the %pirit descended i'e & do#e 2&nd re1&ined, 3, 5i 0&pti=e in the ho+ spirit,
1e&ning th&t his 0&ptis1, 5ith the s&1e effects of ce&nsing &nd dedic&tion, 5i persist 5ith its
gr&ces of iu1in&tion, cour&ge, &nd purific&tion$
9
The &st 'e+5ord is 8see9 5hich &ppe&rs four ti1es in three different roots in this
p&ss&ge, &though co11ent&tors dou0t there is &n+ signific&nt difference of connot&tion
de1onstr&ted in the text itsef$ The 1ore 1e&ningfu distinction to 1&'e is the use of the #&rious
tenses$ In #$ 29, refers to John the (&ptist, 5ho sees Jesus, &nd is in the n&rr&ti#e &orist,
5hich is st&nd&rd in Foine Gree'$ In #$ 32, John 5itnesses the descent of the %pirit on Jesus, &nd
it is the ife-ch&nging perfect tense: $ @hen he spe&'s of his o5n prophec+ &0out Jesus
fro1 8the one 5ho sent 1e,9 John spe&'s in the expected &orist su07uncti#e 2!3$ 4in&+, John
testifies to his o5n &udience direct+, t&'ing person& possession of 5h&t 5&s re#e&ed to hi1
2"#3 &nd c&rr+ing it into his 5itnessing 1inistr+ 2$%3$
10
"e+ing he&#i+ on "$ !&n /upepperEs in#it&tion to stud+ the iter&r+ design of the
4ourth Gospe, 5e c&n expore this p&ss&ge 5ith th&t ens$ The &non+1ous n&rr&tor pro#ides
on+ &n introduction to John the (&ptist 2#$ 293 &nd &n e1ph&tic 0r&c'et &round his testi1on+
4 (runer, John, 90-91$
5 @ii&1 (&rc&+, The Gospel of John, .o$ 1 2)hi&dephi&: @est1inster, 19A53, D2$
B (e&se+-*urr&+, John, 24-25$
A (&rc&+, John, D3-D5$
D I0id$
9 I0id$
10 *orris, John, 151, 153$
Ngu+en 4
2#$ 32: 8!nd John testified,9 N"%.3$ @ithin 5h&t John s&+s, he 0eco1es his o5n n&rr&tor,
spe&'ing in the present &nd &so &0out the p&st$ The ch&r&cteri=&tion of John &nd the found&tions
for Jesus &re signific&nt here$ In this short p&ss&ge, 5e disco#er in & #er+ n&tur& discursi#e 5&+
th&t Jesus existed 0efore John, 8r&n's &he&d9 of John, recei#ed the enduring presence of the
%pirit fro1 he&#en, 0&pti=es 5ith the ho+ spirit, &nd is the son of God, the &10 of God, 5ho
t&'es &5&+ sins$
11
%i1ut&neous+, John h&s est&0ished his &uthorit+ &s & 5itness &nd te&cher: he
e&rned fro1 the 4&ther 2the one 5ho sent hi1 to 0&pti=e 5ith 5&ter, #$ 333 &0out the %on 5ithout
&n+ in#ention of his o5n 2&' ( 3, &nd su0seGuent+ o0ser#ed the sign to 5hich
he no5 0e&rs 5itness$ It 1&+ 0e noted th&t JohnEs testi1on+ is first to Je5ish e&ders 2#$ 313, &nd
then to 8those 5ho c&1e to he&r hi1,9 &nd fin&+ to cert&in discipes 5ho 5oud foo5 Jesus
&nd e#en c& others$
12
E&ch of these ch&r&cters 5i de#eop further in the Gospe, 0ut &n
undeni&0e found&tion h&s &re&d+ 0een &id$
?et us turn to the historic& &nd cutur& f&ctors th&t &ffect our interpret&tion$ The
co11unit+ of John the (&ptist see1s to 0e & group &ccepted 0+ the Joh&nnine /hristi&ns, 0ut
perh&ps & group th&t is itsef hesit&nt to &ccept the1$ This p&ss&ge &nd the gre&ter proogue
see1s to &unch & dipo1&tic poe1ic to in#ite JohnEs foo5ers to f&ith in Jesus, to 5ho1 John
testified$
13
John c&i1s to re#e& Jesus to Isr&e, &nd uses the f&1ii&r i1&ge of the &10> 0oth of
these de1onstr&te the desire of the fourth e#&ngeist to reconcie reuct&nt 1e10ers of the
(&ptistEs co11unit+ 5ith /hristi&ns$
14
The co11unit+ of the fourth e#&ngeist, on the other
h&nd, h&s ce&r+ p&ced John the (&ptist, &t e&st ideoogic&+, 5ithin their o5n co11unit+$
15

)erh&ps to deepen the &ffinit+ 5ith Je5ish groups, this gospe see1s to connect Jesus 5ith the
prophetic figure foretod in the *os&ic tr&dition 2cf$ Ct$ 1D:1D3$
1B
The 4&thers h&#e identified & nu10er of the1es fo5ing fro1 the descent of the spirit &nd
JesusE forthco1ing 1inistr+ of 0&ptis1 in the ho+ spirit$ !ugustine sees in the do#e si1picit+
&nd no guie$ /+ri of Jerus&e1 refects on No&hEs experience &fter the food: Jesus in&ugur&tes
11 "$ !&n /upepper, Anatomy of the Fourth Gospel, 2)hi&dephi&: 4ortress, 19D33, D9, 9A, 10A$
12 (e&se+-*urr&+, John, 22$
13 "&+1ond E$ (ro5n, An Introduction to the Gospel of John, ed$ 4r&ncis *oone+ 2Ne5 Hor': Cou0ed&+, 20033,
155$ (e&se+-*urr&+, John, 23$ "&+1ond E$ (ro5n, The Community of the Beloed !isciple, 2Ne5 Hor':
)&uist, 19A93, 29$
14 (ro5n, Introduction to John, 1B0$
15 (ro5n, Community, 30$
1B (ro5n, Introduction to John, A1-A2$
Ngu+en 5
&n er& of pe&ce$ John /hr+sosto1 oo's 0&c'5&rd fro1 the 4&re5e Ciscourses to see the
function of the <o+ %pirit &s the one 5ho re#e&s the /hrist$
1A
! of these i1&ges h&#e re&d+
&nd profound i1pic&tions in p&stor& pr&ctice, in &ddition to their her1eneutic& #&ue$
?iturgic&+, this re&ding occurs on the %econd %und&+ of He&r ! in the present c+ce,
5hich is the %und&+ foo5ing the proc&1&tion of the (&ptis1 of Jesus &ccording to *&tthe5$
@hie the *&tthe&n &ccount is & si1pe n&rr&ti#e of the e#ent of JesusE 0&ptis1 2excepting the
phr&se 8&o5 it no5, for thus it is fitting for us to fufi & righteousness93, 5ith &
predo1in&nt+ &scending /hristoog+, the Joh&nnine presupposes & higher, descending
/hristoog+$ )erh&ps the /hurch suggests & co1pe1ent&r+ re&ding of the t5o texts$ @e c&n see
ourse#es in John the (&ptist 2h&#ing seen, 5e 1&+ no5 testif+, &nd e#en 0e sent3, &nd the
expi&tor+ s&crifice to co1e 2of the &10 of God3 5i 0e the fitting fufi1ent of righteousness,
thus iu1in&ting the cr+ptic phr&se in the *&tthe&n text$ !s this Joh&nnine text functions &s the
definiti#e introduction of the ch&r&cter of Jesus &s expi&tor+ ?&10 &nd %on of God for the 4ourth
Gospe, so its incusion &t the 0eginning of the ordin&r+ iturgic& c+ce 1&+ i'e5ise ser#e to
orient the entire +e&r$
1A (runer, John, 9B-9A$
Ngu+en B
"eferences
(&rc&+, @ii&1$ The Gospel of John$ .o$ 1$ )hi&dephi&: @est1inster, 19A5$
(e&se+-*urr&+$ John" .o$ 3B, World Biblical Commentary$ %econd Edition$ N&sh#ie: Tho1&s
Neson, 1999$
(ro5n, "&+1ond E$ The Community of the Beloed !isciple$ Ne5 Hor': )&uist, 19A9$
(ro5n, "&+1ond E$ An Introduction to the Gospel of John$ The !nchor (i0e "eference ?i0r&r+$
Edited 0+ 4r&ncis *oone+$ Ne5 Hor': Cou0ed&+, 2003$
(runer, 4rederic' C&e$ The Gospel of John: A Commentary$ Gr&nd "&pids: @ii&1 ($
Eerd1&ns )u0ishing /o1p&n+, 2012$
/upepper, "$ !&n$ Anatomy of the Fourth Gospel$ )hi&dephi&: 4ortress, 19D3$
*orris, ?eon$ The Gospel According to John$ The Ne5 Intern&tion& /o11ent&r+ on the Ne5
Test&1ent$ Gr&nd "&pids: @1$ ($ Eerd1&ns )u0ishing /o, 19A1$
%&+er, Ger&rd %$ John$ Interpretation$ !t&nt&: John Fnox, 19DD$
890A$9 Thayer#s Gree$ %e&icon$ http:::0i0ehu0$co1:th&+ers:90A$ht1$
!ccessed %epte10er 2D, 2014$
8991 IJKLM, 2300 NOPQ , 3A0D RKSKTUTV$9 'trong#s Gree$ Concordance$
http:::0i0ehu0$co1:gree':0epeiW991$ht1$ !ccessed %epte10er 2D, 2014$