India Baptist Theological seminary

Topic: Johannine Theology of death and resurrection

Presenter: H Ponglem Konyak

Respondent: Chuimatai Singlai

Course Facilitator: Sir Willingson

Subject: Johannine Theology

Date: 3/09/21

Content

Introduction

A. The meaning of Death of Jesus in the Gospel of John

1. The death of Jesus: the anticipated hour

2. The death of Jesus: a cosmic victory

3. The death of Jesus: a Voluntary sacrifice

4. The death of Jesus: the fulfillment of scripture

5. The death of Jesus: the witness to Jesus identity

6. The death of Jesus: the hour of glorification

B. The Resurrection of Jesus According to John

C. The final consummation in Christ

D. The theology of the resurrection

Conclusion

Bibliography

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Introduction

In this paper, the presenter will be talking on the meaning of death of Jesus in the Gospel of John. The
presenter will also discuss on the death of Jesus: the anticipated hour, a cosmic victory, a voluntary
sacrifice, the fulfillment of scripture, the witness to Jesus identity and the hour of glorification, the
resurrection of Jesus, the final consummation in Christ and the theology of the resurrection.

A. The meaning of the Death of Jesus in the Gospel of John

The Gospel of John is distinct from synoptic gospels containing unique narrative, sequences and
themes that interpret Jesus’ life, death and exaltation. The forth evangelist selection and purposeful
arrangement of historical events essentially subordinates historiography in order to illuminate Jesus’
historical self-disclosure in the light of His true origin and glory as eternal “Word made flesh.” Therefore,
the forth evangelist specifically writes, not concerning the faith or tradition of the later church, but as a
“witness” to the historical self-disclosure of the only begotten Son of God “so that you may believe”
(John 20:30-31). The gospel interprets the meaning of Jesus’ death “within a scriptural, salvation
historical framework.”1

1. The death of Jesus: the anticipated hour

The plot of the forth gospel is intimately tied to the anticipation of the climatic ‘hour’ of Jesus’ death.
The first half of the gospel builds on the imminence of that hour as ‘not yet’ having arrived (Jn2:4, 4:23,
5:25, 7:30, and 8:20). Every attempt of those who sought to take Jesus by force, either for kingship or for
death- were futile because His hour had not yet come (Jn6:15, 8:59, 10:39). The hour is signaled as
having arrived the pursuit of the Gentiles after Jesus, promoting Jesus’ announcement “for this reason I
have come to this hour” referring to His death on the cross being “lifted up from the earth” in order to
draw all people to Himself (Jn12:32). Emphasizing this as His hour of purpose, the forth evangelist has
not included the synoptic gospel account of Gethsemane and Jesus’ inner turmoil in the face of the cross
(Matt26:36-46). While it is not without its parallel, Jesus is still troubled in soul over the immanence of
His death (Jn12:27) linked to Gethsemane as his “hour of anguish,” rather than dwelling on Jesus’ inner
struggle it is evangelist supreme aim to highlight Jesus’ death as the resolute purpose for which he came.
Accordingly, Jesus’ prayer in John17 is the “complement not contradiction” of the Gethsemane narrative,
as the explicit expression of Jesus embracing the hour of His death as the Father will. Consequently,
Jesus’ death was not to be understood as an accident of fate or tragedy, but as the purposed plan of God.
Therefore, the first miracle in the gospel provides the framework for understanding Jesus death as the
hour for which he had come to complete God’s redemptive purpose.2

2. The death of Jesus: a cosmic victory

This cosmic reality provides the framework for the gospel, being set forth in the prologue. Referring
to Jesus divinity and pre-existence “in the beginning”, All things were made through Him, and without
Him nothing was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. In light of the cosmic victory in Jesus’ death, the nature

1
Herman Ridderbos, The Gospel of John: a Theological Commentary. (Grand Rapids Ml: Eredmans, Kindle e-
book), p. 428.
2
Donald A. Carson, The Gospel According to John. (Grand Rapids, Ml: Eerdmans, 1991), p. 94.

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of salvation is also illuminated. Within the cosmic framework, John’s theme of light and darkness, above
and below, life and death, salvation and judgment, and sonship and slavery, are ultimately situated within
the two antithetical personifications of darkness, the devil who comes only to steal and destroy, and light
Jesus who comes to dispel the darkness (Jn12:46) so that we may have life and have it abundantly
(Jn10:10). John also locates humanity within these two nature, those who could not receive Jesus were of
their “father devil, and choose to do their father desires” (Jn8:44-45). The gospel announce in the
prologue the purpose for which Jesus came was to give all who believed in Him the right “to become
children of God” (Jn1:12). Therefore, Jesus’ death as the definitive judgment of the father of evil realize
salvation, not as political freedom (Jn8:33), but as freedom from slavery to sin “passing from death to
life” (Jn5:24) by becoming sons in God’s household (Jn8:34-36) not by natural descent, but by being born
from above with a new nature as sons of the light, in the family of God (Jn3:3, 10:16, 11:52, 12:36,
17:21).3

3. The death of Jesus: a voluntary sacrifice

The cosmic perspective of the father sending his son for the life of the world entails the theme of
Jesus’ death as sacrificial. Jesus sacrificial death is utterly voluntary Jesus reveals, “No one takes my life
from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take
it up again. This charge I have received from my father” (Jn10:10-18). Jesus willingly adopts the lowliest
role, on the way to a death reserved for the lowliest criminals, signifying the voluntary self-abasement of
his sacrifice as the means for our cleaning. This voluntary nature of Jesus sacrifice is underscored at the
point of death with Jesus offering up His own spirit (Jn19:30). The verb John use for the surrender of his
spirit is as that used in Isaiah’s prophecy in the Septuagint regarding the sacrifice of the suffering servant
having “poured out himself to death” (Isa53:12). Accordingly, John testifies to the voluntary nature of
Jesus’ sacrifice, as the fulfillment of scripture, from beginning to end.4

4. The death of Jesus: the fulfillment of scripture

Jesus death as the fulfillment of scripture is a major emphasis throughout the gospel. In doing so, it
would as a carson infers, that the evangelist has biblically literate Jewish audience in mind, seeking to
persuade them that Jesus is the anticipated Messiah. Thus, as the gospel approaches the passion narrative
it increases in scripture fulfillment presumably in order to counteract the scepticism of the Jewish mind
regarding a crucified Messiah. Every detail Jesus death is interpreted as fulfilling God’s divine plan
revealed in the scriptures right down to the seemingly insignificant actions of the soldiers dividing Jesus
garments among them (Jn19:28) “constitute the final instance of His active, self conscious fulfillment of
scripture.” Consequently, the OT scripture remain authoritative in the gospel, forming the touchstone for
evangelist’s theological selection and arrangement of historical events to explicate how law and the
prophets bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah and foretold His death (Jn1:45).

Rejection of Christ by His Own People (Prophecy in Isaiah 53:3 Fulfillment by Christ in Jn1:10-11)

Jesus was Silent before His Accusers (Prophecy in Isaiah 53:7 Fulfillment by Christ in Mark15:5)

3
B. Witherington, John’s Wisdom: A Commentary on the Fourth Gospel. (Louisville: Westminster, 1995), p. 224.
4
Carson, The Gospel According to John, p. 91.

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Jesus will die as a Sacrifice for Our Sins (Prophecy in Isaiah 53:5, 6, 8, 12 Fulfillment by Christ in
1corint15:3-4)

Jesus was buried in a Rich Man’s Tomb (Prophecy in Isaiah 53:9 Fulfillment by Christ Matt27:57-60)

Jesus would not stay Buried but Rose from the Dead (Prophecy in Psalm 16:10 Fulfillment by Christ
Matt28:6 Rom6:8-11)

Christ Would seat at the right hand of God (Prophecy in Psalm 110:1 Fulfillment by Christ Hebr10:12-13
Acts2:32-36)5

5. The death of Jesus: the witness to Jesus Identity

While Jesus is the fulfillment of the scriptures the question the gospel focuses on, in order to establish
how messianic expectation is fulfilled, is “Who is Jesus?”(Jn8:25). There is the repetitive Questioning
over where Jesus has come from, climaxing with Pilate’s alarm regarding Jesus identity, asking, “Where
are you from?” this theme throughout John express the Messianic expectation that “When he appears, no
one will know where he comes from” (Jn7:27). Thus Jesus opponents stumbled over his earthly and
Galilean origin (Jn7:14, 52, Jn8:41). Jesus challenged them saying, “You know me, and you know where
I come from. But I have not come of my own accord” (Jn7:28). It was this claim that he came “from
above” (Jn8:23), sent from his Father, that they sought to arrest him (Jn5:16 Jn7:30 Jn10:33, 39) and put
them to death “because he made himself the Son of God” (Jn19:7).6

6. The death of Jesus: the hour of glorification

The entire gospel moves towards the hour of Jesus death as the hour of his glorification (Jn17:4-5). The
first half of gospel (Jn17:1-12) reveals Jesus glory through ‘signs’, while the second half reveals Jesus
glory through his death (Jn17:13-21). Nevertheless, the first half anticipates the hour of Jesus death as the
climactic sign of his glory, thus combining a theology of glory with a theology of the cross. John deploys
the language of Jesus being “lifted up” with a double meaning, being lifted up to his death is also the
lifting up to his glorification-the means of his resurrection and ascension (Jn12:32-33). This is evident in
the arrival of the hour of Jesus death being accompanied by his declaration, “Now is the Son of Man
glorified, and God is glorified in him (Jn13:31). Therefore, his humiliation in the eyes of the world is
reality and his glorification in obedience to the Father. This Johannine theme of God’s manifest in the
cross has an integral Trinitarian dimension. Above all John ties Jesus glorification to the gift of the spirit
(Jn7:39). The spirit is given to disciples with the explicit purpose to “glorify Jesus” (Jn16:14), just as
Father glorifies the Son (Jn8:54) and the Son glorifies the Father. Accordingly, Jesus death in John
theology is significantly the hour of glorification as the place where the glory of the unseen God is made
visible in the unity of the Father, Son and Spirit, enabling believers to receive of their fullness (Jn1:16). 7

5
Claus Westerman, The Gospel of John in the light of the Old Testament. Trans. By Siegfried. S.Schatzmann,
(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1998), p. 254.
6
F.F. Bruce, The Gospel of John. (Grand Ropids, Ml: Eerdmans, 1983), p. 40.
7
Andreas J. Kostenberger, “John”, In Commentary on the New Testament use of the Old Testament, eds. Greg. K.
Beale and Donald. A. Carson (Grand Rapids, Ml: Baker, 2007), p. 415.

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B. The Resurrection of Jesus According to John

One of the first things John tells us about Jesus is that “in Him was life” (Jn1:4). Jesus proclaims the
purpose of his resurrection in (Jn10:17-18). Accordingly to the logic of (verse 17), Jesus voluntary death
and authoritative resurrection are the reasons why the Father loves him. Jesus was not willing to die and
rise because he knew his Father loved him. No, the Father loved him because Jesus was willing to die and
rise. Jesus willingness to obey that charge secured the Father’s love and unique place as God Son. There
was a fundamental love between Father and Son from eternity (Jn17:26).but there is an fuller love, a
completed love, a requited love that takes place when the Son obeys his Father’s will by dying and rising
again.

John 20 is the twentieth chapter of the Gospel John in the New Testament. It relates the story of Jesus
resurrection. It relates how Mary Magdalene went to the tomb of Jesus and found it Empty. Jesus appears
to her and speaks of resurrection and dispatches Mary to tell the news to disciples.

The empty tomb: John is clearly selective over the resurrection incidents he relates. He intends to
illustrate some of the spiritual lessons to be learnt from the event. It is not easy to combine the various
happenings related by the four evangelist, for John relates that Mary Magdalene was at the tomb alone
(Jn20:1), whereas Matthew and Mark include others. All are however agreed that Mary Magdalene was
there. It may be that the others had left Mary at the tomb. What John is concerned with, is her encounter
with Peter and the beloved disciple over the empty tomb. This prepares the way for the appearance of
Jesus to Mary. Mary was including the other woman who had gone with her. They have come to the same
conclusion that someone had stolen the body.8

Jesus appears to Mary (Jn20:11-18): Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent
over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus body had been one at the head
and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord
away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus
standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who
is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell
me where you have put him, and I will him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried
out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (Which means “Teacher”)? Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not
yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, I am ascending to my Father and your
Father, to my God and you’re God.” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news. “I have seen
the Lord!” And she told them that he said these to her.

Jesus appears to the disciple (Jn20:19-31): There is a rapid switch of Emotion from fear (Jn20:19) to
joy (Jn20:20). The reason was the declaration of peace from the risen Lord. The word peace is with you
are in the form of an ordinary greeting, but on the lips of Jesus they convey the bestowal of his own peace
to his disciples as previously promised (Jn14:27, Jn16:33). There is significance in the showing of the
hands and side to the disciples because there could then have been no doubt about the identity of Jesus.
The repetition of the gift of peace gives added emphasis to its importance, especially as it is linked with a
specific commission (Jn20:21). The implication was to fulfill nothing less than the commission which
Jesus had received from the Father. Thomas emphatic disbelief of the testimony of the other disciple

8
W. F. Albright, The Archaeology of Palestine, (London: penguin Books, 1954), p. 1063.

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intensified his subsequent perception of the true nature of Jesus (Jn20:25). He wanted physical evidence
which would convince him that the risen Christ was the Jesus he had known. The locked doors show the
disciples continued fear and Jesus second assurance of Peace is again seen as an antidote. Nevertheless,
the weakness of Thomas confession was that it depended on sight. Jesus needed to make a correction here
by mentioning the greater blessedness of those who believe without sight, which applies to all Christian
believers ever since the time of Jesus.9

C. The final Consummation in Christ

The resurrection of Christ is the cause of the glorification of our souls and bodies. It is the teaching of
faith that the risen Christ will come to judge the living and the dead. With Father and Holy Spirit He is
the principle efficient cause of the resurrection and the glorified humanity and the fact of His resurrection
are the instrumental cause. According to mediation it continues eternally and Christ the Mediator
continues to reveal the Father and Holy Spirit. The Father gives Himself to us through the Son and man
through perfect knowledge of Christ even as man must know the hypostatic union. This is known
perfectly only if the Second Person is known in Himself. The “glorified humanity eternally exercises an
instrumental-dispositive manifestative causality regarding the immediate vision of the Word, which vision
includes necessarily the vision of the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Father reveals Himself in the glory
of Christ eternally and Christ in the glory revealing Him reveals the Father eternally to us.” Christ cannot
be perfectly known in His glorified humanity without immediate vision of the person of the Word
subsisting in the humanity. It is divinely created supreme, incomparable communication, the most perfect
subjective disposition for the vision of God. “We can have no more perfect disposition for the vision of
God than that caused by the immediate and perfect knowledge of the glorified humanity in which the
Word subsists, no more perfect disposition for the vision of the trinity than that caused by the perfect
knowledge of the glorious humanity hypostatically united to the Word.” The immediate encounter of
glorified man is with the glorious humanity of Christ and in Christ Himself shall take place the very
vision of the divinity. Christ in glory reveals God perfectly.

D. The Theology of the Resurrection

Risen man is truly man, integral man, truly a human person. What a difference between the separated
soul in its glory and integral man in glory? What is the difference in the beatified activity of the two? Is it
merely accidental? Says Alfaro: Theology “has discussed the problem of the increase of happiness. It is
merely extensive? This is really a secondary problem, but it conceals a really difficult and profound
problem, which arises from the dogma of resurrection. According to this dogma man as integral man now
exists and acts as integral man with a different activity from the separated soul. Integral man must be fully
beatified as man. How can this be limited to mere passive reception in the body of that which overflows
from the soul?” The conclusion is evident that risen man can be entirely and perfectly happy only as total
and integral man with authentically integral human activity in the full and unified of his cognitive and
appetitive faculties.

9
Albright, The Archaeology of Palestine, 1064.

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 The eternal fulfillment of the incarnation is found in Christ in glory. Forever He exercises His heavenly
priesthood. Forever He dispenses to the blessed the life in glory: “The life that He lives, He lives unto
God.” We too once “dead to sin” shall be forever “alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom6:10-11). 10

Conclusion

As a Christian we believe that Jesus’ death and resurrection are part of God’s divine plan for
humankind. Through his death on the cross, Jesus pays the penalty for mankind’s sin and mankind
relationship with God is restored and we also beliefs about life after death are based on the resurrection of
Jesus Christ.

10
R.B. Jr. Gaffin, Resurrection and Redemptive: A Study in Paul’s Soteriology, 2nd ed. (NJ: Presbyterian and
Reformed Publishing Company, 1987), p. 377, 378.

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Bibliography

Albright, W. F. The Archaeology of Palestine. London: Penguin Books, 1954.

Bruce, F. F. The Gospel of John. Grand Rapids, Ml: Eerdmans, 1983.

Carson, Donald A. The Gospel According to John. Grand Rapids, Ml: Eerdmans, 1991.

Gaffin, R. B. Jr. Resurrection and Redemptive: a Study in paul’s Soteriology. 2nd ed. Philipsburg. NJ:
Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1987.

Kostenberger. Andreas J. “John.” In Commentary on the New Testament use of the Old Testament. Eds.
Greg. K. Beale and Donald. A. Carson, Grand Rapids, Ml: Baker, 2007: p. 415

Ridderbos, Herman. The Gospel of John. A Theological Commentary. Grand Rapids, Ml: Eerdmans,
Kindle e-book.

Westerman, Claus. The Gospel of John in the light of Old Testament. Trans. By Sieg. S. Schatzman.
Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1983.

Witherington, B. John’s Wisdom: A Commentary on the Fourth Gospel. Louisville: Westminster, 1995.