Immerse: Messiah - Flipbook - Page 410
398
IMMERSE
•
MESSIAH
A Jesus in light of the new creation (pp. 400-402).
B Jesus in relation to the Temple (pp. 402-406).
C Jesus in light of the Sabbath and in conflict with Jewish
religious leaders (pp. 406-408).
D Jesus as the new Moses against the backdrop of the
Exodus (pp. 408-411).
C' Jesus in light of the Festival of Shelters and in conflict with
Jewish religious leaders (pp. 411-418).
B' Jesus in relation to the Temple dedication festival
(pp. 418-419).
A' Jesus in light of the resurrection (pp. 419-423).
Near the end of each section, the author describes how people did
or did not believe in Jesus after everything they had seen and heard.
A recurring theme in the Gospel of John is the number seven. For
Jews, this number indicates a consummate work of God and recalls the
completeness represented by the seven days of creation. Often called
the “Book of Signs,” this first part of the Gospel details how Jesus performed seven mighty “signs” that “revealed his glory.” The Gospel also
contains seven discourses, which are longer speeches in which Jesus
unveils more about who he is. Finally, we find Jesus presenting seven “I
am” statements in the Gospel. These statements draw on a rich stock of
imagery from the First Testament, including the bread of life, the good
shepherd, the gate, and the vine.
The second part of the book (pp. 424-436) essentially tells the story
of Jesus’ final days. It begins with his last Passover meal with the disciples followed by a long presentation of his instructions to them. Jesus
speaks of the meaning of his death as a battle against “the ruler of this
world.” And he prays to the Father for the unity of his followers, which
will enable the world to believe their message about Jesus after he
departs. Jesus then enters into his “glory” through his obedient death,
which is why this part of the Gospel is often called the “Book of Glory.”
Before its brief epilogue, the Gospel closes by telling of Jesus’ resurrection on Sunday morning, the first day of the week. With Jesus, the
life and peace of God’s new creation truly has broken into this world.
