Saturday 01 December 2007

Background

From the earliest days people recognised that there wassomething very different about the fourth Gospel. There was evendebate about whether it should be included in the official listwhen it was being finalised. John is certainly very different fromthe other three Gospels.

Another interesting point is that it looks as if this Gospel hasgot two endings. Verses 20-21 of chapter20 look like an ending. Then it starts again with anotherresurrection appearance story and chapter 21 ends with the endingin the two verses of today's reading.

All this gives scholars work to do, including trying to work outwhich one of the many Johns in the early Church actually wrote thisGospel.

The key word in this short reading is 'testimony'. This verserecognises, just as the other 'ending' at John20:30-31 recognises, that this Gospel is not a straight,unbiased, historical account of the life and teaching of Jesus. Itis much more than that - it is a testimony to Jesus and a testimonyto what Jesus means to the writer.

The writer of the first ending believes that Jesus is the Messiahand the Son of God (John 20:31). Boththese terms were titles for the old king of David's line inJerusalem (on 'Son of God' see Psalm 2, an oldcoronation psalm). The writer of the second ending endorses thattestimony (John21:24).

Then this second ending adds the bit about the world not being bigenough to hold all the books which could be written about Jesus.This remind us that our words fail to say everything we want to sayabout Jesus. And also that every title we might want to give toJesus is inadequate, even the title of Christ (= 'Messiah') and'King' as in the title of this week's readings, 'Christ theKing'.

To Ponder

What does it mean to you to think of Christ asking?

Are there any downsides to the metaphor?

Christ might be 'seated at the right hand of God'as Prince of Heaven - as he is pictured in Revelation - and hemight well be your king as he is mine: but he most certainly doesnot 'rule the world'. So, how helpful is it to use this particulartitle for Jesus?