The Gospel of John: A Commentary Noting Its Jewish Context

John’s Gospel is unique. He alone reports on Jesus’ attendance at the three Jewish pilgrim festivals – Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. He even reports on Jesus’ attendance at Dedication (Hanukkah). John’s Jesus is an observant Jew. Understanding the Jewish context, therefore, gives us greater understanding of the nature and purpose of Jesus’ ministry. I wrote this commentary to illustrate this fact.

The commentary is not a line-by-line exegesis of the text. Rather, I offer reflections based upon my study of the Jewish roots of Christianity and my 40 years of pastoral ministry. There are other unique elements in John’s Gospel, also. John records 7, “I am,” sayings of Jesus, 7 miraculous signs that he performed, and 26, “Amen, amen,” sayings he uttered. He records and reports on these in order to prove his thesis “that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31) That life depends upon the reconciliation to Yahweh God, the Father, accomplished through the ministry of Jesus. Jesus’ earthly ministry culminated with his death as the Lamb of God, but now continues, after his resurrection and ascension back to the Father, in his ongoing ministry of baptizing with the Holy Spirit. John, more so than the other Gospels, emphasizes the Spirit baptism aspect of Jesus’ ministry. For it is the Spirit that gives life now in this age, and wells up to eternal life in the World to Come.