Unlocking The New Testament

John 1

David Pawson, in looking at the gospel of John, speaks about the variety and yet the unity of scripture which had 40 human authors and one divine Editor. The authors retained their personalities. The book of John has a difference from the other 3 gospels. David says it’s as though John is looking at the ‘inside’ of Jesus – what was he like, what was his real Person. Of the 12 disciples, John was the closest to Jesus. He omits much said in the other gospels – the conception & birth, baptism, temptations, casting out of demons, the transfiguration, the Last Supper, Gethsemane, the ascension – because of his purpose in writing. But there are some very important extras – 5 particular miracles which he sees as ‘signs’; Peter and the foot washing; Jesus’ dealing with individuals; 7 claims of Jesus. David irons out seeming contradictions. Rather than concentrating on short parables, John writes about Jesus’ ministry in the south of Israel where he was not popular, his arguments with the Jews and long discourses. David explains the difference between the ancient Greek thinking which the West has adopted and Hebrew thinking – which is important in our understanding of the Bible.

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John 2

In this 2nd talk on John’s gospel, David Pawson shows that he was correcting misunderstandings which had developed after Jesus’ death. He had to correct ancient Greek thinking. They divided the sacred from the secular so had difficulty in seeing that Jesus was both God and man at the same time. So John emphasises Jesus’ full humanity and his prayer life as well as his full divinity. John introduces 7 witnesses to Jesus’ divinity, 7 miracles which are the most supernatural, and 7 words of Jesus which were absolutely unique. John’s interest in Jesus was in what he was. He went right back to the beginning to show that Jesus already was there as ‘The Logos’ who spoke creation into existence. Jesus is ‘The Reason’ for everything. John says 4 things about The Logos – In the beginning he was already there (eternal); he was ‘face to face with God’ (personal); he was God; and The Logos became flesh and ‘pitched his tent among us’. As believers in Jesus, John says we will know life which continues, we will not walk in darkness, we will live in freedom, not slavery, we’ll live a life of truth (reality), and we won’t live under God’s wrath. This gospel tells more about the Holy Spirit which enables us.

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