Reading the Gospels Together

How do you end a Gospel? – Part 4

As we turn to John’s gospel we make the discovery that John’s gospel really has two endings. John’s gospel comes to a fitting end following the story of Thomas and his powerful confession that Jesus is Lord and God. But after this ending we discover that the story continues with one more story and then a final ending. We might wonder why this has happened. John’s gospel is a complicated gospel. We have noted that there are other “seams” that stick out in the story. When we read John’s gospel we can’t help but notice that sometimes we move from narrative to theology. This reality has led most scholars to the conclusion that John’s gospel is really a gospel that has passed through a series of editing. John’s gospel has spoken of a beloved disciple, an eye-witness, who is somehow at the foundation of this gospel. But as we read the gospel we also discover that the final form of the gospel likely was not written by this beloved disciple who was at the core of the community that produced John’s gospel. The final verses of the gospel speak of his death and certainly the beloved disciple could not have written those verses. So we likely have two endings in John’s gospel because some time after the gospel had ended following the Thomas story, someone added the final chapter and with it a second purpose statement. It is important for us here to listen to both endings.

The first ending following the Thomas story states the purpose for the writing of John’s gospel. John tells his readers that he has selected from among the many stories and signs he might tell them and given them this particular collection so that they might come to believe, or continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that believing they might come to have life in his name, or continue to have life in his name. There is some dispute about whether John’s gospel is meant to be an evangelistic proclamation that brings his readers to belief and thus written for “outsiders” or if the gospel is really meant for “insiders” in the hope of helping them to continue in the belief they already have. Luckily we don’t need to choose. John’s gospel functions in both ways! By telling us this John has clearly told his readers that his intent in not to write the history of Jesus or the biography of Jesus – he has skipped some things and selected others. We have been noticing all along that all of the gospel writers are really not much interested in “what really happened” for its own sake. They are indeed evangelists and not reporters. It is helpful that John has made that clearer in his purpose statement. If we think just of this first ending, John has ended his gospel in a very successful way. The story of Thomas provides his readers with the most powerful witness to Jesus in the NT – “My Lord, and my God!” That’s a good place to end, especially when Jesus remarks that some are blessed because the see and believe but more blessed are those who do not see and yet believe. John has his readers in mind – and that includes us. We are “in the story” too. So if John’s gospel had ended at chapter 20 the ending would have been appropriate – a successful ending.

But, at a later date, someone added to what had once ended at chapter 20. Did they spoil the ending? I don’t think so. Chapter 21 is added for a couple of important reasons. We have already seen how chapter 21 is a story about the redemption of Peter – and through Peter all of Jesus’ followers, us included. Adding the story of Peter and the great catch of fish and Peter, who denied three times, three times being called to love and finally to follow is important. We can be thankful that the story is included. But there is one more reason why an addition was made. We have noted the presence of the beloved disciple in John’s gospel as an eye-witness. Though it is very unlikely that he is the author of the earlier gospel which ended at chapter 20, he likely stands in the background of the community that created John’s gospel. But now the beloved disciple has died. Apparently there was a rumor that Jesus had said that the beloved disciple would not die before Jesus’ return. The second ending of John’s gospel is meant to dispel that rumor – and thus it is a necessary ending. We can be quite certain that it is the same community that produced the earlier gospel which ended at chapter 20 that produced this further ending. The stories belong together. In the last verses of this second ending the first ending is recapped. And the book stands together as a whole.

All four gospel writers needed to choose how to end their gospel. Their endings are all different but all an appropriate to the gospel they have written. All four gospels are masterful creations of their authors. All four proclaim God’s Word to their readers. We can be thankful we have these four gospels even though we may sometimes struggle to understand them. As we read them together we hear a more complete Word from God.