Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of John’s Gospel – Part 8 At this point in John’s gospel we find a story that likely did not belong to the original storyline of John’s gospel. The story is of a woman caught in adultery. The story is not found in any of the earliest manuscripts of John’s gospel and is even found in a couple of late manuscripts of Luke’s gospel. This does not mean that the story does not have authority in our lives and should be omitted but it is not a part of John’s storyline so we will pass by it. The deadly conflicting controversy between Jesus and the Jews continues in the next chapter of John’s gospel. The story is not a very pleasant one and likely reflects the painful and bitter controversy that was boiling over at the time the final version of John’s gospel was written. Throughout these chapters Jesus will consistently reveal who he is and the Jews will not accept him. Over and over again Jesus claims for himself that he is “I am” the OT reference for God. This is not acceptable to the Jews. They accuse Jesus of blasphemy. They are unable to trap him and to kill him but the controversy is deadly. In the middle of the controversy John will tell another of his skillfully told stories. This story is of a man born blind who receives his sight when Jesus puts mud on his eyes and tells him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. The story sound remarkably like a similar story Mark told of how Jesus had to heal a blind man twice. Could there be a connection between these two stories? Perhaps there may be a connection between these two stories, but to press things that far may be too much speculation. The story concludes with the blind man having received more than just his sight – he comes to “see” Jesus as “I am”, the Messiah. The religious leaders end up being the ones who are blind. Still in Jerusalem and still embroiled in the Temple Controversy Jesus tells his hearers that he is the Good Shepherd which is a clear allusion to the role of God and God’s Messiah in the OT. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus will lay down his life for the sheep. No one will take it from him. And not only will Jesus lay down his life but he will take it up again. John is pointing forward to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. And he is pointing backward to the identity John the baptist first made of Jesus. He is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John tells his readers that some welcomed these words of Jesus and other did not. Time has now passed and Jesus is still in Jerusalem. He has been there since late October or early November. John tells his readers that the Feast of Dedication takes place. This feast which commemorated the victory of the Maccabees and the restoration of the Temple in 165 BC would have taken place in late December or early January. The controversy is still brewing and the religious leaders accuse Jesus of blasphemy because he claims to be the Son of God. Of course readers of John’s gospel know that Jesus is indeed the Son of God – he is the God-man. An attempt is made to arrest Jesus but his “hour” has not yet come and he leaves Jerusalem for a short time and crosses over the Jordan River. John now tells his readers of the plight of a family who lives in Bethany at the summit of the Mount of Olives. Their names are Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Luke had told his readers of a visit of Jesus to the house of Mary and Martha and likely we should understand that this is the very same family. The need of Mary and Martha and Lazarus is great. Lazarus is deathly ill and they call out for Jesus to help. Will Jesus come to the aid of his friend Lazarus? At first Jesus does not go but once he is sure that Lazarus has died he goes back into the fire-pit of controversy and does the most remarkable of things – he raises Lazarus from the dead. This is spoken of by John as the last of the signs Jesus did. And the sign both engenders faith in some and enrages hate in others. In fact, as a result of this event the religious leaders gather together for what is described as a trial of Jesus in absentia. Their verdict is to put Jesus to death. John will not tell his readers of a trial before the Jewish authorities once Jesus has been arrested. They have already tried him in the aftermath of the raising of Lazarus.