Part 4
John
One thing is clear; the Fourth Gospel is very different from the other three. While Matthew, Mark and Luke are often printed together in Gospel Parallels, rarely is any attempt made to include John with these “Synoptic Gospels”. This accords with our theme, for we seek to link John with the eagle-faced cherub, and see it as presenting Jesus as the Son of God, emphasizing these divine aspects of his character. The other three Gospels (Matthew – Jehovah’s King; Mark – Jehovah’s Servant; Luke – the Ideal Man) all show the human side of Christ’s nature, although concentrating on various aspects of it.
If John shows Christ’s divine origin, the striking divergence from the “Synoptic Gospels” becomes full of sense.. Our case is further helped with John’s Gospel, because its purpose is stated for us, more directly, perhaps, than the other three; ” … these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God ” (John 20:31).
However, while the Son of God theme is fairly clearly seen, the link with the eagle face of the Cherubim is harder to justify. Commentators have resorted to texts like these:
Exodus 19:4 “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.”
Isaiah 40:31 “… they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.”
Proverbs 30: 18 – 19 “There be … things which are too wonderful for me …The way of an eagle in the air…”
Deut. 32:11-13 “As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: So the LORD alone did lead (Jacob) … He made him ride on the high places of the earth …”
Job 39:27-29 “The eagle … (maketh) her nest on high … she dwelleth and abideth … upon the crag of the rock from thence … her eyes behold afar off.”
All these references are used to show the pre-eminent position the eagle holds among birds. With what always reads like homespun science, we are told “its speed in flight is so great as to be unknown. This gospel, like the eagle, soars away to heaven …” (F.Bilton – Apocalypse and Gospels p.45). I have also read statements that the eagle is the only bird capable of gazing upon the sun without being dazzled. All this kind of reasoning, which we can try to use all-too-carelessly, bothers me for three reasons:
- It is an appeal to science rather than the Scriptures.
- It is merely a statement, without the benefit of proper references which can be verified.
- If we appeal to science, we must always appeal to the latest science, because science by definition is always changing, as new knowledge becomes available. Thus we are building, on shifting sands, and what seems to be a good argument one decade may be denied by the scientific experts the next.
So I feel the Biblical link between the eagle faces of the cherubim,and John’s Gospel is not very clear as yet, except that we have the four-fold pattern, as seen in the Camp of Israel etc, and it fits into that pattern. (See article 1 in Vol.4 No.1)
Turning to the Gospel itself, the evidence is quite striking that the theme shows Christ as the Son of God. The emphasis here is on his Divine origin and authority. Here are a list of some characteristics of this Gospel supporting the theme:
1:1 The Divine genealogy (cf. legal genealogy in Matthew, and natural in Luke)
1:3 Jesus’ authority as Lord of the New Creation.
1:4,9 Life and light were inherently in him. He could shine forth,not needing to reflect God’s light, but radiating it.
1:14 Jesus showed glory “as of an only begotten of a father”, i.e. a perfect likeness.
1:18 The only begotten Son, has declared “the Father”, whom “no man hath seen at any time.”
1:7 John the Baptist is a “witness of the Light” (in Matthew he preaches the Kingdom; in Luke he stresses repentance).
ch.1 The opening of the Gospel omits much detail about the birth and early life of Jesus, emphasizing his divine origin.(refer back to Vol.4 No.4 p.128.)
1:33-34 The Spirit is evidence that “this is the Son of God.”
1:51 Jesus has direct communication with heaven, through the angels.
2:13-17 Authority shown in God’s house.
3:2,12 “A teacher come from God”, who can proclaim “heavenly things.”
3:17 Jesus sent by God. A word commonly used in John.
3:34 “He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God.”
5:17 “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work”, claiming to be continuing God’s creative process.
5:27 “(The Father) hath given him authority to execute judgment.”
6:29 “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” An uncompromising call to believe his position.
8:23 “I am from above; I am not of this world.” Notice how John’s ospel is Dill of long arguments between the people, the rulers, and Jesus, in which he is constantly challenging them to accept his authority, and his divine origin.
8:31-32 “If ye continue in my word….ye shall know the truth.”
No reference here to the prophets as authorities – Jesus the authority himself. How full is this gospel of Jesus’ actual words!
10:17-18 “I lay down my life. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I havc power to take it again.”
10:30 “I and my Father are one.”
11:41 In prayer to God, Jesus is portrayed in this Gospel as saying things to God, not in petitioning Him. Again his exalted status is emphasized, that he can talk directly to God.
12:23 Christ’s death is not stressed – rather the glorification to follow. In this Gospel we do not see Christ looking with apprehension towards the cross.
14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
14:9 “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”
15:10 “Keep my commandments.”
ch.17 Not speaking of the cross ahead in human terms, but only of the glorifying of the Father and Son.
18:4-6 No record of the agony in the garden, but his power, which caused his would-be captors to back away and fall to the ground.
19:26-27,28,30 John records three of the seven things said by Christ from the cross – but none that show his humanity. (The “I thirst” was no doubt said so he could wet his parched lips to cry “It is finished”.) Is it not remarkable that John tells us he was an eyewitness at the crucifixion, yet for his purpose he omits four of Jesus’ sayings at this time?
In the course of the Gospel Jesus is recorded as claiming seven titles of himself:
I am the Bread of Life (6:35)
Light of the World (8:12)
Door of the Sheep (10:7)
Good Shepherd (10:11)
Resurrection and the Life (11:25)
Way, the Truth and the Life (14:6)
True Vine (15:1)
These are certainly imposing claims, especially when taken together. So a picture emerges which for John’s Gospel seems fairly clear. There are other aspects which appear to be out of line with this theme:
4:6 “Jesus, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well.” 12:38 etc.
“Fulfilled” prophecies mentioned almost as many times as in Matthew.
However, we do not expect an absolute adherence to the theme in any of the Gospels. If we have a hypothesis in our minds as we do the readings, such as that the cherubim faces correspond to the Gospels, then we shall be the more careful and analytical in our reading.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One