(2) The writer is familiar not only ivith the Mes- sianic expectation, but also with the limitations that it suffered in thepoptilar mind. The hope is current
ialiloo (141. 46. 48 CIS. 28. Slll.l ;„ Samana M!». 28. 421
in Galilee (1^
Samaria (4«5- » 42),
878
JOHN, GOSPEL OF
JOHX, GOSPEL OF
in Judaea (5» ^^'- 1^'- "-'^ S^^<- 10=^). ' Among friends, among foes, among nontiaK alike, it is discussed.' The purpose of the C...]., 1 i- t.. iihhu-e belief that Jesus is the Christ (--'n ''. X^t imly so, but the limitations and miscniici|iii,iii^ nt the idea of the Christ in the popular mind are familiar to him. Elijah and the Prophet are not yet come (l*") ; the outlook is unspiritual (6"- '^) ; the Messiah will never die (6*' IS**) ; Jesus does not satisfy their conventional ideas (7-^- ^-).
(3) The writer is familiar with the ideas and rnstonis of the Jews. AVe have a picture of a Jewish marriage feast (2'"'"), of pastoral life (IQi-"), of burial customs (11»*--" IQ*), the estimate of women (4^), the disparagement of the Disper- sion (7**), the heredity of sin (9-). The religious observances of the people are known to him, and he displays great familiarity with the Temple and its services. The Synagogue and the Temple are places of resort (18**) ; he knows the side of the Temple where shelter is to be had in in- clement weather (10^^ ^) ; it was forty-six years in building (S®*) ; he speaks of the treasury (8-'"). The two feasts of Tabernacles and of Dedication are familiar to him, even to the implied ritualistic details (Westcott, vi.). He speaks of the 'great daj' ' of the feast of Tabernacles. He is familiar with the narrow Sabbatarian views of the Jews (5'" 9'* 7"'"^). In the last passage a subtle argu- ment is founded on the knowledge that circumcision is allowable on the Sabbath.
Does the statement that Caiaph.is was ' hig^h priest that same year" (11« repeated 1151 isU) i,„piy that the writer imasined that the office was tenable only for a year? The repetition after the manner of the Evangelist is meant to inijiress more thanachronoloj.'icaI fart. Either tlie words may have an ironical significance, ari-''._ 'r 11. *!• 'i - tint the three predecessors of Caiaphas had !>■ - ■ i ' I ''. i l \ rar's tenure, and would be
an allusion to til i: ii,i> of the office (Delfl, CfscA.
des Rabbi ./<■..'. \ i,,. s,,, so); or the Evangelist
seeks to conneit M ill L'l i!i ■]■.' 'iilice of the high priest with the part that he |.«.k m a.-eoinplishmi; the death of Christ. The high priest entered alone once a year into the Holy of Holies, where he offered atonement for the sins of the people (He 9'), and in * that memorable year ' Caiaphas is but an unconscious instrument in bringing about the great and final sacrifice (West- cott, \i. ; cf. also B. Weiss, Com. ad loc).
(4) It has been contended against these indica- tions that tvhen the writer mentions the Jews he seeins to speak of them as a foreigner would speak. They are throughout represented as the bitter enemies of Christ (2'« 5"f- 6" 7"«'- «^ 10^- U^ 13^ 2C). The term oi 'louSaioi is sometimes u.sed to denote the Jews as a nation, in distinction from other nations : sometimes as Jud»ans distinguished from GalUoeans or Peraeans ; and sometimes the leaders of the Je^vish people alone are meant. This somewhat indefinite mode of speech has a sufficient explanation if the Evangelist WTote as he used to speak (Drumniond, op. cit. 416, note). There is no indication in his tone of national antagonism. Rather his attitude is like that of St. Paul to his countrymen. The Jews are 'His own' (1") ; Jesus Himself is a Jew (4') ; salvation is of the Jews (4~) ; Nathanael is an ' Israelite indeed ' (1") ; there are believing Jews (S" etc. ).
This Gospel also preserves words of Christ that trace the subsequent persecution' by the Jews to its roots in their ignorance of the Father and the Son (16^^). In this Gospel Jesus never denounces the leaders of the people in as strong terms as He uses in the Synoptics. That He expressly distinguishes His disciples from the Jews (13*'), and also speaks of 'your law' (»'■ ll>«), 'their law' (15*=), implies that this external attitude adopted by the wTiter was not unkno\\Ti during the ministry on earth (cf. Dods, Kxpon. a,: Text. i. 606).
2. The author is a Jew of Palestine. — Many of the pr.-criliiiL; .haLirti-ri-tics are already ind'iea- tioiis that the writt-r is a native of Palestine. (1)
He is also familiar with sites and places. Jacob's well is deep (4") ; the mountain and the ripening cornfields are suggested in the most natural lasliiim (vv.-"--'-^) ; it is a descent from the high gniunil where Cana stood to the shores of Gennesaret at Capernaimi (v.*^). Ch. 6 contains some minute information as to the district. Bethsaida (l** 12-') and Bethany (11') are not merely localities, but connected with the names of friends. He carefully distinguishes Bethany ' nigh unto Jerusalem about fifteen firrlongs' (11'*) from 'Bethany beyond Jor- dan' (1-*). Nazareth is mentioned not only as the home of Jesus, but as a place so well known to Nathanael that he considered it unlikely that ' any good thing' could spring from such commonplace sun-oundings (l'^) ; cf. the details as to Sychar (4=), .Enon (3^), Ephraim (11"). A very striking feature is the accurate knowledge displayed of the topog- raphy Oi Jerusalem and its environs (cf. 5- 18') : the 5^idron ; which is a rav'ine on the way from the city to the Mount of Olives, and a torrent only in winter (xeijud/jpou, 18^) ; the Pavement (Gabbatha) in the Prtetoriiun (19'^); Golgotha (19"). The acclaiming multitude carried in their hands '■the branches of the palm trees' which grew on the Mount of Olives (I2'3).