Sermon Tone Analysis

Overview

Author:

Time period:

The gospel of John went through two to three stages, or "editions", before reaching its current form around AD 90–110

Audience:

Style:

Greco-Roman biography,

a) internally; including establishing the origins and ancestry of the author (), a focus on the main subject's great words and deeds, a focus on the death of the subject and the subsequent consequences,

b) externally; promotion of a particular hero (where non-biographical writings focus on the events surrounding the characters rather than the character himself), the domination of the use of verbs by the subject (in John, 55% of verbs are taken up by Jesus' deeds), the prominence of the final portion of the subject's life (one third of John's Gospel is taken up by the last week of Jesus' life, comparable to 26% of Tacitus's Agricola and 37% of Xenophon's Agesilaus), the reference to the main subject in the beginning of the text, etc.

makes extensive use of the Jewish scriptures

The portrayal of Jesus' death in John is unique among the four Gospels.

It does not appear to rely on the kinds of atonement theology indicative of vicarious sacrifice (cf.

, ) but rather presents the death of Jesus as his glorification and return to the Father.

Likewise, the three "passion predictions" of the Synoptic Gospels (, , and pars.) are replaced instead in John with three instances of Jesus explaining how he will be exalted or "lifted up"(, , ).

The verb for "lifted up" reflects the double entendre at work in John's theology of the cross, for Jesus is both physically elevated from the earth at the crucifixion but also, at the same time, exalted and glorified

Why:

Theme: Jesus as Son of God / Diety

Key Verse:

Key Word: Believe (98x)

7 “I am” statements

; ; ; ,; ; ;

7 signs

; ; ; ; ; ;

7 Witnesses

; ; ; ; ; ; Jn 20:31

Culture:

John addresses issues of the church-synagogue debate

Chapter 1

The Word Became Flesh

Testimony of John the Baptist

Behold, the Lamb of God

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

Chapter 2

Wedding at Cana

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

Jesus Knows What Is In Man

Chapter 3

You Must Be Born Again

For God So Loved the World

John the Baptist Exalts Christ

Chapter 4

Jesus and the Woman of Samaria

Jesus Heals an Official’s Son

Chapter 5

Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath

Jesus is Equal with God

Authority of the Son

Witnesses to Jesus

Chapter 6

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

Jesus Walks on Water

I am the Bread of Life

Words of Eternal LIfe

Chapter 7

Jesus at the Feast of Booths

Can This Be the Christ?

Officers Sent to Arrest Jesus

Rivers of Living Water

Division Among the People

Chapter 8

The Woman Caught in Adultery

{Earliest Manuscripts do not include 7:53-8:11}

I Am the Light of the World

The Truth Will Set You Free

You Are of Your Father the Devil

Before Abraham Was, I Am

Chapter 9

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

Chapter 10

I Am the Good Shepherd

I and the Father Are ONe

Chapter 11

Death of Lazarus

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

Jesus Weeps

Jesus Raises Lazarus

Plot to Kill Jesus

Chapter 12

Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany

Plot to Kill Lazarus

Triumphal Entry

Some Greeks Seek Jesus

Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up

Unbelief of the People

Jesus Came to Save the World

Chapter 13

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

One of You Will Betray Me

A New Commandment

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

Chapter 14

I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life

What does this tell me about God?

God does not want our “hearts to be troubled”

Jesus is preparing a place for us

He will come again to bring us to that place

He is “the way, and the truth, and the life”

No one comes to the Father except through Jesus

If we know Jesus, we know the Father

It is possible to be with Jesus for a long time and not know him ()

Whoever believes in Jesus will do greater works