In light of your upcoming class on John (about which I am eager to hear more), I thought I'd look through some of my ideas and pass on what might be of use to us. For starters, I offer a recently written summary of my understanding of a key feature in the opening chapter.
I also plan to give some further thought to passages I might be especially interested in teaching, to perhaps give you more flexibility as as you plan the class. Anything you can tell me about how you see the structure of the class, the audience, etc., will be helpful. (And whether or not I have a chance to teach on John 4, I WILL pull together my thoughts on that chapter for you.)
The following is mainly to point out a key inter-Scriptural connection in vv.14-18 that is frequently missed but that I have found very helpful in my own understanding of how John, and the NT in general, understands and presents Jesus' fulfillment of the OT revelation.
The basic fact is this – "we beheld his glory…. full of grace and truth" (v.14, the latter part also echoed in v.17) is a DIRECT reference back to the Lord's self-revelation in Exodus 34.
That passage is extremely important for the understanding of the OT revelation–and its NT fulfillment in Christ. (The NT does not comment on Ex 34 in detail, though it alludes to it in several places, and 2 Cor 3 makes a clear connection and comparison/contrast between that and the GREATER revelation of God's glory in the new covenant, in Christ.) What we have in that passage is THE highest OT revelation of the Lord's character and ways as a God who keeps covenant and even renews (or grants a NEW covenant) to sinful, rebellious people. In Ex 34, after the great rebellion with the golden calf, the Lord is announcing forgiveness (in response to Moses the Mediator's intercession in ch 33) a re-NEW-ed covenant.
This episode, and esp the words God speaks there about himself as he "declares his name", is often alluded to or quoted in the OT, perhaps no where more strikingly or familiarly that in Psalm 103 – after a series of 'benefits' that echo God's redemptive acts in the exodus (vv.3-6), David sits on the compassionate love of the father, introducing it thus:
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
That is, his revelation of his ways and deeds are summarized (or climaxed) in his faithful forgiving love as declared AND demonstrated in Exodus 34. (Please not that God's DECLARATION in Exodus 34:4ff is NOT simply a factual statement, but is tied in with his formally declaring that he is then and there FORGIVING and renewing his covenant promises to his people.)
The revelation of God's GLORY is clear enough - though you might also think of other passages that do this. (You might also think of something like the glory of Christ in his Transfiguration and, from that in his resurrection – all of which is fitting, BUT the Transfiguration itself is an echo/fulfillment of Exodus 34!) And it may also be that 'dwelt' should be taken as 'tented'/ 'tabernacled' and interpreted as an allusion to the revelation in the desert.
But what establishes the intended links with Exodus 34 is the expression "full of grace and truth" – a direct QUOTATION from Exodus 34, though that's not immediately clear in English.
The Greek expression, however, echoes precisely the LXX of Ex 34 for the Hebrew phrase which English renders with something like "abounding in [steadfast] love and faithfulness".
Then we come to the striking contrast of v.17 – "the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ"
I believe this is commonly MIS-understood to suggest that Moses had nothing to say or show about God's "grace and truth" …. that he was "all law", works & judgment. (Of course, John himself contradicts simplistic notions of this later in the book when Jesus announces that Moses himself TESTIFIED about him [Jesus].) But that's not quite the point. The point, rather is one of COMPARISON, as well as what they actually ACCOMPLISHED. Any Jew reading the passage, should have been quite familiar with the story of Exodus (32-)34 and its echoes, and would have known of that great highpoint of the making known of God's ways under Moses.. that God HAD shown himself to be "full of grace & truth" through Moses.
So how can John say what he does? Well, it is true in the sense that the fullness of grace & truth that we NEEDED.. the real bringing of this grace (in it FULLNESS) could not happen until Christ, the full personal revelation of God (Immanuel) came in the flesh. We could not actually receive what we needed (and the law could not provide) apart from Christ.
This approach helps us not to in any way minimize the GREATNESS of God's revelation through Moses – it was indeed very great, and full of Glory (see 2 Cor 3) 'full of grace & truth'. BUT the point here (as throughout Hebrews and many other NT passages) is that, however great that glory was (and it WAS great, not to be dismissed), it could not 'hold a candle' to the FULL(er) revelation of God seen in his own Son. That is – the Mosaic covenant was a glorious revelation … but in Christ we have ever so much more!!
(Related example from Hebrews 3:1ff. Note that the direct comparison made between Moses as the "servant" and Christ quotes from the very passage in Numbers 12 that asserted the UNIQUE, SPECIAL privilege of Moses [to hear from God directly, not just in dreams & visions], that was even higher than that of Aaron & Miriam, who were here questioning that special role. That is, the passage that speaks MOST highly of Moses special role is the one chosen to lay out the SUPERIORITY of Christ, just as the OT revelation that most clearly & strongly reveal the gracious character of our compassionate, covenant-keeping God [Ex 34] –the highpoint of OT revelation– is the basis of comparison in John 1.)
One more piece of this "WE have beheld his glory" apparently is an INCLUSIVE "we" (not just the unidentified author and his associates) - this too is MORE than what was enjoyed through Moses — MOSES himself was privileged to see God's glory, as he requested, though even he saw 'just the back side'. Now with CHRIST this is opened up to ALL who believe (again cf. 2 Cor 3) and are made 'sons of God' - and not just the 'native-born'.
Of course, this theme of "Glory" (with its pointer back to the light-filled manifestation at Sinai, etc) all continues the theme of Jesus as the LIGHT who comes into the world.
SIDE NOTE: This is all fresh on my mind because I had occasion to point it out in Mark Moser's class last week. We were looking at Jonah's complaint against the Lord – whom he knew would end up forgiving the Ninevites if they repented BECAUSE he knew "you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love". This shows first that the Exodus 34 declaration was a basic piece of Israelite 'catechism', but also that Jonah had some sense that God was willing to show this deep, forgiving COVENANT love to many people, even to Gentiles!
FURTHER NOTE: In response to some questions about the terms used for "DIRECT reference" and "DIRECT quotation", Bruce has provided some answers.
Date: 2008-12-13 Sat
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