Question 1
The chapter provides the connection between the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is a declaration by John the Baptist that the promised Messiah had finally arrived. About ‘the Word’, the word is Jesus in His existence in the Holy Trinity. By saying that the ‘the Word Became Flesh’, the author describes that Jesus came to live among human beings (Bowens, 2010). John the Baptist is regarded as the last prophet to foresee the coming of Jesus Christ. The chapter is an important confirmation of the promise that the Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah had made about the coming of the Messiah.
People had been eagerly waiting for the Messiah. When people are yet to crown John the Baptist as the Messiah, he declines and says that he is not the one. John 1: 1-18 is an important proclamation that Jesus Christ was yet to arrive to bring salvation to Christians (Bowens, 2010). ‘The Word’ proclaimed by John the author would later be the foundation of Christianity after suffering, being crucified, dying on the Cross, and resurrecting. Christians believed that Jesus Christ established an everlasting relationship between them and God. Through Jesus Christ, Christians have the assurance of eternal life.
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In preparation for the coming of the Messiah, John the Baptist preached to the people to repent. He went ahead to conduct baptism rituals as a sign of repentance. John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the people (Bowens, 2010). He came to light when Jesus was just about to start His ministerial work. Through John the Baptist, the people came to appreciate that Jesus was a great man. John acknowledges that he is not the one but there is someone greater than him. Therefore, John the Baptist was the forerunner to the coming of the Messiah.
Question 4
John 18-21 narrates the arrest, persecution, death, and resurrection of Jesus. One of the themes that stand out is the judgment of Jesus. The Jewish collectively advocate for the release of a real sinner and persecution of the innocent Jesus. It signifies that Jesus came to save sinners. The passage indicates that Jesus is Life and the true son of God. In comparison to Old Testament prophecies, Jesus’ character fulfills the promised Messiah after managing to overcome death (Levering, 2012). The incident of overcoming death is significant to Christians as they believe that it assures them of eternal life.
Another important theme in the passage is death and resurrection. In God’s earlier covenant with the world, there was always an animal sacrifice whenever there was an event of cleansing. Jesus was a sign of sacrifice that saved the world from sin and sealed the covenant between God and His people. The death of Jesus signified the love of God to humanity. The death and resurrection of Jesus was an event of reconciliation in which God gave human beings another chance. The incidents portray God as a forgiving being. The death of Jesus allows Christians to seek forgiveness whenever they sin.
The most important part is John 21: 15-25. In the section, Jesus reinstates Simon Peter. Simon Peter had earlier denied that he was not one of the disciples of Jesus. Jesus came for the restoration of humankind. The event is a symbol of forgiveness (Levering, 2012). Jesus is ready to forgive people if they ask for repentance. The section of the passage summarizes the mission of Jesus in the world. Christians believe that God sent Jesus to re-establish a long-lasting relationship between Him and the World. It is through the death of Jesus that Christians find refuge to get back to God.
Question 6
Jesus Christ encountered different experiences on His mission to bring restoration to humankind. As the Old Testament Prophets had said, people were eagerly waiting for the coming of Jesus. While some people happily received Him, others rejected Him claiming that He was not the one. According to those who rejected Him, the Messiah was supposed to be a powerful king who would conquer the world. The messiah would convert the region into political territory. The Jewish expected a messiah who would make Judaism the official religion. To their dismay, Jesus came as a humble human being.
Due to the contrary expectations, Jesus faced rejections starting from Hometown. Since Jesus was not to the expectations of the people, they thought that He was pretending. The personification of God was only punishable by death. Jesus’ rejection started right from his family members. His close family members could believe in Him. Secondly, Jesus faced rejection from his community in Nazareth. Jesus faced rejection from those who claimed to love him (Levering, 2012). For instance, Simon Peter denied that he was the disciple of Jesus. On the night of His arrest, Jesus faced rejection from His Father. His rejection later led to His persecution and death.
Some people acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God right from the beginning. After the rejection of Jesus, the superiority of Jesus became evident after His resurrection. Miraculous events happened upon the death of Jesus. For example, there was darkness for three hours. Secondly, the temple curtain was torn into two. It was then that the people believed that Jesus was the true Son of God. That would then be affirmed after the resurrection of Jesus. The redemption of Jesus from rejection was the foundation of Christianity.
References
Bowens, L. M. (2010). The role of John the Baptist in Matthew’s Gospel. Word and World , 30 , 311-18.
Levering, M. (2012). Jesus and the Demise of Death: Resurrection, Afterlife, and the Fate of the Christian . Baylor University Press.
