Reflections...

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Sunday 21st December 2008 by the Rev. Kwok Nai Wang. The scripture readings that day were Psalm 139:1-6, 23-24 and John 1:1-18.


The Gospel according to John is generally labelled the Fourth Gospel. It is so called mainly because it is quite different from the first three Gospels of MK, MT and LK, the so-called “Synoptics”. In the Synoptic Gospels, they narrated Jesus’ ministry according to chronological order, first in Galilee and then finally in and around Jerusalem. Of course, this also has some theological meaning, Jesus’ ministry started at the fringe of the Jewish society and ended in its centre. Does it mean what Jesus did eventually was to challenge the inadequacy of the Jewish faith and interpretation?

John used quite a different method to introduce the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the second generation of Christians. John wanted to emphasize that Jesus Christ was the Incarnation of God, i.e. God became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. Or to put it in another way, God reveals to us who He is through Jesus Christ.

John used a very unique and ingenious way to introduce to us who Jesus is. For example by giving us the miracle about Jesus “feeding the 5000”, (ch.6) John introduced to us Jesus Christ is the bread of life (6:34); by connecting Jesus’ healing of the blind (ch.9) to Jesus Christ as the light of the world (8:12); and in raising Lazarus to life (ch.11), John told us that Jesus Christ is the Resurrection and the life, (11:25), etc.

Like the Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of John also emphasized the fact that Jesus has brought forth a completely new covenant between God and His creation. In doing so, in the beginning of the Gospel, John gave us Jesus’ miracle of changing water into wine at Cana (2:1-11). Water represents something old, which is already present. Wine represents something new, which is made or transformed from other substances. Early in the Gospel John also gave us the story about Jesus cleansing the temple (2:13-22). Again, temple represents the old. People went to the temple to worship – to communicate with God through confession, thanksgiving and dedication or rededication. Jesus is the new. In scarifying himself, Jesus has reconciled us to God!

Just as the Synoptics, John did not disregard the Jewish religion and tradition. John liked to connect what Jesus did and said with a Jewish festival. For example, Jesus cleaned the temple in the festival of passover (2:13-17). In “another festival”, Jesus cured a person who had been sick for 38 years (5:2-18). In the feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, Jesus taught his disciples that he and God are one (10:22). In the last supper with his disciples where he gave his disciples the example of humble service (by washing his disciples’ feet) it was during the passover feast (13:1-20). Moreover, all these happened in Jerusalem – the centre of the Jewish religion!

Moses, one of the heroes in the Old Testament had a place in John. But John considered Jesus was even more important than Moses. Moses cured those who were bitten by snakes by lifting up a bronze serpent (Numbers 22:4-9). But Jesus saves all of us by sacrificing his life. Moses gave people the Law (Ex. 20:1-21// Deut. 5:1-21); but Jesus gives us the New Law of God’s Grace and Love.

All Christians are familiar with the golden verse of John’s Gospel, “For this is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (3:16). Indeed this is the core message of John’s Gospel: “anyone who believes in Jesus may have eternal life”. This phrase appears five times in the whole gospel (3:15, 16, 35; 6:40 and 47).

According to John, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is about LIFE. “I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full” so says Jesus (10:10). In the two important dialogues Jesus with Nicodemus, an important Jewish leader (ch.3) and an ordinary Samaritan woman (ch.4), this question of eternal life or life to the full was introduced.

What then is eternal life? Does it mean people never die? Most people are afraid to die because death is unknown to them. So people try their best to keep on living, the longer the better. The first Emperor in the T’sin Dynasty in China sought all his life to keep his life last forever but in vain. So in the very last he built his very elaborate tomb and the terracotta, the symbols of his power. These do last until to-day in Sian!

The pyramids in Egypt and in Mexico, the Taj Mahaj in Accra, India, the Ming Tombs outside Beijing all showed that human lives cannot possibly last forever.

Two years ago, a tomb was unearthed in the mainland. There was a woman mummy. But what surprised people is that there were hundreds of expensive chinaware, enough to hold a feast for hundreds of people. To me it merely shows but human mortality. However powerful, however rich, one still has to die.

Traditionally, the Church taught us that there is a life after this earthly life. That is why in most of the ancient creeds, these words are included: “I believe the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting” (Apostles’ Creed); “I look for the resurrections of the dead, and the life of the world to come” (Nicene Creed).

In other words, eternal life is in the future. It is another life after this earthly life.

But John gave us a very different interpretation about eternal life. In 5:24, we read, “In all truth I tell you, whoever listens to my words, and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life.”

First, according to John, eternal life is not in the future; it is not an extension of our earthly life. We can experience eternal life now as long as we listen to Jesus and believe in God.

All Christians believe that as long as they believe in Jesus, they will have eternal life. The question is what is the meaning of believing in Jesus?

In the Hebrew tradition, belief is more than an intellectual activity. Belief in God is to be faithful to God. That means we follow straightly what God wants us to do. Abraham was often quoted as the father of the faithful people of Israel. When God told him, “to leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s home for a country which I shall show you” Abraham immediately did what he was told (Gen.12). When God tested him and told him to offer his only son Isaac as a living sacrifice, Abraham did not question but followed (Gen.22). Many sages after Abraham lived and gave us the examples of living by their faith in God (Hebrew ch.11). To have faith in God is to follow God’s will rather than our own wishes.

John wrote the gospel with a very clear and precise purpose: “These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name.” (Jn.20:31).

As in other gospels, John’s gospel is centred around the person of Jesus Christ. It particularly included seven the so-called “I am” statements to richly describe the person of Jesus: “My father is at work and I am at work too” (5:17); “I am the Bread of Life” (6:35, 48); “I am the Light of the world” (8:12); “I am the Good Shepherd” (10:11); “I am the Resurrection and the Life” (11:25); “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (14:6); “I am the True Vine” (15:1). In order to further demonstrate the work of Jesus, John particularly included seven signs: change water into wine (2:1-11); cure the son of a Roman official (4:46-54); cure a sick man who had been sick for 38 years (5:1-18); cure a blind man (9:1-41); and raise Lazarus from death (11:1-46).

In a word, John wanted to show us that Jesus and God are one. Jesus was able to do all these miracles and had the claim that He was the Son of God because Jesus was always in full communion with God.

The structure of John’s Gospel is quite simple. Chapter 1 is the Prologue. It is in the form of a hymn – a Hymn to Christ. It sets out Christ is the self-revelation of God. Chapter 2-11 is about how God’s mighty works through Jesus Christ and reveals himself that He is Love (ch.3) and He is Spirit (ch.4). In chapter 13, Jesus gave an example of humble service to his disciples and gave them the new commandment of love. Chapters 14-16 is Jesus’ farewell discourse with his disciples. The new commandment is repeated; the promise of the Holy Spirit is given, not once, but five times. Chapter 17 is Jesus’ prayer for the unity of his disciples and for the world. Chapters 18-21: Jesus’ mission is accomplished through his sacrifice and resurrection.

For John, Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection unveil the mystery of the Gospel about LIFE. In Living a sacrificial life for others we really live our life. Eternal life is not about the future. It is about the present. This was what Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, unless a wheat grain falls into the earth and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies it yields a rich harvest. Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (12:24-25). [here the word “hates” means not for self-preservation only].

The Christian Gospel is also an altar call. It calls us to become like Jesus. Jesus as God incarnate is in full communion with God; but just as important, Jesus is always involved in human activities. Jesus has compassion on people who suffer. In seeing how sorrowful were Mary and Martha when their brother Lazarus died, Jesus wept (11:35). This is the shortest verse in the whole Bible, but it says it all. Jesus had compassion: together with Martha and Mary he suffered the loss of a loved one. Because of his compassion Jesus took the action of raising Lazarus to life.

According to John, the core of the Christian Gospel in Love. Jesus has shown us the ultimate meaning of love, “No one can have greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.” (15:13).

Let us live by this Gospel of Love. Amen.