Reflection Of The Synoptic Gospels In The Gospel Of John

Taken together, these differences result in unique narrative emphases. Probably the most impactful one is how Jesus, known as the proclaimer of good news and deeds in the Synoptic Gospels, often becomes the proclaimed in John. John does this by formulating Jesus’ ministry and words to openly present Jesus as the Messiah. Instead of repeatedly attempting to keep his ministry secret, which is a main theme in Mark, Jesus regularly shows his divinity to his disciples and to the public with the primary intention being to reveal his glory. The prologue of John immediately establishes this purpose, “we have seen his glory” (John. 1:14). To reinforce this idea, Jesus’ first miracle in John “revealed his glory and his disciples believed in him” (John. 2:11). The Synoptic Gospels, in contrast, only mention the disciples seeing Jesus’ glory once during his Transfiguration in Luke, which is ironic because of the lack of transfiguration in John (Luke. 9:32). John also adds a simple yet powerful literary adjustment by incorporating “I am” statements to …show more content…
The Gospel of John is a reflection of the Johannine group’s social situation and embodies the dialogue of a community that is receiving pressure from society for its belief in Jesus being the Messiah (Meeks, 71). The Gospel is not only a theological document within the Johannine community, but also a discourse explaining the expulsion of the Johannine community from the temple. This is supported by the further emphasis of “Jesus’ pre-existence and sonship” in the Johannine epistles, as explained by Maurice Casey’s book From Jewish Prophet to Gentile God (Casey, 157). Returning to the “purpose” of John in 20:30-31 shows that the Gospel of John is written as a supplement to broader Christian beliefs with the specific purpose of strengthening an increasingly isolated Johannine