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John: The reason for the season
1. John: The reason for the season
2. The reason for the season
What is the "
reason for the season" at Christmas? Which of the following Gospels talk about the birth of Jesus?
Matthew
Herod, Magi and gifts. How, some hints of why.
Mark
Mark is Peter's Gospel. No clear mention of birth of Jesus.
Luke
Shepherds and angels. How, some hints of why.
John
John tells that Jesus was born and why Jesus was born.
Which is more important or better? The day of birth or the day of death?
3. Day of birth and death
4. Ecclesiastes 7:1
KJV: A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
Hebrew: טוב שם משמן טוב ויום המות מיום הולדו׃
Greek: αγαθον ονομα υπερ ελαιον αγαθον και ημερα του θανατου υπερ ημεραν γενεσεως αυτου
Latin: melius est nomen bonum quam unguenta pretiosa et dies mortis die nativitatis
5. Jesus says why he was born
John 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. [kjv]
ειπεν ουν αυτω ο πιλατος ουκουν βασιλευς ει συ απεκριθη ο ιησους συ λεγεις οτι βασιλευς ειμι εγω εις τουτο γεγεννημαι και εις τουτο εληλυθα εις τον κοσμον ινα μαρτυρησω τη αληθεια πας ο ων εκ της αληθειας ακουει μου της φωνης [gnt]
Only John tells us
why Jesus was born. Jesus witnesses to Pilate.
Jesus tells Pilate
why he was born in
John 18:37. When Jesus talks of
"truth", as in the Greek and Hebrew words for truth, he is talking about the truth of
reality and
not of a
logical true-false truth system.
[philosophy courses, Aristotle final cause]
6. John 18:37
KJV: Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Greek: ειπεν ουν αυτω ο πιλατος ουκουν βασιλευς ει συ απεκριθη ο ιησους συ λεγεις οτι βασιλευς ειμι εγω εγω εις τουτο γεγεννημαι και εις τουτο εληλυθα εις τον κοσμον ινα μαρτυρησω τη αληθεια πας ο ων εκ της αληθειας ακουει μου της φωνης
What is the world's typical response?
7. What is truth?
Is the world interested in truth?
8. John 18:38
KJV: Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
Greek: λεγει αυτω ο πιλατος τι εστιν αληθεια και τουτο ειπων παλιν εξηλθεν προς τους ιουδαιους και λεγει αυτοις εγω ουδεμιαν αιτιαν ευρισκω εν αυτω αιτιαν
Latin: dicit ei Pilatus quid est veritas et cum hoc dixisset iterum exivit ad Iudaeos et dicit eis ego nullam invenio in eo causam
Wessex: Þa cwaeð pilatus to hym. Hwaet ys soðfaestnysse; And þa he þis cwaeð; þa eode he eft ut to þam iudean & cwaeð to heom. Ne funde ich nenne gelt on þison men.
9. Hearing
Jesus is talking to Pilate.
John 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. [kjv]
ειπεν ουν αυτω ο πιλατος ουκουν βασιλευς ει συ απεκριθη ο ιησους συ λεγεις οτι βασιλευς ειμι εγω εις τουτο γεγεννημαι και εις τουτο εληλυθα εις τον κοσμον ινα μαρτυρησω τη αληθεια πας ο ων εκ της αληθειας ακουει μου της φωνης [gnt]
The Greek for "
hear" assumes an understanding.
How does one "
hear the voice"?
10. Wind of the Spirit
In the context of being "
born again" or "
born from above" or "
born from the beginning", Jesus tells Nicodemus the following.
John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. [kjv]
το πνευμα οπου θελει πνει και την φωνην αυτου ακουεις αλλ ουκ οιδας ποθεν ερχεται και που υπαγει ουτως εστιν πας ο γεγεννημενος εκ του πνευματος [gnt]
Paraphrase:
The spirit speaks to who it desires, and those hear with understanding what the voice (light into the mind) says. They cannot determine from where it came or to where it is going. So is everyone who is born (comes into being) of the Spirit.
The "
spirit" or "
message" can "
request" or "
ask" whoever it "
desires". When this "
message" "
asks", one may need a "
loan".
11. John 3:8
KJV: The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Greek: το πνευμα οπου θελει πνει και την φωνην αυτου ακουεις αλλ ουκ οιδας ποθεν ερχεται και που υπαγει ουτως εστιν πας ο γεγεννημενος εκ του πνευματος
12. Mighty breath
Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. [kjv]
και εγενετο αφνω εκ του ουρανου ηχος ωσπερ φερομενης πνοης βιαιας και επληρωσεν ολον τον οικον ου ησαν καθημενοι [gnt]
The "
sound" might be more accurately described as a "
voice". The "
rushing mighty wind" might be more accurately described as a "
forceful breath".
Paraphrase::
The Spirit speaks to selected believers and they hear and tell others what they have heard. Some listeners hear as if in their own language. Some do not hear at all. Those speakers (who speak) and listeners (who understand) appear to have been born (come into being) of the Spirit.
The
speaking and
listening appears to go much deeper than a superficial
speaking in some arbitrary
language.
13. Mighty breath
Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. [kjv]
και εγενετο αφνω εκ του ουρανου ηχος ωσπερ φερομενης πνοης βιαιας και επληρωσεν ολον τον οικον ου ησαν καθημενοι [gnt]
The "
mighty" is the same word used by Jesus to describe those who try to "
take" or "
rapture" (
harpoon) the "
Kingdom of Heaven" by "
force" or "
might" in Matthew 11:12.
Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. [kjv]
απο δε των ημερων ιωαννου του βαπτιστου εως αρτι η βασιλεια των ουρανων βιαζεται και βιασται αρπαζουσιν αυτην [gnt]
14. Word made flesh
Jesus tells Pilate he was "
born". John tells us that the "
word" became "
flesh" - obviously at the "
birth".
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. [kjv]
και ο λογος σαρξ εγενετο και εσκηνωσεν εν ημιν και εθεασαμεθα την δοξαν αυτου δοξαν ως μονογενους παρα πατρος πληρης χαριτος και αληθειας [gnt]
1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [kjv]
εν αρχη ην ο λογος και ο λογος ην προς τον θεον και θεος ην ο λογος [gnt]
The ancient Greek word
"λόγος" ≈ "word, logic, reasoning" has a long history in Greek philosophy and meant a logical reasoning or explanation.
15. John 1:14
KJV: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Greek: και ο λογος σαρξ εγενετο και εσκηνωσεν εν ημιν και εθεασαμεθα την δοξαν αυτου δοξαν ως μονογενους παρα πατρος πληρης χαριτος και αληθειας
16. John 1:1
KJV: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Greek: εν αρχη ην ο λογος και ο λογος ην προς τον θεον και θεος ην ο λογος
17. Reflexive fixed point: Reasoning of reasoning
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [kjv]
εν αρχη ην ο λογος και ο λογος ην προς τον θεον και θεος ην ο λογος [gnt]
1:2 The same was in the beginning with God. [kjv]
ουτος ην εν αρχη προς τον θεον [gnt]
 |
1. Goal: "reasoning" was "in the beginning" if
2. Relation: "reasoning" → "God" if
3. Equality: "reasoning" ≡ "God".
|
Translating John 1:1 using
"to" or
"towards" is in line with a
reflexive fixed point while the
KJV (King James Version) changes the word to
"with". The reasoning is top-down and backward-chaining.
Bottom-up thinking (most people): put equality first, then relation, then goal.
Top-down thinking (computer scientists, John): put goal first, then relation, then equality
18. Jesus and change
Jesus did
not come to change everything.
Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. [kjv]
5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. [kjv]
One needs to do
both of the following.
Love God and the rules of God. That is, "hate sin".
Love neighbor as oneself. That is, "love the sinner".
19. John: The reason for the season
Matthew and
Luke tell us
how Jesus was "
born" according to a timeline of events with some hints in various places about reasons for and consequences of the birth.
But
John tells us directly, from the words of Jesus,
why Jesus was "
born".
Discuss: Which is more important?
20. Truth shall free you
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. [kjv]
και γνωσεσθε την αληθειαν και η αληθεια ελευθερωσει υμας [gnt]
"ἐλεύθερος" ≈ "free" as in "freedom".
"ἄλευρον " ≈ "ground grain".
"θερίζω" ≈ "reap" as in the "harvest".
Play on words:
You shall know the reality (Jesus) and that reality (Jesus) will (make) wheat/flour harvest (of) you.
21. End of page
John 18:38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. [kjv]