Reading Plan Text for March 19: John 5:39-47
The trial continues, and John (and Burridge) takes the image to its final conclusion. Well, at least as far as Jesus' closing argument.
The scriptures, used by the religious authorities to accuse Jesus, become part of Jesus' defense--Burridge calls them a "hostile witness." And if the scriptures are involved, who better to judge the case than Moses himself--"the lawgiver."
By this point, however, Jesus has turned the whole trial on its ear. No longer is he the defendant. Neither is he the accuser, though he is instrumental in bringing the case forward. Now the authorities, and many of John's readers, are on trial. Moses himself becomes the prosecuting attorney as well as judge.
On a different tangent...
So far John's Jesus is very clear that he has been sent by the Father. They are not one and the same. This, in spite of the prologue's proclamation "and the Word was God." In the other gospels Jesus is very clear that he has been sent by the Father and will later be sending the Holy Spirit. There is no indication that they are the same being. John's was the last Gospel written. Are we perhaps seeing the beginning of the theology of the Trinity in John?
Peace,
Jeffri
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