The Jewish Annotated New Testament (234 page)

36
:
My kingdom is not from this world
, in context, this is an argument against seeing Jesus as a political threat.

38
: More irony: Pilate cannot see the
truth
in front of him.

39
: This tradition has no external historical support (cf. Mt 27.15; Mk 15.6; Lk 23.17).

40
:
Barabbas
could be translated “son of a [or the] father.”
Bandit
, probably meaning a revolutionary rather than a thief.

19.1
–16: Condemnation.

1
:
Flogged
, Lk 23.22. This was a common penalty (2 Cor 11.23–25), but here was perhaps meant to weaken Jesus’ resistance.

2
:
Crown … purple
, symbols of kingship used in mockery.

5
:
Here is the man
, famous in its Latin version, “Ecce Homo.”

6
–7
: In John it is the Temple party, and not the people as a whole, who call for crucifixion (contrast Mt 27.25); this indicates that John saw the opposition to Jesus primarily in the leadership.

7
:
Law
, probably a reference to the prohibition of blasphemy (Lev 24.16), the penalty for which was death by stoning.

8
:
Afraid
, perhaps of making the wrong judgment.

12
: The Jews threaten to blackmail Pilate if he releases Jesus.

13
:
Gabbatha
, an outdoor platform, perhaps meaning “elevated place.” It is at this point that Pilate actually renders judgment (previously he has, in effect, been conducting an inquiry).

14
:
Day of Preparation
, when the Passover lambs are slaughtered in the Temple.

15
–16
: When the Jewish leaders affirm the kingship of Caesar, Pilate agrees to have Jesus crucified. The execution will be carried out by Romans.

19.17
–37: The crucifixion. 17
:
Cross
, the crossbeam rather than the entire cross. There is no mention that someone else (Simon of Cyrene, Mk 15.21) carries the cross instead of Jesus.
Golgotha
, likely just outside the city walls to the northwest.

19
–20
:
Inscription … in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek
, it is uncertain whether such inscriptions were usual; this seems mostly to indicate that Jesus’ claims were addressed to all who would pass by.

23
:
Tunic
, undergarment.

24
: Ps 22.18. In Mk 15.34, Jesus quotes the first verse of this psalm, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

25
:
His mother
, unnamed in the Gospel (cf. 2.1).
Mary the wife of Clopas
, perhaps the mother of James and Joses (Mk 15.40). In the Synoptics the women must stand at a distance (Mk 15.40).

28
: Ps. 69.21.

29
: The only time in the Gospel that Jesus explicitly consumes food or drink.
Hyssop
was used to mark the doorposts with the blood of lambs at the time of the Passover before the Exodus from Egypt (Ex 12.22). Its mention here may be intended to recall the theme of Jesus as the Passover sacrifice.

31
:
Day of Preparation
, see 19.14n. The legs of crucifixion victims were often broken to hasten death. In keeping with the sacrificial theme, the fact that Jesus’ legs were not broken may have symbolized his suitability as a Passover sacrifice given his unblemished nature, both physical and spiritual (cf. Ex 12.46; Heb 9.14).

34
:
Blood and water
, signifying both birth and the rituals of baptism and the eucharistic meal.

36
: Ex 12.46; Ps 34.20. Jesus is the Passover lamb, as lambs were slaughtered for the Passover sacrifice (see also 1.29).

37
:
Zech 12.10.

19.38
–42: Burial. 38
:
Joseph of Arimathea
, cf. Mt 27.57–60; Mk 15.43; Lk 23.50–53.

39
:
Nicodemus
, see 3.1–17; 7.50–52.
Myrrh
, resinous gum mixed with
aloes
, used for embalming; this may recall Jesus’ anointing (12.3). A hundred Roman pounds = 75 lbs.

40
: The explanation implies a non-Jewish audience.

41
–42
: The
garden
is not literally
in the place where he was crucified
, but
nearby
. There was not much time to complete the burial preparations before sunset, when Passover would begin.

20.1
–31: Resurrection appearances.
(Mt 28; Mk 16; Lk 24).

1
–18: The empty tomb. 1
:
First day
, Sunday. Mary had to wait until the Sabbath was over.
Mary Magdalene
is named in Mt and Mk; Lk does not name the women at the tomb, but here, Mary Magdalene is alone.

3
–8
: A foot race between the contenders for Jesus’ closest disciple. This passage may intimate the Johannine effort to elevate itself over churches who viewed Peter as the principal disciple.

8
: The “beloved disciple” may have believed the prophecy of Jesus’ resurrection, or simply the testimony of Mary Magdalene.

9
: There is no specific quotation referring to this from the Tanakh.

11
: The language echoes Song 2.9.

14
–16
: Mary, possibly through tears, does not recognize Jesus by sight nor by his voice, but she does know him when he speaks her name; perhaps a reference to the shepherd calling the sheep by name (10.3).

15
:
Woman
, signaling that Jesus is about to impart a revelation.
Whom are you looking for
, echoes 1.38.

17
: It is not clear whether Jesus is asking Mary to let go of him or warning her not to touch him. See Song 3.4.
Ascending
, see 14.3; 16.10. Jesus leaves both to return to the Father and to prepare to receive his followers.

20.19
–29: Appearances to the disciples.
An important theme in this passage is Jesus’ postcrucifixion corporeality. On the one hand, he can walk through walls in order to appear in the room with the disciples, suggesting that his body does not have the substance that it had before his death, or that the process of resurrection is not yet complete. On the other hand, he invites Thomas to touch his wounds, implying that he does indeed have a physical body with the same properties as mortal humans do.

19
:
Fear of the Jews
is a recurrent theme (7.13; 19.38) and echoes Jesus’ prediction that those who believe in him will be persecuted just as he was (16.2–3).
Peace be with you
, traditional greeting (cf. Tob 12.47).

22
:
He breathed on them
, giving them new life (cf. 3.5; Gen 2.7).
Spirit
, perhaps alluding to the Paraclete or Advocate (14.16,26; 15.26; 16.7; compare the account in Acts 2).

23
:
Forgive … retain
, the authority to decide who can become or remain a member of the community; in Matthew, Jesus grants this power before the crucifixion (Mt 16.19; 18.18).

24
:
Thomas
, also known as the
Twin
and Doubting Thomas. Thomas’s other statements perhaps express resignation (11.16) or puzzlement (14.5).

28
:
Lord … God
, a full recognition of Jesus’ being, as given at the beginning (1.1–14).

20.30
–31: Conclusion and statement of purpose.

30
:
Other signs
, implying that a selection has been made.
This book
, the Gospel of John.

31
:
Come to believe
, or, continue to believe.

21:1
–25: Epilogue.
On the basis of its content and literary style, this chapter has sometimes been viewed as an addition, written by someone other than the author of chs 1–20. Unlike 7.53–8.11, however, the manuscript evidence does not show that it circulated separately from the rest of the Gospel or that the Gospel originally ended with ch 20.

2
: Not a full listing of Jesus’ disciples; the sons of Zebedee are mentioned here for the first time (cf. Mk 1.19–20).

3
:
Fishing
, recalling the prior occupation of the disciples but also symbolizing their new role of gathering disciples.

7
: It is odd that Peter dresses but then jumps into the sea.

9
: The passage recalls the multiplication of loaves and fishes in ch 6.

11
: Numerous theories have been proposed to account for the number 153, e.g., Jerome states that Greek zoologists had recorded 153 different types of fish, in which case the number symbolizes the universality of the Gospel’s message and mission; Augustine notes that 153 is the sum of all numbers from 1–17.

15
–17
: The referent of
these
is not certain. Jesus commissions Peter as the leader of his lambs (cf. 10.1–5). The triple question undoes the triple denial (18.17,25–27). These verses include extraordinary variation in Greek terminology that is not generally evidence in English translation, including two verbs for “to love,” “to know,” and “to feed or tend.” It is not clear that this variation has significance in terms of meaning.