Deck 8: Jesus, the Man Sent From Heaven: The Gospel According to John

Question 1

Discuss the differences between the Synoptic Gospels and John.

Answer 1

The Gospel of John does not include a birth narrative; it does not explicitly state that John baptized Jesus; there is no temptation narrative; Jesus' message is not apocalyptic; he does not teach in parables or exorcise demons. John's Jesus declares openly who he is. Jesus does not institute the Lord's Supper; he does not pray in the Garden of Gethsemane; he is not tried before the Sanhedrin. Jesus does not perform numerous miracles in John; instead, he performs only seven "signs"-acts that illustrate his identity. Finally, the Gospel of John reflects the highest Christology of the canonical Gospels, declaring Jesus equal to God (see the prologue and the "I am" sayings).

Question 2

What does John mean by the phrase "the Jews"? How do "the Jews" function in this Gospel?

Answer 2

In John's Gospel, the term "the Jews" is almost always used negatively, as a term of abuse. The author uses "the Jews" to depict the enemies of Jesus; this group is thus also opposed to God and aligned with the Devil and the forces of evil. John also acknowledges that Jesus and his disciples are also Jews, who maintain Jewish traditions.

Question 3

How do Jesus' "I am" sayings reflect John's portrayal of Jesus in the prologue and throughout the rest of the Gospel?

Answer 3

The prologue and "I am" sayings represent two of John's sources and reflect the author's elevated view of Christ. The prologue not only asserts Jesus' eternal coexistence with God but also his equality with God ("the Word was God"). Like the prologue, the "I am" sayings underscore Jesus' equality with God: in Exodus God reveals his name, "I am," to Moses.

Question 4

How does John's prologue (1:1-18) introduce Jesus, and how do the themes found in the prologue recur throughout the Gospel?

Question 5

The Gospel of John was probably written around _____.

A) 60-65 CE
B) 70-75 CE
C) 80-85 CE
D) 90-95 CE

Question 6

John's Gospel is written _____.

A) anonymously
B) by John, the son of Zebedee
C) by the beloved disciple
D) by Peter

Question 7

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is explicitly called all the following except _____.

A) rabbi
B) the Word of God
C) the Lamb of God
D) the suffering servant

Question 8

The Gospel of John is best described as _____.

A) a Greco-Roman biography
B) general history
C) a Greco-Roman novel
D) an apocalypse

Question 9

Scholars refer to the first eighteen verses of the Gospel of John as _____.

A) the beginning
B) the prologue
C) the baptism
D) the Signs Source

Question 10

Which of the following figures in the prologue is not mentioned until its last verse?

A) the Word of God
B) God
C) John the Baptist
D) Jesus

Question 11

Which of the following best describes Jesus in the Gospel of John?

A) He is an apocalyptic prophet who preaches the coming kingdom of God.
B) He hides his true identity.
C) He is preexistent and divine.
D) He is born in a manger.

Question 12

In John, Jesus does all of the following to show his divine nature except _____.

A) perform signs
B) give discourses
C) teach in parables
D) affirm his identity

Question 13

Which of the following is not one of the signs Jesus performs in John?

A) turning water to wine
B) feeding the 5,000
C) the exorcism of a demon
D) walking on water

Question 14

After chapter 12 in the Gospel of John, Jesus decides not to preach publicly because _____.

A) the Jews reject him
B) he gets tired
C) the Jewish leaders tell him not to
D) he is under arrest

Question 15

Chapters 13-19, the second part of the Gospel of John, take place over _____.

A) one year
B) two years
C) one day
D) three days

Question 16

Which of the following does not take place immediately before Jesus' trial and crucifixion in the Gospel of John?

A) a Passover meal with the disciples
B) Jesus washes the disciples' feet
C) Jesus predicts his betrayal
D) Jesus delivers a final discourse

Question 17

In John, Jesus tells the disciples that after he leaves _____.

A) the Son of Man will appear
B) the end of the world will take place immediately
C) the Holy Spirit will come to instruct them
D) all people will accept the gospel

Question 18

Which part of the Gospel of John is most like the Synoptic Gospels?

A) Jesus' birth
B) Jesus' parables
C) Jesus' healings
D) Jesus' passion

Question 19

John explicitly narrates which of the following?

A) Jesus' baptism by John
B) the virgin birth
C) Jesus' temptation in the wilderness
D) Jesus' declarations that he is divine

Question 20

In John, the signs are intended to _____.

A) convince people of Jesus' true identity
B) hide Jesus' identity
C) confuse people
D) exorcise demons

Question 21

In John, Jesus' teachings focus primarily on _____.

A) miracles
B) the coming kingdom of God
C) his identity
D) gentiles

Question 22

John uses all of the following sources except_____.

A) Q
B) Signs Source.
C) Discourse Source.
D) Passion Source.

Question 23

John calls Jesus the "lamb of God" because _____.

A) he follows God
B) the Jews follow him
C) he is killed on Passover
D) is divine

Question 24

John's community may have been founded by _____.

A) Jesus
B) Paul
C) the beloved disciple
D) Peter

Question 25

Which of the following sources was probably written to convert Jews?

A) Prologue
B) Discourse Source
C) Passion Source
D) Signs Source

Question 26

How many signs does Jesus perform in John's Gospel?

A) 5
B) 7
C) 10
D) 14

Question 27

Which of the following is not an indication that John used written sources for his Gospel?

A) literary seams
B) repetition
C) differences in writing style
D) "I am" sayings

Question 28

Jesus final, lengthy speech in the Gospel of John is known as _____.

A) the Farewell Discourse
B) the Johannine Prologue
C) the Gethsemane speech
D) the Passion Proclamation

Question 29

Among the Gospels, which of the following figures is not unique to John?

A) the Samaritan woman
B) Nicodemus
C) Thomas
D) the beloved disciple

Question 30

In the Gospel of Judas, Judas plays the role of all of the following except _____.

A) Jesus' betrayer
B) Jesus' disciple
C) Jesus' closest confidant
D) Jesus' enemy

Question 31

In John's Gospel, Jesus is from _____.

A) above
B) the desert
C) Bethlehem
D) Jerusalem

Question 32

Which of the following narratives appears only in John's Gospel?

A) the Transfiguration
B) the trial before the Sanhedrin
C) the arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane
D) the raising of Lazarus

Question 33

In John's Gospel, Jesus never _____.

A) proclaims the imminent kingdom of God kingdom of God
B) reveals his true identity
C) stands trial
D) heals anyone

Question 34

All of the following titles depict a low Christology except _____.

A) lamb of God
B) rabbi
C) teacher
D) the Word