This week I want to reflect on the emphasis of darkness in John’s Gospel. Consider this a mini biblical theology of darkness, illuminating how Jesus is presented by John as the light which rescues those who have been wounded by abusive leaders and oppressive religious systems.
I so appreciate your thoughts, Aaron. The comfort you find (and give to us) in John's gospel is also in Song of Songs. Two night scenes (chapters 3 and 5). In the night, like Mary Magdalene in John 20, his Beloved longs; she rises; she seeks. In SoS 3, again like Mary, she finds him and clings to him. In SoS 5, she does not find him, but rather is found, beaten, and bruised by the nightwatchmen of the walls, who rob her glory, her veil. When she is questioned by the daughters of Jerusalem why she endures this for him, "What is your beloved more than another beloved?," she is able to give an extended poem in praise of his beauty, her beloved and friend, leading them to search with her. Suddenly night appears gone. Light has come, and she hears his voice praising her, "my dove, my perfect one." Abuse in the night can come because we seek him, and yet far from deterring us, it carries us toward the forever dawn. It gives us an opportunity to extol to others his beauty to our souls. It stirs in us longing for the spiced mountains where the lamp of the Lamb never fails and the night, with its watchmen and walls, are gone.
What deep and rich observations these are. Thank you, Anna!
“Abuse in the night can come because we seek him, and yet far from deterring us, it carries us toward the forever dawn.” This beautifully powerful truth makes me think of the verse in Isaiah 45:3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
Your observations and connections from SofS also brings to mind the phrase “treasure of the darkness grow” in the Getty song When Trials Come. Surely God is giving you treasures of the darkness, you’ve written so beautifully of the redemptive power of God. Praise Jesus and the Holy Spirit for the many ways he reveals himself to his sheep who look for him in the dark.
Wow, that is amazing Anna, thank you so much for sharing that connection. You may already know this, but I was curious if Bruno Barnhart touches on SoS in John because he is very attuned to the wedding/nuptial typology, and sure enough, he points to Nicodemus bringing “myrrh and aloes” (Jn 19:39) to the tomb in the “garden” (19:41), which echoes SoS 4:12-15. So I think you are spot on with your comments on Jn 20 and Mary. Such a beautiful connection and one I will have to study. This might end up being a much longer chapter in the book, as I already cut about 800 words re Exodus/darkness patterns for this post. Do you have any recommended reading on SoS?
Aaron, have you written on John 12:20-26? The answer Christ gives to his disciples concerning whether Greeks can be allowed to see him is one of the clearest expressions of the gospel and a call for the disciples to live the cruciform life. They are “fencing Jesus.” The disciples must die to themselves, hate their prejudice and reject their exalted status as “other” in this life. Once they die to themselves, lose their lives, their eyes will be opened to their neighbor and the fruit of one-anothering.
That’s great Anna. I haven’t written on that passage, but I do have some notes on how John as a whole teaches what a culture of Christ-like love could/would look like, and how John puts that in stark contrast to the glory-loving/shame-averse culture of that religious community, which the disciples occasionally display. I love that line: “hate their prejudice and reject their exalted status as “other” in this life.”
I wrote about the Gospel of John through the lens of law and gospel distinctions. That Jesus is renewing our minds away from a righteousness that comes through the law and into being righteous and holy as a gift, on account of Christ crucified and resurrected. Out of darkness at Sinai and into light at Zion. https://gospelrest.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-gospel-according-to-john-law-and.html
Amen Sarah, love it. Are you by any chance Lutheran? Referencing the law/gospel distinction with respect to John makes me wonder if you’ve read any of Luther’s sermons on John. They are on my to read list.
Unfortunately , I am not a member of a Lutheran Church, but I really enjoy Lutherans and I'm happy to learn from them. I don't think I have read any of Luther's sermons on John. I should tho.
I so appreciate your thoughts, Aaron. The comfort you find (and give to us) in John's gospel is also in Song of Songs. Two night scenes (chapters 3 and 5). In the night, like Mary Magdalene in John 20, his Beloved longs; she rises; she seeks. In SoS 3, again like Mary, she finds him and clings to him. In SoS 5, she does not find him, but rather is found, beaten, and bruised by the nightwatchmen of the walls, who rob her glory, her veil. When she is questioned by the daughters of Jerusalem why she endures this for him, "What is your beloved more than another beloved?," she is able to give an extended poem in praise of his beauty, her beloved and friend, leading them to search with her. Suddenly night appears gone. Light has come, and she hears his voice praising her, "my dove, my perfect one." Abuse in the night can come because we seek him, and yet far from deterring us, it carries us toward the forever dawn. It gives us an opportunity to extol to others his beauty to our souls. It stirs in us longing for the spiced mountains where the lamp of the Lamb never fails and the night, with its watchmen and walls, are gone.
What deep and rich observations these are. Thank you, Anna!
“Abuse in the night can come because we seek him, and yet far from deterring us, it carries us toward the forever dawn.” This beautifully powerful truth makes me think of the verse in Isaiah 45:3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
Your observations and connections from SofS also brings to mind the phrase “treasure of the darkness grow” in the Getty song When Trials Come. Surely God is giving you treasures of the darkness, you’ve written so beautifully of the redemptive power of God. Praise Jesus and the Holy Spirit for the many ways he reveals himself to his sheep who look for him in the dark.
Wow, that is amazing Anna, thank you so much for sharing that connection. You may already know this, but I was curious if Bruno Barnhart touches on SoS in John because he is very attuned to the wedding/nuptial typology, and sure enough, he points to Nicodemus bringing “myrrh and aloes” (Jn 19:39) to the tomb in the “garden” (19:41), which echoes SoS 4:12-15. So I think you are spot on with your comments on Jn 20 and Mary. Such a beautiful connection and one I will have to study. This might end up being a much longer chapter in the book, as I already cut about 800 words re Exodus/darkness patterns for this post. Do you have any recommended reading on SoS?
Aaron, have you written on John 12:20-26? The answer Christ gives to his disciples concerning whether Greeks can be allowed to see him is one of the clearest expressions of the gospel and a call for the disciples to live the cruciform life. They are “fencing Jesus.” The disciples must die to themselves, hate their prejudice and reject their exalted status as “other” in this life. Once they die to themselves, lose their lives, their eyes will be opened to their neighbor and the fruit of one-anothering.
That’s great Anna. I haven’t written on that passage, but I do have some notes on how John as a whole teaches what a culture of Christ-like love could/would look like, and how John puts that in stark contrast to the glory-loving/shame-averse culture of that religious community, which the disciples occasionally display. I love that line: “hate their prejudice and reject their exalted status as “other” in this life.”
Thank you for these words, Aaron.
I wrote about the Gospel of John through the lens of law and gospel distinctions. That Jesus is renewing our minds away from a righteousness that comes through the law and into being righteous and holy as a gift, on account of Christ crucified and resurrected. Out of darkness at Sinai and into light at Zion. https://gospelrest.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-gospel-according-to-john-law-and.html
Amen Sarah, love it. Are you by any chance Lutheran? Referencing the law/gospel distinction with respect to John makes me wonder if you’ve read any of Luther’s sermons on John. They are on my to read list.
Unfortunately , I am not a member of a Lutheran Church, but I really enjoy Lutherans and I'm happy to learn from them. I don't think I have read any of Luther's sermons on John. I should tho.