14. The Apostle JohnVolumes have been
written on the supposed sacramental character of John’s gospel concerning
baptism and the Lord’s supper. This usually makes the
historical-chronological testimony of secondary importance. But using such
techniques of interpretation one might easily prove there is a also sacrament
of “lighting lamps” during conversion-initiation. The following serves as an
example of such logic. “... Believers are
“enlightened” in the Kingdom. This must certainly arise from a literal
understanding of “let your lamps shine before men.” Of course this means we
view the physical act of lighting lamps at conversion-initiation as a vehicle
of grace for spiritual enlightenment. The source of this enlightenment arises
from Messiah Himself, as we read in the sacramental gospel, “I am the Light
of the world, he who follows me shall not walk in darkness.” He is the “Light
of men” and the “Light shines in the darkness.” When a candidate lights his
lamp, “Light has come into the world, and he who practices truth will come to
the Light.” “While you have the Light, believe in the Light, that you may
become sons of Light.” Then the formula is recited, “I have come as a Light
into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness.”
The ten virgins of course depict the sacral lighting of the lamps to usher in
the reception of the Lord, those, who during the act of lighting the lamp
exercise true faith and are ushered into the Lord’s banquet...etc., etc.” But if no one takes
John’s gospel to teach a sacrament of lighting lamps why should passages
about baptism or water have such interpretations imposed on them? The Lord
said “I am the Door” John 10:7, is there also a “sacramental entry door”? In John’s gospel
only the verb baptizo is used, the nouns baptismos or baptisma
are not to be found. R. John is given special prominence as a testimony to
Messiah,3 comparable with Luke, but more than the other two
synoptics. “Born of water” in John 3 has been seen to relate to John’s
baptism, the context is not post-resurrection, and Yeshua’s disciples are
also seen performing Israel’s end-time baptism, John’s, with no sign of a new
baptism after the resurrection (and John’s gospel contains four
post-resurrection episodes, more than any of the synoptics). At the same time
a specific scene related to the receiving of the Spirit from the risen
Messiah is given which is impossible to connect to water baptism, Yeshua
breathed on disciples in a defined, lucid event with a command to receive the
Holy Spirit with no connection to any ritual. (More about this below.) Luke
and Acts also omit the establishment of a new baptism and also speak of
receiving the Spirit from on High. Taking all this together, one might well
argue that John’s gospel, far from teaching a sacrament, was meant to correct
a mistaken idea that water baptism was something other than John’s, or that
it was important for anyone but Jews. Questions sometimes
arise because of Messiah’s actions on resurrection day, John 20:22. Some feel
His breath on the disciples actually distributed the Holy Spirit. However on
close examination we see an intimate sign of what would occur several weeks
later on Shavu’ot. First of all, not all the apostles were present and
it would have been more appropriate for all eleven to receive the first
spiritual gifting of Messiah’s body. Also, the Lord breathed on them first
and then said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” But it would seem to make more
sense to first encourage them to receive the Spirit and then breathe
on them if He were really distributing His Spirit, otherwise His physical
breath was already in them by the time He told them to receive the Spirit,
why bother telling them to receive something He had just given them? If this
were a distribution of His Spirit it would be an awkward sequence. Others
have commented that eight days later the disciples did not act any different,
as if having received the Holy Spirit, the doors were locked just as they had
been the week before, John 20:26, before Messiah appeared to them. On the other hand,
as a sign of coming blessings, Messiah’s intimate breath would closely
correspond to the sequence of the Passover supper where He signified His
imminent death in the events in the meal itself. The Lord told His disciples
to “take” and eat the broken bread as a sign of His imminent suffering, using
the same word on that night of the Passover, labete, as He did on
resurrection evening to encourage them to “receive” the Holy Spirit. It is
reasonable to conclude the Lord signified to His disciples through an
intimate sign of breathing what would soon occur on Shavu’ot,
confirmed later in Luke 24:49 where He told the disciples to wait in Previous to the
sign of breath on the disciples, in John The other
appearances of the Lord after He appeared to Mary, in Matthew 28:9-10, Luke
24:34, 1 Corinthians 15:5 and Luke 24:13-32, seem to show He did not
immediately ascend to Heaven after He spoke with Mary in John 20:17. When the
Lord told her to tell His brethren, “I am ascending to My Father and your
Father, and to My God and your God,” we do not conclude the Lord ascended the
moment she left, rather this was His victory message, He would ascend to His
Father because He was resurrected from the dead but He would not have to
ascend the moment Mary was gone. Besides, He had already been resurrected for
some time anyway, long enough for the women to go from the tomb, tell Peter
and John, let them come and take a look, let them leave, and let Mary stand
outside weeping. If the Lord had to ascend to His Father immediately after
His resurrection He could have done so. And just after Mary left, the Lord
appeared to the rest of the women, Matthew 28:5,10, and tends to indicate He
did not immediately ascend to His Father after talking with Mary. Therefore
on resurrection evening the Lord did not send out His Spirit. Instead, He
gave His disciples an intimate sign of His promise to send the Spirit to them
which He would fulfill on Shavu’ot, giving them the promise of the
Father, Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4-5. This is precisely what the apostle Peter
proclaimed in Acts 2:33, that Messiah had received the promised Holy Spirit
and had poured out what was seen and heard. John recorded the sign on
resurrection evening to let all readers know that they should also look
forward to receiving the Holy Spirit of God, apart from any water ritual,
just as the original disciples did. Endnote 3John
1:6-8, 15, 19-36; |