DAILY, WEEKEND, AND HOLIDAY INTERNET EVANGELIZE TO THE WORLD MINISTRY

  John 15:1–17  Jesus the True Vine and the Disciples’ Need to Remain in Him ( Jn. 15:1–17 ) At the heart of the Johannine Farewell Discourse is the allegory depicting Jesus as the true vine in Jn. 15:1–17 (see Kellum 2004: 193–96, citing R. Longacre, who identifies Jn. 15:1–17 as the “peak” of the Farewell Discourse; on vine imagery in John’s Gospel, see Nielsen 1999: 72–76). The OT frequently uses the vineyard or vine to symbolize Israel, God’s covenant people, especially in two “vineyard songs” found in Isaiah ( Isa. 5:1–7; Isa. 27:2–6; cf. Ps. 80:8–16; Jer. 2:21; Jer. 6:9; Jer. 12:10–13; Ezek. 15:1–8; Ezek.17:5–10; Ezek. 19:10–14; Hos. 10:1–2; Hos. 14:7 ; see also Sir. 24:17–23; 2 Esd. 5:23; an extensive allegorical depiction of Israel as a vine is also found in Lev. Rab. 36:2 , concerning Ps. 80:9 ). However, whereas the vine’s purpose of existence is to bear fruit for its owner, references to Israel as God’s vine regularly stress Israel’s failure to produce...

John 13:1-30  The Cleansing of the New Messianic Community: The Footwashing and Judas’s Departure ( Jn. 13:1–30 ) The Johannine Farewell Discourse’s preamble, Jn. 13:1–30 revolves around the motif of cleansing. Jesus’ inner circle is cleansed both physically (the foot-washing in Jn. 13:1–17 ) and figuratively (the departure of the betrayer in Jn. 13:18–30 ) (see Westcott 1908: 2:159). Structurally, the cleansing motif in chapter 13 may correspond to that in chapter 2 , both at the Cana wedding and at the clearing of the temple. Chapter  2 Jesus’ attempt to cleanse corrupt Jewish custom and worship must be pronounced a failure in human terms (although both events serve as Johannine “signs” with messianic significance); chapter  13 witnesses his successful cleansing of the new messianic community. This cleansing, in turn, is necessary for the Farewell Discourse proper ( Jn. 13:31–16:33 ) to proceed. The practice of foot-washing has a long OT tradition (Hultgren 1982:...

John 6:1-71   The Feeding of the Multitude and the Bread of Life Discourse ( 6:1–71 ) Chapter 6 is replete with OT allusive material. Jesus’ question in Jn. 6:5 to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” echoes Moses’ similar question to God in the wilderness, “Where can I get meat for all these people?” ( Num. 11:13 ). This is one of several parallels between John 6 and Num. 11 . Other parallels include the grumbling of the people ( Num. 11:1; John 6:41, 43 ); the description of the manna ( Num. 11:7–9; John 6:31 ); the reference to the eating of meat/flesh ( Num. 11:13; John 6:51 ); and the striking disproportion between the existing need and the available resources ( Num. 11:22; John 6:7–9 ). In Jn. 6:9 mention is made of a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish. In a similar account in 2 Kings 4:42–44 , Elisha fed one hundred men with twenty barley loaves and some ears of grain (see Ridderbos 1997: 211–12; Barrett 1978: 275). The use of the wor...

  Matthew 27:45–66 The rest of Matt. 27 describes Jesus’ death and burial. The preternatural darkness that envelopes Jesus’ crucifixion ( Matt. 27:45 ) reminds the reader of the plagues and apocalyptic portents in texts such as Exod. 10:22; Joel 2:10; Amos 8:9 (esp. with its reference to the sun going down at noon, precisely the “sixth hour” referred to here). The one direct quotation of the OT in this chapter comes in 27:46 , on which, see below. The vinegar offered to Jesus in 27:48 alludes to Ps. 69:21b , just as the gall alluded to the first half of this verse. The rending of the temple veil ( 27:51 ) refers to one of two temple curtains modeled after the pattern of the tabernacle in Exod. 26:31–35 (for a survey of various early Christian interpretations, see de Jonge 1986 ). The resurrection of certain “saints” in 27:51–53 is clearly the oddest part of this chapter, but it builds on OT belief in the general resurrection of all people when the Messiah comes (see esp. Da...

  Matthew 25:1–46 God is already depicted as a bridegroom, as in the parable of the Ten Bridesmaids ( Matt. 25:1–13 ), in OT texts such as Isa. 54:4–6; Ezek. 16:8, 45; and Hos. 2:19 . We may speak of this as a stock metaphor, as Jesus frequently drew on for his parables (see Blomberg 1990b: 37). The motif of the delay of the end was one that Jews had wrestled with since the eighth-century BC, as numerous writing prophets had declared the day of the Lord to be at hand (see Bauckham 1980). The parable of the Talents ( 25:14–30 ) may faintly echo Prov. 9:9 , esp. in 25:29 , on the wise gaining more wisdom. The sheep and the goats ( 25:31–46 ) may allude in 25:31 to Deut. 33:2 LXX, which speaks of the Lord shining forth with angels with him at his right hand. Or perhaps Zech. 14:5 is in mind, in which the Lord comes with all the holy ones accompanying him. The separation of sheep from goats in 25:32 may allude to Ezek. 34:17–19 . Verses 35–36 probably allude to Isa. 58:7 , with ...

  Matthew 11:1–30 Here begins Matthew’s second major block of narrative material in the body of his Gospel ( chaps. 11–12 ). Matthew 11:1–19 deals with Jesus and John the Baptist. On the question about Jesus as the “coming one” ( 11:3 ), see above ( p. 2 ). Verse 4 refers again to specific healing miracles as having messianic significance, as already in the LXX of Isa. 29:18–19; 35:5–6; and 61:1 . Verse 5 may allude to Isa. 42:18 , with its call to the deaf to hear and to the blind to see. Verse 13 refers to the entirety of the Hebrew Scriptures with the expression “the prophets and the law.” A clear allusion to Elijah preceding the day of the Lord ( Mal. 4:5 ) appears in 11:14 . The little parable of the children in the marketplace ( 11:16–19 ) may echo Deut. 29:6 in describing the Baptist’s asceticism ( “neither eating nor drinking” ) and Isa. 22:13 in describing Jesus’ indulgence ( “eating and drinking” ). In striking contrast to the OT and Second-Temple Judaism, Jesus ...

  Matthew 10:1–42 Chapter 10 begins with the list of the twelve apostles whom Jesus chose ( vv. 1–4 ), undoubtedly based on the number of tribes of Israel in OT times (cf. 19:28 ). Jesus is reconstituting God’s covenant community among his followers. The rest of the chapter contains his instructions to the Twelve, both for their first short-term mission ( 10:5–16 ) and for the rest of the “church age ” ( 10:17–42 ). The reference to the lost sheep of Israel’s house ( 10:6 ) may allude to Jer. 50:6 (see also Isa. 53:6; Ezek. 34 ). The disciples are charged to proclaim the same message of the kingdom that John and Jesus preached (see above, pp. 11–12, 18 ). Their miracle-working ministry ( 10:8 ) will rely on the same texts as Jesus’ ministry, too (esp. Isa. 35:5–6 ). The reference to Sodom and Gomorrah ( 10:15 ) recalls the events of Gen. 18:20–19:28. The overthrow of these cities had become proverbial already in OT times ( Isa. 1:9; 13:19; Jer. 23:14; 50:40; Amos 4:11; see Davi...