The Word of Life: An Introduction to the Gospel of John

The Word of Life
An Introduction to the Gospel of John
On Thursday evening of this week, I will begin a series of six talks on the Gospel of John. These talks will be held in the Lower Church Hall on Thursdays at 7:30 PM. If you wish to see the handouts for these talks, you can find them on our Parish Website: www.StMarysimsbury.org. Below is a summary of the lectures I will deliver.   Father Matera
 
Thursday, September 12, 7:30 PM
WHY DO WE NEED A FOURTH GOSPEL?
The Gospel of John was the last of the Four Gospels to have been written. It is different from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke in the way it presents Jesus. In this introductory session, I will compare the Gospel of John with the other Gospels, summarize its major themes, and provide an outline that will allow you to read the Gospel with meaning for your life.
 
Thursday, September 19, 7:30 PM
DOES IT MATTER WHERE JESUS CAME FROM?
The most distinguishing characteristic of the Gospel of John is its claim that Jesus is the incarnation of the eternal word of God. This means that Jesus come from the Father to reveal what he has seen and heard in the presence of the Father so that the world may live in the light of God, which is eternal life. In this session, I will explain why it matters where Jesus came from.
 
Thursday, September 26, 7:30 PM
WHY DOES JESUS SPEAK THAT WAY?
When you read the Gospel of John, you will note that Jesus speaks in a different way than he speaks in the other Gospels. Rather than speaking in parables about the kingdom of God, he speaks in long discourses about himself and his relationship to God. In this session, I will provide a way to understand these long discourses and what they mean for our life.
 
Thursday, October 3, 7:30 PM
WHAT WAS JESUS POINTING TO?
In the Gospel of John, Jesus performs a series of seven signs (miracles) that point to him as the one who comes from God to reveal God to the world. These signs are different in kind from the “miracles” Jesus performs in the other Gospels. In this session, I will show how to understand these signs and their significance for our life.
 
Thursday, October 10, 7:30 PM
WHY WAS THE WORLD SO HOSTILE TO JESUS?
In the Gospel of John there is a strong strain of hostility between Jesus and the world, and Jesus and “the Jew.” Why is this so? Does this mean that Jesus was hostile to the world and his own people?  In this session I explain Jesus’ stance to the world and how it affects our lives.
 
Thursday, October 17, 7:30 PM
WHERE IS JESUS GOING?
The Gospel of John presents Jesus’ differently than the other Gospels do. Jesus’ death is not a humiliating defeat but the beginning of his return to his Father, the moment of his glorification. In this session, I will show how an understanding of Jesus’ death can help us to make sense of the mystery of death in our own lives.