The End

I want to start this post by saying that it will possibly be my last. By finishing this gopel, we are done with the Bible, and because we are not going to have to read at home any longer, we won't do reading blogs either. It has been great talking about the Bible and all the other books we have read with this nonexistent audience.

So, the last chapters of the gospel of John. I have to say they were a lot more entertaining than the rest of the gospel. I really like the parts when they are pursuing and challenging Jesus, because it is more interesting that the rest of the boring stories, no offence.

The first thing I have to notice is that I think the disciples are portrayed as stupid. They never understand anything that Jesus says, but they will still follow anything he says word by word without caring to think through it. "Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? 18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith (John 16:17)." How come they didn't understand something as easy as "I am going to Heaven, but I will come back." Especially being disciples? I think it was done on purpose to make Jesus seem more intelligent.

I really liked a small part when Jesus was praying to God, and he prayed for his apostles, saying that they gave him great joy. I thought it was very humble and nice to him to say that, after all the time they had spent together.

I also noticed that at the end where a lot of parts that seemed to have the same story as in Luke, because everything about Pilate and how he didn't find Jesus guilty of anything happened in both gospels. The way how it was decided that he was going to be crucified, and important part like those were also the same. Anyway, there were also some major differences, like Jesus' last words.

In Luke's gospel, I don't remember his last words, so I am thinking they might not have been as important or as direct as in John's. Instead, in John's gospel his words are not easily forgotten. He says "I thirst" and "It is finished (John 19:28,30)." That is something that generally keeps you thinking, and you don't really forget that Jesus said he was thirsty as part of his last words. At least to me, it was very interesting, because I didn't expect that to happen. I had also never heard of it, but I think he just said it to fulfill that prophecy he is always talking about. The so-called "scriptures."

For me it is weird that they are always talking about the scriptures, because it seems as though the writer was just reading the scriptures and inventing the story based on what was supposed to happen. " For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. 37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced (John 19:36)." Don't you think it seems as if they had said "Oh, because Jesus can't have his bones broken, then let's say he died before they could break them, to fulfill the scriptures." I don't know, but I find it very weird and discouraging.

A crucial difference between both gospels was that in the gospel of Luke, Jesus only appeared one time to his disciples, and the way he was first seen was a lot different. In this case, Jesus appears at least three times. "This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. (John 21:14)" I find this strange, because even though I expected differences, something as big as how many times he came back after his resurrection is something big enough that everyone should agree on.

I didn't like the end of this gospel. "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen (John 21:25)." But since there is nothing I can do about it, then I will just have to leave it as the last words in my reading blog! TTYN!