John’s Gospel contains an especially profound depiction of the mystery of the Holy Trinity. I will summarize 3 key ideas from this chapter:
1st – Logos + Son: In the Prologue of John’s Gospel, 2 names are given to Jesus that shed light upon His divine nature:
- Logos: In a parallel to the opening of Genesis, St. John identifies Jesus – “en archē” – or in the beginning, in the principle/origin – as the pre-existent eternal Word or Logos of the Father (or the immaterial wisdom or reason of the Father) – through whom all things were made (and remember, only God can create in this “Second Temple” era of Jewish thinking). This Logos became flesh (sarx) – entered into human history and became man in Jesus Christ.
- Son: the Son is (1) “the only-begotten (or uniquely-begotten) Son from the Father” (1:18) – his Sonship pre-exists the creation; (2) the Son is in the bosom of the Father – or a kind of mutual indwelling (perichōrēsis in Gk; circumincessio in Latin); (3) “he has made the Father known” (1:18) – to make known = exegete in Greek. The Son is the “exegete” or “interpreter” of the Father – he makes the Father known to us.
2nd – Suffering Servant + I AM: In the crucifixion of Jesus in John’s Gospel, 2 additional names revealed that shed more light upon Jesus’ divine nature:
- Suffering Servant: Jesus’ crucifixion is presented in the Gospel of John as an exaltation that establishes (1) Jesus’ status as Suffering Servant (3:14-15, cf. Isaiah 52-3), (2) reveals God’s glory (12:23), and (3) serves as the standard for the salvific ingathering of the human race (12:32)” (101).
- I AM: Jesus’ crucifixion also manifests His divine identity, or divine name as “I AM” (John 8:28, 8:58). Here Jesus clearly ascribes to himself the pre- existence of the godhead, of the Lord of Israel who created all things and who called Abraham into the covenant. “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).
3rd – “Processions” in God:
- The Son: (1) “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceeded and came forth from God; I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.” (John 8:42); (2) “I came from the Father” (John 16:27-30). This procession is 1st to be understood in reference to His eternal procession from the Father, 2nd to be seen as His temporal mission from the Father; (3) “I have given them [i.e., the disciples] the words which you gave me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you” (John 17:8).
- The Holy Spirit: (1) “But the Counsellor [i.e., the Paraclete], the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name…” (John 14:25-26). (2) “But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me” (John 15:26) (3) “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7).
- Commonalities: (1) “[I]n both cases there is still a relational origin: each comes forth from the Father from all eternity. For this reason, we do need a common theological term by which to denote this commonality that obtains between them, and “procession” is itself a scriptural term: the Son and the Spirit both relate to the Father as the one from whom they originate, and in that sense they both “proceed” from him eternally” (107).
- Differences: (1) Son “comes forth” (exerchomai) from the Father; (2) Spirit “proceeds” (ekporeuomai) from the Father; (3) The Spirit is spoken of in scripture as the Spirit of the Father & also the Spirit of the Son, or the one whom the Son sends. And the Spirit continues the work of both the Father and the Son (John 16:8-15). He is “the Spirit of truth” (John 16:13) who “extends Christ’s mission in time [who is the Truth (John 14:6)] by guiding his disciples into the fullness of the truth that was present in Christ’s person” (108). As the Spirt of the Truth, He is the Spirit of the Son.
Prodigal Catholic 