4. The Johannine Use.
Jesus tells
Nathanael, who saw that he was known by Him: μείζω τούτων ὄψῃ (Jn.
1:50). This promise is elucidated by the general promise: ὄψεσθε τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνεῳγότα … The
reference is to seeing the δόξα of Jesus, in which they will share when
they are drawn into it. This takes place because through and in Jesus they see
God and are set in fellowship with Him. Jesus expects for Himself: ὁ … πατὴρ φιλεῖ τὸν υἱὸν καὶ πάντα δείκνυσιν αὐτῷ ἃ αὐτὸς ποιεῖ, καὶ μείζονα τούτων δείξει αὐτῷ ἔργα, ἵνα ὑμεῖς θαυμάζητε, 5:20. He
does not do His miracles of Himself. He fulfils what the Father, with whom He
is one in love, manifests to Him. He will show Him greater works than the
miracle wrought at the pool of Bethesda on the man who had been lame for 38
years. What this greater thing is may be seen in the following verse. It is a
matter of ζωοποιεῖν. This is the greater thing compared with
the miracles which He performs. To the disciple who abides in faith in Christ
the promise is made: ηείζονα τούτων ποιήσει, and the basis of this is His going to the Father (14:12). This going
to the Father gives Him the possibility of greater efficacy exercised through
the disciples.
The promise of the greater thing, and the
power to do it, make Jesus greater than the fathers. The Samaritan woman senses
this from His saying: μὴ σὺ μείζων εἶ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰακώβ; (4:12).
The Jews ask the same question: μὴ σὺ μείζων εἶ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἀβραάμ; (8:53).
He Himself confesses: ἐγὼ δὲ ἔχω τὴν μαρτυρίαν μείζω τοῦ Ἰωάννου (5:36).
The question is whether this is a witness greater than John had or than John
gave. In view of v. 33 the latter is more probable. Jesus lays before those who
would judge Him two witnesses: the works which the Father gives Him, and
Scripture, in which the Father has testified to Him. The witness of John is
mentioned only for the sake of His hearers. He does not emphasise it, for He
will not accept the witness of men. It is said of the witness of God as
compared with the witness of men: ἡ μαρτυρία τοῦ θεοῦ μείζων ἐστίν (1 Jn.
5:9).
A special question is raised by the
textually uncertain saying in 10:29: either ὁ πατήρ μου ὃς δέδωκέν μοι πάντων μείζων ἐστίν (א
LD syrsin pesh Basil Chrysost Cyril Alex), or: ὁ πατήρ μου ὅ δέδωκέν μοι πάντων μεῖζόν ἐστιν (AB Tert
Aug latt). In the first case Jesus grounds His authority to grant eternal and
inalienable life in the greatness of the Father, which is above all things, so
that nothing can pluck those who belong to Jesus out of the hand of the Father.
In the second case the power of Jesus as a shepherd is described as the highest
and supreme thing. Whereas in the first case the greatness of Jesus is grounded
in the Father, in the second it is said of this greatness which the Father has
given Him that it cannot be challenged by anything. Though Jesus speaks of His
unity with the Father, and this is the foundation of Johannine Christology, He
does not equate Himself with the Father. This is plain in the saying: ὁ πατὴρ μείζων μού ἐστιν (14:28).
The First Epistle declares: μείζων ἐστὶν ὁ θεὸς τῆς καρδίας ἡμῶν, namely,
as He who pardons, who overcomes the accusing heart (3:20). For this reason it
can say: ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστε, τεκνία, καὶ νενικήκατε αὐτούς (namely,
the ψευδοπροφῆται), ὅτι μείζων ἐστὶν ὁ ἐν ὑμῖν ἢ ὁ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ (4:4).
God, who is in the community, is greater than Satan, who is in the world.
The Johannine Christ forbids the
disciples to exalt themselves above Him. He also commands them to love and
serve as He does: οὐκ ἔστιν δοῦλος μείζων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ἀπόστολος μείζων τοῦ μέμψαντος αὐτόν, (Jn.
13:16). In so doing they will experience the hatred of the world like Himself: μνημονεύετε τοῦ λόγου οὗ ἐγὼ εἶπον ὑμῖν· οὐκ ἔστιν δοῦλος μείζων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ· εἰ ἐμὲ ἐδίωξαν, καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσιν. But also:
εἰ τὸν λόγον μου ἐτήρησαν, καὶ τὸν ὑμέτερον τηρήσουσιν (Jn. 15:20).
In 1 Jn. 3:19 f. we have the saying:
“Herein—namely, in love in deed and in truth—we shall know that we are of the
truth, and shall assure our heart before him. For if our heart condemns us, God
is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.” The greatness of God, which
is above both accusation and Satan, to whom all accusations go back (cf. 1 Jn.
4:4), consists in the forgiveness which remits guilt and in the power which
gives fulfilment of the commandments. (Walter
Grundmann, “Μέγας, Μεγαλεῖον, Μεγαλειότης, Μεγαλοπρεπής, Μεγαλύνω, Μεγαλωσύνη,
Μέγεθος,” Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard
Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, 10 vols. [Grand Rapids,
Mich.: Eerdmans, 1964–], 4:536–538)