The Curious Case of the Cross in the Gospel of John

Exodus by Marc Chagall

When we read a book of the Bible we often come to it with many assumptions based on what we already know from other books of the Bible. We also bring our theological expectations, the church’s traditions, and our own personal theology. They all influence how we hear and interpret a text. With that in mind, consider the curious case of the cross in John’s Gospel.

To say it right up front: John’s Gospel does not talk about forgiveness of sins in connection to the cross of Jesus. In fact, John’s Gospel only talks about forgiveness once, after Jesus’ resurrection, when Jesus says to his disciples as he breathes his Spirit upon them:  

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. (John 20:23)

Prior to that, Jesus and the author of John never mention forgiveness. Curious, right?

John’s Gospel does talk a lot about sin. The first instance is in the first chapter of John. John the Baptist says when he sees Jesus:

Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)

You might be tempted to assume that when John says “who takes away the sin of the world” that he means “who forgives the sin of the world.” But John doesn’t say “forgive.” Why not? And what does it mean to “take away the sin of the world?”

It becomes clear as you read John that sin refers to something very specific: not knowing God. And more to the point: Not knowing God who is fully revealed in Jesus. John sees Jesus as the full revelation and gracious relationship God offers to the world out of love. Relationship with God in Jesus is life giving – in fact, it is “resurrection” offered here and now to those who trust God’s full revelation in Jesus. That full revelation seen in Jesus’ life, wondrous deeds, and death John calls “glory.” To look upon Jesus on the cross and see God’s glory is the healing power of the cross.

Jesus speaks of this in his fascinating conversation with Nicodemus, using a story about Moses and the wandering Hebrews to give meaning to his death on the cross:

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. (John 3:14-15)

In that story from Exodus, the complaining Hebrews had stopped trusting God and Moses, so God sent poisonous snakes, and some folks got bit. To heal them, God tells Moses to put a serpent on a pole and lift it up, and when people look at it, they are healed. When people look at Jesus on the cross and see God, they are healed (not forgiven) of their sin.

Even more important is how John shows Jesus to be a Passover lamb being slaughtered. Remember – John the Baptist already said Jesus is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In his story of Jesus’ death, John intentionally changes the timeline that the other Gospels use. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus’ last supper is a Passover meal, and Jesus is crucified on the next day. In John, there is no last supper account; instead, there is the foot washing. John tells us that the day Jesus is crucified is the day of preparation for the Passover, the day before Passover, and it was about noon. This was the day and time that lambs would be slaughtered to eat for the Passover meal. Jesus is the Passover lamb of God.

In the Passover story, the lamb is sacrificed so that the blood can be put on the doorposts and lintel of the house in order to protect each Hebrew household from death so they can be liberated from slavery. The Passover lamb is not a sacrifice for sin, it is a sacrifice for protection and liberation. In Exodus the people are protected from death and set free from the bondage of slavery. The same is true in John. Those who trust God’s revelation in Jesus are protected from death and set free from bondage. They are no longer a “slave to sin” as we see in this passage:

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, 'You will be made free'?" Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:31-36)

So how does Jesus “take away the sin of the world?” He brings people fully into relationship with God as a gift. If God simply forgave the sin of the world, God would not have solved the problem. God overcomes, takes away, removes the sin of the world by offering a gracious new life in God through Jesus.

The heart of this full revelation of God is seen in Jesus’ self-giving love. That self-giving love is seen in Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. Jesus insists that he must do this, even though it seems wrong to Peter that Jesus should humble himself and wash his disciples’ feet. After the foot washing, Jesus says:

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35)

And then a little later:    

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. (John 15:12-17)

Shortly after, Jesus lays down his life for his friends by submitting to crucifixion. How is this laying down his life for his friends if this is not a sacrifice for sin? Because Jesus is fully enacting self-giving love in giving his life for his friends as the Passover lamb of God. Jesus is trusting God fully in dying on the cross, so that all can trust God fully in giving their own lives for one another through self-giving love, from foot washing to every act of care for another.

Jesus is revealing God fully as self-giving love and friend. Jesus is protecting his followers from death by freeing them from the fear of death and promising them resurrection life now and into eternity. Jesus is liberating believers by ending the sin that separates them from God. Now they see God for who God truly is – Jesus’ self-giving love and friendship. Now they live God’s love for each other by humbly caring for each other with the love of Jesus.

That’s the curious case of the cross in John’s Gospel as I read it. What about you? How do you understand the cross in John? How do you experience being protected, healed, set free in Christ? How do you know and trust the self-giving love and friendship God offers you in Jesus?