The Feast of Tabernacles…

'Sukkoth' or The Feast of Tabernacles is one of the three major holidays within Judaism. The feast occurs in autumn on the fifteenth day of Tishri (late September to late October). The holiday last seven days and during this time, Jews construct a temporary structures in which they eat meals, entertain guests, relax and even sleep. The idea of this is to create something reminiscent of the type of huts in which the ancient Israelites dwelt during the desert wandering. Every evening during the feast, a lamp-lighting ceremony would take place in the Temple. Large lamps were set up in the Court of Women and according to the Talmud, the light of these lamps "filled every courtyard in the city" making the Temple the light of Jerusalem (Talmud: Sukkoth 5:3). In the light of these lamps there was great singing and dancing all evening in celebration of God's salvation, especially his deliverance at the exodus as he lead his people with his presence in a pillar of fire by night. In the sight of these great lamps in the Court of Women, perhaps even in the evening while they blazed, Jesus proclaims himself to be the light of the world:

[vs 12] Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

[vs 13] So the Pharisees said to Him, "You are testifying about yourself; your testimony is not true."

[vs 14] Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.

[vs 15] "You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone.

[vs 16] "But even if I do judge, my judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me.

[vs 17] "Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true.

[vs 18] "I am He who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me."

[vs 19] So they were saying to Him, "Where is Your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor My Father; if you knew me, you would know My Father also."

[vs 20] These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come (Jn 8:12-20).

This essay will study the passage above and providing an exegesis in discussing how Jesus in the Gospel of John brings the fulfilment of Israel's traditions.

Light and Dark…

Light within the Hebrew Scriptures has a very important role to play in understanding God and Israel. The motif of light is used to refer to God's presence, glory or his salvation and sometimes his revelation, as well as one describing God as their light or guide. During The Feast of Tabernacles, a holiday which celebrates the Israelite's deliverance and national independence, the light is a symbol of remembrance of how their deliverance was won. Israel followed the presence of the Lord in the pillar of fire as they escaped Egypt and journeyed to the Promised Land, and these lamps were to remind them of that. As well as this, it was a reminder of Israel's vocation and duty was to be the "the light of the nations" (Isa 49:6). Looking further into the background of Jesus' words, they come from the identification of the Torah as the light that was to be given to the world in Jewish Wisdom Traditions (Wis 18:4, see also Ps 119:105, Prov 6:23, Sir 24:27, Bar 4:2). The rabbis also spoke of the Law as a light or lamp.

Thus, Jesus' words calls for a double possibility. One can choose to remain in the darkness or walk in the light of life by following Jesus. While the Temple's light will eventually burn out, Jesus promises a light that will never stop shinning. Jesus offers a light surpassing even the pillar of fire, for Jesus is the logos who as already been described as a light and life for all people and a light that darkness could not over come (Jn 1:4-5). The Christological affirmation of v.12a and its consequences, spelled out in v.12b, form a program for the rest of chapter 8. On the one hand Jesus perfects the liturgy of Tabernacles (v.12a) and on the other; his revelation of light brings judgement (v.12b). The acceptance or refusal of Jesus' revelation of the Father is at the heart of every discussion that follows.

Testify and Testimony…

What follows directly is a legal question (v.13). The Pharisees respond to Jesus' invitation by questioning the validity of Jesus' self-witness (cf. 7:32, 45-52). According to Jewish Law, a man's witness on his own behalf was not legally admissible evidence; he required the witness of two other men on his behalf (Num 35:30, Deut 17:6). In Chapter 5:31-40, Jesus presented other witnesses on his behalf however, this time, Jesus responds to the Pharisee's complaint with a strategy that at first glance contradicts his earlier words. Rather than conducting his self-defence according to the judicial categories of his opponents as he did before, Jesus in the present text distances himself from his opponents' categories ("your law," v.17) and counters with his own. The adjective 'valid' is heavy concentration by the evangelist in this section, and it points to the heart of the matter: only one perspective can be 'valid' and true. This most likely refects the synagogue debates facing the Johannine community at the time about the validity of Jesus' claims and their claims about Jesus (cf. 5:31-40, 7:12b, 15:26-27, 16:1-2, 8-11).

To question Jesus' claims by judging as a forensic testimony is not to truly grasp the nature of the claim. Jesus is claiming himself to be what the Law is to Israel, he is to the world. However, because of his origins and destiny (v. 14), Jesus' witness cannot be measured by traditional norms. The point is that although Jesus is witnessing himself, such witnessing and witness is true. Yet again however, the Pharisees are unable to accept his claims and move to condemn Jesus by Mosaic Law. They cannot move beyond from what they can see and touch and only judge "according to the flesh" (v. 15). In contrast to the Pharisees, Jesus judges no one on the basis of his own authority (vv. 15b-16). He judges no one, but a judging activity flows from the union he shares with "the one who sent him (v. 16; cf. 5:22-24a)." Francis Moloney explains the Johannine logic behind this contradiction:

Jesus, the one sent by the Father, makes God known, and a reliable judgement flows from his presence among women and men as they accept or refuse this revelation. The judgement flowing from the acceptance or refusal of the revelation that takes the place in Jesus, the light of the world, has no trace of falsity. It is judgement as it should be — reliable, dependable, and genuine. The accusation of the Pharisees has been countered.

Even so, Jesus does still accept the Law of 'the Jews' which requires two persons for true testimony. In this case, Jesus is able to bear witness to himself because he was sent by the Father who also bears witness to him (v. 18).

However all this dialogue brings the Pharisees back into asking the puzzled question, "Where is your father?" (v.19a). For the reader, the Pharisees' question is also an instance of irony. They ask him about the location of his father, so that he may be a witness, but without knowing, their question reveals a more profound ignorance about the identity of God and the relationship between God and Jesus. Jesus' response confirms this, revealing the key to Johannine Christology and theology: To know Jesus is to know God (cf. cf. 14:6-7).

A Light to the Whole World…

The passage concludes with a reference to the Temple treasury as the place where Jesus spoke all these things, and this is connected to the Feast of Tabernacles, because the Temple treasury was located next to the Court of Women, the site of the Feast's light celebration. Once again, in John's Gospel, old rites are once again transformed by Jesus' incarnate presence. The Tabernacles light illuminated all of Jerusalem, but Jesus is the light of the world. What the Law, the Temple and even God were once to Israel; Jesus is now to the world.

Bibliography:
Brown, R. The Gospel according to John. London: Geoffrey Chapman Publishers, 1966.
Coloe, M. God Dwells with Us. Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 2001.
Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible
Keck, L. ed, et al. New Interpreters Bible: A Commentary in Twelve volumes v9 Luke; John. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995.
Moloney, F. Sacra Pagina v4; The Gospel of John. Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1998.
Wright, N.T. The New Testament and the People of God. London: SPCK, 1992.
Yee, G. Jewish Feasts and The Gospel of John. Wilmington: Michael Glazier, 1989.

©2007 Daniel Gullotta

[Index of Commentaries by Daniel Gullotta]