Empire in the New Testament (McMaster New Testament Studies Series) by Stanley E. Porter

Author:Stanley E. Porter
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781630877323
Publisher: Pickwick Publications, an Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers
Published: 2015-01-20T05:00:00+00:00

Aside from the general plausibility of the events he records—everything the Romans do in John 19 fits their political agenda nicely—the Evangelist, apparently wishing to assuage any possible doubt, offers a more detailed rationale for two of the six scenes outlined above. First, in scene 3 (John 19:23–24), John intervenes to explain exactly why the soldiers decided to cast lots for Jesus’ clothing. While Mark simply notes that the Romans stripped Jesus and threw dice (Mark 15:24), John expands the incident by noting that four soldiers were involved and that one of Jesus’ garments, the xitw/n (a full length undergarment) was seamless and therefore could not be torn without substantial damage. Realizing this fact, the soldiers discuss the situation and agree to cast lots, each presumably hoping to preserve the value of the garment and secure it as his own (John 19:24). Second and similarly, in scene 6 (John 19:31–37) John goes out of his way to explain exactly why Jesus’ legs were not broken and why the soldiers stuck a spear into his corpse. Because the Passover Sabbath was about to commence, the Jewish authorities asked Pilate to remove the bodies quickly so as to prevent them from polluting the holy city. Honoring this request, Pilate sent soldiers to break the legs of the victims, thus hastening their deaths (while not reducing their agony). Presumably, the Romans would have done this to Jesus as well, but were surprised to discover that he had expired; to ensure that he was dead, one of the soldiers drove a spear into his side. In both of these instances, John offers entirely rational reasons for specific events on Calvary, reasons that are essentially unsurprising and that fit neatly into the deep logic of Roman crucifixions.

Of course, both the seamless garment and the “water and blood” may reflect significant Johannine theological themes—the former the unity of Christ’s message and/or community, the latter the reality of his physical incarnation—and for this reason many scholars have questioned the historical reliability of John’s presentation. Without entering that debate, I would argue that John’s original readers would have been likely to accept the general outline of the Fourth Gospel’s death story, simply because that story follows the underlying logic of the cross script. Jesus, representative of the entire Jewish race, has offended the dignity of Rome by threatening to upset peace and order. Caesar’s physical and psychological power over the “king of the Jews” is graphically illustrated by the soldiers’ violent destruction of Jesus’ body (scourging; crucifixion; thirst) and by the complete dehumanization of his person (divided clothing; inability to care for mother; mutilation of corpse). Whether or not John’s account is historically accurate, it is entirely plausible and, indeed, holds back nothing that would tend to mark Jesus as a helpless pawn in the story of Roman power.

Obviously, while the Fourth Gospel’s death story essentially follows the plot of the master commemorative narrative behind every Roman crucifixion, John wishes to rewrite the moral of the story. Specifically,

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