John, the Mystic Evangelist

Of the four canonical evangelists, John is the most mystical. Having resolved that Jesus is ruler of a realm that is not of this world, John develops his gospel to bring the reader to awareness of the other world. Time and again he makes the point that if you want to see what you cannot see, see what you can see. When you see clearly what you can see, you see what you cannot see. The infinite is revealed in the finite. John presents Jesus as one who is loved by God, loves God, loves his disciples and prays for unity. Throughout his gospel John develops themes through story, discourse, and significant words and phrases that reveal his mystic tendencies. John, the Mystic Evangelist looks at the unique way John presents Jesus so that in the end the reader is invited into his or her own experience of the divine in the present moment.