John 4:12

4:12 Surely you’re not greater than our ancestor ¹  Jacob, are you? For he gave us this well and drank from it himself, along with his sons and his livestock.” ² 

John 14:28

14:28 You heard me say to you, ³  ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad ⁴  that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. ⁵ 

John 15:20

15:20 Remember what ⁶  I told you, ‘A slave ⁷  is not greater than his master.’ ⁸  If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed ⁹  my word, they will obey ¹⁰  yours too.

[4:12]  ¹ tn Or “our forefather”; Grk “our father.”

[4:12]  ² tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end. In this instance all of v. 12 is one question. It has been broken into two sentences for the sake of English style (instead of “for he” the Greek reads “who”).

[14:28]  ³ tn Or “You have heard that I said to you.”

[14:28]  ⁴ tn Or “you would rejoice.”

[14:28]  ⁵ sn Jesus’ statement the Father is greater than I am has caused much christological and trinitarian debate. Although the Arians appealed to this text to justify their subordinationist Christology, it seems evident that by the fact Jesus compares himself to the Father, his divine nature is taken for granted. There have been two orthodox interpretations: (1) The Son is eternally generated while the Father is not: Origen, Tertullian, Athanasius, Hilary, etc. (2) As man the incarnate Son was less than the Father: Cyril of Alexandria, Ambrose, Augustine. In the context of the Fourth Gospel the second explanation seems more plausible. But why should the disciples have rejoiced? Because Jesus was on the way to the Father who would glorify him (cf. 17:4-5); his departure now signifies that the work the Father has given him is completed (cf. 19:30). Now Jesus will be glorified with that glory that he had with the Father before the world was (cf. 17:5). This should be a cause of rejoicing to the disciples because when Jesus is glorified he will glorify his disciples as well (17:22).

[15:20]  ⁵ tn Grk “Remember the word that I said to you.”

[15:20]  ⁶ tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[15:20]  ⁷ sn A slave is not greater than his master. Jesus now recalled a statement he had made to the disciples before, in John 13:16. As the master has been treated, so will the slaves be treated also. If the world had persecuted Jesus, then it would also persecute the disciples. If the world had kept Jesus’ word, it would likewise keep the word of the disciples. In this statement there is the implication that the disciples would carry on the ministry of Jesus after his departure; they would in their preaching and teaching continue to spread the message which Jesus himself had taught while he was with them. And they would meet with the same response, by and large, that he encountered.

[15:20]  ⁸ tn Or “if they kept.”

[15:20]  ⁹ tn Or “they will keep.”