Description

As the narrative of the Fourth Gospel unfolds, Jesus' pedagogy is a function of his cosmic journey from the Father above to the world below and back. He looks back to his origin when teaching representatives of the world in an attempt to foster faith in him as the one sent by the Father. But as he turns his attention to his disciples he looks forward to his return to the Father. He seeks to prepare them for life and ministry after his departure. In this comparative study, two samples are extracted for examination: his teaching at the Feast of Tabernacles and his teaching in the farewell discourse. Criteria used for discerning similarities and differences in pedagogy include the purpose, occasion, audience, and techniques. There are differences in techniques as a result of differences in purpose, occasion, and audience. A major determinant is the presence or absence of faith in Jesus' identity and origin on the part of the audience.