Follow Me: The Benefits of Discipleship in the Gospel of John by Mark Zhakevich

Abstract

Reviewed by: Follow Me: The Benefits of Discipleship in the Gospel of John by Mark Zhakevich Margaret Daly-Denton mark zhakevich, Follow Me: The Benefits of Discipleship in the Gospel of John (Interpreting Johannine Literature; Lanham, MD: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2021). Pp. xi + 219. $100. This doctoral dissertation mentored by the late Prof. Larry Hurtado of the University of Edinburgh, is an impressively detailed treatment of its topic. No stone is unturned; every claim is cogently defended, every possible query answered, and every conceivable objection forestalled. Copious endnotes to each chapter reassure the reader that this is a well-researched and reliable work of biblical scholarship. Zhakevich asks what the Fourth Gospel can tell us about the attraction that the Jesus movement held for its intended audience, even though commitment to faith in Jesus would [End Page 516] put them at a considerable disadvantage, in regard to their Jewish sense of belonging. In Z.'s view, there were three major benefits: membership in the divine family, the experience of abiding with the Father and the Son, and royal friendship with Jesus. His study differs from previous studies of discipleship in the Fourth Gospel that take historical, theological, and narratological approaches. In fact, he believes that his book is "the first to draw attention to Johannine themes that are compensatory benefits of continuous discipleship" (p. 15). Zhakevich presents the first of these compensatory benefits, membership in the divine family, against the background of the ancient Mediterranean milieu, where kinship relations were all-important and honor could be achieved by adoption into "the right family" (p. 31; italics original). The first appearance of this benefit, at the chiastic peak of the Prologue (John 1:12), is programmatic for the whole Gospel. The most prominent advantage that it bestows is access to "eternal life," interestingly defined by Z. as "the ability and quality of relating within the divine family" (p. 71). The second key benefit that would have incentivized discipleship is the capacity conferred on the believer to abide with the Father and the Son through the Spirit. This concept has it roots in biblical imagery about God dwelling with humans, particularly that associated with the temple. Johannine abiding has both a present and a future dimension. It includes "additional benefits, namely, fruit, the Paraclete, peace, joy, answered requests, love, confirmation of true discipleship, avoidance of judgement, and the ability to perform great works" (pp. 101–2), all of which could be seen as remarkable compensation that would have encouraged believers to maintain their commitment to Jesus. It is in his treatment of the third major benefit, royal friendship with Jesus, that I believe Z. has made a significant contribution to Johannine scholarship. The Christian spiritual tradition has conditioned us to think of John 15:12–17, where Jesus calls his disciples no longer servants but friends, principally in terms of the warmth and intimacy of personal attachment. Z. shows that there are problems with viewing the Johannine friendship between Jesus and his disciples through this particular lens. What are we to make of the glaring status disparity evident in Jesus's reference to his disciples as his servants and his subsequent definition of friends as those who do what he commands? In a masterly presentation of the politics of friendship in the ancient Mediterranean world, Z. demonstrates that John 15:12–17 has royal overtones, that Jesus's friendship with his disciples is akin to the political reality that lies behind terms such as that actually used by the Fourth Evangelist, "friend of Caesar" (John 19:12). Z. cites numerous references to political friendships in classical Greco-Roman sources, all of which build up a convincing conceptual context for understanding John 15:12–17. In further support of his claim, Z. demonstrates how a consistent portrayal of Jesus as a royal figure, including and even especially as a shepherd-king, is woven into the whole Johannine narrative. He concludes that "since the royal motif is part of the fabric of the entire Gospel, it is plausible to understand Jesus' words, 'I call you friends,' as coming from a royal figure speaking to his followers and conferring on them the benefit of...