Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
'I am' sayings in John's Gospel - Coggle Diagram
'I am' sayings in John's Gospel
'I am' - Yahweh & moses
God uses the 'I am' statement to reveal his identity to Moses at the burning bush (Ex: 3)
= theophany - revelation of God through Moses
'God said to Moses "I am who I am"' - Yahweh
YHWH
written as HWHY in Hebrew & read right to left
Hebrew verb root 'to be' -> in all tenses of the verb
4 letters, only constanents
name of god
written as YHWH but spoken aloud as Jehovah (made up word) cause actual is too holy to try & say
Soteriology
= ideas about what the signs indicated about what Jesus came to do
Christology
= ideas John had about who Jesus was / the person of Jesus
the 7 'I am' statements in the 4G
aka 7 christological staements
aka 7 predicated statements
'I am' the ...
good shepard
resurrection and the life
gate for the sheep
way and the truth and the life
light of the world
true vine
bread of life
were revolutionary claims
the life changing words of Jesus at the heart of the Johannine Christology. these statements echo OT ideas about God & provide links back to the Prologue of the 4G (e.g. light & life)
any use of 'I am' by Jesus is a clear claim to be God
'I am' - the name of God revealed to Moses at the burning bush
the bread of life (also the [living] bread that came down from heaven)
4G reference...
Jn 6:35
Jn 6:48
Jn 6:41
Jn 6:51
context of Jesus saying it...
Jesus speaking to people at the festival of Passover
Jesus said this after the miracle ('sign') of the feeding of the 5,000 & the people wanted more
Key meaning...
As ‘Bread of Life’ Jesus’ work is to feed people’s spiritual hunger, becoming the new ‘Torah’ which can sustain all people and not just the Jews.
Context of Passover Festival and link with it as the great 'saving' event of Israel's history
freedom from slavery in Egypt and deliverance to a promised land. Jesus is here to 'save' his people again and lead them in a new Exodus which is freedom from slavery to sin and deliverance to eternal life (zoe). (Jesus as superseding Judaism / the new Moses).
Some think that this discourse (i.e. ‘whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day’ v54) is John’s way of referencing the instruction to his followers at the Last Supper
in the Synoptic Gospels -to ‘Take, eat, this is my body which is given up for you’. Thus this "I am" saying has Eucharistic significance.
links to prologue/signs
prologue
bread of life v14
Jesus superseding the law (Moses) v17
signs
feeding of the 5,000
scholars:
Culpepper - says that the 4G author deliberately sets things in the context Jewish festivals & the temple to help communicate his beliefs about Jesus
I AM (absolute form)
context of Jesus saying it...
said by Jesus 26 times in 4G
always a clear claim of divinity to the Jews & a point of irritation for the Jewish religious leaders cause referring to himself using the name of God was blasphemy
key meaning...
each time 'I am' is used it can be viewed as an explicit claim of divinity as recalls God's revelation of his name to Moses at the burning bush (Ex:3, theophany) as "I am who I am"
when Jesus used 'I am' he is clearly identifying himself, to the Jews at least, as God
Using 'I am' is often a trigger for conflict between Jesus & the Jewish religious authorities as they prompt accusations of blasphemy (claiming to be GOD) & law breaking (e.g. healing on Sabbath)
links to prologue/signs:
its a significant element of the author's presentation of the person of Jesus, recalling key element of 4G Christology presented in the Prologue, "And the word became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn. 1:14)
scholars:
Bultmann - described the 'I am' sayings as "a striking characteristic of John's style"
contrasted to Synoptic gospels where Jesus rarely makes claims about his own significance, in 4G he makes repeated & explicit claims
background to I am
Jewish (OT) background
recalls God's revelation (theophany) of his name to Moses at the burning bush (Ex:3) as "I am who I am"
note: there are no 'I am' sayings in the synoptic gospels
Johannine use of 'I am'
used in absolute terms (x26), i.e. just 'I am'
used with a predicate i.e. 'I am ...' (7 I am sayings)
a clear claim to divinity its significant element of the 4Gs presentation of the person of Jesus recalling the key element of 4G Christology presented in Prologue
"and the word became flesh and dwelt among us (Jn 1:14") :
Greek (Hellenistic) background
recalls the way some Greek goddesses/gods (like Isis) refer to themselves using "I am"
when Jesus says 'I am' (only really seen in John's gospel) he is clearly indicating to Jews that he is God
is an explicit claim to divinty
considered blasphemy by Jews (death by stoning)
kergyma (key teaching) that Jesus is God
I am in greek = Ego Eimi
Jesus says 'I am' 26 times in the 4G
the true vine (typical symbol in OT for Israel)
4G reference...
Jn 15:1
Jn 15:5
context of Jesus saying it...
Said by Jesus when he is teaching his disciples about discipleship.
It forms part of what is known in 4G as the Farewell Discourse ( given by Jesus to eleven of his disciples immediately after the conclusion of the Last Supper in Jerusalem, the night before his crucifixion.)
key meaning...
Jesus is the vine who gives life “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5)
Jesus IS the true vine ... not just ‘like’ a vine. Link back with idea of ‘true’ in Prologue and also link with two worlds of Plato, Jesus is the perfect vine, the genuine article and no inferior copy.
Some scholars believe there is a eucharistic significance to this saying with Jesus as the vine linking to the idea of wine and Jesus as the source of the wine (blood) on the cross. The reference to laying down one’s life for a friend in this passage may support this i.e. the idea that Jesus will sacrifice his own blood on the cross to offer life to all (“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friend” John 15:13)
links to prologue/signs
prologue
Jesus gives life
Jesus is truth
signs
wedding at Cana (water into wine)
the good shepherd
4G reference...
Jn 10:11
Jn 10:14
context of Jesus saying it...
Jesus is teaching in Jerusalem at the Feast of Dedication (an eight-day festival of lights (Hebrew, Hanukkah). celebrating the rededication of the Temple after it had been defiled by Antiochus Epiphanes
There may be a hint in this that the Temple is once again ‘defiled’ and Jesus’ sacrifice as the Good Shepherd will be needed to make it pure again
key meaning...
As the ‘good shepherd’ Jesus’ work is to guide all people in God’s way and offer them a personal way into eternal life.
Jesus is the shepherd who will lay down his life for his flock (John 11:1), he will sacrifice himself so that all who believe in him can gain eternal life.
He is the shepherd for all people (not just the Jews) and so supersedes all other shepherd leaders (such as Moses and David) and is the universal shepherd, the shepherd for all peoples i.e. “there will be ONE flock, ONE shepherd” (John 11:16)
Jesus is the messianic shepherd (of Ezekiel 34) who will rescue God’s people from those false shepherds (?? Jewish religious leaders) and lead them to eternal life.
links to prologue/signs
prologue
Jesus life (Jesus is rejected by the Jews)
signs
rasing to Lazarus
the gate/door of the sheep (guarding & protecting)
4G reference...
Jn 10:21
context of Jesus saying it...
Following on from the investigation by the Pharisees of the healing of the man born blind (sign)
key meaning...
As the ‘gate of the sheepfold’ and the ‘good shepherd’ Jesus’ work is to guide all people (Jews & gentiles) in God’s way and offer them a personal way into eternal life.
Jesus is the only way to salvation
"Whoever enters by me will be saved” (John 10:9) [Link with “I am the way, the truth and the life”]
Jesus is the door between heaven and earth, the only true way in to eternal life.
Greek idea - clear to underworld guarded by Cerberus
Jesus will protect his people from the false voices of ‘thieves and robbers’ who try to lure them from the sheepfold. As the gate himself, Jesus will stand in their way.
links to prologue/signs
prologue
Jesus is eternal life (zoe)
signs
raising to life of Lazarus
the light of the world
4G reference...
Jn 8:12
Jn 9:5
context of Jesus saying it...
in the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Culpepper
see the bread of life branch
) where candlesticks were lit in the temple to symbolise the pillar of flame by which God led the Israelites through the desert during the Exodus
Key meaning...
as the 'light of the world' Jesus' work is to bring all people into the light of 'seeing' so that they may believe & have eternal life
links to stated purpose of John's Gospel (Jn 20:30-31)
fits with idea of Dualism throughout the gospel where light = good/life & is in contrast to dark = bad/sin & death
used to highlight the lack of understanding of the Pharisees who, for all their religion & piety, continue to live in spiritual darkness cause they won't choose to believe in Jesus (unbelief)
the idea of the messianic light to come in the future e.g. "those who have walked in darkness have seen a great light" - Isaiah 9:2
link to prologue/signs
prologue
v4 - light brings life
v5 - light conquers darkness
signs
healing of the man born blind
scholars about 'I am' sayings
“a striking characteristic of John’s style” - Bultmann
this quote illustrates the point that I am is an explicit claim to divinity & is an unique feature of the Christology in 4G (you don't find Jesus making such claims about himself in the Synoptic Gospels). In 4G however from the Prologue, Jesus us described as God (Jn 1:1) who became incarnate (Jn 1:14)
suggests that each of the 7 "I AM" sayings are linked with one of the 7 signs in the Fourth Gospel. - Smalley
for Jews 7 in considered the num of completeness & perfection (both physical & spiritual) (e.g. 7 days of creation) By linking the 7 statements with the 7 signs, some scholars believe the author of the 4G is suggesting 'perfection' in Jesus' pronouncements
“Each supposes a human longing or need for which Jesus is presented as the answer or fulfilment” - Moody-Smith
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wZAtAe9UHXggxNSnyUB126Q9WGE6MMe5wBx5W738knY/edit