Jesus says that He is the Light of the World
Opposites are common in the Gospel of John. For instance the opposites of Life & Death or Light & Darkness.
John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
Life & Death are clearly opposites to each other. A person is either alive or dead. However, a person can be alive in this world and yet dead to God. This is why Jesus taught that a person must be born anew.
John 3:5-8 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
A person who is not born anew of God cannot enter God’s Kingdom. A person who is not born anew is a “dead man walking,” that is, already condemned and heading for judgment. John 3:18, 36 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God . . . Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."
Light and Darkness are another pair of opposites in John.
John 12:44-46 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”
Light & Darkness are another way of describing two states of being. Light refers to one in whom the truth has worked to change them from unbelieving to believing. Darkness refers to someone who does not believe or who rejects the truth.
John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Notice that the encounter with the men trying to stone an adulterous woman comes immediately before Jesus’ statement in John 8:12. When Jesus stooped to write in the dirt what do you think he was writing? Why did the men leave one by one? Does God’s truth about us ever cause us to feel guilty?
What did Jesus do to take away the woman’s guilt? John 8:10-11 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” Jesus forgave her. He forgives us also if we trust his promise.
Jesus is the Light, he is the revelation of God’s truth, to the world. This is why he is called both the Word of God and the True Light in John 1:1, 4-5, 9 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it . . . The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. The Word expresses, communicates, and reveals God’s truth to us just as Light makes all things visible.
Jesus is God’s revelation to the world. What is the truth that God reveals through Jesus? That God has sent his Son to die for the sins of the world, that the Redeemer has come, that God offers forgiveness, life, and salvation to all mankind through His Son.
Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
When a person turns on the light in a room what happens? God comes to us through his Word to turn on the light in our hearts. It is God’s Light. He shines it where he will. But what happens if a person turns off the light? If we reject Jesus’ gift what happens to the light of life?
John 3:16-19 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”
The statement in John 8:12 leads to Jesus’ further explanation in the following verses.
Jesus claims to be the True Witness sent by God the Father
The Judean party could not accept Jesus’ statement. Consider what Jesus has been claiming. He has claimed to be the Messiah, to be equal with God, to be the Son of God, and to be the source of eternal life. They could not accept these claims. They accuse Jesus of lying. Jesus replies,
John 8:18 “I AM the one bearing witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” (my own translation)
Notice that the emphatic “I Am” must have grated on their ears. They knew what he was saying when he used the language of God’s self identification from the Old Testament. Furthermore, in using this language he asserts his authority to speak. Yet not only does he speak but God the Father confirms his words.
How does the Father bear witness concerning Jesus, confirm Jesus’ words? God’s witness concerning Jesus is revealed in the Spirit coming upon him at his Baptism, the Miracles, Old Testament prophesies about the coming Messiah in the Word of God, the Transfiguration, and later the Resurrection.
The Baptism: John 1:32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.” Luke 3:2-221 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
The Transfiguration: Luke 9:35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”
By this time these people had seen abundant evidence concerning Jesus in the Miracles and in his teaching. What does Jesus say to those who do not believe in him? John 8:24 “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I Am he you will die in your sins.” Jesus tells them that they must believe his claims, including his use of “I Am” in his self-identification.
The Crucifixion and Resurrection are the ultimate witness concerning Jesus. John 8:28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.”
The theme of the Son of Man being lifted up refers to Jesus' Crucifixion. John 12:28-32 “Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
The Apostle Paul declares that the Resurrection is God’s imprimatur on Jesus finished work of salvation. Romans 1:1-4 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord . . .
Do you believe Jesus’ promise? Then you have life and freedom through his promise, through his word. John 8:31-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
This entire section including the next passage is Jesus’ self-defense concerning his identity and his purpose in coming. Next time the Judean party will really be outraged.
[Part 4 will continue this study.]
Monday, February 28, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Who is this Jesus? [Part 2]
Jesus shows Himself to be the Lord over the created world.
In chapter five Jesus shows by a miracle that he is more than just a good man or wise teacher. He healed a man who was a life-long invalid on the Sabbath. When challenged by the Judean party for breaking the Sabbath, Jesus claimed God as his Father, claimed to be doing God’s will, and claimed to be able to give eternal life. The Judean party knew what he was claiming. John comments on the situation: John 5:18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
In chapter six Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee and fed more than five thousand people with only five loaves and two fish. This is not a matter of people being satisfied by eating only a small pinch of food. They all had enough to eat (John 6:12). The left-over food filled twelve medium sized baskets.
John 6:14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” They recognized that such a powerful miracle could only be accomplished by the promised Messiah. However, in order to avoid a wrong-headed political movement to make him their king, Jesus left them to go be alone in the mountain. This should begin to tell us what sort of King Jesus is. He is not a political king. As we will see later he is not the King that the people expected.
He deomonstrated his claim to be God’s Son by healing a man and miraculously feeding a very large crowd. This is the setting for what follows. Now he is about to demonstrate that he is the Lord over creation. The disciples had gotten into a boat to cross the Sea of Tiberius (Galilee). At night his disciples were in a boat, rowing across the sea, in a storm, about three or four miles out from the shore. The storms on the lake are notoriously violent. They come up suddenly and grow to treacherous proportions quickly. This was a very dangerous situation. In the middle of this situation, Jesus came to them walking across the water. This breaks all the physical laws of the created world. Imagine if you will the startling effect this must have had on the men. They were justifiably afraid.
John 6:20 But he said to them, “It is I (literally- I Am); do not be afraid.”
What does the fact that Jesus healed a long time invalid, claimed equality with God, miraculously fed a large crowd, and had the ability to set aside the laws of the physical world say what about who he is? His actions show us that he is truly who he claims to be, the Son of God, the Lord of Creation.
Do we need to fear Jesus? It depends upon what he is for you. Is he your judge? Is he your Savior?
Revelation 19:11-16 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Psalm 2:10-12 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Hebrews 9:27-28 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Jesus calls himself the Bread of Life.
Some of the people who were fed miraculously earlier in this chapter found Jesus after he crossed the sea. He begins to teach them about their true need and the gift that he offers. They were following him because of the miracles. He tells them there is something much more important. He uses imagery taken from the miracle of feeding five thousand to explain what he offers to them.
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I Am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (See also John 6:48, 51.)
What is the basic, most fundamental, human need? Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is often used in counseling. (It is not without its critics, however.) Imagine a pyramid beginning on the bottom and moving toward the top the needs that Maslow proposes are: physiological, safety, love-belonging, esteem, self-actualization. Do you notice a glaring omission in this list? Like all of us, the people Jesus talks to in this chapter have their focus on what they can see, taste, or feel. They miss the most important thing.
Jesus uses the language of essential physical needs, hunger and thirst, to speak to their most important need. A basic understanding of Jesus’ focus is that while he does have concern for our physical existence, his real purpose in coming is to meet the greatest need of all.
So, what is the emphasis of Jesus’ promises--material blessings, personal advantages, power and influence? John 6:27 “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.” Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem (House of Bread), is the source of this promised eternal life. He offers to give us eternal life by giving himself.
Remember, apart from Jesus we are already condemned, John 3:18-19 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” Before God, what do condemned sinners need most of all? What is Jesus offering us?
Jesus tells them that Moses had given them bread from heaven (manna), but God has sent true bread, that is Jesus himself (John 6:32-33). Even though Jesus speaks clearly here--he says that he is the true bread from heaven that gives life to the world (John 6:34-35)—they misunderstand this language. They think that Jesus is saying that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood (John 6:52). Others are offended because they do not believe Jesus has come from heaven (John 6:42). Of course this implies something very disturbing to them—Jesus truly is God’s Son.
Jesus explains that the eating and drinking is believing in him as to who he is and what he has come to do. A person receives the promised blessing by faith in Christ’s sacrifice.
John 6:35, 47-48, 51 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst . . . Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life . . . I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Here eating and drinking are figurative ways to speak of believing that the sacrifice Jesus made, in giving his body to death on a Cross, is for our sins. Anyone who believes in him will have eternal life. The Bible teaches that we receive this promised, gracious gift of God through faith.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Both salvation and the faith that receives the promised salvation are God’s gift. God’s gracious act of offering and giving life comes to us through faith. We are empty handed before God. God gives us the gift, freely, graciously. What does Jesus do to make this gift possible? Jesus' flesh and blood speaks of the sacrifice he made on the Cross. Those who believe the promise he makes receive the benefits of that sacrifice.
Does Jesus ever reject someone who believes in him?
John 6:35, 37, 44 Jesus said to them, “I Am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst . . . All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out . . . No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
Who enables us to come to Jesus, that is, to believe in him? Can we believe in Jesus apart from God’s work in our lives?
[Part 3 will continue this study.]
In chapter five Jesus shows by a miracle that he is more than just a good man or wise teacher. He healed a man who was a life-long invalid on the Sabbath. When challenged by the Judean party for breaking the Sabbath, Jesus claimed God as his Father, claimed to be doing God’s will, and claimed to be able to give eternal life. The Judean party knew what he was claiming. John comments on the situation: John 5:18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
In chapter six Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee and fed more than five thousand people with only five loaves and two fish. This is not a matter of people being satisfied by eating only a small pinch of food. They all had enough to eat (John 6:12). The left-over food filled twelve medium sized baskets.
John 6:14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” They recognized that such a powerful miracle could only be accomplished by the promised Messiah. However, in order to avoid a wrong-headed political movement to make him their king, Jesus left them to go be alone in the mountain. This should begin to tell us what sort of King Jesus is. He is not a political king. As we will see later he is not the King that the people expected.
He deomonstrated his claim to be God’s Son by healing a man and miraculously feeding a very large crowd. This is the setting for what follows. Now he is about to demonstrate that he is the Lord over creation. The disciples had gotten into a boat to cross the Sea of Tiberius (Galilee). At night his disciples were in a boat, rowing across the sea, in a storm, about three or four miles out from the shore. The storms on the lake are notoriously violent. They come up suddenly and grow to treacherous proportions quickly. This was a very dangerous situation. In the middle of this situation, Jesus came to them walking across the water. This breaks all the physical laws of the created world. Imagine if you will the startling effect this must have had on the men. They were justifiably afraid.
John 6:20 But he said to them, “It is I (literally- I Am); do not be afraid.”
What does the fact that Jesus healed a long time invalid, claimed equality with God, miraculously fed a large crowd, and had the ability to set aside the laws of the physical world say what about who he is? His actions show us that he is truly who he claims to be, the Son of God, the Lord of Creation.
Do we need to fear Jesus? It depends upon what he is for you. Is he your judge? Is he your Savior?
Revelation 19:11-16 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Psalm 2:10-12 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Hebrews 9:27-28 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Jesus calls himself the Bread of Life.
Some of the people who were fed miraculously earlier in this chapter found Jesus after he crossed the sea. He begins to teach them about their true need and the gift that he offers. They were following him because of the miracles. He tells them there is something much more important. He uses imagery taken from the miracle of feeding five thousand to explain what he offers to them.
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I Am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (See also John 6:48, 51.)
What is the basic, most fundamental, human need? Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is often used in counseling. (It is not without its critics, however.) Imagine a pyramid beginning on the bottom and moving toward the top the needs that Maslow proposes are: physiological, safety, love-belonging, esteem, self-actualization. Do you notice a glaring omission in this list? Like all of us, the people Jesus talks to in this chapter have their focus on what they can see, taste, or feel. They miss the most important thing.
Jesus uses the language of essential physical needs, hunger and thirst, to speak to their most important need. A basic understanding of Jesus’ focus is that while he does have concern for our physical existence, his real purpose in coming is to meet the greatest need of all.
So, what is the emphasis of Jesus’ promises--material blessings, personal advantages, power and influence? John 6:27 “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.” Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem (House of Bread), is the source of this promised eternal life. He offers to give us eternal life by giving himself.
Remember, apart from Jesus we are already condemned, John 3:18-19 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” Before God, what do condemned sinners need most of all? What is Jesus offering us?
Jesus tells them that Moses had given them bread from heaven (manna), but God has sent true bread, that is Jesus himself (John 6:32-33). Even though Jesus speaks clearly here--he says that he is the true bread from heaven that gives life to the world (John 6:34-35)—they misunderstand this language. They think that Jesus is saying that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood (John 6:52). Others are offended because they do not believe Jesus has come from heaven (John 6:42). Of course this implies something very disturbing to them—Jesus truly is God’s Son.
Jesus explains that the eating and drinking is believing in him as to who he is and what he has come to do. A person receives the promised blessing by faith in Christ’s sacrifice.
John 6:35, 47-48, 51 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst . . . Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life . . . I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Here eating and drinking are figurative ways to speak of believing that the sacrifice Jesus made, in giving his body to death on a Cross, is for our sins. Anyone who believes in him will have eternal life. The Bible teaches that we receive this promised, gracious gift of God through faith.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Both salvation and the faith that receives the promised salvation are God’s gift. God’s gracious act of offering and giving life comes to us through faith. We are empty handed before God. God gives us the gift, freely, graciously. What does Jesus do to make this gift possible? Jesus' flesh and blood speaks of the sacrifice he made on the Cross. Those who believe the promise he makes receive the benefits of that sacrifice.
Does Jesus ever reject someone who believes in him?
John 6:35, 37, 44 Jesus said to them, “I Am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst . . . All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out . . . No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
Who enables us to come to Jesus, that is, to believe in him? Can we believe in Jesus apart from God’s work in our lives?
[Part 3 will continue this study.]
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Who is this Jesus? An Amazing Truth, A Lunatic's Ravings, Or The Biggest Lie?
[Part 1]
Below is an early Christian symbol that summarizes what Christians believe about Jesus. You have probably seen this symbol on bumper stickers or jewelry.
The Greek word for this symbol of a fish is ICHTHUS (Iota-Chi-Theta-Upsilon-Sigma), which is an acrostic for "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior" (Iesous Christos, Theou Uios, Soter). This symbol was an early recognition symbol between persecuted believers. It was also an early confession of who those early Christians thought Jesus to be.
Is this who Jesus really is? If so what does it mean? What does it mean that he is a Savior? Three logical options are possible:
1) Jesus is who he and those who knew him personally say he is.
2) Jesus is a deluded mad man who deluded others.
3) Jesus is the world's greatest con man and liar.
The arguments about Jesus have gone on since he first revealed himself to the world. You have probably heard many of the arguments made pro and con. I do not intend to make these arguments again here. What I intend is to present what Jesus said about himself and most particularly certain statements as recorded in the Gospel of John. What Jesus said leaves no room for at the same time rejecting him as Lord and Savior and yet thinking him to be a good teacher, or a good example. You cannot just accept the parts of Jesus with which you are comfortable and reject those parts that confront you with the difficult truths.
We will look at Jesus’ "I Am" statements in John to find out what Jesus said about himself and his work. There are several instances in John that are marked by a particular kind of Greek phrasing. The "I Am" statements are emphatic in Greek. The emphatic pronoun is added to the verb and makes a very strong statement which, as we will see in what follows, connects to certain statements found in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint or LXX, commonly in use at the time of Jesus.
I unapologetically accept the Gospels as accurate historical and theological documents. The evidence supporting this assumption is easily available to anyone who will honestly take the time to evaluate it. In any case that is my starting assumption.
Before looking at the "I Am" statements in John, it is clear that John is not the only place one can find these statements in the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). The other instances are found in several places. Matthew 14:27 and Mark 6:50 record the statement also made in John 6:20 to the frightened disciples as Jesus walked on the storm tossed water toward their boat. Matthew 24:5, Mark 13:6, and Luke 21:8 record Jesus’ warning about false Christ's who would claim to be the true Christ using the emphatic "I Am" language. Mark 14:62 records Jesus' answer when asked by the High Priest if he were the Christ, the Son of the Blessed (God). Jesus answers emphatically, "I Am!" Luke 24:29 records a post resurrection appearance by Jesus to the Disciples.
One last preliminary thing to note is an explanation of Jesus' name. Jesus’ name is the Latinized Greek version of Yehoshua or Yeshua meaning “savior.” This can be found in Matthew 1:21 "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." (All verses quoted are the ESV translation unless otherwise noted.)
The question that must be asked is what does the necessity of a Savior imply about us?
Jesus' surname is not "Christ." Christ is a title not a name. It is from the Greek version of the Hebrew term Messiah. Both Hebrew and Greek terms mean “anointed one.” In the Old Testament period prophets, priests and kings were anointed. Prophets were God's spokesmen and proclaimed God's covenant promises and warnings to the people. Priests made sacrifice for sins, prayed for the people, and taught God’s truth. Kings led, ruled, and protected God’s people. The title “Anointed One” evokes these offices in connection with Jesus. Jesus, the Savior, is also Prophet Jesus, High Priest Jesus, and King Jesus.
Why use John's Gospel to answer the question "Who is this Jesus"?
I picked this Gospel because it is unique in the many emphatic self-identification statements made by Jesus. I wanted to let Jesus' statements speak for themselves. However, there is much background to these "I Am" statements. They do not stand naked and alone. John gives them a meaningful historical context.
What is John's purpose in writing? John’s Gospel gives a theological-historical account of Jesus life and ministry. He intends to answer the question we are asking: John 20:30-31, Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
In the next chapter John speaks about the veracity of what he wrote and the fact that he selected only some of what Jesus said and did. Being truthful and yet selective is a necessary part of any historical record. John 21:24-25 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. John is being truthful and telling us what we need to know in order to receive the gift of forgiveness, life, and salvation.
John's selection of materials intends to evoke well-known accounts in the Old Testament such as Creation, Sinai, and the Passover. For instance see John 1:1-5 in which he clearly intends to evoke Genesis chapter one. In John 1:17-18, he compares Moses the Law-giver and Jesus the Life-giver. In John 1:29 John the Baptist, who John the author of the Gospel quotes, calls Jesus "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" This identification evokes the entire history of salvation in the Old Testament especially the Passover Lamb (see also Genesis 22:8). It is John's way of saying that Jesus is the Savior of the world.
Jesus' "I Am" statements as recorded in John have their background in Exodus 3:6, 14, 20:2. In these passages God identifies himself. The translators of the LXX used the emphatic pronoun and the verb.
Ex. 3:6 And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
Ex. 3:14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM.”
Ex. 20:2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”
What does this connection imply about Jesus? I believe John intentionally evokes these well-known statements by YHWH in the Old Testament when he selects to record what Jesus said. A reader of the Gospel of John could very properly think that Jesus himself intends to make the claim to be the same One who appeared to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Isaiah when he used the emphatic statements. There are frequent statements made by God in many places in OT "that you might know that I am the Lord" and in similar phrases that use the emphatic pronoun in the LXX translation. One such emphatic statement from Isaiah is sufficient to illustrate this.
Isaiah 45:22 “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”
Jesus claims to be the Messiah.
In John chapter four Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman. It is important to understand just how much hatred there was between the Jews and the Samaritans. Jews were forbidden to marry them, have any social interaction with them, even to walk through Samaria. Defilement was the result of any contact. The barriers existed on both sides of the conflict between the Jews and Samaritans. The strongest racial epithet was to call a person a “dog and Samaritan.” Jesus broke all the customary practices in going through Samaria and in speaking to the woman. Furthermore, the time of day in which the woman was at the well implies that she was somewhat of a notorious sinner among her own people. Women normally went to the wells in the cooler parts of the day, mornings and evenings. She went in the hot part of the day because others shunned her. Perhaps, her own sense of shame made the whispered comments and looks of others too uncomfortable to endure.
While Jesus was sitting by the well the woman came out to draw water. She was startled that a Jew would be there, speak to her, and ask for a drink of water. Jesus ignored every prejudicial, social restriction. Using her surprise as an opening Jesus told her that he could offer her “living water.”
John 4:10, 13-14 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water . . . . Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Later in the Gospel a further explanation of the “living water” idea is given by John when he explains what Jesus meant.
John 7:37-39 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
What is Jesus offering to this woman? He is offering her eternal life. This is the life given freely by God to anyone who comes to Jesus. Jesus’ disregard for social prejudice shows us that the offer of eternal life is for each and every person regardless of who they might be. Why? Because we all need it. We are perishing whether we know it or not.
John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
As they talked Jesus spoke about very personal details concerning the woman’s life. Because of this revelation of private details she thought Jesus to be a prophet (John 4:19). This sets the stage for her hope that Jesus is more than a prophet, but that he is The Prophet who was to come, that is the Messiah (John 4:25).
God told Moses that another greater Prophet like Moses would come and speak God’s words. Deuteronomy 18:18-19 “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.”
Prophet is one of the three offices of the Anointed One, Prophet-Priest-King. In John Jesus shows himself to fulfill these expectations. Here he acts as a prophet. In chapter seven he claims the role of a High Priest. A tradition of pouring out water by the altar during the Feast of Tabernacles, commemorating the water from the rock in the wilderness (Exodus 17:6), was carried out by the High Priest. Jesus claimed to be the one who gives the true living water (John 7:37-38).
When the woman mentions the Messiah, Jesus emphatically says, "I AM he, who is speaking with you.” John 4:26 (my own translation). At this declaration by Jesus the woman went to her village and told everyone about him. Her excitement and their own desire to see for themselves resulted in Jesus staying with them for two days.
John 4:39-42 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
Jesus clearly claimed to be the promised Messiah. These people believed in him after their own personal seeing and hearing. In making the claim to be the Messiah and in promising to give the true living water of everlasting life Jesus claims to be greater than Moses, greater than the priesthood. He claims to be the very One who Moses and the priesthood anticipated would one day come to save the world.
[Part 2 will continue this study.]
Below is an early Christian symbol that summarizes what Christians believe about Jesus. You have probably seen this symbol on bumper stickers or jewelry.
The Greek word for this symbol of a fish is ICHTHUS (Iota-Chi-Theta-Upsilon-Sigma), which is an acrostic for "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior" (Iesous Christos, Theou Uios, Soter). This symbol was an early recognition symbol between persecuted believers. It was also an early confession of who those early Christians thought Jesus to be.
Is this who Jesus really is? If so what does it mean? What does it mean that he is a Savior? Three logical options are possible:
1) Jesus is who he and those who knew him personally say he is.
2) Jesus is a deluded mad man who deluded others.
3) Jesus is the world's greatest con man and liar.
The arguments about Jesus have gone on since he first revealed himself to the world. You have probably heard many of the arguments made pro and con. I do not intend to make these arguments again here. What I intend is to present what Jesus said about himself and most particularly certain statements as recorded in the Gospel of John. What Jesus said leaves no room for at the same time rejecting him as Lord and Savior and yet thinking him to be a good teacher, or a good example. You cannot just accept the parts of Jesus with which you are comfortable and reject those parts that confront you with the difficult truths.
We will look at Jesus’ "I Am" statements in John to find out what Jesus said about himself and his work. There are several instances in John that are marked by a particular kind of Greek phrasing. The "I Am" statements are emphatic in Greek. The emphatic pronoun is added to the verb and makes a very strong statement which, as we will see in what follows, connects to certain statements found in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint or LXX, commonly in use at the time of Jesus.
I unapologetically accept the Gospels as accurate historical and theological documents. The evidence supporting this assumption is easily available to anyone who will honestly take the time to evaluate it. In any case that is my starting assumption.
Before looking at the "I Am" statements in John, it is clear that John is not the only place one can find these statements in the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). The other instances are found in several places. Matthew 14:27 and Mark 6:50 record the statement also made in John 6:20 to the frightened disciples as Jesus walked on the storm tossed water toward their boat. Matthew 24:5, Mark 13:6, and Luke 21:8 record Jesus’ warning about false Christ's who would claim to be the true Christ using the emphatic "I Am" language. Mark 14:62 records Jesus' answer when asked by the High Priest if he were the Christ, the Son of the Blessed (God). Jesus answers emphatically, "I Am!" Luke 24:29 records a post resurrection appearance by Jesus to the Disciples.
One last preliminary thing to note is an explanation of Jesus' name. Jesus’ name is the Latinized Greek version of Yehoshua or Yeshua meaning “savior.” This can be found in Matthew 1:21 "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." (All verses quoted are the ESV translation unless otherwise noted.)
The question that must be asked is what does the necessity of a Savior imply about us?
Jesus' surname is not "Christ." Christ is a title not a name. It is from the Greek version of the Hebrew term Messiah. Both Hebrew and Greek terms mean “anointed one.” In the Old Testament period prophets, priests and kings were anointed. Prophets were God's spokesmen and proclaimed God's covenant promises and warnings to the people. Priests made sacrifice for sins, prayed for the people, and taught God’s truth. Kings led, ruled, and protected God’s people. The title “Anointed One” evokes these offices in connection with Jesus. Jesus, the Savior, is also Prophet Jesus, High Priest Jesus, and King Jesus.
Why use John's Gospel to answer the question "Who is this Jesus"?
I picked this Gospel because it is unique in the many emphatic self-identification statements made by Jesus. I wanted to let Jesus' statements speak for themselves. However, there is much background to these "I Am" statements. They do not stand naked and alone. John gives them a meaningful historical context.
What is John's purpose in writing? John’s Gospel gives a theological-historical account of Jesus life and ministry. He intends to answer the question we are asking: John 20:30-31, Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
In the next chapter John speaks about the veracity of what he wrote and the fact that he selected only some of what Jesus said and did. Being truthful and yet selective is a necessary part of any historical record. John 21:24-25 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. John is being truthful and telling us what we need to know in order to receive the gift of forgiveness, life, and salvation.
John's selection of materials intends to evoke well-known accounts in the Old Testament such as Creation, Sinai, and the Passover. For instance see John 1:1-5 in which he clearly intends to evoke Genesis chapter one. In John 1:17-18, he compares Moses the Law-giver and Jesus the Life-giver. In John 1:29 John the Baptist, who John the author of the Gospel quotes, calls Jesus "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" This identification evokes the entire history of salvation in the Old Testament especially the Passover Lamb (see also Genesis 22:8). It is John's way of saying that Jesus is the Savior of the world.
Jesus' "I Am" statements as recorded in John have their background in Exodus 3:6, 14, 20:2. In these passages God identifies himself. The translators of the LXX used the emphatic pronoun and the verb.
Ex. 3:6 And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
Ex. 3:14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM.”
Ex. 20:2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”
What does this connection imply about Jesus? I believe John intentionally evokes these well-known statements by YHWH in the Old Testament when he selects to record what Jesus said. A reader of the Gospel of John could very properly think that Jesus himself intends to make the claim to be the same One who appeared to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Isaiah when he used the emphatic statements. There are frequent statements made by God in many places in OT "that you might know that I am the Lord" and in similar phrases that use the emphatic pronoun in the LXX translation. One such emphatic statement from Isaiah is sufficient to illustrate this.
Isaiah 45:22 “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”
Jesus claims to be the Messiah.
In John chapter four Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman. It is important to understand just how much hatred there was between the Jews and the Samaritans. Jews were forbidden to marry them, have any social interaction with them, even to walk through Samaria. Defilement was the result of any contact. The barriers existed on both sides of the conflict between the Jews and Samaritans. The strongest racial epithet was to call a person a “dog and Samaritan.” Jesus broke all the customary practices in going through Samaria and in speaking to the woman. Furthermore, the time of day in which the woman was at the well implies that she was somewhat of a notorious sinner among her own people. Women normally went to the wells in the cooler parts of the day, mornings and evenings. She went in the hot part of the day because others shunned her. Perhaps, her own sense of shame made the whispered comments and looks of others too uncomfortable to endure.
While Jesus was sitting by the well the woman came out to draw water. She was startled that a Jew would be there, speak to her, and ask for a drink of water. Jesus ignored every prejudicial, social restriction. Using her surprise as an opening Jesus told her that he could offer her “living water.”
John 4:10, 13-14 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water . . . . Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Later in the Gospel a further explanation of the “living water” idea is given by John when he explains what Jesus meant.
John 7:37-39 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
What is Jesus offering to this woman? He is offering her eternal life. This is the life given freely by God to anyone who comes to Jesus. Jesus’ disregard for social prejudice shows us that the offer of eternal life is for each and every person regardless of who they might be. Why? Because we all need it. We are perishing whether we know it or not.
John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
As they talked Jesus spoke about very personal details concerning the woman’s life. Because of this revelation of private details she thought Jesus to be a prophet (John 4:19). This sets the stage for her hope that Jesus is more than a prophet, but that he is The Prophet who was to come, that is the Messiah (John 4:25).
God told Moses that another greater Prophet like Moses would come and speak God’s words. Deuteronomy 18:18-19 “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.”
Prophet is one of the three offices of the Anointed One, Prophet-Priest-King. In John Jesus shows himself to fulfill these expectations. Here he acts as a prophet. In chapter seven he claims the role of a High Priest. A tradition of pouring out water by the altar during the Feast of Tabernacles, commemorating the water from the rock in the wilderness (Exodus 17:6), was carried out by the High Priest. Jesus claimed to be the one who gives the true living water (John 7:37-38).
When the woman mentions the Messiah, Jesus emphatically says, "I AM he, who is speaking with you.” John 4:26 (my own translation). At this declaration by Jesus the woman went to her village and told everyone about him. Her excitement and their own desire to see for themselves resulted in Jesus staying with them for two days.
John 4:39-42 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
Jesus clearly claimed to be the promised Messiah. These people believed in him after their own personal seeing and hearing. In making the claim to be the Messiah and in promising to give the true living water of everlasting life Jesus claims to be greater than Moses, greater than the priesthood. He claims to be the very One who Moses and the priesthood anticipated would one day come to save the world.
[Part 2 will continue this study.]
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