I Am Sayings Of Jesus In Johns Gospel Religion Essay Example

I Am Sayings Of Jesus In Johns Gospel Religion Essay Example I Am Sayings Of Jesus In Johns Gospel Religion Essay I Am Sayings Of Jesus In Johns Gospel Religion Essay The purpose of this assignment is to exegetically discoursing the I AM expressions of Jesus within John s Gospel, province their significance to redemption. Jesus used symbolic linguistic communication in speaking about Himself and His relationship to people. Harmonizing to Tenney the ground for Jesus utilizing symbols was to exemplify assorted facets of His ministry. John uses symbols to indicate to the celestial world revealed in Jesus. In visible radiation of this Butler states that the word symbol does non look in the Bible nevertheless, both the Old and New Testament are rich in symbolic linguistic communication. Writing The writer of John s Gospel is non mentioned by name, but early Christian beginnings indicate this Gospel was written by John, the adherent and boy of Zebedee, one of the 12 adherents who was at the Passover repast with Jesus. John referred to himself as the darling adherent and eyewitness of the events of Jesus life. He identifies himself as, this is the adherent that testifies of these things, and wrote these things ; and we know that his testimony is true ( John 21:24 ) . John s Gospel includes seven I AM expressions uncovering God as manifested in Jesus and His relationship with Israel. God s name I AM reveals His individuality, His position, and His character, and was given to Jesus so that He can uncover God s glorification to mankind, in the universe where many claim to be Gods and Jesuss. The Bread of Life This is the first of John s expressions where he uses the metaphor to uncover Jesus as vitalizing nutrient. As a whole the transition challenges the Galileans to believe in Jesus celestial beginning and embodiment so that they may hold ageless life now every bit good as at the end-time. John describes Jesus as the Son of Man, who is the true nutrient that gives imperishable life ; this instruction was a testing to see whether the listeners would make up ones mind to follow Christ or reject Him. After Jesus had satisfied the hungriness of five 1000s people from multiplying five loaves of staff of life and two fishes ; they had became hungry once more and asked Jesus to state them about the religious truth about the nutrient that nourished each of them. Milne claims that the Galileans had mercenary docket and a lacked the consciousness of the demands of the bosom. For them God s approvals are a free nutrient supply and a political Messiah who would free them of their heated Roman leaders. Their concern is with what they can make to assist the cause along. They demanded another miracle to turn out His claim to give ageless life. They thought that believing could come merely by seeing miracles. Jesus points out to them that if they spend their present and future life working to derive material things and disregard the nutrient available to them in Jesus, they will die. The people challenged Jesus claim that He had sole authorization by God to give them imperishable nutrient. They so began to mention Bible to Jesus by stating, it is written that our sires ate manna that was given to them as nutrient from heaven by Moses ( Exodus 16:31 ) . The point they were seeking to do here is that the manna eaten by their sires had a heavenly character. Jesus responded by rectifying their misunderstanding of the Bible, and stated that the manna had non come from Moses but from God, his Father. Whereas the manna ( nutrient ) God supplied in the wilderness through Moses was perishable it gave physical life and fulfilling physical hungriness and was merely for the people of Israel. The bread God gives through Jesus is the true imperishable staff of life and is the gift of life for the whole universe. The people asked Jesus to give them this staff of life ever, they did non understand what it was they were bespeaking. They did non cognize the religious significance of the nutrient given nor that Jesus Himself is that nutrient, but assumed that Jesus was talking of some sort of supernatural nutrient that would be available whenever they felt hungry. This so prompts Jesus to eventually state, I am the staff of life of life, who of all time comes to me will neer travel hungry and he who believes in me will neer be thirsty. John provinces that they were concentrating on the gift without recognizing the giver, and saw Him as a admiration worker. Jesus is the imperishable nutrient, He is the beginning of life imparts life to worlds, and to have this life one should come to Him in religion non by plants. Jesus concern is to face them with their mistakes and indicate them to the true manner to happen life from God, they merely need to believe and trust on Him and on Him entirely as the one the Father has sent as a forfeit for the wickedness of the universe. The Light of the World The 2nd expression of Jesus claim to be the true Light of the people of God, non merely of Israel, but of the whole universe. Within this transition it gives two ways of life on Earth which is dominated by two opposite forces visible radiation and darkness. John uses thoughts that were current in his clip to proclaim that anyone who believes in Jesus and obeys Him can non be controlled by immorality, and because Jesus is the Light darkness can non get the better of Him. In chapter ( 8:24 ) Jesus struggle with those who were in darkness because of their wickedness and unbelief, illustrates an on-going struggle between visible radiation and darkness and farther warranting His claim as the Light of the universe . What he is stating here is that merely He can take people out of darkness into visible radiation, out of their psychotic belief into truth, and from decease by giving the visible radiation of life. Whoever follows Him will neer walk in darkness but have the visible radiation o f life. From this Jesus is stating that He has a alone relationship with the Father and He is the disclosure of the 1 and merely God, who is light and redemption. Jesus is the Light of the universe in the sense that He is the glow of God s glorification in the universe, and carrier of the visible radiation of God. In ( Isa 49:6 ) He is besides recall as the Servant of the Lord who would be a visible radiation for the Gentiles who will convey redemption to all world. The Good Shepherd and the Door This transition contains two metaphorically I AM expressions whereby Jesus declares himself to be the Good Shepherd and the Door. Here he promises protection and a manner of redemption for his followings. First by taking on the function of Shepherd Jesus reveals himself as the Christ and Shepherd King, who leads his people with compassion, protecting and caring for them while supplying a sense of belonging to himself and God. As the shepherd goes before the sheep they in bend meekly follow Him, trusting and obeying His words and non the words of those who oppose Him. Second Jesus points out that there is merely one door into the sheep pen, implies that He is the lone door to Salvation. By proclaiming that He is the door for the sheep, Jesus is stating that He is the lone manner by which one can see God and His love ; the lone one through whom celestial secrets and godly life are imparted to those who obey Him, He is their defender and the agencies by which they obtain religious nutriment, He is the lone manner of communicating between Eden and Earth. In add-on to this Jesus claims that stealers and robbers who came before Him can neer come in the sheep pen to misdirect the sheep ( people ) . Here Jesus is mentioning to the Pharisees, the Judaic leaders, who exercise authorization over the people of Israel by misinterpreting the Law to 4 their ain advantage ; and the leaders who attempt, to win the trueness of the people before Christ came in the flesh. He says, Like stealers, they approach was secret and cunning, and like robbers they were engaged in force and devastation ( Ezek 34:1 ) . They had non been sent by God either through Christ, but illicitly claim leading. Jesus states that the sheep shall no longer follow or listen to the voice of these false leaders, because they now know and hear the voice of the true shepherd. The Resurrection and Life In chapter eleven Jesus affirms He is the Resurrection and life, and John quotes that raising Lazarus from the dead at Bethany is a preliminary to Jesus ain decease and Resurrection. He claims that the Resurrection life is like a future experience and a present world. Second John claims that Jesus is the lone 1 who can raise the dead and give life. Therefore, the Resurrection and life can merely be experienced in Jesus. Consequently the word life is indistinguishable to eternal life , the Godhead gift given to those who believe in Jesus. Ultimately, those who receive His life are born of the Spirit. Jesus does non merely raise the dead by His voice giving life, but He is the Resurrection and the life, holding the power to Resurrection comprehensiveness of life, besides confirming that He works in unity with God in raising the dead. Harmonizing to Jesus, all human existences will be resurrected after decease to have God s opinion, for it is appointed for them to decease one time, and after that to confront opinion ( Heb 9:27 ) . The words will neer die does non assure immortality, but those who believe in Jesus by religion will confront physical decease like every other human being, but decease will hold no control over them. By the power of Jesus they will lift up from the dead to see heavenly life in all its comprehensiveness. Therefore the 1 who lives and keeps on believing will non die everlastingly. The Way, the Truth, and the Life John sees this as Jesus pastoral address delivered to His adherents before He leaves them to travel to the Father. In malice of their close relationship with Jesus, 5 His adherents still did non understand His finish. From this misconstruing Jesus makes His 6th I AM stating, and it is the merely 1 to be followed by three predicates. He profess that he is the manner, the truth and the life, and that no 1 comes to the Father but through Him. Here the way is the 1 that is emphasised because it corresponds with Jesus statement in ( 14:4 ) Where I go you Know, and the manner you know, and Thomas enquiry in ( 14:5 ) , Lord we do non cognize where you are traveling ; how can we cognize the manner? The predicates truth and life are so added to explicate the term way . In response to Thomas s inquiry Jesus answers him by stating, I am traveling to be with God, the Father of us all. So when He states, I am the manner, He is stating that it is merely in Communion with Him that one can make God. Here John stresses that Jesus is God s lone disclosure and the lone manner of redemption. Jesus came from God and is traveling back to God by manner of being crucified and so resurrected ; He is God s self-revelation and the 1 who is the lone manner to God. The two nouns truth and life, reveal that Jesus is the true and living manner to God, because He is the truth of God and the life of God. Here John s accent is on the indi vidual Jesus who is the manner to the presence of God there one will see ageless joy. Parallel to versify 6 is Psalm 16:11 which speak of those who follow the way of life will see joy to the full in the presence of God. Jesus is the Word incarnate and Teachs to His adherents that He is the true and vitalizing manner to the presence of God in peace and prosperity ; Isaiah ( 30:23-26 ) , besides speaks of this prosperity to the people who obey the word. As the manner, Jesus gives us entree to the Father ; He will besides include with Himself all those who trust in Him when He returns to His Father. As the truth, Jesus reveals God as the Truth to the universe in His love, clemency and rescue. As the life, Jesus gives life and peace to all those who believe in Him. Merely those who see God s love and fidelity in Jesus and draws towards Him, will cognize the manner to make God, this is entirely expressed in His statement no 1 comes to the Father except through me. 6 Since Jesus is the incarnation of Godhead truth and life, the lone manner to come in the celestial kingdom is through Him. The Vine In the concluding I AM expressions Jesus uses the metaphor of the vine and the subdivisions. He reveals Himself as the true vine, and compares Himself with the people of Israel who he metaphorically described as subdivisions who had failed to bear fruit, hence neglecting to laud God. Fortunately, what is known as failure and impossible with adult male, can be turned into success and become possible through Christ. Knowing He is from Eden and the life He possesses is godly, He can besides provide life to the subdivisions. Here John nowadayss Jesus non as one who bears fruit, but as the beginning of power leting those who stay in brotherhood with Him to bear fruit and carry through the program of God. Hebrews 9:24 quotation marks that the Tabernacle in Eden is called the true collapsible shelter and the earthly sanctuary is known as a transcript of the true 1 that is in Eden. The nazarene reveals Himself to be the true vine . This vine is of heavenly beginning, and hence has the ability to uncover heavenly world and give life to the subdivisions which are united with it. Jesus refers to God as the vinedresser this shows us that God is the proprietor and plantation owner of the vine and the subdivisions. The map of the subdivisions is to bear fruit , in other words one demand to make good workss after penitence ( Luke 6:35, Matt 3:10 ) . God expects good plants from human existences, and failure to execute them will take to God s opinion, ensuing in one being separated from Him and to devastation. Those who bear fruit reproduce Jesus life by which the Father s glorification will be revealed to the universe. Jesus continues the metaphor by mentioning to all His adherents stating, every subdivision of mine . Meaning those who are united with Jesus will be recognized by the universe as His adherents. The Father, the vinedresser, takes off any subdivisio ns that does non bear fruit, and prunes those that do. Clearly what is seen here is that God is the 1 who controls the whole procedure of fruit-bearing. 7 He purifies the vine to protect the fruit-bearing subdivisions by taking subdivisions that do non bear fruit intending followings of Christ who becomes unfaithful. He takes them away from His people and consigning them to ageless penalty. God besides purifies the fruitful subdivisions by sniping them so that they will bear more fruit. God s pruning of trusters takes topographic point through the salvaging mission of Christ words and workss. Jesus tells His adherents that they are already clean by the word He has spoken, which is the Father s word. Here word bases for the whole message of redemption preached and performed by Jesus who besides declares God and His love to mankind. Those who receive Jesus and His word by religion will see God s Glory and are passed from decease to life. The adherents, who have received Jesus word, are already clean ; nevertheless, cleansing is a procedure ; every bit long as they remain in Christ God the Father will go on to clean them so that they will bear more fruit. Jesus emphasises this point so that they realise the Father is already sniping them and they are already cleansed doing them suit for brotherhood with Christ. They need non try to pass over out evil from their heads or partake in any signifier of speculation in order to accomplish brotherhood with God ; for brotherhood with Christ, and in Him with God, is a gift that has already been given and need to be received by relig ion. Jesus exhortation, abide in me and I in you , is the cardinal statement in chapter 15. Here Jesus issues a bid, in footings of the metaphor of a vine and it branches. This metaphor highlights the communal life of which the individual who does the abiding is portion of. Life for the church flows from Jesus, and one can non absorb life from Him unless they are united with Him. All one demand to make is to stay in brotherhood with Him. When we abide in Christ, and do His word our subject of speculation in our mundane life in love and obeisance, we can use His word to alterations in our every twenty-four hours state of affairs. Believers can be nurtured by Jesus life through chew overing on and absorbing His words. Decision The nazarene came into the universe from heaven to convey redemption to mankind, by giving up His ain life as a forfeit on the cross. God s name I AM and glorification are given to Him uncovering them to those who believe in Him as the anointed Messiah sent by God into the universe. He has divine authorization and delegated power to give heavenly life to everyone who comes to Him. There is no other individual one can look for godly life except in the one whom God has authorized. So to follow and stay in Jesus is the lone manner to redemption, as we observe from His I AM expressions. Salvation is no longer confined to the state of Israel but is extended to all states of the universe.