Jesus: Draws Believers to him and Dispenses Life
Examine the meaning of the saying ‘I am the bread of life’ and ‘I am the light of the world.’
Jesus says ‘I am’ 26 times in the Gospel of John, and the frequency of use is a testament to its significance. The phrase ‘ego eimi’ is generally understood to be a proclamation of divinity, with the Old Testament often being cited to emphasise this view. Examples include passages like Exodus 3:14, where God said to Moses-‘I am who I am’. Barrett has subsequently suggested that ‘I am’ is a ‘divine word of self-revelation and command.’Grayston reinforced this when he described it as ‘a self-assertion of the deity.’ Raymond Brown goes into further detail, believing that the expression shows the different perspectives of Yahweh, such as in Exodus 15:26 where He is seen as a healer and in Psalm 35:3 He is giver of salvation. Thus there is the implication that Jesus possesses these traits, and through studying these ‘I am’ sayings, one can greater understand Jesus and Christology.
‘I am the bread of a life’ is a discourse that is abundant with significance and symbolism. The mere mention of ‘bread’ would resonate with a Jewish audience. It is commonly associated with the nectar of the gods of Homer, or the food consumed by the angels in Psalm 78 vs 25. Thus, when Jesus says he is ‘the true bread’, the evangelist is aiming to portray Jesus as the ultimate form of divine nourishment, and only through him, can spiritual hunger be satisfied. This idea of superseding is further reinforced when Moses is mentioned. In John 10:32, Jesus acknowledged that Moses ‘gave bread’ to the travellers in the wilderness, however Jesus then claimed that it was not in fact Moses who gave them this ‘bread from heaven.’ Thus, the evangelist is attempting to deflect attention from the old ages and the past, and is instead imploring the audience to focus Jesus. The theme of replacement theology or supersessionsim is clearly highlighted. Bread traditionally represents the Law/Torah, thus Moses’
Jesus says ‘I am’ 26 times in the Gospel of John, and the frequency of use is a testament to its significance. The phrase ‘ego eimi’ is generally understood to be a proclamation of divinity, with the Old Testament often being cited to emphasise this view. Examples include passages like Exodus 3:14, where God said to Moses-‘I am who I am’. Barrett has subsequently suggested that ‘I am’ is a ‘divine word of self-revelation and command.’Grayston reinforced this when he described it as ‘a self-assertion of the deity.’ Raymond Brown goes into further detail, believing that the expression shows the different perspectives of Yahweh, such as in Exodus 15:26 where He is seen as a healer and in Psalm 35:3 He is giver of salvation. Thus there is the implication that Jesus possesses these traits, and through studying these ‘I am’ sayings, one can greater understand Jesus and Christology.
‘I am the bread of a life’ is a discourse that is abundant with significance and symbolism. The mere mention of ‘bread’ would resonate with a Jewish audience. It is commonly associated with the nectar of the gods of Homer, or the food consumed by the angels in Psalm 78 vs 25. Thus, when Jesus says he is ‘the true bread’, the evangelist is aiming to portray Jesus as the ultimate form of divine nourishment, and only through him, can spiritual hunger be satisfied. This idea of superseding is further reinforced when Moses is mentioned. In John 10:32, Jesus acknowledged that Moses ‘gave bread’ to the travellers in the wilderness, however Jesus then claimed that it was not in fact Moses who gave them this ‘bread from heaven.’ Thus, the evangelist is attempting to deflect attention from the old ages and the past, and is instead imploring the audience to focus Jesus. The theme of replacement theology or supersessionsim is clearly highlighted. Bread traditionally represents the Law/Torah, thus Moses’