The Gospel of John and the Religious Quest. Johannes Nissen

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The Gospel of John and the Religious Quest - Johannes Nissen


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seen his glory (John 1:14).”45

      The “I am”—sayings

      John’s symbolism is often combined with the so-called “I am” sayings. Here we can distinguish between two categories: (1) The absolute use with no predicate, for instance 8:58: “Before Abraham even was, I AM”; other examples are 8:24; 8:28 and 13:19. And (2) The more common use with a predicate nominative. In seven instances Jesus speaks of himself figuratively:

      • I am the bread of life (6:35, 48)

      • I am the light of the world (8:12)

      • I am the gate (10:7, 9)

      • I am the good shepherd (10:11, 14)

      • I am the resurrection and the life (11:25)

      • I am the way, the truth, and the life (14:6)

      • I am the (true) vine (15:1, 5)

      It is disputed whether these statements should be seen in the light of the Old Testament or of gnostic traditions. My response is that it is probably not an “either—or,” but rather a “both—and.” And yet, the main emphasis must be placed on the Old Testament statements of revelation, in particular Exod 3:14: “I am who I am.” In this passage God declares that he will be present among his people as the one who protects, liberates, and holds faith with them. It is noteworthy that the “I am” words point to God’s faithfulness as well as his exclusivism.

      The “I am”—sayings are structured in the following way: (1) A self-presentation consisting of two elements: (a) “I am,” and (b) a metaphor or a concept of salvation. Then follows (2) a call for decision consisting of: (a) an invitation and (b) a promise of salvation. In a few cases the promise is accompanied by, or replaced by, a warning or a threat (see 14:6 and 15:6).

      The Human Quest

      “What are you searching for?” (1:38; NRSV: “looking for”). These are the first words of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel. The question is addressed to the first two disciples who are together with John the Baptist near the Jordan river. As Jesus is coming towards him, John declares: “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The disciples hear him say this and follow Jesus.

      The question “What are you searching for?” is crucial in John’s Gospel. In fact, the Gospel seems to be written with the purpose of showing that Jesus brings what people are looking for. The problem is that people do not always know what this is, as can be illustrated by the exchange of words between Jesus and his first disciples. Their response to Jesus’ question in 1:38 is “Rabbi, where are you staying?” He answers with an invitation, “Come and see!” In consequence they go along to see where he is staying, and they remain with him that day (1:39). Something similar occurs in the calling of the other disciples. The words of Jesus are concise but full of overtones, and the disciples do not fully understand him. Yet in their encounter with Jesus they become aware of what they are lacking and they understand where they can find it.

      Seeing Two Realities Simultaneously

      In the chapters to follow a number of texts from the Fourth Gospel will be analyzed for two reasons: their special relevance in the religious quest and the religious encounter of today and their great importance for the theology of John’s Gospel. For my purpose I am excluding certain central Johannine texts, such as most of the healing stories and the passion narrative.

      The heading to Part One of the present book is “Images of a greater reality,” since I am primarily concerned with images of life such as water, bread, light, the way, and the true vine. Yet in three cases the focus is on concepts rather than images, namely Word, Truth, and Love.


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