The Vine In John 15 And Old Testament Imagery In The “I Am” Statements

By John C. Hutchison

[John C. Hutchison is Professor of Bible Exposition, Talbot School of Theology, La Mirada, California.]

Jesus’ rich imagery in His “I am” statements has captured the interest of Bible readers and scholars alike. In His own explanatory words (John 15:2-8), Jesus invited believers to explore the depths of the metaphor, to determine how the physical grapevine, branches, fruit, and actions of the vinedresser picture one’s relationship with the Father and Jesus Himself. In addition this is the last of the seven “I am” statements recorded in John where the Greek formula ἐγώ εἰμι followed by a predicate noun makes assertions about the identity of Christ.[1] Was Jesus claiming identity with Yahweh in His use of terminology equivalent to the name of God presented in Exodus 3:14? Was the apostle John, whose Gospel is the only one to record these statements, making a similar claim? An affirmative answer to both of these questions certainly fits with Jesus’ self-claims in this Gospel, and with John’s emphasis as a Gospel writer. But is this the main point of Jesus’ “I am” claims?

This article suggests that these issues are not the central point of Jesus’ claim. Many expositors emphasize the illustrative parallels of a literal grapevine and branches as the primary motivation for Jesus’ choice of this metaphor. Others dwell on Jesus’ claim to deity found in the έγω είμι formula. This article seeks to focus instead on the more significant messianic claims in these passages.

Jesus’ claim was not just identity with any vine. Rather He is the true or genuine one, the messianic fulfillment of Old Testament imagery. Further John 15 is an example for interpreting all the “I am” statements of Jesus. In them particular Old Testament metaphors were chosen by Christ to describe His messianic identity in the New Covenant, and in the process to contrast Israel’s failures under the Old Covenant.

The True Vine Of John 15:1

Importance Of The “I Am” Statements In John’s Gospel

The importance of the seven “I am” statements in John’s Gospel is affirmed by the fact that they appear only here and not in the Synoptic Gospels. In the Synoptic tradition the expression έγώ είμι with a predicate is never attributed to Jesus. The only appearance with an explicit predicate is in Matthew 24:5, where Jesus was quoting future false messiahs (cf. Mark 13:6; Luke 21:8). In fact the expression έγω είμι itself without the predicate is also relatively rare in the Synoptic Gospels.[2] Thus the unique presence of these statements in John’s Gospel provides great incentive to investigate their meaning and John’s purpose in including them.

The metaphorical picture of Jesus as a vine. Three features of Jesus’ claim to be the true vine contribute to its meaning. The first is the most obvious. He clearly wanted His disciples to visualize various aspects of His ministry and His relationship to them and to the Father. The verses that immediately follow (John 15:2-8, 16) support Jesus’ intent of an extended metaphor. Carson notes that vines and vineyards were one of the most common motifs in ancient religions.[3] Vines were often used to express fruitfulness, dependence, vital union, pruning.[4]

Since ten times in verses 4-10 Jesus gave the command to “abide” (μένω) in Him, one can conclude that union and communion with Christ, as well as dependence on Him, are important points of the vine illustration.

Fruitfulness and pruning also emerge as important themes in this living relationship with Christ. Some older expositors suggested other potential parallels between the vine and Christ. Macmillan, for example, proposed that the vine connotes “outreach” in the way it spreads its branches far and wide[5] or “likeness” in the sharing of one’s spiritual nature with the vine.[6] The pedagogical use of this metaphor in the passage (vv. 2-8), however, draws one back to Jesus’ major point of comparison—the believer’s vital union with Christ and the Father’s intent to produce fruit through that relationship.

Why did Jesus use this metaphor? Rosscup surveys proposed answers to this question.[7]

1. The cup of wine during the Last Supper, which recalled the “fruit of the vine.”
2. The closeness of the disciples during the scene in the upper room.
3. A branch in the window of the upper room.
4. A vine in the moonlight. If Jesus and the disciples left the room after John 14:31, Jesus could have used a grapevine as an illustration.
5. The vine on the temple gate, a symbol of Israel placed there by Herod the Great[8] and described by Josephus.[9]
6. The pruning fires of Kidron. As Jesus and the disciples walked to the Mount of Olives, perhaps they passed the fires of those pruning the grapevines (15:6).
7. The nation of Israel, based on Old Testament imagery such as Psalm 80, Isaiah 5, and Isaiah 27.

Certainly a visual cue might have sparked Jesus’ words that night, but that seems unnecessary and secondary at best. Bultmann viewed the background of this image as Gnosticism. An interesting parallel in Gnostic thought is that human beings represent a vine of life with God as the “planter.”[10] However, since Gnostic writings utilizing this imagery did not exist at the time of Jesus, historically this could not have been Jesus’ inspiration.

The following sections support the thesis that Jesus’ intended referent in the vine imagery was the nation Israel, an image prominent in both the Old Testament and first-century Judaism.

The definite article. A second factor that helps determine the meaning of Jesus’ statement is the presence of the definite article with the word for “vine” (ἡ ἄμπελος). In his Gospel John sometimes used the expression ἐγώ είμι in an absolute sense (without a predicate) and other times with an expressed predicate. The latter is the case in John 15:1-8 and the rest of the “I am” passages in John’s Gospel. Harner writes:

We may note first that when John uses the phrase ego eimi with an expressed predicate, he always uses the definite article with the predicate. Thus in 8:12, for example, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world (ego eimi to phos tou kosmou).” A predicate noun in Greek usually lacks the article. When it is used, it indicates that the predicate is identical with the subject rather than a general class of which the subject is a particular example. By using the article with the predicate in these ego eimi expressions, John wishes to express his belief that Jesus is, for example, the light of the world, and that conversely the light of the world is Jesus and no other. In these phrases the emphasis lies on the identity and interchangeability of subject and predicate.[11]

Blass and Debrunner confirm this important grammatical point. “Predicate nouns as a rule are anarthrous. Nevertheless the article is inserted if the predicate noun is presented as something well known or as that which alone merits the designation (the only thing to be considered).”[12] Therefore based on the inclusion of the definite article Jesus words in John 15:1 may be translated, “I am the vine, the true one.”

The significance of ἀληθινή. Coupled with the definite article, this adjective in John 15:1 is central to the meaning of the verse. One possible connotation of “true” is genuine or trustworthy in contrast to what is false or spurious, as in 1 Thessalonians 1:9, “They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” This word can also be used to distinguish heavenly, divine reality from what is human and earthly, as in the case of the true tabernacle in Hebrews 8:2, “who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.” The second connotation seems to fit here. Thus the true vine is the one that is the highest, most ultimate realization, the perfect replacing the imperfect. This meaning is supported by the use of the definite article, but it is also consistent with other uses of ἀληθινός in John’s Gospel.[13] Taken this way, the concept of the true vine is seen as the fulfillment of an Old Testament type of the Messiah.

Old Testament And Jewish Historical Imagery Depicting Israel As A Vine

Beasley-Murray describes the historical connection between Israel and the image of a grapevine.

But the vine imagery in the OT and in Judaism, reflected also in the teaching of Jesus in the synoptic Gospels, is closer to hand and more obviously pertinent. Israel is frequently represented in the OT as a vine or a vineyard (cf. Hos 10:1-2; Isa 5:1-7; Jer 2:21; Ezek 15:1-5, 17:1-21; 19:10-15; Ps 80:8-18). The tradition was continued in Judaism; an elaborate allegorical portrayal of Israel as a vine is found in Lev. Rab.; the vine is a frequent figure on coins and ceramics from the Maccabaean era on; Josephus relates that a large golden vine was set at the sanctuary entrance in the temple built by Herod (Ant.[iquities of the Jews] 15.395). It is striking that in every instance when Israel in its historical life is depicted in the OT as a vine or vineyard, the nation is set under the judgment of God for its corruption, sometimes explicitly for its failure to produce good fruit (e.g., Isa 5:1-7; Jer 2:21).[14]

Kruse discusses the image of the vine at the temple.

In the time of Jesus a great golden vine hung over the entrance to the Jerusalem temple. Josephus describes it: “The gate opening into the building was, as I say, completely overlaid with gold, as was the whole wall around it. It had, moreover, above it those golden vines, from which depended grape-clusters as tall as a man” (Jewish War 210-212). If the second part of Jesus’ farewell discourse was given en route from the Last Supper venue to the garden where he was betrayed, his teaching on the true vine may have been given in the temple courtyard with the great golden vine glinting in the light of the Passover moon.[15]

Romanoff further supports the historical connection between the symbol of a grapevine and Israel in its coins, temple décor, burial places, and art.

The grapes appear for the first time on the bronze coins of the First and Second Revolts in the form of a vine-leaf, on the silver denarii and on some of the bronze coins of the Second Revolt in the form of clusters of grapes. . . . The vine and grapes decorated the sacred vessels in the sanctuary and a golden vine with clusters of grapes stood at its entrance. The vine and grapes had already in the time of the prophets become symbols of Israel. In the Talmud, the vine is referred to as representing also the world, Jerusalem, the Torah, and the clusters—to represent the patriarchs, the Sanhedrin, and scholars. . . . In Jewish art the vine and grapes figure on the mosaics and sculptures of the early synagogues, early burial places and tombstones, and on Jewish illuminated manuscripts.[16]

These examples demonstrate the cultural presence of the vine symbolism for Israel before, during, and after the time of Christ. Numerous features of this viticultural illustration provided an opportunity for Jesus to teach deeper spiritual truths. But the richness and frequency of Old Testament allusions in John and in Jesus’ teaching lead one to see much more here. In the Old Testament use of the vine motif a number of points amplify the richness of this metaphor.

Psalm 80:7-19. This psalm is framed with Israel’s cry to God. “Restore us, O [Lord] God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved” (vv. 7, 19).

God’s people Israel are pictured as the vine He “brought . . . out of Egypt” (v. 8). He took great care driving out the nations, clearing the ground, and planting the vine (vv. 8-9). The result was a thriving vineyard whose borders spread from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River (vv. 10-11). But the vineyard was “broken down” and destroyed, a result of the judgment of God (vv. 12-13). The psalmist (on behalf of his people) called on God to “watch over this vine, the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself” (vv. 14-15).

This passage establishes the “vine” motif for Israel, depicting God as the Gardener. Israel was in a state of judgment and destruction, calling to God to restore them. Also noteworthy is the fact that within this expanded metaphor one finds references to other messianic terminology—“the son” (v. 15; cf. Hos. 11:1) and “the son of man” (v. 17), Jesus’ favorite messianic self-title. Though these expressions applied to Israel in this Old Testament context, they later became terms of the Messiah as well.

Isaiah 5:1-7. Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard is much like a parable, depicting a man who planted a vineyard on a fertile hillside, perfectly prepared to produce good crops and wine. But the vineyard produced only bad fruit, and was destined to be destroyed. The identity of the vineyard and the meaning of good fruit and bad fruit are explicitly stated in verse 7. “The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.”

Like Psalm 80, this passage in Isaiah speaks of God’s discipline on His people. Israel is depicted with great optimism and potential, but ultimately was judged because of moral and spiritual failure.[17]

Isaiah 27:2-6. This passage depicts Israel as a future fruitful vineyard, carefully watched over by God Himself. Verse 6 predicts a future prosperity for Israel. “In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit.” This is an interesting reversal of the judgment in 5:5-7.

Additional Old Testament allusions to Israel as a vine. Several other passages from the prophets, including Jeremiah 2:21; Ezekiel 15:1-5; 17:1-21; 19:10-15; and Hosea 10:1-2 all picture God as the vinedresser who planted Israel under perfect conditions to produce healthy vines and excellent fruit. Most of these passages associate this motif with failure and resulting judgment. Also in all these passages the vineyard imagery was used to symbolize Israel, but it was also directly associated with Messiah. Jesus introduced this new meaning in contrast to the old “vine” of Israel.[18]

Jesus As The True Vine

John 15:1-8 is an extended metaphor, but the “I am” claim of Jesus in verse 1 is much more than a metaphor. This section has argued that several factors support the claim that Jesus’ main point is messianic in nature, as He makes the outright claim to be the “vine” that Israel had failed to be. Certainly the vine metaphor itself speaks volumes about spiritual unity, communion, fruitfulness, and the need for “pruning,” but to stop here is to miss a central point. Jesus was contrasting Himself to another earlier vine, Israel, and claiming to be the genuine vine—the perfect in place of the imperfect, the fulfillment of the type. This is supported in several ways: (1) the definite article ἥ with ἄμπελος (“vine”) which is not normally present with a predicate noun; (2) the adjective ἀληθινή, indicating “genuine” or “authentic”; and (3) the frequent reference in John’s Gospel to Old Testament imagery, coupled with several passages that depict Israel as God’s “vine.”

Thompson observes the following about John’s use of the Old Testament. “The ultimate and primary source of the imagery for God in the Gospel of John is the Old Testament. . . . John appropriates the biblical imagery so as to depict the realization of biblical promises that God will gather his people together and give them life. . . . Thus the basic contours of the imagery for God in John stand in continuity with the imagery of the OT and of Judaism.”[19] Speaking specifically about John’s use of the Old Testament, Thompson adds the following.

While the imagery used in John naturally reflects his world (or that of his sources), it is shaped by—even chosen for—its function or meaning in the biblical narrative. Put differently, while the stuff of John’s imagery—water, wells, sheep, vines, bread, light, darkness, and even tombs—comes from the natural world and human culture of John’s day, the imagery for God is shaped first and foremost by the Scriptural contours from which the imagery is drawn. For example, the imagery of God as the vinedresser and of Jesus and his followers as the vine and the branches does not depend so much on the practices of viticulture in the days of either Jesus or John, but rather depends on the portrayal of Israel as a vine, particularly as found in Ezekiel. . . . But as it appears in John, the imagery of the vine takes shape not so much with reference to everyday life, but with reference to certain passages and imagery of Scripture. Thus John’s use of the OT imagery for God provides a kind of pictorial commentary on these Scriptural passages, not by “explaining” or exegeting the OT passages or their imagery, but by appropriating the imagery.[20]

The “I Am” Statements Of John’s Gospel: Messianic Fulfillment Of Old Testament Imagery

The Relationship Of ἐγώ Είμι To Yahweh In Exodus 3:14

The focus of this article is on John 15:1 and the six other “I am” statements in John’s Gospel that are followed by a predicate noun (bread of life, good shepherd, true vine, etc.). However, a number of other passages in John’s Gospel cite Jesus using the words ἐγώ εἰμι (“I am”) without an obvious predicate, an awkward expression in either Greek or Aramaic. Many expositors have claimed some relationship between these statements and Exodus 3:14, “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”[21] Thus in the “I am” statements in John’s Gospel Jesus claimed identity with God the Father. The following are some examples of this use.

At the close of a conversation with the woman at the well, she referred to the Messiah, and Jesus responded, “I am [ἐγώ εἰμι] he who is speaking to you” (John 4:26, lit. translation).

As Jesus walked on the water toward His disciples, He drew near and said to them, “I am [ἐγώ εἰμι]; don’t be afraid” (6:20, lit. translation).

In discussing with the Jews subjects like God the Father and Abraham, Jesus made these statements: “If you do not believe that I am [ἐγω εἰμι] . . . you will indeed die in your sins” (8:24). “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know who I am [ἐγώ εἰμι]” (8:28). “Before Abraham was, I am [ἐγώ εἰμι]” (8:58).

In the upper room when Jesus was talking to the disciples about His betrayal by Judas, He said to them, “I’m telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am [ἐγώ εἰμι] (13:19).

When Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane, He asked the Jewish leaders and soldiers for whom they had come. Their response, “Jesus of Nazareth” was answered by Jesus, “I am [ἐγώ εἰμι].” John noted that after hearing these words “they drew back and fell to the ground,” after which He again stated, “I told you that I am he [ἐγώ εἰμι]” (18:5-8).

Most of these passages can be translated by supplying a noun or pronoun in the predicate. For example Jesus’ words in John 6:20 may be translated, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” Two of the above passages, however, offer no predicate that can be supplied—John 8:58 and 13:19. According to Harner, “These verses establish the absolute meaning of the phrase as a distinct, self-contained expression, and thus they indicate that John may also have it in mind elsewhere.”[22] While John 14:2; 6:20; 8:24, 28; and 18:5, 6, 8 imply a noun or pronoun to be supplied in the predicate, Harner argues that these have a “double meaning.” He maintains the ἐγώ εἰμι in these verses can be translated in an everyday sense (supplying a predicate noun or pronoun), but also in an absolute sense. These uses of ἐγώ εἰμι attributed to Jesus draw attention to the Old Testament name of God which was revealed in Exodus 3:14 and is used extensively in Isaiah 40-55.

This claim is further supported by the unique appearance of ἐγώ εἰμι in John’s Gospel, whereas it does not appear in the Synoptics. With the possible exception of Matthew 24:5, the Synoptic Gospels did not quote Jesus using “I am” statements that are completed by the predicate noun, and rarely did they record an absolute ἐγώ εἰμι statement. In contrast “I am” statements with an expressed predicate occur sixteen times in John,[23] in addition to the absolute use noted in the discussion above. Thus the unique presence of these statements in John’s Gospel provides great incentive to investigate their meaning and John’s purpose in including them. John’s explicitly stated purpose for writing his Gospel (20:31) supports the view that his and Jesus’ use of ἐγώ εἰμι claims His identity with Yahweh.

The Significance Of The Metaphorical Completion Of The Seven “I Am” Statements

Why, then, did Jesus choose the particular imagery of each “I am” statement to describe Himself? The illustrations of bread, light, shepherd, and vine speak deeply of spiritual truths about Christ. But are these the main point, or do they support something more? The view of this article is that the metaphors completing the “I am” statements arise from a rich tradition of Old Testament and Jewish cultural history, and each of them in some way contributes to Jesus’ messianic claims. Most of them are fulfillments of Old Covenant types. Much like the writer to the Hebrews, these assertions by Jesus, recorded by John, claim to be fulfillments of types. Their point is that Jesus the Messiah has now come to provide spiritual sustenance, leadership, and direction that is far better than the imperfect human types of the Old Covenant. This case has already been argued for the vine metaphor of John 15:1, but what of the other images?

The presence of the definite article. The definite article appears in all of Jesus’ seven recorded “I am” statements. As noted earlier, “Predicate nouns as a rule are anarthrous. Nevertheless the article is inserted if the predicate noun is presented as something well known or as that which alone merits the designation (the only thing to be considered).”[24] So the claim made about the superior “vine” in 15:1 may also be made about the other images: “I am the bread of life” (6:35); “I am the light of the world” (8:12; 9:5); “I am the gate” (10:7, 9); “I am the good shepherd” (10:11, 14); “I am the resurrection and the life” (11:25-26); “I am the way and the truth and the life” (14:6).

The accompanying descriptive terms: as further support of fulfillment. The adjectives and other descriptive clauses accompanying some of the “I am” statements further support Jesus’ claim to be the fulfillment of Old Testament messianic passages. The meaning of ἀληθινή in John 15:1 has been argued earlier, indicating that Jesus is the true or genuine vine in contrast to the previous vine of Israel. The same pattern can be observed in some of the other “I am” statements. The following table gives examples of this.

Bread	“bread from heaven . . . the true bread from heaven . . . the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (6:32-33). “I am the bread of life” (6:35). “I am the bread that came down from heaven” (6:41, 58). “the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die” (6:50). “I am the living bread that came down from heaven” (6:51).
Light	“I am the light of the world” (8:12; 9:5). “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (8:12). “In him was life, and that life was the light of men” (1:4). “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world” (1:9). “Light has come into the world” (3:19). “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness” (12:46). “The true light is already shining” (1 John 2:8).
Gate for the sheep	“All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. . . . Whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. . . . I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:8-10).
Good shepherd	“I am the good shepherd” (10:11, 14). “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (10:11).
Resurrection and the life	I am the resurrection and the life . . . whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (11:25-26).
Vine	“I am the true vine” (15:1, 5).

The use of ἀληθινόs in both John 6:32 (“true bread”) and 1:9 (“true light”) has the same significance as in 15:1 (“true vine”), distinguishing the true or genuine (fulfillment) from what has gone before (type or prophecy). This can also be observed in the adjectives in these titles: “living bread” (6:51), “living water” (4:10),[25] “good shepherd” (10:11, 14), and in all the modifying expressions that speak of the One who has come down from heaven to give eternal life.

The intentional use of Old Testament imagery. Why did Jesus choose this imagery? The answer lies in the fact that the “I am” passages utilize many Old Covenant images. Much like the image of the vine, they would have reminded Jesus’ hearers of specific Scriptures or important concepts from their Scriptures, and thus His hearers would have been reminded of Jesus’ messianic mission. Many of the images depict failures of former leaders to fulfill the mission God had given them. The material above makes this claim for “the vine,” but what of the other images?

“I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). Since Jesus referred to the wilderness story in John 6:31 (“He gave them bread from heaven to eat”), His words invited His audience to recall the giving of manna in the wilderness. Burge offers this background from Judaism:

Judaism understood that there was a storehouse or “treasury” of manna in heaven that had been opened to feed the people during the era of Moses. The Israelites had been fed with “Bread from heaven.” This treasury would be reopened with the coming of Messiah: “The treasury of manna shall again descend from on high, and they will eat of it in those years” (2 Bar. 29:8). This would be a messianic second exodus, in which blessedness would rain down from on high. An early Jewish commentary on Exodus 16:4 says, “As the first redeemer caused manna to descend . . . so will the latter redeemer cause manna to descend” (Midrash Rabbah; Eccles. 1:9).[26]

Jesus’ claim therefore to be “the bread of life” or the “living bread,” builds on this Old Covenant imagery and announces that this “bread” is now a person among them, namely, their Messiah.

“I am light of the world” (John 8:12; 9:5). The setting of Jesus’ words recorded in John 8 is the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. This holy day celebrated the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt. In celebrating this memorial service they followed Yahweh symbolically in the pillar of fire as they travelled through the wilderness to the Promised Land. Jesus’ words, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (8:12), seem to be a reference to this scene. Israel had been redeemed to become a “light to the Gentiles,” but they had failed to accomplish that. In the first chapter of his Gospel, John introduced the theme of light to describe Jesus Christ. “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world” (1:4-9). This imagery in John’s Gospel, against the background of God as light in the Old Testament, provides the context for Jesus’ claim in 8:12 and 9:5 to be the light of the world (Pss. 27:1; 89:15; Isa. 2:5; 60:19-20).

“I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14); and “I am the gate” (John 10:7, 9). These two metaphors relate to the same biblical imagery. In the Old Testament Yahweh is the shepherd of Israel (Gen. 49:24; Pss. 23:1-3; 78:52-53; 80:1). Because people are much like wayward sheep (Isa. 53:6), the metaphor of shepherding was used in the Old Testament to picture spiritual leadership (Isa. 56:9-12; Jer. 23:1-4; 25:32-38; Ezek. 34; Zech. 11). Many of Israel’s leaders, including kings and priests, were referred to as “false shepherds” (1 Kings 22:17; Jer. 10:21; 23:1-2; Ezek. 34). The Ezekiel passage is especially noteworthy as background to Jesus’ claims. In this chapter God chastised Israel’s leaders (shepherds) as self-absorbed rulers who had selfishly neglected the needs of their flock (Ezek. 34:1-8). Because of this sad state of affairs, God, through Ezekiel, promised to remove the flock from the care of the leaders and to become Israel’s shepherd (vv. 9-22). In the last part of the chapter God’s words clearly have messianic meaning. “I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken” (vv. 23-24).

The occasion on which Jesus spoke the words recorded in John 10 was either the Feast of Tabernacles (the same as in John 9) or the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah; 10:22), which came three months later. If it is the latter, Ezekiel 34 would have been read during that festival to describe the failed leadership during the Maccabean period.[27] “Hanukkah thus became a season that asked hard questions about failed leadership and false shepherds. How did the temple leadership lose its way during this Greek period? Where were the shepherds? What must shepherds do today? During the week when Jesus gave his good shepherd sermon, synagogues were reading prophetic critiques of leadership.”[28]

The details of the shepherd metaphor provide a close parallel to the prophecy of Ezekiel 34. Jesus called Himself the good shepherd in contrast to the thieves, robbers, and hirelings who had gone before Him and who had not cared properly for the sheep (John 10:1, 5, 8, 10, 12-13). Based on the prophecy of Ezekiel 34, this is certainly a messianic claim. “In these passages [Ezek. 34] God shepherds through his designated leaders. Jesus is claiming such a role for himself, but in a way unlike anything seen before. He has made clear claims to divinity and messiahship, which will be repeated shortly (Jn 10:22-39). So when he claims to be the shepherd he is claiming that Messiah has come and in him God himself has come to shepherd his people.”[29]

Lincoln comments on the “good [καλός] shepherd” in 10:11, 14.

The term καλόs translated here, as is customary, as “good,” can also be interpreted as “beautiful,” “noble,” honourable,” or “ideal,” and so has some similarities to the force of the adjective “true” in Jesus’ identification of Himself as the true bread and the true vine (cf 6:32; 15:1). More telling, however, is the observation that the opposite of καλός is not so much “bad” or “evil” but more frequently “shameful” or “disgraceful,” so that the terminology belongs to the honour/shame field of discourse that is pervasive in the Fourth Gospel and will now affect the way the shepherd is depicted. . . . Here what distinguished the noble shepherd is that he lays down his life for the sheep.[30]

Interestingly Jesus made two “I am” statements about His role as shepherd. First, His role as the good shepherd was contrasted with former false shepherds of Israel, including contemporary leaders like the Pharisees (10:12-13). Then He described His intimate relationship with His sheep (10:4, 14). He also stated that He was willing to die for them (10:11, 15, 17-18) because of His love for them.

In another “I am” claim Jesus described Himself as “the gate” to the enclosure, for He alone is the one through whom entry may be gained.

“I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). This “I am” statement and the one in 14:6 do not have obvious and specific types in the Old Testament. As already noted, the imagery of bread, light, shepherds, and vines refers back to specific Old Testament stories of Israel, but John 11:25 shows that Jesus was doing more than teaching about eternal life. He was stating that He Himself is eternal life.

Jesus’ words to Martha are found in the context of a death in the family, her brother Lazarus. Jesus used this opportunity to further reveal His identity as the Messiah. He intentionally delayed going to Lazarus in order to accomplish this purpose (11:4-6, 21).

Jesus’ words to Martha, “Your brother will rise again” (v. 23), would have been typical words of comfort to a Jew at that time. Much of Judaism, especially the Pharisees, believed in the concept of a future bodily resurrection,[31] and that is probably how Martha and others understood Jesus’ words. But like the other “I am” statements, Jesus personalized this metaphor to a level not previously revealed. Resurrection is more than a future gift of God; it is presently embodied in the Messiah. He is the resurrection; He is eternal life.

“I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). This sixth “I am” statement is similar to the two before it. In the upper room Jesus revealed to His disciples many facts about the future, including the fact that He was going away (13:36-14:5). Both Peter (13:36) and Thomas (14:5) asked questions about this, and in response to Thomas’s immediate question, “How can we know the way?” Jesus answered with this statement in verse 6. Even though there are three predicate nouns (“the way,” “the truth,” “the life”), the most important term is “the way,” since it came first and was the subject of discussion. The other two terms are best taken as explaining the term “the way.” As the Messiah Jesus brings truth and life, common themes in the Gospel of John.

The people of Israel were given only one way of approach to God: the sacrificial system at the tabernacle and later the temple. Jesus’ words here are reminiscent of that narrowness. “No one comes to the Father except through me” (14:6). This imagery has close parallels with His claim to be “the gate” of the sheepfold (10:7, 9) and “the resurrection and the life” (11:26). Barclay makes this observation about Jesus’ choice of words. “That is a great saying to us [in 14:6], but it would be a still greater saying to a Jew who heard it for the first time. In it Jesus took three of the great basic conceptions of Jewish religion, and made the tremendous claim that in Him all three found their full realization and their full expression.”[32]

Following are a few examples of how the imagery of John 14:6 is based on the Old Testament.

“Teach me your way, O Lord” (Ps. 27:11). 

“Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth” (Ps. 86:11). 

“I walk continually in your truth” (Ps. 26:3). 

“I have chosen the way of truth” (Ps. 119:30). 

“For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life” (Prov. 6:23). 

“You have made known to me the path of life” (Ps. 16:11).

Summary And Conclusions

Jesus’ seven “I am” statements in John’s Gospel are more than extended metaphors. They also represent self-claims about Jesus’ messianic identity, attributes, and ministries, utilizing recognizable Old Testament images. Their importance is underscored not only by their exclusive appearance in John’s Gospel, but also in their unique grammatical construction. The expression ἐγώ εἰμι with a predicate noun is found only in John and never in the Synoptic Gospels. In the consistent use of ἐγώ εἰμι one must not rule out an intentional association with the personal name of God revealed in Exodus 3:14. In addition the imagery of bread, light, sheep, shepherds, and vines provides many helpful pictures of Jesus’ mission and ministry. This, however, is not the primary point of these expressions.

The seven images in John’s Gospel were carefully chosen because of their rich association with stories and symbols from the Old Testament. Thus Jesus’ messianic ministry is contrasted with the Old Covenant much like the fulfillment of a type. Kostenberger aptly describes this concept.

Theologically, John’s point is that Jesus displaces Israel as the focus of God’s plan of salvation, with the implication that faith in Jesus becomes the decisive characteristic for membership among God’s people. . . . Whereas OT Israel was ethnically constrained, the new messianic community, made up of believing Jews and Gentiles, is united by faith in Jesus the Messiah. Jews still have a place in God’s family; yet they must come to God on his terms rather than their own. A paradigm shift has taken place: faith in Jesus has replaced keeping the law as the primary point of reference.[33]

Many Old Testament incidents are associated with human failure to meet God’s expectations. Thus the stage was set for the coming of the Messiah. The “I am” statements present an argument similar to that in Hebrews, in which Jesus’ messianic role is superior to and a fulfillment of the Old Covenant types.

This presentation has given detailed discussion of John 15:1 (“I am the vine, the true one,” lit. translation) in order to provide a pattern for the other messianic “I am” statements. Jesus used the vine motif to point to an intimate New Covenant relationship with those who believe in Him (15:1-8). Yet two important features of this “I am” statement argue for much more than this. The use of the definite article (ἡ ἄμπελος) and a defining adjective (ἡ ἀληθινή) distinguishes Jesus from other “vines”—“I am the vine, the true one.” This claim leads one back to the imagery of God’s “vine,” Israel, in the Old Testament (Ps. 80:8-18; Isa. 5:1-7; Hos. 10:1). Israel’s failure to produce good fruit because of their sin, even with Yahweh as their husbandman, is largely the point of these Old Testament passages. Jesus now pictured His intimate relationship with His disciples by using the same imagery, noting that fruit bearing will take place only through obedience.

Allusions to Old Testament images are not suggested by all seven “I am” statements, but they are clear for most of them. Statements like “the bread . . . from heaven” (John 6:41, 50-51), “the light of the world” (8:12; 9:5), “the gate for the sheep” (10:7), and “the good shepherd” (10:11, 14) all have ample Old Testament parallels to Jesus’ words. God had once provided “bread from heaven” in the form of manna (Exod. 16:4), but this story in the wilderness was a reminder of Israel’s failure and judgment. They had also failed in their role as a “light for the Gentiles” (Isa. 42:6; 49:6), and their leaders had been chastised for being false shepherds to the flock of God (e.g., Ezek. 34).

All seven “I am” statements in John’s Gospel include the definite article before the predicate noun, and most of them include adjectives and descriptions that invite investigation into the Old Testament.

Even though Jesus’ statements that He is “the way, the truth, and the life” and “the resurrection and the life” do not have clear Old Testament counterparts, the fact that John includes them supports similar messianic claims. Jesus the Messiah came to provide the “way” and to be the “truth,” as described in Psalm 86:11, “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth.” He came not only to promise a general resurrection at the end of the age, but He Himself is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25).

Notes

1. “I am the bread of life” (6:35, 48); “I am the light of the world” (8:12; 9:5); “I am the gate for the sheep” (10:8); “I am the good shepherd” (10:11, 14); “I am the resurrection and the life” (11:25-26); “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (14:6); “I am the true vine” (15:1). Unless noted otherwise all Scripture quotations are from the New International Version.
2. ∆εγω είμι without the predicate appears in Matthew 14:27; 26:22, 25; Mark 6:50; 13:6; 14:62; and Luke 1:19; 21:8; 22:70; 24:39. Matthew 26:22, 25 and Luke 1:19 are not relevant because Jesus was not the speaker.
3. D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans 1990), 512.
4. Ibid., 511. Rodney A. Whitacre is inclined to take the figure of speech beyond a metaphor to consider it an allegory (John, IVP New Testament Commentary Series [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1999], 371). But this would mean that all details of the comparison must have significance, a claim difficult to support, especially in view of 15:2-8 and 16.
5. Hugh Macmillan, Bible Teachings in Nature (New York: D. Appleton, 1867), 174-77.
6. Ibid, 182-86.
7. James E. Rosscup, Abiding in Christ: Studies in John 15 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1973), 20-28.
8. Stewart Perowne, The Life and Times of Herod the Great (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1957), 140.
9. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, xv. 395, Loeb Classical Library, trans. Ralph Marcus and Allen Wikgren (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1963), 191.
10. Rudolf Bultmann, The Gospel of John (Oxford: Blackwell, 1971), 529-30.
11. Phillip Harner, The “I am” of the Fourth Gospel: A Study in Johannine Usage and Thought (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1970), 50.
12. F. Blass and A. Debrunner, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, trans. Robert W. Funk (University of Chicago Press, 1961), 143.
13. John MacArthur, John 12-21, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody, 2008), 144.
14. George R. Beasley-Murray, John, Word Biblical Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1999), 272.
15. Colin G. Kruse, The Gospel according to John: An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2004), 314. See also R. A. Whitacre, “Vine, Fruit of the Vine,” in Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, ed. Joel Green, Scot McKnight, and I. Howard Marshall (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1992), 867-68.
16. Paul Romanoff, “Jewish Symbols on Ancient Jewish Coins,” Jewish Quarterly Review (April 1944): 299-301. A display of the vine imagery on coins from the period of Herod Archelaus (4 B.C.–A.D. 6), the First Jewish Revolt (A.D. 66-70), and the Second Jewish Revolt (Bar Cochba, A.D. 132-135) may be seen at http://www.calgary-coin.com/reference/jewish/anc-jewish.htm, “Ancient Coins of the Jewish People.”
17. Leland Ryken, James Wilhoit, Tremper Longman III, eds., Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1998), 915.
18. Darrell Bock, Jesus according to Scripture (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2002), 506.
19. Marianne Thompson, “Every Picture Tells a Story: Imagery for God in the Gospel of John,” in Imagery in the Gospel of John, ed. Jorg Frey, Jan G. van der Watt, and Ruben Zimmermann (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2006), 259.
20. Ibid., 267-68.
21. The phrase אֲנִי הוּא appears six times in Isaiah 40-55. The Septuagint regularly translates this expression as well as the tetragrammaton YHWH in Exodus 3:14-15, with the Greek ἐγώ εἰμι.
22. Harner, The “I am” of the Fourth Gospel: A Study in Johannine Usage and Thought, 49.
23. John 1:20; 3:28; 6:35, 41, 48, 51; 8:12, 18; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1, 5. John 8:23 has ἐγώ εἰμι with a prepositional phrase: “I am [ἐγώ εἰμι] from above.”
24. Blass and Debrunner, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 143.
25. Though the story of the Samaritan woman’s encounter with Jesus (John 4:1-30) does not include an “I am” passage, it bears remarkable similarities to those passages, especially the “bread of life” discourse in John 6. In both 4:10 and 6:51 Jesus used the term ζῶν (“living”) and depicted himself as the Messiah who has come down from heaven.
26. Gary Burge, John, NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000), 197 (italics his).
27. A. Guilding, The Fourth Gospel and Jewish Worship: A Study of the Relationship of St. John’s Gospel to the Ancient Jewish Lectionary System (Oxford: Clarendon, 1960), 129-32.
28. Burge, John, 288.
29. Whitacre, John, 255.
30. Andrew T. Lincoln, The Gospel according to Saint John (New York: Hendrickson, 2005), 296.
31. This teaching was denied by the Sadducees but embraced by the Pharisees (Mark 12:18-27; Acts 23:8).
32. William Barclay, The Gospel of John (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1956), 2:182.
33. Andreas J. Kostenberger, John, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004), 448-49.