I. CHARACTERIZED BY, AND LINKED WITH, THE THEME OF THIS GOSPEL.
The Gospel of John is essentially doctrinal in character, as compared with the Synoptic Gospels which are so largely historical. The subject before the Evangelist, objectively, is the incarnate deity of Christ, the fact that the Word has tabernacled in flesh, and that in Him is the source of eternal life. Subjectively, he treats of eternal life communicated and dependent. As a consequence, we find that discourse forms the greater part of the Gospel, and the miracles recorded are only the text for these discourses, by which divine truth is unfolded from the lips of God among men.
In no other Gospel do we hear so often the emphatic and blessed " I am's" of the divine Son. We realize that they come from Him who is the I AM, the eternal self-existing One. What weight of authority this gives to every statement coming from His blessed lips, and how sweet to have from them that expression of the infallibility of the word of God-''Scripture cannot be broken"-when men on every hand are striving to set it aside.
It is interesting to note that seven times Christ makes distinct and positive statements of what He is in Himself, prefaced by His immutable " I am." They are not concerning His deity, though they are related to it-for it is like a golden thread running through the whole Gospel. We may say these statements are as jewels which hang from it, and present Him in those aspects relative to the eternal life communicated to those that receive Him; that is, with the subjective, rather than the objective, side. We may note, too, in connection with this that they are all in the second great division of the Gospel, which treats of the eternal life from this point of view. (For these divisions see Numerical Bible.)
The first of these titles is in chap. 6:" I am the Bread of Life." This presents to us Christ as the sustenance of that life eternal which He has communicated to us who believe on Him. Thus in Him, we have not only the life eternal itself, but also the sufficiency for this new life, and the secret of its perpetuity. This maintains His place of supremacy and headship over those who receive this life. They need Him continuously.
The second is, "I am the Light of the world" (chap. ix). The sense in which Christ was the light of the world is clearly developed in this Gospel. " In Him was life, and the life was the light of men," manifested here in the world-in Him who was the Word, as John declares in his epistle (i John 1:2). The divine nature thus fully displayed must be the " Light of the world," and for men; although its shining only manifests all to be in darkness. Nevertheless it the manifestation of God in " grace and truth." But He who is this divine manifestation, communicates this same life eternal to as many as believe on His name. Therefore from them must shine forth (in measure at lea-t) this same blessed light which hath "shined in our hearts, for the shining forth of the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." Thus, as Jesus declares, he who follows Him "shall have the light
of life." In other words, it means that the believing one who follows Christ, having this life and the bread of life to sustain it, will manifest the light which shines from it-parallel with the fact that the life in Christ was the out-shining of that life in the world. While He was in the world He alone was the light of it (John 9:5). But now that He is no longer in it, He has those who, if they follow Him, are to have the light of life shining from them amid the darkness. We are "to shine as lights in the world" (Phil. 2:15). In all this the question is plainly one of relationship to the scene in which the life is communicated-a true second place ; and its connection with the first will be only the more emphasized when it is taken up in detail.
In the third place we have, " I am the Door of the sheep" (ch. 10:7); and again (ver. 9) "I am the Door." He that enters by this Door shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture. In this we have the thought of the portion that belongs to this life. We get here the realization of what belongs to this life -"the pasture" that it needs. Further thoughts connected with the third place will develop when we come to consider more particularly this title. .
Fourthly, "I am the good Shepherd" (John 10:11-14). With this figure of tender loving care we have coupled that supreme act of devotion to His own-the laying down of His life for the sheep. In this title we have expressed the watchful care over, the ministering of perfect love and power to the development of the life given by its Divine Communicant. " I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly;" that is, that it should develop and go beyond the mere fact of life possessed. The Old Testament saints had life eternal, but now that He who "is the true God and eternal life" had come, those who had this life imparted to them were to have it in superabundance, as regards the practical, actual knowledge and enjoyment of it. This is the direct result of His good shepherding. With this, the fourth place, is linked experience, testing, and failure by the way, with weakness of the creature. These are the circumstances under which the life is developed and expanded by His "rod and staff" and His tender leading.
Fifthly, "I am the Resurrection and the Life." Based on this we have the link of the creature with the Eternal-man. though he be dead, linked through Christ with life in God. " He that believeth on Me, though he have died, shall live; and every one who liveth and believeth on Me shall never die." We see here the eternal Life passing under the shadow of death; coming out of it in the glory of resurrection; bringing with Him a multitude of captives, who are carried in Him beyond the power of death. Thus is that divine, eternal tie established between God and man. Five, plainly speaks of this. But more of the preciousness of it when we consider the details.
In the sixth place (John 14:6), "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." Christ is the way by which alone the Father can be reached. Not only so, but He only is the One by whom and through whom the Father can be known. He is the Truth, the revelation of the Father. And then, too, He is the life, which imparted to others, is the power in which all is enjoyed and made good to them. No one can come to the Father but by Him. And here we have imposed the divine limit of approach to God. A limit set, or a boundary line fixed, which excludes all who seek some other way of approach, but within which are all those who have accepted the divine avenue which leads from darkness to eternal light. Of such a fixed limit the numerical place of this title is a reminder. But a more important thought is that we have the manifestation of the fulness of the Godhead (3) in the Person of Christ (2). Thus the power of 3 is taken up and actively displayed (of which the act of multiplication, even in numbers, speaks) by the 2, and into the full blessing and power of this, those are introduced who follow this way. This we shall fully see when we come to it.
Seventh (John 15:i), "I am the true Vine," and again " I am the Vine " (ver. 5). Here we reach the full and final thought as to His relation to the communicated life. Here we have the foundation thought which underlies the whole truth of Christian position as developed by Paul. We have here, therefore, perfection. It is the indissoluble oneness of Christ and His members as figured in the vine and its branches. Here we have what is eternal, and shall abide throughout endless ages the vessel for the display of God's glory.
We have thus very briefly characterized these seven titles of Christ. In them we find the circle returning into itself; with the "Bread" we commence- "abideth in Me and I in him;" with the "Vine" we end-"abide in Me and I in you." How blessed the refuge divine love has provided for those who will take it. A refuge which clothes the refugee in a beauty and glory according to the mind and eye of God. May our hearts enter into it more fully. And if the Lord permit the taking up of these several titles, each separately, may the Spirit feed us with the living bread-Christ Himself.
J. B. Jr.
(To be continued.)