- ♦ (ENG sayings of Jesus) those New Testament verses that contain sayings of Jesus. Scholars have differing opinions as to whether Jesus actually spoke these words or whether they were added later by the compilers of the gospels...

JESUS, SON OF SIRAKHOV, BOOK- [The Book of Wisdom of Jesus, the son of Sirach], in Orthodox Church refers to the non-canonical books of the OT (included in the section of teaching books), in the Catholic. Churches to the Deuterocanonical (deuterocanonical), in Protestantism to the Old Testament Apocrypha. By… … Orthodox Encyclopedia

JESUS ​​NAVIN BOOK- Joshua Nun. Painting of the katholikon of the monastery of Osios Loukas. 30s 11th century Joshua Nun. Painting of the katholikon of the monastery of Osios Loukas. 30s 11th century 6th book of St. The Scriptures following the Pentateuch of Moses and telling about the conquest and division of the Holy Land ... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

Names of Jesus Christ- For the origin and meaning of the name Jesus, see Jesus Christ (I, A). The fact that Jesus received His name from God Himself (Mt 1:21; Php 2:9) bears witness to Him as God-appointed Ruler of the world (Phil 2:10; Rev), who is endowed with deities.… … Brockhaus Bible Encyclopedia

"A NEW SEARCH FOR THE HISTORICAL JESUS"- a conditional name that unites a number of works by Protestant exegetes, to-rye in the middle. 20th century renewed the attempts of the old liberal school to reconstruct the life and teachings of the "historical Jesus". These attempts back in 1906 were criticized ... ... Bibliological dictionary

sayings of Jesus- Sayings of Jesus... Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms

GOSPEL. PART II- The Language of the Gospels The Problem of New Testament Greek Extant original lyrics The NT are written in ancient Greek. language (see Art. Greek language); existing versions in other languages, these are translations from Greek (or from other translations; about translations ... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

AGRAFA- [Greek. ἄγραφα unwritten], the words and sayings of the Lord Jesus Christ found in the New Testament books and writings of early Christ. writers, but not recorded in the canonical gospels. The sources of A. are usually given: canonical ... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

Ebionites- (Ebionites, Ebionites from the Hebrew "ebjonim", that is, "poor") Jewish Christians who continued to adhere to the Mosaic law (circumcision, observance with ... Wikipedia

GOSPEL- (from Greek euangelion good news) early Christ. writings about the legendary life of Jesus Christ and his teachings. Initially, the teachings of Christians were spread orally. The first, probably, were recorded "sayings of Jesus" (logy) sep. ... ... Atheistic Dictionary

Gospel of the Egyptians- The Gospel of the Egyptians is a Gnostic apocrypha referring to the finds at Nag Hammadi (1945). The Gospel of the Egyptians is presented in two Coptic versions, translated from Greek independently of each other and named the same in both cases. It ... Wikipedia

One of the features of the Gospel of John is the use of the form "I am (is)" in the speeches of Christ the Savior. This fact did not go unnoticed by the interpreters of Holy Scripture, but did not find a deep study, and only in modern times a few works have appeared that consider some aspects of this issue.

The linguistic aspects of the form "I am" in the fourth gospel were developed in the works of P.M. Shitikova 1,2, where it was shown that the author of the Gospel introduces the most significant conceptual metaphors for him through the sayings "I am". The conceptual metaphors introduced in this form cover the dominant number of all metaphorical sayings found in the text. After analyzing the use of this form in various books of the Bible, the author comes to the conclusion that for the Evangelist John its connection with theophany is obvious.

Raymond E. Brown 1, considering the form "I am" from a grammatical point of view, identifies various types of its use, which allow us to see in it not only a manifestation of theophany, but also the Name of God, and in cases with a predicative nominative case (“I am the bread of life”, etc.) - the revelation of Divine action, manifested in the fact that the Father sent the Son as the revelation of His divinity.

Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) 4 based on the works of Heinrich Zimmermann 5 and Rudolf Schnackenburg 6 in the form of "I am" highlights primarily the Christological aspect - the inexpressible uniqueness and uniqueness of Jesus Christ, His unity with the Father, which gives He has the right, being a Son, to put into His own mouth the words of Revelation once spoken by the Father.

All authors unanimously agree that the spiritual roots of the "I am" are to be found exclusively in the Old Testament. The representations of the sayings of Jesus Christ are easily found in the books of the Old Testament and also have the form of direct speech. From the event point of view, the prefiguration of the circumstances in which Christ the Savior pronounces “I am”, as a rule, is not considered. Consideration of the time, place and deeds of the Lord associated with His use of this form can reveal new facets of His mystery. In general, the mystery of Christ the Savior unfolds on three planes: in the context of the Old Testament, which represents it, in the context of the Gospel, which fulfills it, and in the context of the Sacraments, which continue it 9 . And since the Deity has no past and future time, our Lord Jesus Christ denotes Himself by the eternal present “I am” - His one mystery. For a person who has yesterday, today, tomorrow, He is always there.

In the text of the Gospel, several separate compositions can be distinguished, including the form "I am":
- a conversation with a Samaritan woman at the source of Jacob;
- walking on the waters and talking about the bread of life on the Sea of ​​Galilee;
- Feast of Tabernacles and conversation after the healing of the blind man;
- resurrection of Lazarus;
- Farewell conversation with students and arrest.

It is impossible to trace any logical sequence in the use of the phrase “I am”, but in general the listed compositions can be divided into two parts, where the first includes the first three compositions, the second - the last two. The first part consists of episodes in which Jesus Christ addresses mainly the people, the second is addressed to the disciples. The typological method of interpretation, moreover, shows that in the second part one more new meaning of the form "I am" appears - soteriological.

The first time the form "I am" appears during the conversation of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the source of Jacob. To the statement of the Samaritan woman: “I know that the Messiah, that is, Christ, will come” (John 4:25) “Jesus says to her: It is I (I am) who speaks to you” (John 4:26). Christ affirms His Messiahship, but also His Divinity, through the pronunciation of the Divine Name "I am." On a sacramental level, Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman about the Sacrament of Baptism, and the Samaritan woman herself symbolizes the Church 10 . The names Jesus - the Messiah (Christ) and "I am", conveying the Christological thought of the Apostle John, in this context are fully revealed by the presence of Christ in the Church and the Sacraments.

If the Lord in the form we are considering reveals Himself to the Samaritan woman “I am the Messiah”, then to the disciples on the Sea of ​​Galilee He simply says “I am, do not be afraid.” In Jesus walking on water and pronouncing the Divine Name “I am”, the disciples see not just Jesus of Nazareth, whom the disciples already know, but God Himself. The multiplication of loaves accomplished before this, together with walking on water, is represented by the week of unleavened bread and the passage through the Red Sea. Connected with these events is the Lord's discourse on the bread of life, when He pronounces the form "I am the bread of life" several times. Most exegetes accept this discourse as Christ's teaching on the sacrament of the Eucharist. Those who respond to the call of Christ “not to be afraid” (John 6:20) and believe in Him (John 6:40) in the present tense, in the future have eternal life.

After the 6th chapter, the phrase "I am" appears repeatedly in the 8th chapter. But in order to understand the meaning of these sayings, chapters 7 and 9 must be added to the 8th chapter. At the Feast of Tabernacles, the Lord presented Himself as the source of living water (John 7:38). This caused a sharp reaction among the people gathered for the holiday. Some regarded Him as a prophet, others as Christ, and others pointed out that a prophet could not come from Galilee (John 7:40,52). Then Jesus again addresses the people, saying: “I (am) - the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Both the first and the second address to the people are connected with the liturgy of the holiday. The people participating in the feast on the last day brought to the Temple vessels filled with water from the pool of Siloam and gave them to the priests, who poured them out on the altar. This action symbolized the water flowing from the rock (Ex. 17:1-7), as well as the prophecies of Ezekiel (Ezek. 47) and Zechariah (Zech. 14:8).

The words of the Savior about “the light of the world” are connected with the fact that on the great evening of the holiday many torches were lit and a procession was arranged, symbolizing the movement of the people following the luminous cloud during the Exodus. At the Feast of Tabernacles, Christ designates Himself as the One in Whom the Messianic hopes are fulfilled and the meaning of the Old Testament symbols of water and light is revealed. Although Christ does not directly say "I am a source of water, or a spring, or a stream," but the sayings (John 4:14; 6:35; 7:38) have a clear similarity with those sayings in which "I am" is specified by explanatory images - “Bread of Life”, “Light of the World”, “Door”, etc. I am the fountain of living water.” The Jews did not understand these testimonies of Christ, but He again continues to speak of Himself, using the divine name "I am." First, when speaking of His origin and departure, He does not associate them with place and date, but with the Person of the Father and faith in Himself: “unless you believe that it is I [I am], you will die in your sins” (Jn 8:24). Secondly, the fullness of the mystery of Jesus Christ is revealed on the Cross: “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that it is I [I am]” (John 8:18). When the Jews began to say that they traced their origin not only from Abraham, but also from God Himself, Christ again returns to the mystery of His origin: “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). The mystery of Israel, foreordained to Abraham, is fulfilled in full measure on Christ the Savior: “Abraham ... was glad to see My day; and he saw and rejoiced” (John 8:56).

Thus, the form "I am" in the 8th chapter of the Gospel of John has a Christological meaning, and at the same time, through the images of water and light, it also affects the sacramental.

In the 9th chapter, these images find their explanation in the miracle of healing the blind man. In this miracle, Jesus Christ appears as "sent" (source Siloam), "so that those who do not see may see" (John 9:39). The water of Siloam (that is, Christ Himself) cleanses and gives insight. Christ is the source of living water, with which it is necessary to wash unseeing eyes and gain sight. The Holy Fathers see the Sacrament of Baptism in this insight. Thus, the eternal "I am" of the presence of Christ the Savior incarnate continues in the Sacraments.

In the 10th chapter, two forms of "I am" appear with explanatory images "the door to the sheep" and "the good shepherd." Being Christological symbols, they include at the same time the whole of ecclesiology. (The image of the "vine" from chapter 15, which obviously has the same meaning, belongs to them.) The appearance of these images in the form "I am" as ecclesiological symbols is caused by the opposition to the Pharisees, who claim to be true shepherds.

The first three compositions with the form "I am" constitute a certain stage in the preaching of Christ. Some exegetes call this part of the gospel the Book of Signs. The teachings and signs of Jesus are intended to reveal His identity. The form "I am" together with other images and symbols serves this purpose and at this stage, as has been shown, and reveals the Christological, ecclesiological and sacramental significance of the person of Jesus Christ.

It is important to note here a certain parallelism between the form "I am" with predicates such as bread, the gate, the shepherd and the vine, as well as with synoptic parables that begin with the words "The kingdom of heaven is like ..." But if synoptic parables have in mainly Christological content and less often ecclesiological, then the form “I am” in John also carries a sacramental meaning. The form “I am”, which is also directed to the future, allows us to express that side of the Mystery of Christ the Savior, which is a continuation of His presence in the Sacraments of the Church.

Since, as many researchers note, one of the goals of the fourth gospel was to convey the doctrine of the Sacraments, this explains both the frequent use of this form and the preference given by the apostle John to the image “I am the vine”, and not “ The kingdom of God is like a vine." It is no coincidence that almost all the episodes with the form "I am" take place against the background of the image of water, associated in John with the Sacraments of the Church.

In the 11th chapter, which tells about the resurrection of Lazarus, appears new form“I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). What is new here in the form of "I am" is the image of the Resurrection. The theme of life runs continuously here through the entire narrative of the apostle John: “I came that they might have life and life abounding” (John 10:10).

In this miracle, Christ shows that He is the source of eternal life in its entirety and for the whole world - the living and the dead. It is noteworthy that He, as in the conversation with the Samaritan woman and the blind man, indicates that the aspirations of the people of God are already

carried out: "The woman says to Him: I know that will come Messiah, that is Christ... Jesus says to her: It is I who talking to you” (John 4:25,26);

“... do you believe in the Son of God? He answered and said: and who is He, Lord, that I should believe in Him? Jesus said to him: And you saw him, and he speaks with you” (John 9:35-37); “Jesus says to her: your brother is risen, no. Martha said to him: I know that he will rise on the resurrection, on the last day. Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:23-25).

The form "I am" indicates that the mystery of Jesus Christ, "Who is, and who was, and who is to come" (Rev. 1:4), is revealed as the fulfillment of the Old Testament types, "yesterday's" "I am", performed "today" and now, and finally "tomorrow", continued in the Sacraments of the Church.

In the episode of the washing of the feet, Christ again turns to the form "I am". He declares that the Scripture about His betrayal by one of them is being fulfilled on Him: “Now I tell you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe that it is I” (“I am”) (John 13: 19). The form “I am” indicates not only the fulfillment of great prophecies in Jesus Christ, but also the greatness of His humiliation, expressed in the washing of the feet and the humble acceptance of betrayal. In the conversation at the Last Supper, the Savior again addresses the confused disciples with the form “I am”, expressing the Christological and Christocentric meaning of His Person: “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). “Christ, according to His mission, is the source of eternal life for people (“vine”, “life”, “resurrection”); It is that through which people gain life (the "way", "door"). He leads people to life (“shepherd”) and reveals the truth (“truth”) that feeds their life (“bread”) 11”. Some Fathers of the Church 12 saw in the washing of the feet an indication of the Sacrament of Baptism, and modern exegetes 13 - a hint of the Sacrament of Confession, so that here too one can see the continuation of the presence of Jesus Christ in the Sacraments. By identifying Himself as "I am" in the present in His deeds and words, and linking Himself to the past, constantly referring to the Scriptures, Christ continues Himself into the future, which includes the Church and the Sacraments.

The very washing of the feet is foreshadowed in the ruling on the Rule of Divine Services in the Tabernacle:

“And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, ‘Make a basin of brass for washing, and its base of brass, and set it between the Tabernacle of Meeting and between the altar, and pour water into it. And let Aaron and his sons wash their hands and feet with it. When they are to enter into the Tabernacle of the so-rebuked, let them bathe in water, lest they die; or when they must come to the altar to serve, to offer sacrifice to God, let them wash their hands and their feet with water, lest they die. And this shall be an everlasting ordinance to him and to his descendants in their generations” (Ex. 30:17-21). The one who gave this command to serve Him, fulfills it Himself, serving his disciples, so that "they may not die." The sacrifice is made by the Lord Himself, and the Lord Himself is that sacrifice. To accept this humble love of Christ as a gift of the Holy Spirit is to "understand" (John 13:7) and "believe" that "I am" (John 13:19).

The last time the form "I am" is pronounced by Christ at His arrest. It sounds like the Divine Name 14 and therefore plunges people to the ground. The Apostle John here points to the fulfillment of Scripture, but spoken by the Savior Himself: “Of those whom You have given Me, I have not destroyed anyone” (John 18:9). At the same time, the arrest of Jesus Christ at the crossing of the Kidron stream is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies: “And know that on this day, on which you will go out and cross the Kidron stream, you will surely die: your blood will be on your head” (1 Kings 2:37). These words of the curse are addressed by King Solomon to Samey because Samey cursed David and his descendants. Solomon does what David could not do - to neutralize the curse by turning it on the one who spoke. David could not do this because of his 111 oath, but Solomon is not bound by it. Sameus violated this command of Solomon and was executed at his command. Crossing the Kidron stream already symbolizes the fulfillment of Christ's Pascha, "redeeming us from the lawful oath by Your honest blood." The typological method of interpretation allows us to see in the episodes with the washing of the feet and the prophecies about the betrayal of Christ and further His arrest, not only a humble ascension to the Cross, but a manifestation of Divine love and the soterological significance of the acts and words of the Savior. Thus, in the farewell conversation and the arrest of Christ, a new content of the form "I am" appears - soterological.

Between these two soterological forms of "I am" in the farewell conversation, Jesus twice refers to the form "I am" with the predicates: "I am the way and the truth and the life" and "I am the true vine." Jesus returns to the images and meanings used earlier, noting the truth of their fulfillment in Himself.

Thus, the phrase “I am” in the Gospel of John, together with the situation, deeds and teachings of Jesus Christ in the light of the Old Testament prototypes, reveal the mystery of the Savior in its Christological, ecclesiological, soterological and sacramental (Sacraments of the Church) meanings.

The material was prepared by the Zhukovsky Deanery