Relevant Verses: John 1:4, 12, 13; 6:61-68; 10:10; 14:6
Theme: Life in Abundance
Leading Question: What metaphor do you like to use to describe life?
The Gospel of John begins with God as the life-giver: times.
In Him was life, and the life was the Light of all people.
(John 1:4 NRSV)
The theme of life appears with the Greek word zoe 36 times in John’s narrative and uses word pictures or metaphoric language to describe “life” and “eternal life” like, light, a well of fresh water, bread, Jesus’ flesh, Jesus’ blood, and Jesus’ words.
In John 6:1-15, Jesus takes five loaves of bread and multiplies them to feed 5,000 people. But that is not all. His disciples gather twelve baskets of leftovers after everyone has been fed, which demonstrates the generosity of the gift of bread. Overwhelming abundance is a theme in John. People needed bread to survive another day, and Jesus gave them bread, and then spoke of himself as the one who can nourish them not only on a daily basis, but for all time.
Question: What comes to mind when you think of the wonder of manna in the wilderness?
In relation to the “bread of life” metaphor Jesus brings up the manna in the wilderness, and then makes the straightforward statement, “Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died” (John 6:49). The blatency of this statement stands in contrast to, “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (John 6:51). Jesus then makes the boldest statement yet, “and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Note: Jesus opens up the gift of life for the entire world, the universe, this is the Greek word kosmos. There is no boundary set for the gift of life. Life is for all, everywhere, and in abundance. When the Word becomes flesh, eternal life is gifted to the entire universe. It looks like light, it feels like fresh water, and tastes like bread. It is shared with the world in the flesh, in the blood, and in the words of Jesus. And so, when Mary encounters the resurrected Jesus in the garden, she does not return to the disciples to offer a doctrinal summary. Rather, she personalizes it. She embodies and gives voice to her belief, “I have seen the Lord!” When the Greeks ask, “Sir, we would see Jesus” (John 12:21), they too articulate this essential theological theme of the Gospel of Life in an experiental way. “We would like to see Jesus,” not just learn about Jesus.
At the water festival on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles Jesus proclaims the celebration of God’s abundant provision of living water from the top of the Temple in Jerusalem.
On the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying,
If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said,
From his innermost being will flow rivers of bliving water.
But this He spoke of the Spirit
(John 7:37-38)
This powerful assertion made to the festive crowd recalls Jesus’ one-on-one conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well:
Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst;
but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.
(John 4:14)
Question: Which of the following verses about life speaks to you in a transformational way?
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”
John 6:40 “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.”
John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
John 10:10 “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.”
John 20:31 “These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”
