The Vine In John 15 And Old Testament Imagery In The “I Am” Statements -- By: John C. Hutchison

Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 168:669 (Jan 2011)
Article: The Vine In John 15 And Old Testament Imagery In The “I Am” Statements
Author: John C. Hutchison


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

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...

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