John--Christ, the Son of God, the Divine Friend

John--Christ, the Son of God, the Divine Friend

John wrote to reveal the Son of God as our Divine Friend. John 1:1-51 shows Him to us as “the only-begotten Son of God, which is in the bosom of the Father.” One of the closing chapters shows us “the disciple whom Jesus loved” “lying on Jesus’ breast.” He came right from the heart of God, right to the heart of man.

“I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself” (Exodus 19:4). The object of this Gospel is to bear us as upon the eagle’s wings of our Divine Savior, right into the presence of the Father Himself. “Father, I will that they also whom Thou hast given Me be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24).

These words in the John 17:1-26 take us back to the introduction to this Gospel, “In the beginning was the Word.” Our thoughts are turned back to the first words of the Bible, and unite the great work of creation with the glorious revelation of the Son of God. “And the Word was God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.” Jesus is the Creator; He meets the need of all created life; He meets the need of man by giving Himself to be each man’s greatest, nearest Friend (Rev. John Urquhart). In accordance with this, one of the chief features of John’s Gospel is our Lord’s personal interviews with individuals. The first disciples in John 1:1-51, Nicodemus, the Woman of Samaria, and others right through the book, to the very end, where He revealed Himself to Thomas, and said to Peter, “Lovest thou Me?” In all these He disclosed Himself as the Friend of the soul. The close union between Christ and the Church is set forth in this Gospel under the figure of the Bridegroom (John 3:25-29), of the Vine and the branches (John 15:1-27), of partaking of His flesh and blood (John 6:48-57), and of the living water. We see His friendship with the beloved disciple, and in the home at Bethany. It comes out again in His last discourse with His disciples, which is introduced by the words, “Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.” “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. I have called you friends.” It is revealed in His prayer, where His desire is in all things their oneness with Himself. The love of Christ is limitless to each soul. The “I AM” in this Gospel shows how perfectly He meets the world’s need.

I AM He, the Christ, John 4:26, meets our need of a Divine Savior, who is also human.

I AM the Bread of Life, John 6:35, meets our soul-hunger.

I AM the Light of the World, John 8:12, meets our darkness.

I AM the Door of the Sheep, John 10:7, meets our homelessness.

I AM the Good Shepherd, John 10:11, meets our helplessness.

I AM the Resurrection and the Life, John 11:25, meets our death.

I AM your Master and Lord, John 13:13, meets our dependence.

I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life, John 14:6, meets our need of salvation.

I AM the True Vine, John 15:1, meets our need of union with Himself.

I AM Jesus of Nazareth, John 18:5, meets our need of a human Savior, Who is also Divine.

These words I AM (ἐγώ εἰμι) identified our Lord with the covenant name of Jehovah in the Old Testament. The Jews recognized that He claimed deity in applying it thus emphatically to Himself, for it was when He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM,” they took up stones to stone Him, considering it blasphemy, which by the law was punishable by death.

John wrote his Gospel that men “might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing they might have life through His name” (John 20:31). Accordingly, we find the word “believe” occurring nearly a hundred times through this Gospel, and the word “witness” nearly fifty times. For, beginning with the Baptist (John 1:6-7), John called in one witness after another to give evidence in proving the case. See especially John 5:31-40.[*] Studies in the Gospel of John. Prof. W.W. White.