by Larry Lucas (continued from 8/31)

The four accounts mentioned above are named for theirauthors: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Mark’s profession is never mentioned,but Matthew was a tax collector, Luke was a physician, and John was afisherman. Jesus called John to come and follow him at the very beginning ofhis ministry. He told John he’d make him a fisher of men. So John, along withhis brother James, left his father Zebedee in the boat and took out afterJesus. They never turned back.

The most explicit statements Jesus made about himself areconcentrated in the Gospel of John. It’s there that you’ll most often findJesus using the defining phrase “I am.” If you want to know what Jesus saidabout himself, it doesn’t get any more basic and to-the-point than this. Here,from the Gospel of John, is Jesus talking about who he is:

“Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comesto me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty’”(John 6:35).

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyoneeats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I willgive for the life of the world” (John 6:51).

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will neverwalk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

“Therefore Jesus said again, ‘I tell you the truth, I am thegate for the sheep…whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in andgo out, and find pasture…I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays downhis life for the sheep’” (John 10:7-11).

“Jesus said…‘I am the resurrection and the life. He whobelieves in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believesin me will never die’” (John 11:25-26).

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.No one comes to the Father except through me’” (John 14:6).

The problem with listing these verses out like this is thatit invites speed reading, skimming along without hearing what Jesus is saying.These are astounding claims. And they’re exclusive. According to Jesus, thereis one way to come to the Father (“who art in heaven”) and he’s it. Herepudiates the notion that many paths lead to the Father. He deliberately saysthat there are no alternatives.

Who does he imagine he is? Well, he doesn’t imagine. Hespeaks with the certainty of knowing. What he says he presents as fact, andhe’s either telling the truth or not. He leaves it up to us whether to believehim. What he doesn’t leave room for is considering him merely one of the greatmoral teachers. That’s someone else’s take on him, not his.

There’s more that Jesus said about himself, about hisfollowers, about religious people, and people in general. See for yourself byreading the Gospel of John. When you do, you will see that each of the passagescited above occurs in a context. In each case, Jesus is speaking to someone,and these bare-bones statements are part of larger discourses. But you’ll needto read them for yourself. There isn’t room for all that here.

If you’re bent on giving Jesus a fair hearing, that is ifyou’re knocking, asking, seeking (not just pretending to), you’ll probablychase down a copy of the New Testament and read the full account in John. Youmight even read the other three gospels. Reading the Gospel of John should notbecome some kind of a spiritual litmus test of your sincerity. God knows ifyou’re for real, and that’s enough.

To be continued on Monday.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships