Disputes and Jesus' claims about himself Flashcards
What I am statement does Jesus use at the start of this debate/
‘I am the Light of the World’
What does Jesus do in response to the notion that Jewish law requires two witnesses to prove a statement?
Declares that he is one witness and the father is his other witness
What does Jesus refer to himself as being once again in this discourse?
The Hellenistic Logos
Why does Jesus say he cannot be arrested yet in this discourse?
Because his hour has not yet come
What is Jesus referring to when he talks about ‘his hour’?
His hour will be on the cross, when he is raised up and glorified
What is the significance of Jesus saying ‘from the beginning’ in this discourse?
It is a reference to Genesis - who Jesus is has been made clear from the beginning of the scriptures. John’s gospel also makes this clear with its references to Jesus being the pre-existent Logos
How does the discourse turn into a debate about ancestry?
The Jews believe they are descended from Abraham and spiritually from God. Jesus says that though they may be biologically descended from Abraham, they do not have his faith and their spiritual father is the devil
Why does Jesus think that the Jews claims to act in the name of the father are empty?
Because since reject Jesus and plot to kill him, they really act in the devil’s name
What is the significance of John 8:58?
Jesus claims to be older than Abraham; a being from outside of time and history itself. He identifies himself with the holy name I AM in an unmistakeable way. This is too much for the Jewish leaders, who try to stone him
Explain this discourse in terms of Christology
With his two I AM statements, Jesus identifies himself as God incarnate - the same God who made a covenant with Abraham in Genesis and spoke to Moses out of the burning bush in Exodus
Explain this discourse in terms of blasphemy
Jesus claims to be the true temple, the true meaning of the Torah and the true God of Israel. This is why the Jewish leaders try and stone him to death
Explain this discourse in terms of Jesus being a threat to power
Jesus claims that the religious authority cannot understand the scriptures, cannot understand God, they are children of the devil doing the devil’s work and that they are not the legitimate descendants of Abraham
