Windows to the Word

By Rhonda K. Kindig

Have you ever noticed that particular images, such as “bread” or “breath” seem to recur throughout the Bible? The more you read the Bible, the more you hear these echoes.

Windows to the Word explores seven Biblical metaphors, based on the “I am the . . .” sayings in John’s Gospel : I am the bread of life. I am the light of the world. I am the gate for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I am the resurrection and the life. I am the way, the truth, and the life. I am the vine.

When compared to the full scope of scripture, we find that these metaphors have long been used to explain the mystery of the Divine. Windows to the Word will provide structure and insights to these symbols to give you fresh perspective for your own understanding of the Divine. Two additional essays explore the great marriage metaphor that also pervades the Bible and the possibility that John’s Gospel was an early catechism, or teaching text, for Followers of the Way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 4, 2019
• ISBN: 9781973663652

Rhonda K. Kindig

Rhonda K. Kindig, an experienced educator and scholar, shares popular Bible Study topics from the classes she leads at an historic Episcopal Church in the mountains of southwest Virginia. She has also written Found in Translation, Volumes 1 & 2, which reflect upon Biblical passages through the lens of Greek and Hebrew word translation choices.

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Copyright © 2019 Rhonda K. Kindig.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-6364-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-6365-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019906504

WestBow Press rev. date: 06/04/2019

Contents

Preface

Purpose

Preliminaries

Primary Points about John

The Bread of Life, John 6:35

Bread from Heaven

Bread of Presence

Bread of Promise

Bread of Plenty

Daily Bread

Bread of Life

Bread Blessed, Broken, Given

The Light of the World, John 8:12

Created Light

Uncreated Light

Presence of Light

Light vs Darkness

Illumination

Signs of Light

Festivals of Light

From Darkness to Light

The Gate for the Sheep, John 10:7

Closed and Guarded

Temple Vision

Temple Gates

Pearly Gates

The Good Shepherd, John 10:11

God, the Shepherd

Good and Bad Shepherds

Comforting Shepherd

Rejoice, for I have found my sheep that was lost.

The Shepherd Lamb

The Good Shepherd, John 10:11

The Ruah

Breath of God

The Vapor

The Pneuma

Resurrection

The Way, the Truth, and the Life, John 14:6

The Lord’s Way

Way of the Lord

The Moral Way

Teaching the Way

Following the Way

The Faithful and True

The Vine, John 15:5

The First Vineyard

The Vineyard of the Beloved

The Beloved as a Vineyard

The Vinegrower and the Vine

God the Gardener

Two Trees

A Tree Foreshadowed

God Plants Another Tree

Torah as Tree

Twelve-Fruited Tree of Life

Catechism of the Lamb

The Great Marriage Metaphor

Berit Olam

The Runaway Bride

Erotic Love Poem

Wedding Rituals

A Memorable Wedding Banquet

A Bride Adorned

Appendix One: A Very Short Summary of the Bible

Appendix Two: Number Symbolism in the Bible

Appendix Three: Literary Forms of the Bible

Preface

From the first chapter in John’s Gospel, when Jesus asks, What are you looking for?, folks are trying to figure out who Jesus is. Evangelist John charts the responses as people who encounter Jesus draw their own conclusions. Jesus describes himself in John’s Gospel by using seven great metaphors. Do these sound familiar?

"I am the bread of life." (John 6:35)

"I am the light of the world." (John 8:12)

"I am the gate for the sheep." (John 10:7)

"I am the good shepherd." (John 10:11)

"I am the resurrection and the life." (John 11:25)

"I am the way, the truth, and the life." (John 14:6)

"I am the vine." (John 15:5)

Each one of the metaphors offers a glimpse into the mystery of Jesus. By digging deeper into the Bible, we can uncover greater understanding about each of these symbols. Let’s open the windows of scripture to discover the layers of meaning in each of these images, or icons.

Purpose

Have you ever noticed that particular words, such as light or bread, seem to recur throughout the Old and New Testaments? As one becomes more and more familiar with the Bible, certain concepts seem to echo from book to book.

The purpose of this book is to explore some of the myriad Biblical references that parallel the seven well-known metaphors for Jesus from the gospel of John, the I am the … bread/light/gate/shepherd/life/truth/vine sayings, to discover how they work as descriptions for Jesus and help us understand the mystery of who he is.

These symbols might also be called icons (which is the Greek word for image). Author Madeleine L’Engle believed that an icon is a window to God. Lots of everyday things became icons for her, as they reflected the wonder of God. [Madeleine L’Engle, Penguins and Golden Calves, Shaw Books, 2003]

Episcopal theologian Robert Farrar Capon wrote that icons are sacraments of the very real presence of the Word of God; he even calls them God’s fingerprints. [Robert Farrar Capon, Fingerprints of God, Eerdmans, 2000] Have you ever thought of God leaving fingerprints in the world?

Just how do these seven symbols from John interweave throughout scripture to illuminate our human understanding for the mystery of Jesus?

Preliminaries

A bit of background will be helpful, as we navigate between the Old and New Testaments of the Christian Bible. The Bible itself is a library of 66 books that were composed over millennia by multiple storytellers and authors. What Christians call the Old Testament is founded upon the Hebrew Bible, which the Jews call the TANAKH. That name is an acronym for the three main parts that make up the Hebrew Bible:

TORAH (also called Pentateuch, the Law, or Books of Moses—tales of the patriarchs)

NEVI’IM (the scrolls of the prophets)

KETHUVIM (these are the writings, such as Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes)

The contents of these books offer the narratives of the people of God as they experience God in their lives.

The Christian New Testament picks up the experiences beginning with the life and teachings of Jesus, delivered by very different voices and not necessarily eye witnesses. Each author has an audience and an agenda that shapes his text.

The New Testament opens with four gospel accounts of Jesus. The first three, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, are called synoptic, because they present Jesus with the same eye; the fourth, John, is asynoptic, because his approach, his chronology, and most of his content are unique. In addition, the New Testament contains various epistles, or letters, that have shaped Christian theology. The New Testament closes with Revelation, which is an unveiling of a multi-valent vision about Jesus.

Revelation is a word with a shocking synonym: Apocalypse. Modern folks who hear