Source: Brian Neil Peterson, John’s Use of Ezekiel: Understanding the Unique Perspective of the Fourth Gospel (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015), 129–163.
John’s “I Am” Sayings in Light of Ezekiel.wav
This podcast explores the unique "I Am" sayings of Jesus in the Gospel of John, arguing they intentionally connect Jesus to God (Yahweh) and the coming Messiah as portrayed in the prophet Ezekiel. The author highlights how these phrases, particularly those linking Jesus to concepts like the Bread of Life, Light of the World, and Good Shepherd, echo themes and even structural elements found throughout Ezekiel. Ultimately, the chapter contends that John utilizes these sayings and a “recognition formula” similar to Ezekiel's ("then they will know that I am Yahweh") to demonstrate that believing in Jesus reveals God and brings eternal life, serving as a re-education for his audience about Jesus' true identity.
Prevalence and Significance of "I Am" Sayings in John: The sources highlight that the Gospel of John is distinctive for its extensive use of the term eimi ("I am"), particularly the emphatic form ego eimi ("I am I" or "I myself am"). Almost half of the occurrences of eimi in the entire New Testament are found in Johannine literature, with 54 occurrences in the Fourth Gospel alone. Of these, 45 are spoken by Jesus, and 38 include the emphatic ego. This unique terminology, known as the “ ‘I Am’ Sayings,” is a key characteristic of John's writing and prompts questions about the author's purpose and meaning.
Intentional Connection to Ezekiel: A central thesis presented in the sources is that John intentionally connects many of Jesus' "I Am" Sayings to specific attributes assigned to Yahweh and the coming messianic figure in the book of Ezekiel. This connection is seen not only in the explicit "I Am" sayings (with a predicate nominative, like "I am the Bread of Life") but also in Jesus' frequent use of the phrase "I am he" or "It is I" throughout the gospel. The sources argue that John seeks to draw direct links to Ezekiel in order to demonstrate that God sent Jesus as the Messiah and to show that people need to know and believe in him for new life.
Linguistic and Formulaic Parallels: The analysis points to strong linguistic evidence supporting the link between John and Ezekiel. The Greek phrase ego eimi is used frequently in the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Old Testament, directly in connection with Yahweh. Notably, Ezekiel contains the highest number of these occurrences compared to other Old Testament books. Even more compelling is the specific phrase "then they will know that I am the Lord" (gnōsontai hoti egō eimi kurios), which appears almost exclusively in Ezekiel in the LXX (seventeen times). This phrase is identified as the Old Testament "recognition formula," used by Yahweh to self-identify and highlight the purpose of his work. John echoes this formula, even using it explicitly in John 8:28 ("then they will know I am he"), suggesting a deliberate parallel with Ezekiel's use of the phrase to establish Yahweh's identity. This linguistic evidence, particularly the dominance of the recognition formula in Ezekiel and its appearance in John, strongly favors Ezekiel as a primary source for John's adoption of this language and theme.
Specific Sayings and Their Ezekielian Affinities: The sources provide detailed analysis showing how several of John's seven distinct "I Am" Sayings find thematic, and at times structural, connections to Ezekiel. Examples include:
◦**"I am the Bread of Life"**: While recalling the manna in Exodus, this saying also connects to Ezekiel's prophecies about the end of famine and privation in the new covenant/messianic age, particularly regarding grain/bread. Structurally, it appears after the temple cleansing and alongside Jesus' ministry to "outcasts," paralleling Ezekiel's vision of Yahweh departing the temple and ministering to exiles, and follows a context where Ezekiel depicts deprivation of food, which Jesus reverses by feeding the multitude.
◦**"I am the Light of the world"**: This saying relates to Ezekiel's vision of Yahweh's radiance. Thematic and structural links are drawn to Ezekiel 12, which depicts the prophet's sign act related to the fall of Jerusalem, scattering, and spiritual blindness. Jesus, as the light, contrasts with the failed princely leader in Ezekiel who operates in darkness and abandons the people. John connects light/blindness to spiritual understanding and judgment, paralleling Ezekiel's portrayal of spiritual and literal blindness leading to judgment.
◦**"I am the Door"** and "I am the Good Shepherd": These sayings are strongly linked, with the Good Shepherd being the most verbally parallel metaphor between John 10 and Ezekiel 34. Ezekiel 34 critiques the evil shepherds (Israel's corrupt leaders) who misuse the flock and describes Yahweh taking over as the true Shepherd, gathering the scattered sheep, and setting his servant David (the Messiah) over them. John presents Jesus as the true Door to the sheepfold and the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep, provides pasture (life), contrasts with false shepherds (thieves/robbers/hirelings, paralleling Ezekiel's critique of corrupt leaders like the Pharisees), and lays down his life for the sheep – a development beyond Ezekiel but fitting for Jesus as the messianic Shepherd.
◦**"I am the Resurrection and the Life"**: This saying is connected to Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37), which depicts the metaphorical resurrection of the nation of Israel. Both passages involve despair, a question about the possibility of life, and a command from God (Yahweh through Ezekiel, Jesus directly to Lazarus) for the dead to rise. John utilizes this motif to speak of both physical resurrection (Lazarus, Jesus' own) and the spiritual resurrection/new life available through belief in Jesus.
◦**"I am the Way the Truth and the Life"**: This saying builds on the themes of life from the previous two sayings. The concept of "life" (zōē) is central in John, emphasizing eternal life through Jesus. In Ezekiel, life is presented as a result of turning from wickedness and obeying God's commandments. The source suggests a connection between Jesus as the incarnate Word (Logos) and the life-giving word of Yahweh in Ezekiel. Structurally, this saying appears in John's chapters of hope (similar to Ezekiel's chapters 34-48), including allusions to the indwelling Spirit and a covenant of peace, which also feature in Ezekiel's promises of future restoration and a new covenant. The idea of "knowing" Jesus and the Father in John 14 relates to covenantal knowledge in Ezekiel, where knowing Yahweh brings life.