This Sunday we hear the first of the seven “I am” sayings recorded in the Gospel of John. In the Old Testament God revealed his name to Moses: “I AM WHO I AM”. “Say this to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you’”. (Exodus 3:14). Thus, in Judaism “I AM” is unquestionably understood as a name for God (Yhwh). Whenever Jesus made an “I AM” statement he was identifying himself as God. The seven “I AM” sayings are:
“I am the bread of life.” John 6:35
“I am the light of the world.” John 8:12
“I am the door.” 10:7,9
“I am the good shepherd.” John 10:11, 14
“I am the resurrection and the life.” John 11:25
“I am the way and the truth and the life.” John 14:6
“I am the true vine.” John 15:1
The Gospel of John shows us many instances of how Jesus, the Incarnated God, came to meet our many needs. In the last sentence of this Sunday’s Gospel passage Jesus reveals this by saying, “whoever comes to me will never hunger and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”
This brings to mind the well-known story of the Samaritan woman at the well also found in John’s Gospel (John 4). Jesus tells her: “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give will never thirst; the water that I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (4:13)
Only Jesus is the real “thirst-quencher.” Drink from the well of his word!
View/Download the Liturgy of the Word Celebration
Yvonne Gill
Director of Adult Formation