The Wellspring. No.5
“Understanding is a Wellspring of
Life to him who has it.” (Proverbs. 16:22)
Occasional papers by Arthur & Rosalind Eedle
The prophet Ezekiel and
John in the book of Revelation both saw visions of four living beings. Each saw
a lion, an ox, a man and a flying eagle. By the amazing supernatural design of
God, these four beings corresponded in order to the four gospels of the New
Testament. Matthew's biography of Jesus views him as a king, which corresponds
to the lion. Mark sees him as a servant, which is the nature of the ox. Luke
views Jesus as a man. John sees him as God, represented by the eagle flying in
the heavens.
Jesus has the two extreme
opposite roles of king and servant. He also combines the irreconcilably
different natures of man and God. Irreconcilably different, that is, to the
minds of all who came before him, and the great majority of those who have
lived since his time, and even of those who have claimed to be his followers.
That Jesus should be both
king and servant, as well as both man and God is a staggering revelation to the
natural mind. Amazingly, however, there is a further, yet more surprising
revelation hidden in the visions of the four living beings. Not only is Jesus
king and servant, man and God; his followers also are called to these same
privileges. They too are to become kings and servants, men and partakers of his
divine nature.
I have written in more
detail on this subject in a separate article entitled The Four
Living Beings. This writing is a sequel to The Four Living Beings
and will be clearer to those who have already read what I wrote there. This article
focuses and expands on the fourth living being, the flying eagle. The flying
eagle depicts Jesus the head, together with the members of his body, as God.
Moses stood before the
burning bush and asked God the question, "What
is your name?" In answer God spoke the words, 'I am who I am.' From the word for I am (ehyeh
in Hebrew) came the name Yahweh. Basically then, Yahweh means I am.
To the Jewish people, past
and present, I am is part of the divine name and was and is utterly
sacred The third commandment says, 'Do not take the
name of Yahweh, your God emptily, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who
takes his name emptily.' Jewish people will not even pronounce the name
for fear of breaking this commandment. When reading the scriptures they replace
it with Adonai meaning Lord or ha-shem meaning the name.
For more on this, see The
Name of Jesus and the Name of God.
Did Jesus follow this
tradition? The answer is emphatically, "No." In John's gospel, which
is the basis of this study, we find the words I am coming from the lips
of Jesus no less than 21 times. Interestingly, 21 is the gematria (numeric
value) of ehyeh (I Am), and is a multiple of 3 and 7, both of
which numbers are associated with God.
Of course we use the words I
am in normal speech all the time. Anyone can say "I am hungry" or
"I am David" without implying that he was God! We must look more
closely at the way Jesus used the words.
Sometimes he used the words
I am to make incredible statements about himself, such as 'I am the light of the world' or 'I am the way, the truth and the life.' We will look
at these claims individually later. Sometimes he used the words "I
am" on their own. In John 8: 24 he said to the Jews, 'if you do not believe that I am, you will die in your
sins.' Later in the discussion in verse 58 he said, 'before Abraham was born, I am!' What was their
reaction? 'They picked up stones to throw at Him.'
To them he was claiming to be God. He was in clear breach of the third
commandment, and the penalty for this in the Law of Moses was death by stoning.
Soon after this event the
Jews again attempted to stone Jesus. The reason was the same as before. He had
just said, 'I and the Father are one.' The Jews
made their reasoning very clear.'"We are not
stoning you for any of these (good works)," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a man, are
making yourself God."'
Jesus never directly said,
"I am God." However he spoke words that to his hearers were the
equivalent.
We can see how Jesus
regarded himself. He knew his own identity. He knew he was one with the Father.
We must now ask how he regarded his followers.
As we read what he said to
and about his disciples, we find that he continually placed them on the same
level as himself. He said, 'I and the Father are one'
(John
Jesus regarded God as his
father. What about his followers? Was God also their father? He taught them to
pray, "our Father." He said: 'Go to my brothers (and sisters) and tell them, 'I am
returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God' (John
Jesus was the Son of God.
At his baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on him, in the form of a dove, and
God spoke the words, 'This is my beloved son, in whom I
am well-pleased' (Mat
Was this sonship reserved
for Jesus, or was it also for his followers? At the beginning of John's gospel
we find the words: 'to all who received him, to those
who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God' (John
So the words of Jesus are
plain. God is our father. We are his children. Jesus is our elder brother. We
are all one family.
According to scripture and
to common observation, every creature and every plant produces offspring after
its own kind. Genesis chapter 1 states this rather obvious truth no less than 5
times! The great sea monsters and every living
creature that moves after their kind ... every winged bird after its kind ...
let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds. When God
proclaimed that Jesus was his son, he was saying that he had produced offspring
after his own kind. Jesus had the same nature and attributes as God himself.
Jesus was and is the Son of God.
God was not content with
just one son! He wants many offspring after his own kind. He wants more sons
and daughters who will inherit his nature and attributes. His original purpose,
stated at the beginning of Genesis was to have a family. 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness,' He said (Gen 1:
26).
As we have seen, John's
gospel records the incredible I am
statements that Jesus made about himself.
I am the bread of
life (6:35), I am the light of the world (8:12), I am the good shepherd (10:11), I am the door (10:7), I am
the resurrection (11:25), I am the way, the
truth and the life (14:6), I am the true vine (15:1).
As we are transformed to be
like him, can we also make those same statements? Can we say that we are the
bread of life, the light of the world, good shepherds, doors, resurrection, the
way, the truth and the life?
Jesus emphasised that he 'did nothing of himself.' The Father who lived in him
did everything. 'Don't you believe that I am in the
Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my
own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work'
(John 14: 10). He went on to make the astonishing promise to his disciples that
he and the Father would live in them also. 'If anyone
loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come
to him and make our home with him' (John 14:23).
The same spirit that was in
Jesus is in us, his people. That spirit, living in Jesus, was the bread of
life, the light of the world, the good shepherd, the door, the resurrection,
the way, the truth and the life. That same spirit, living in us, is also the
bread of life, the light of the world, the good shepherd, the door, the
resurrection, the way, the truth and the life.
Jesus made the first great I
am statement at Capernaum - the village of the Comforter. He said. 'I am the Bread of Life' (John 6: 48). Jesus is the
Bread of Life. Are we also, or can we also be the Bread of Life?
Jesus spoke of bread again
at the last supper. 'He took bread, gave thanks and
broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, "This
is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me"' (Luke
22: 19). He said that the bread was his body. What did he mean by his body? His
physical body was given for us throughout his life on earth and most
specifically when he laid down his life on the cross of Calvary. The spiritual
body of Christ is his people. Paul said this to the Corinthians, 'you are the body of Christ' (1 Cor 12: 27); and to
the Colossians 'his body, which is the church'
(1: 24); and in similar words to the Romans and the Ephesians. He also associated
the bread with the body when he wrote: 'Since there
is one bread, we who are many are one body' (1 Cor 10: 17).
So Jesus is the bread; the
bread is his body; his body is his people. He is given for his people, and his
people are given for the world. His people are the bread of life for the
starved and hungry multitudes of the human race. They, with Jesus their head,
are the food for which the world is hungry. Only the whole body of Christ, the
head and the members, can satisfy its needs.
Bread is made of many
grains of wheat, which have been fused together by baking. Jesus spoke of
himself as a grain of wheat. 'Unless a grain of wheat
falls into the earth and dies' he said, 'it
remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit' (John 12:24). Those
many grains of wheat are his body
Jesus is the bread of life
to us; and we - that is to say he in us - become the bread of life for others.
Jesus said, 'I am the light of the world' (John 8: 12), but he
also said plainly to his disciples 'You are the light
of the world' (Mat 5: 14). He did not say this to them after he had
risen from the dead and imparted the Holy Spirit to them, or even when he had
finished teaching them on earth. Right at the beginning of his time with them
he told them they were the light of the world. His eye of faith could look past
their many weaknesses and failings, and see the perfect, finished product.
I believe he can also look
at us in faith and say, 'You are the light of the
world.'
Without Jesus the state of
this world, and everyone in it, is darkness. He and his body together are the
light that shines, enlightens, and will enlighten the whole creation.
We receive and follow
Jesus, the light of the world; and we ourselves become the light of the world.
At the beginning of John
chapter 10 Jesus says, 'he who enters by the
door is the shepherd of the sheep.' He himself of course is that
shepherd who enters through the door. Later (in verse 9) he says: 'I am the door (or gate); whoever enters through me
will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.' He is both
the shepherd and the door.
At night, the sheepfold is
the best place for the sheep. In it they have protection, warmth, and safety.
Jesus is the door into the fold. When the day breaks and the sun rises,
everything changes. The fold is no longer where the sheep should be. They must
go out. They must find pasture and water and take exercise. Again, Jesus is the
door. Without him, there is no way in to the shelter and safety of the fold for
those outside. There is no way out to the green pastures that are essential for
life and growth for those that are in the fold.
First, we enter the fold
through Jesus the door. Then we go out through him as the door, and with him as
our shepherd. Then he in us becomes the door through which others may enter the
fold, and go in and out and find pasture.
Jesus said: 'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life
for the sheep' (John 10: 11). In his last conversation with Peter, Jesus
spoke the words, 'Feed my sheep' (John 21: 16).
If we take the Greek words more literally, he said, 'Shepherd
my sheep.' Shortly after he indicated that Peter would also lay down his
life.
Two of the greatest men of
ancient times were shepherds. Both Moses and David were feeding sheep when God
called them to be shepherds of his people.
Today we have true
shepherds and false shepherds. The true shepherds are those who are willing to
lay down their lives for the sheep. For a few, this may be the final act of a
consecrated life. For all true shepherds this will be an ongoing, daily
experience.
First, we know the Good
Shepherd; then we become good shepherds.
'I am the
resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he
dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe
this?' (John 11:
25,26).
Jesus spoke these words to
Martha when her brother Lazarus lay dead in the tomb. They could have only one
meaning for her - the physical resurrection of her dead brother. As of course
we know, that was about to happen. Lazarus came back from physical death into
physical life. Not many days after, Jesus himself appeared to do the same
thing. However, there were two big differences. Unlike Lazarus, Jesus did not
remain physically on this earth after his resurrection. Neither did he die
again.
The resurrection of Lazarus
fulfilled the words that Jesus spoke, but only in a natural way. It was a
visible demonstration and manifestation in the natural of the greater and more
important spiritual resurrection.
Death means separation.
Physical death is separation from the body. Spiritual death is separation from
God. In Adam, all die the spiritual death of separation from God. In Christ,
all will be made alive in spiritual union with God. Jesus does not offer
immortality in a physical body. Rather he gives restored and unending union
with God. This is resurrection and life.
Jesus is our resurrection
and our life, and the spirit of resurrection and life lives in us.
Jesus said: 'I am the way, the truth, and the life' (John 14: 6).
How could anyone say so much in one short sentence? Behind each of these three
words lies a wealth of imagery that points to and illustrates great spiritual
reality.
These days, most countries
have hundreds and thousands of roads connecting every town and village to all
its neighbours, and even connecting each individual house to the road network.
In ancient times, things were different. For the people of
This journey meant leaving
the familiar surroundings of one's home town or village; temporarily leaving
one's normal occupation, and spending up to one week on the road before
reaching the all-important destination. For the disciples, this journey began
in the low-lying plains of
When Jesus said, "I am the way (road)", this is the imagery
that would have come to the mind of his hearers. He was of course not speaking
of the way to his Father's earthly house, but to his heavenly house.
That journey also starts in
the low familiar plains of our natural experiences. It also is long and
arduous. It too ascends through unfamiliar hills and valleys and finally
reaches our Father's house.
Jesus himself is the way
for us; and we in him and he in us become the way for others.
Pilate asked the question, 'What is truth?' Jesus gave him no answer. Some
ancients believed this was because the answer was hidden in the question. They
searched and found that if you re-arranged the letters of the question 'Quid est veritas?' (in Latin, the language in
which Pilate would have asked the question), you got the answer, 'Est vir qui
adest' meaning 'It is the man who is present.' The story may be questionable,
but its conclusion is spot on. Truth personified stood before Pilate. If he
could not recognise truth standing in person before him, what words could Jesus
speak that would enlighten him?
Every word that Jesus spoke
was true. However, truth is more than words. Every thing that Jesus did was
truth. Every action, every gesture, and every look upon his face expressed the
truth. He spoke the truth, he lived the truth and he was the
truth - just as he spoke the word of God, he lived the word of
God and he was the word of God. The spirit that was in Jesus was the
spirit of truth.
The same spirit that was in
Jesus is also in his body. Its members also will speak the truth, act the truth
and be the truth. They will be a walking gospel and visible demonstration of
God to the remainder of mankind. Just as Jesus is the truth, we also are
becoming the truth.
Twice Jesus said he was /
is the Life. 'I am the resurrection, and the life' (John
Physical life is a state of
union between the spirit, soul and body. At death this union ends. Living
people can engage in every kind of activity of body and of mind. They can eat,
drink, sleep, walk and run. They can speak, think, laugh and cry. At death, all
such activity ceases. The soul and spirit leave the body, which soon begins to
disintegrate, until in due course all its identity is lost. We can control
neither its beginning nor its end.
Strangely we have little or
no control over the two most important events of our lives. Birth can result
from an impulsive, unpremeditated act between two young people. Death,
likewise, can come at any time through factors completely outside our control.
Both these great events are totally in the hands of God.
Physical life is a picture
of spiritual life. Spiritual life is union with God. Spiritual death is
separation from him. Jesus said, 'This is eternal life:
that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent'
(John 17: 3).
Spiritual birth is the
beginning of spiritual life. From then all spiritual activity becomes possible.
We can eat and drink and walk and talk in the spirit. We can pray and worship
God.
Jesus gives us this
spiritual life. He not only gives this life, but he himself is the life. When
we receive him, we receive life.
He said to his disciples, 'He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me
receives Him who sent Me' (Mat
The spirit of Christ both
in Jesus and in us is this spiritual life.
Jesus said, 'I am the vine; you are the branches' (John 15: 5).
This was the last great 'I am' statement that he made. He spoke these words in
the middle of his long discourse the night before he died. The central theme of
that discourse was the great differences that would come to the disciples when
they received the Holy Spirit.
Of all the trees in the
We could easily think that
the palm tree would have been a better picture of Jesus and his followers. The
long, strong trunk would represent him, and the cluster of large leaves at the
top would be his followers. That however is not the picture he chose to
represent himself and us. He chose the vine, the one plant that is made up
entirely of branches. We are totally identified with him. He is the vine, and
we are also the vine. We are in him, and a part of him.
The vine perfectly
illustrates what Jesus said, 'Remain in me, and I in
you' (John 15: 4). We have no separate identity from him. If we are in
him, and he is in us, then whatever he is we are. If he is the Son of God, we
also are sons of God. If he is the bread of life, then we also are the bread of
life. If he is the light of the world, then we also are the light of the world.
If he is the way, the truth and the life, then we also are the way, the truth
and the life.
May God make these things a
glorious reality in us!
Lastly we will consider
these words that so infuriated the Jews. Jesus existed before Abraham was on
the earth, and no one who in any way believes in him doubts this.
Did we also exist before
Abraham came to earth? More and more people these days believe that we did.
The Bible makes no clear
statement on the subject of our pre-existence. However some familiar passages
have strong implications.
Paul describing the state
of the unbeliever wrote, 'God, who is rich in mercy,
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions' (Eph
2: 5). John uses similar language: 'We know that we
have passed from death to life' (1 John
Paul also wrote, 'He chose us in Him (Christ) before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him' (Eph 1: 4). Were
we chosen before we existed? It's possible, but it certainly makes better sense
if we already existed before the foundation of the world at the time when we
were chosen. This scripture also suggests an existence before we came into this
world.
This life may then be a
brief stopover in time between two eternities.
John and Ezekiel saw
visions. In the spirit, they had a preview of the perfected body of Christ.
They saw in a picture God's plan and blueprint for a glorious future reality.
God, who sees the end from the beginning, sees it already complete. They were
privileged to see through his eyes.
Jesus saw with eyes of
faith what his disciples were going to become. He could say to them, 'You are the light of the world,' when they were just
taking the first steps of their spiritual journey, and still full of the many
failings we no doubt see in ourselves. Jesus believed in them and spoke in
faith of what they were going to be, and already were in the sight of God.
We do not yet see the
completed body of Christ. We see a building still under construction, largely
hidden by scaffolding. We see mud, rubble and debris all over the building
site. We can look at our own failures, sins and inadequacies and feel we can
never be the light of the world, the bread of life, the way, the truth and the
life. But that is not what God does. He sees the completed and perfected
building. He looks at us, as Jesus looked at his disciples, and sees what we
are going to be. In faith Jesus says to us, 'Be
perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect' (Mat