“I came that they may have life,and have it abundantly” (John 10:10): An Ecological Reading of John’s Gospel

Introduction

The ecological crisis has led scholars to seek new ways of reading the Bible which may contribute to ecological debates. Several groups, such as the Earth Bible Team ¹ and the Exeter Project, ² have developed an ecological hermeneutic to discover fresh insights from the study of the New Testament. Ecological readings of Biblical texts have also been produced as a resource for preaching in the church. ³ Recently, ecological studies have been made of the Old Testament ⁴ and the Pauline writings. ⁵ This article aims to assess the extent to which John’s Gospel may contribute to environmental ethics. John’s Gospel has been regarded as a “spiritual” gospel which is not concerned with social and political issues. In the synoptic gospels Jesus proclaims the imminence of the kingdom of God but in John’s Gospel Jesus teaches human beings about eternal life. Jesus defines his mission in terms of bringing abundant life (10:10). In this article we will explore the significance of Jesus’ gift of eternal life to the natural world.

Throughout the gospel John emphasises the relationship between an individual’s faith in Jesus and the gift of salvation. Several passages feature accounts of the meeting of Jesus and characters who come to faith in him such as the Samaritan woman, the blind man, and Martha of Bethany. These characters recognise Jesus’ identity as the Messiah and Son of God. John’s focus on individuals and their desire for eternal life raises questions about whether or not John has downplayed the importance of the natural world. Jesus, however, offers the Samaritan woman living water, and he identifies himself with “I am” sayings: “I am the bread of life,” “I am the light of the world,” “I am the true vine,” and “I am the resurrection and the life.” The “I am” sayings express the gifts Jesus brings humanity but also closely relate him to Earth. In this article Earth is defined as the whole of creation including human beings and the natural world. We will examine the ways in which Jesus is aligned with Earth, and consider the extent to which John’s understanding of salvation encompasses the whole of the Earth community.

The Prologue

The opening verse of the gospel “In the beginning” recalls the first verse of Genesis which describes the beginning of creation. In Genesis, God creates by separating creation from chaos, light from darkness, and land from sea. God creates the world in seven days, and declares creation to be good (1:4, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). In the prologue Jesus is identified as the word present with God at the beginning of creation, and all things come into being through him (1:3). At the beginning of John’s Gospel Earth is closely identified with Jesus. John, however, depicts a cosmological conflict between Jesus and the power of evil. Jesus is the light which shines in the darkness but the darkness did not overcome the light (1:5). As Norman Habel points out, light and darkness take on moral qualities, and darkness is depicted as a hostile force which opposes light. ⁶ In John’s Gospel the order of creation has been disrupted, and Jesus comes into the world to restore the order of creation.

John presents Jesus in relation to the cosmic conflict between light and darkness which will be played out in the earthly sphere. Jesus comes to liberate humanity from the power of the “ruler of the world” (12:31; 14:30; 16:11). The cosmological struggle between God and evil is seen in the struggle of human beings to understand Jesus. ⁷ The world is created through Jesus but human beings fail to accept him (1:10). Jesus comes into the world to enable human beings to receive the power to become children of God, and they experience a new birth (1:12-13). As Jesus teaches Nicodemus, he cannot enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the spirit (3:5). Vicky Balabanski notes that the term “world” has “shifting semantic value” in John’s Gospel. ⁸ At times “the world” stands for the human beings who reject Jesus but at other times “the world” has a wider frame of reference relating to the whole created world. As Balabanski points out, Jesus brings salvation not only to human beings but to the world in its totality (cf 3:17).

In the prologue Jesus is identified as the word made flesh indicating Jesus’ participation not only in the human realm but also his participation in the conditions of the earthly sphere (1:14). In the incarnation the heavenly and earthly spheres, and the spiritual and material spheres are united. Jesus dwells among human beings full of grace and truth, and the prologue concludes with the statement, “We have seen his glory” (1:14). In the Old Testament the term “glory” is associated with the power and presence of God (cf. Isa 6:1-5; 60:1-2). In John’s Gospel the glory of God is seen in the humanity of Jesus. John presents Earth as the place where God may be encountered, and those who see Jesus see God (14:9). This article will explore the nature of Jesus’ gift of eternal life. To what extent does John’s presentation of eternal life downplay or affirm the earthly sphere of life?

The Meetings of Jesus with the Samaritan Woman, the Blind man, and Martha

John’s Gospel presents several extended narratives depicting the conversations of Jesus and individuals who recognise his identity as Messiah and Son of God. In chapter 4 Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well near Sychar. His disciples have gone to the town in order to buy food while Jesus rests at the well. In this passage Jesus is tired after his journey, and he asks the Samaritan woman for a drink of water but she is surprised that a Jewish man should ask for a drink from a Samaritan woman (4:7). In response Jesus tells her if she only knew the gift of God, and the identity of the one that is saying to her, “Give me a drink,” she would have asked him, and he would have given her “living water” (4:10).

Initially, the Samaritan woman doubts the ability of Jesus to offer her “living water,” and she points out that Jesus has no bucket to draw water from the well. The conversation of the woman and Jesus develops through a misunderstanding of the gift of “living water.” The Samaritan woman refers to natural water whereas Jesus uses the ambiguous term “living water” which may refer to running water found in springs rather than the water in wells or cisterns. At the Feast of Tabernacles, however, Jesus associates the term, “living water” with the gift of the Spirit which will be given at the time of his death (7:38-39). In some Old Testament texts water is related to the Spirit (Isa 32:15; 44:3; Ezek 11:19; 36:25-27), and the Spirit is identified as the eschatological gift of the new age (Isa 44:3; Joel 2:28-29; Ezek 36:25-27; 1 QS 4:20-22). Those who drink living water will not thirst again because it will become a spring within them welling up to eternal life (4:14).

The Samaritan woman recognises Jesus as the Messiah, and his identity is expressed by his ability to bring the gift of the Spirit. In this narrative the Spirit is compared to abundant water which constantly flows within a human being. John does not downplay the importance of natural water since only those who appreciate the importance of natural water can understand the significance of “living water.” The woman has to travel to the well every day to draw water, and the hardship of her life enables her to recognise the gift of the Spirit (4:28). Rudolf Bultmann argues that the longing of human beings for water and food corresponds to the desire for life itself. ⁹ Water is necessary for the sustenance of life, and the Spirit is necessary for eternal life. Jesus begins the conversation with a request for a drink of water, since he too depends on water. At the end of the narrative the Samaritan woman’s desire to tell others in her village about Jesus leads her to forget her water jar even though she needs the jar to draw the water necessary to sustain life. Jesus may now quench his thirst by using the woman’s water jar to drink from the well.

In Chapter 9 Jesus heals a man who has been blind from birth, and in this account the man’s physical healing corresponds to the growth of his spiritual understanding of Jesus. John narrates a number of conversations between the man and his neighbours, the man and the Pharisees, the Pharisees and the man’s parents, the Pharisees and the man, and the man and Jesus. Through the course of these conversations the man grows in his understanding of Jesus’ identity. He first describes Jesus as “a prophet” (9:17), and he later states his belief that Jesus has come “from God” (9:33). ¹⁰ When Jesus seeks him out, he recognises Jesus as the Son of Man, and he finally confesses his faith, “Lord, I believe” (9:38). The sign illustrates the saying of Jesus, “I am the light of the world” (8:12; cf. 9:5). Jesus is identified with light which enables human beings to see. As Craig Koester points out, the imagery of light resonates with John’s audience because light is necessary for life, and the cycle of light and darkness marks our experience of the world. ¹¹ Jesus enables the man to see physically but also to have spiritual sight leading to an understanding of Jesus.

John, however, describes the healing in physical terms as Jesus uses the earth to heal. Jesus spits on the ground and makes clay from the spittle, and anoints the man’s eyes with clay. Jesus’ action is reminiscent of the account of the creation of humanity in Genesis (Gen 2:7). ¹² God forms Adam from the dust of the ground, and breathes into his nostrils the breath of life. In John’s Gospel Jesus tells the man to wash in the pool of Siloam, and he comes back with the ability to see (9:6-7). As Oyeronke Olajubu argues, the man’s healing is not complete until he washes in the pool of Siloam. ¹³ He proposes that water has healing power, and this narrative points to the intrinsic worth of water. After following Jesus’ instructions the man is able to see. John’s account emphasises the role of earth and water in Jesus’ healing of the man.

At the end of the gospel Martha and Mary send word to Jesus that their brother is ill (11:3). Jesus delays his journey, and by the time he arrives at Bethany Lazarus has died. In the course of Jesus’ conversation with Martha, he tells Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life” (11:25), and she confesses her faith in Jesus as “the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world” (11:27). Her words echo the prologue in which Jesus is identified as the true light coming into the world (1:9). The raising of Lazarus illustrates Jesus’ saying, “I am the resurrection and the life” (11:25). John emphasises the physical nature of Lazarus’ restoration to life. Martha is concerned that there will be an odour once the tomb is opened (11:39), and Lazarus is described as he leaves the tomb wrapped in grave clothes. Lazarus is restored to life but he will die again, and the raising of Lazarus is proleptic of the future resurrection of the dead.

In these three narratives the Samaritan woman, the blind man, and Martha all confess their faith in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. Jesus’ identity is expressed through the gifts he brings humanity. He offers the Samaritan woman “living water,” brings the blind man sight, and he raises the brother of Martha and Mary to life. Each narrative illustrates the material needs of human beings who are caught up in the transitory nature of life. Jesus brings human beings abundant life which is experienced in the present world. The “I am” sayings indicate that the deepest human desires find their fulfilment in Jesus. Eternal life can only be understood in relation to Earth. Dorothy Lee notes that the material meaning of the signs is depicted as symbolic of eschatological life, and she interprets the symbols as a “gateway” to divine reality. ¹⁴ In John’s Gospel eternal life is presented in terms of living water that quenches thirst, the ability to see, and the power to raise the dead. These gifts depict eternal life in terms of the transformation of the individual’s present life. In Mark’s Gospel the rich man asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, and Jesus tells him to give his possessions to the poor and to follow him (10:17-22). Jesus then teaches the disciples that they will receive abundant family members, houses, and lands in the present age, and eternal life in the age to come (10:28-30). In Mark’s Gospel the gift of eternal life is associated with the new age whereas John associates eternal life with the present age. Eternal life is not a different concept from earthly life but a continuation of the life experienced on earth.

The Gift of Abundant Life

Throughout the gospel Jesus’ signs associate his gift of life with the transformation of the natural world. The first sign takes place at the wedding at Cana where the hosts run out of wine. The lack of wine threatens the celebration of the wedding and could bring social disgrace on the family. Jesus’ mother notices that the hosts have run out of wine, and she brings the situation to Jesus’ attention. At first Jesus is reluctant to intervene because his hour has not yet come (2:4). His mother, however, tells the servants to follow his instructions, and Jesus transforms the water in six stone jars into abundant wine. When the steward tastes the wine, he notes that the best wine has been kept to the end of the celebration (2:10). The abundant wine alludes to the abundant wine of the new creation (Amos 9:13-14; Hos 14:7; 1 Enoch 10:19; 2 Bar 29:5). John describes this miracle as the first of his signs (archē, 2:11). The term archē (first) may also be translated as “beginning,” and it recalls the beginning of creation (Gen 1:1). The transformation of water into abundant wine is presented as the foundational sign of Jesus’ mission, and it looks forward to the abundance of the new creation.

In chapter 6 Jesus feeds a crowd of five thousand who have followed him to listen to his teaching in the wilderness. The evening has grown dark, and the crowd is far from any town. Jesus questions Philip who says that two hundred denarii would not be enough to feed the crowd (6:7). There is only one boy who has five barley loaves, the type of bread associated with the poor. Jesus multiplies the five loaves and two fish, and the crowd can eat as much as they would like (6:11). Jesus instructs the disciples to gather the leftovers, and twelve baskets are filled. The feeding of the five thousand alludes to the eschatological banquet (cf. Isa 25:6; 1 Enoch 62:12-14; 2 Bar 29:5-8). The celebration of the meal also points forward to the abundance of the new creation.

In the account of the wedding at Cana the hosts run out of wine and in the account of the feeding of the five thousand there is a shortage of food. Jesus’ transformation of water into wine and the feeding of the five thousand point to the interdependence of Earth and humanity. The vine produces grapes for wine, and the Earth produces grain which is used to make bread. Nourishment and sustenance for humanity comes from Earth. In these signs Jesus responds to the human need for sustenance, and his signs point to the fruitfulness of the new creation. John’s allusion to the eschatological banquet depicts the gift of eternal life in terms of a community celebration of joy and festivity in which the produce of the earth is shared.

The Identification of Jesus with Earth

John defines Jesus’ identity as Messiah and Son of God in terms of the gifts he brings human beings. The “I am” sayings link Jesus with light and bread which sustain earthly life, and they point to the divine reality but there are also indications that these gifts come about through Jesus’ death. In the account of the wedding at Cana Jesus is initially reluctant to intervene because his hour had not yet come (2:4). The term “hour” is characteristically used of Jesus’ passion (7:30; 8:20; 12:23; 13:1; 17:1). In the account of the feeding of the five thousand Jesus identifies himself with the bread that comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world (6:33). He prophesies that whoever eats of this bread will live forever but the bread that he will give for the life of the world is his flesh (6:51). As Craig Koester notes the use of the future tense in this verse looks forward to Jesus’ act of giving his life on the cross. ¹⁵ The use of the term “flesh” (sarx), moreover, recalls the prologue in which Jesus is depicted as the word become flesh (1:14). In John’s Gospel Jesus is portrayed as the Messiah and Son of God who has come into the world to overcome the powers of evil and death.

In the opening chapters Jesus offers the Samaritan woman living water, and he is depicted as the bread of life. In the account of the meeting of Jesus and the Samaritan woman, Jesus meets the woman at midday, when the sun is at its height. He is tired from his journey, and he asks her for a drink of water. In the Passion Narrative he is crucified at midday, and he is weakened and exhausted to the point of death. In chapter 4 he offers the Samaritan woman “living water” but at the crucifixion he says “I am thirsty” (19:28). Jesus is offered wine on a bunch of hyssop, and he drinks the wine before he gives up his spirit. After his death a soldier pierces his side, and blood and water flow from the wound (19:34). As Raymond Brown notes, the reference to water is reminiscent of Jesus’ prophecy of the gift of living water of the Spirit at the time of his death (7:38-39). ¹⁶ John depicts the abundance that comes about through Jesus’ death. His blood is associated with the wine of the Eucharist, and the water with Baptism indicating the sacraments that sustain human beings.

The abundant life that comes through Jesus’ death is expressed in an earlier parable of Jesus which is also related to the natural world. During Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem, Greeks approach Philip to ask if they may see Jesus (12:20). Jesus interprets their arrival as an indication that the hour had come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Jesus defines his death and resurrection in terms of the processes of nature, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies it bears much fruit” (12:24). In this passage Jesus is aligned with the processes of nature. Earth produces plants from grain leading to abundant harvests, and the parable alludes to the abundance that comes about through Jesus’ death. Jesus’ saying points to the creative power of God present in the natural world.

In the cycle of seasons of sowing and harvest the earth bears fruit. The process of life coming out of death is itself miraculous. The death and resurrection of Jesus is part of this cycle of nature. Jesus’ death and resurrection, however, differ from the cycle of life and death on earth. At the crucifixion the power of death is broken, and all may receive eternal life. Jesus is aligned with the processes of the natural world which bring life to others. The parable of the seed falling into the ground illustrates the self-giving of Jesus who is willing to give his life to bring life to others. In a similar way the parable acts as an example to the disciples who are called to follow Jesus’ example of self-giving. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life (12:25).

The Resurrection

In John’s Gospel Jesus comes to bring human beings eternal life but his death and resurrection also have an impact on the natural world. The resurrection of human beings was expected to take place at the end of the age (Mark 12:18-27; cf. Dan 12:2) whereas the resurrection of Jesus occurs before that of other human beings. John thus depicts the power of the new creation breaking into the present. At the beginning of John 20 Mary Magdalene visits the tomb on the first day of the week, and she is the first person to meet the risen Jesus (20:1-18). Several features of this narrative are also reminiscent of the account of creation in Genesis. ¹⁷ In Genesis, the world is created in six days, and God rests on the Sabbath (Gen 2:2-3), and the resurrection of Jesus marks the first day of the new creation. The setting of a garden (19:41) recalls the garden of Eden in Genesis. The allusions to Genesis suggest that the new creation has been inaugurated through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

At first Mary sees Jesus standing near her but she does not recognise him. She believes he is the gardener, and she asks him if he has taken Jesus’ body away. Jeannine Brown proposes that the identification of Jesus with the gardener may allude to the role of Adam who was the first gardener in Genesis. ¹⁸ Mary recognises Jesus when he calls her, “Mary” (20:16). This account recalls the portrayal of Jesus as the good shepherd who calls his sheep by name, and his sheep recognise his voice (10:1-18). Mary is instructed to tell the disciples, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (20:19). Jesus’ words are reminiscent of the description of the new covenant in Jeremiah, “I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (31:31-34), and also echo Ruth’s speech to Naomi, “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Jesus’ address to Mary associates the renewal of the covenant between God and humanity with his death and resurrection.

The following account of the meeting of the risen Jesus and his disciples also alludes to the account of creation in Genesis. In the evening Jesus suddenly appears to his disciples who are taking refuge behind closed doors, bringing the disciples peace (20:19-23). In this narrative Jesus breathes on the disciples, and says to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (20:22). Jesus’ act of breathing on his disciples (enephusēsen, 20:22) is reminiscent of the creation of human beings in Genesis (enephusēsen, Gen 2:7 LXX). In Genesis, God breathes life into Adam, and he becomes a living being, and in John’s Gospel Jesus is the one who creates a new humanity through the Spirit. As C. K. Barrett points out, John depicts an act of new creation. ¹⁹ Jesus has been raised, and he now gives the Spirit to his disciples. This action is related to Jesus’ purpose of sending his disciples into the world who have a role to play in continuing Jesus’ mission.

The Portrayal of Jesus as the Vine

An ecological interpretation of John’s Gospel challenges the view that salvation may be defined purely in terms of the gift of eternal life to an individual, and points to an understanding of salvation as the restoration of the relationship of God, humanity, and Earth. In the Farewell Discourse Jesus prepares his disciples for the period after his death and resurrection. He employs the image of the vine to teach the disciples about the nature of their community and their purpose in the world. Jesus is depicted as the true vine, and God is portrayed as the vine dresser (15:1). The vine or vineyard is a traditional image of Israel in the Old Testament (Isa 5:1-7; Jer 6:9; Hos 10:1, 14:7). As Stephen Barton points out, the image of the vine is a “corporate metaphor” which is applied to the discipleship community, and it illustrates the corporate nature of Johannine spirituality. ²⁰ The image of the vine is concerned not only with individuals but with the flourishing of the whole community.

God tends the vine by removing branches that do not bear fruit, and pruning branches to enable them to provide abundant fruit. The vine is a growing plant suggesting that the discipleship community is also intended to flourish. The imagery of the vine points to the relationship of mutuality of God, Jesus, and the disciples. Those who remain in Jesus will bear abundant fruit, but without him they can do nothing (15:5). Separation from Jesus is depicted in harsh images of destruction. The branches which do not bear fruit are cast out and wither. These branches are then gathered, thrown into the fire, and are burned (15:6). The vine bears fruit and the community is also intended to bear fruit (15:8). The fruitful purpose of the vine echoes the purpose of creation in Genesis to bear fruit.

The act of remaining in the vine is compared to remaining in the love of Jesus. In the following verses Jesus instructs his disciples to keep his commandments. Jesus teaches his disciples to love one another as he has loved them, and there is no greater love than giving up life for one’s friends (15:13). The teaching about the vine expresses the self-giving of Jesus. In this passage the relationship of God, Jesus, and the disciples is characterised by their love for one another. This relationship is illustrated by the interconnectedness of the vine and the branches. The fruitfulness of the vine depends on the flourishing of the whole plant, and similarly the disciples can flourish only through participating in the relationship of love within the community. The vine produces fruit which may be shared, and the discipleship community has the role of continuing Jesus’ mission in the world.

Conclusion

In John’s Gospel Jesus comes into the world to bring humanity eternal life and to inaugurate the new creation. In a series of meetings with individual characters Jesus reveals his divine identity in his “I am” sayings: “I am the bread of life,” “I am the light of the world,” “I am the true vine”, and “I am the resurrection and the life.” These sayings point to the gift of eternal life Jesus as Messiah and Son of God brings human beings. An ecological hermeneutic highlights the way in which Jesus is identified with the natural processes of Earth which reflect a cycle of life and death. Jesus compares himself to the seed which falls into the ground and produces a fruitful plant (12:24). He is willing to give up life, but paradoxically he brings life to others. The death of Jesus aligns him with thirst and loss but on the other hand his resurrection is linked to abundance and fruitfulness.

John stresses that God and Jesus are glorified through his death and resurrection (13:31-32; 17:1-5). After he has been lifted up on the cross, Jesus draws all people to himself (12:32; cf. 6:44). Jesus brings human beings eternal life and inaugurates the new creation. Jeannine Brown highlights John’s interest in the renewal of creation, and she notes Paul refers to “new creation” (Gal 6:15 2 Cor 5:17). ²¹ She prefers the term “renewal of creation” to the term “new creation” because she argues that John does not depict the replacement of the old creation with a new creation. Our analysis of John’s Gospel emphasises the importance of the natural world to the understanding of John’s presentation of eternal life. Jesus does not prophesy the destruction of the natural world. He overcomes the power of evil at his death on the cross, and he casts out the ruler of the world (12:31; cf. 16:11). An ecological reading of John’s Gospel also provides insights which may contribute to an environmental ethic. In the Farewell Discourse the disciples are described in terms of the communal image of the vine. This image expresses the interrelated nature of all life, and acts as an example for human action in the world. In John’s Gospel Jesus gives life, and his disciples are intended to bear abundant fruit in the world.