Which gospel emphasizes the 'I am' sayings of Jesus?

Which gospel emphasizes the 'I am' sayings of Jesus?

• A. Mark
• B. Matthew
• C. John
• D. Luke

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is that only one Gospel centers its portrayal of Jesus around a pattern of self-identifying statements, where Jesus repeatedly says “I am” to reveal who he is. These sayings—“I am the bread of life,” “I am the light of the world,” “I am the gate,” “I am the good shepherd,” “I am the resurrection and the life,” “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” and “I am the true vine,” among others—highlight Jesus’ divine identity and his relation to God. The use of ego eimi, the Greek for “I am,” echoes God’s self-disclosure in the Old Testament and is meant to point readers toward faith in Jesus as God incarnate. While the other Gospels tell Jesus’ teachings and miracles, they do not organize their message around this sustained self-revelation motif to the same extent. Therefore, the Gospel that emphasizes these sayings is the one attributed to John, which uses them to invite belief that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God.

The key idea here is that only one Gospel centers its portrayal of Jesus around a pattern of self-identifying statements, where Jesus repeatedly says “I am” to reveal who he is. These sayings—“I am the bread of life,” “I am the light of the world,” “I am the gate,” “I am the good shepherd,” “I am the resurrection and the life,” “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” and “I am the true vine,” among others—highlight Jesus’ divine identity and his relation to God. The use of ego eimi, the Greek for “I am,” echoes God’s self-disclosure in the Old Testament and is meant to point readers toward faith in Jesus as God incarnate. While the other Gospels tell Jesus’ teachings and miracles, they do not organize their message around this sustained self-revelation motif to the same extent. Therefore, the Gospel that emphasizes these sayings is the one attributed to John, which uses them to invite belief that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God.