March 29, Good Friday (John 18:1–19:42)
On the cross, the God-man who has repeatedly declared “I am” now begins to say that he is not.
John’s purpose in writing his gospel is to show us that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. The stories he chooses and the structure of the text demonstrate that intent. In this gospel, Jesus often moves like a superhero, walking on water and moving himself and a boat full of disciples across the water at super speed. Sometimes, he mysteriously makes his way through crowds and eludes the capture of an active contingent against him. He moves like someone not from this world.
Then there are the seven signs, which we might otherwise call miracles. John deems them “signs” because they point us toward the messiahship of Jesus. Seven signs: one that keeps the party going, one that heals someone of some means, one that heals someone who has been suffering for decades, one that feeds the multitude, one that has him defying gravity and physics, one that shows how he pushes back against tradition by healing someone born a certain way, and then by demonstrating power over death itself by bringing Lazarus back to life. Seven signs, a complete picture of a Messiah with some otherworldly and supernatural power and promise.
Yet John determines that all this is not enough for us to know who Jesus is. He brings the point home by making sure we hear Jesus’ “I am” statements, too. “I am” is a phrase that directly invokes a connection to the God who meets Moses at the bush, who empowers a liberatory revolution for the Israelite people. John is crafting this story, giving us this angle on Jesus that will make the readers of his gospel understand that Jesus is the Messiah. Seven “I am” statements, seven signs, and supernatural movement: by the time the reader gets to the cross, there is to be no confusion about the divinity of Jesus.
