Joan Conway….An Easter commentary and Bible exercise

Introduction

Easter Day is the first day of a season of joyful reflection on the resurrection of Jesus.  The victory of Easter is the precursor of the final victory and redemption.
This season, which includes Ascension Day, ends at Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Easter.  During the Easter Season I have prepared some commentaries, reflections and bible exercises for us.  This is number 6 (the last one). Peace be with you,  Joan 

The Easter Anthems

Christ our passover has been sacrificed for us:
so let us celebrate the feast,
not with the old leaven of corruption and wickedness:
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.    1 Corinthians 5.7b, 8

Christ once raised from the dead dies no more:
death has no more dominion over him.
In dying he died to sin once for all:
in living he lives to God.
See yourselves therefore as dead to sin:
and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord.   Romans 6.9–11

Christ has been raised from the dead:
the first fruits of those who sleep.
For as by man came death:
by man has come also the resurrection of the dead;
for as in Adam all die:
even so in Christ shall all be made alive.    1 Corinthians 15.20–22

Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

A song of redemption

The Father has rescued us from the power of darkness
and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created,
things visible and invisible.
All things have been created through him and for him.
He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things.       Colossians1. 13 – 20

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The I AM sayings in John’s Gospel

The phrase “I am …” appears in the Gospel of John many times.
It is formed of two Greek words [ἐγώ εἰμι] that seem to mean the same thing:
ego – I am; eimi – I exist.

So why does Jesus use this structure used?

In the Septuagint [Greek version of the Old Testament] it appears in Isaiah: 43. 10(11), 25.
God declares that God is the Lord and God forgives sins.
In Exodus (3.14), when Moses tells God that he needs a name to tell the people who is sending Moses with instructions for escaping from Egypt, God responds with the phrase translated as ἐγώ εἰμι in the Septuagint, as “I AM WHO I AM” in the NRSV translation, and is written אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה in the Hebrew text.

There has been much discussion over the translation of this text especially with regard to the tense of the phrase.

For us, in John’s Gospel we can consider whether we think that Jesus’ use of the phrase is an assertion of his identity, his self-understanding, and then we can look at the various ways in which he connects with us through the use of pictures such as Good Shepherd, Way, Life, True Bread …

I AM the vine – John 15. 1 – 11

There are links with the Hebrew Scriptures – Isaiah 5:1-7; Ps 80:9-17; Jeremiah 2:21; Ezekiel 17:5-10

At his last meal with his friends Jesus speaks of himself as the true vine.

15:1 – “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower.”
15:5 – “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me, and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.”

For the first few years a vine may be pruned so that it does not bear fruit too soon. Pruning is constantly needed so that good fruit appears..

The Father, as vine grower or vine dresser, tends the vine and makes it fruitful. The first vine, described in Isaiah is God’s people, Israel. The new vine, or true vine, includes not just Israel but all people, if they will become grafted in.

The branches of a vine depend entirely in the stem and roots for life. Every branch that is connected to the main stem and the roots is nourished: it grows, develops and bears fruit. Each branch that abides in the vine finds its life through the sustaining work of the roots and main stem. We are sustained by our connection with Jesus: through prayer, the sacraments, the teaching and the life of the community. These may take different forms but they continue even while we are isolated.

The life of each person comes from abiding in the vine and in its love for each part of the plant. This gives joy and hope. However during times of trouble we may be experiencing pruning: pinching out the unnecessary concerns, cutting back on the redundant aspects of life, removing anxieties. This means we can concentrate more on wholesome, beneficial, helpful, unselfish and loving approaches to our situation.