That He Might Be Revealed: Water Imagery and the Identity of Jesus in the Gospel of John

Water is a core symbol in the Gospel of John and is particularly prevalent in passages that involve the revelation of Jesuss identity. Using Richard Bauckhams category of a Christology of Divine Identity That He Might Be Revealed explores the way the Fourth Evangelist plays on the memory of the major water events of Israels history and mythology in order to incorporate Jesus into the divine identity. In the water stories of the OT the distinctive identity and abilities of Yahweh are at stake. Yahwehs victory in these events forever fuses his identity to water imagery so that control of the waters becomes one of the major markers that characterizes and distinguishes him in Jewish thought. The water imagery in John is the authors attempt to tap into this rich accumulation of images and memories to identify Jesus as God himself incarnate. Crutchers persuasive study shows that water imagery contributes significantly to Johannine Christology. Her examination of Yahwehs mastery of the waters is the basis upon which Crutcher shows how the Gospels water imagery reveals Jesus character and identity so that by the end of the Gospel the character of Jesus has become thoroughly fused with that of Yahweh. This lucid and accessible work adds strength to Johns . . . portrayal of Jesus as on the side of the divine the Word made flesh. --Kent Brower Vice Principal Director of Research and Senior Research Fellow in Biblical Studies Nazarene Theological College Manchester United Kingdom Rhonda G. Crutcher is Professor of English at Southwestern Christian University in Bethany Oklahoma and a former Assistant Professor of New Testament at Southern Nazarene University.