The Power of the Word, by Nicki Copeland

I’ve always been struck by the name God gives Himself when Moses asks His name: ‘I Am Who I Am’, or ‘I Am’ for short (Exodus 3:14). He is God. He needs no other introduction. He is.

I’m also struck by Jesus’ use of ‘I Am’. In John’s Gospel, there are seven or eight (depending how you interpret them) ‘I Am’ sayings of Jesus:

·           ‘I Am the bread of life’ (6:35)

·           ‘I Am the light of the world’ (8:12)

·           ‘I Am the door’ (10:9)

·           ‘I Am the good shepherd’ (10:11)

·           ‘I Am the resurrection and the life’ (11:25)

·           ‘I Am the way, the truth and the life’ (14:6)

·           ‘I Am the true vine’ (15:1)

And the eighth is, ‘Before Abraham was, I Am’ (8:58).

I love the word play Jesus employs here. He is using the Old Testament name of God both to state that He is God and to explain some of the beautiful aspects of God’s character: He provides for us; He brings light into our darkness; He shows us the way; He cares for and protects us; He offers us eternal life; He is the way to the Father; and He is the one to whom we must stay connected in order to bear fruit for the kingdom.

When the arresting party come to Jesus in the garden and say they are looking for ‘Jesus of Nazareth’, he tells them, ‘I am He’ (John 18:5, 8). At this, the soldiers ‘drew back and fell to the ground’. They know the power of ‘I Am’, and it frightens them.

I love John’s Gospel. It has so many levels, which I am only just beginning to get to grips with. The symbolism he uses, the themes and the way he includes so many allusions to Old Testament stories. It boggles my mind, to be honest. John was clearly a skilful writer, but there is no doubt that every word of this Gospel is so very inspired by and written in collaboration with God.

A few years ago I wrote my BA dissertation on John 20, looking at Mary’s experiences in the resurrection garden. I was totally fascinated by the symbolism of darkness and light, the reflections of the creation narrative and the way both John and Jesus turn attitudes towards women on their heads. I could go on and on (but don’t worry, I won’t).

While my writing will never be as deep as John the Gospel writer, I know that God does inspire me when I write, and He works with me. Like many others, I struggle with imposter syndrome, but I choose to trust that He has given me this ability, and He will therefore continue to guide me and to use me and my writing for His glory.

May our writing continue to bear fruit for His kingdom, as we ‘remain in the vine’ (John 15:4).

Nicki Copeland is a freelance writer, speaker, copy editor and proofreader – and loves anything to do with words. She is the author of Losing the Fig Leaf and Less than Ordinary? She is also responsible for the day-to-day running of Instant Apostle publishers. When she has the luxury of some free time, she can invariably be found with a book in one hand and some chocolate in the other.