Christological Metaphors of Wine, Water, and Bread in the Gospel of John in Relation to Their Sapiential Background : An Intertextual Study

Jesus – the personified and preexisting wisdom as described in the Old Testament

When focusing on the sapiential traits in text of the Fourth Gospel, it should be noted that in its images of wine, water, and bread, connected by the common theme of eating and drinking, one can see Jesus the Giver, who, like the Old Testament personified wisdom, bestows his gifts on man. Although single references to the Old Testament sapiential texts have been suggested for the Johannine images of wine, water, bread, light, and the vine, no detailed study of these images, as well as their juxtapositions even in the aspect of eating and drinking, has been published so far. The selected topic seems to be important for showing a comprehensive approach to the Johannine banquet motif in its sapiential aspect, broken down into particular Johannine images, which are the events related to wine, water, and bread. It is ultimately significant to present Jesus’ full identity through these three metaphors, referring to the personified and preexisting wisdom as described in the Old Testament sapiential literature.