EARLY WISDOM GOSPELS 41
between what is of flesh—like the water and the wine—and what is of spirit,
what is earthly and what is heavenly:
If I tell you of earthly things and you do not believe,
how if I tell you of heavenly things will you believe? (3:12)The real meaning of the signs, then, must be on the side of the spiritual and
the heavenly. Later Jesus clarifies the meaning of water being changed into
wine. The person of Jesus himself is the real, spiritual point of the sign, and
Jesus says, with divine nuances,I am the true vine and my father is the gardener.
I am the vine, you the branches.
You who dwell in me as I in you
bear much fruit,
but without me you can do nothing. (15:1, 5)According to John, then, Jesus the divine word in flesh discloses god:The word became flesh and lived among us.
And we gazed on his glory,
the glory of the only son of the father,
who is filled with grace and truth. (1:14)Jesus in John is a revealer who reveals what god's presence and glory mean:No one has ever seen god.
Only the one born of god,
who is in the heart of the father,
has made him known. (1:18)The story of Jesus in the Gospel of John culminates with the account of the
crucifixion and the resurrection appearances of Jesus. This conclusion to the
story of Jesus is somewhat like that of the synoptic gospels, which focus spe-
cial attention on the death and resurrection of Jesus. This sort of conclusion is
also similar to the proclamation of the messenger (or apostle) Paul, who
maintains that the message of the cross and resurrection is central to the