Introduction

Throughout the Fourth Gospel as authored by the evangelist John, we see the Divinity of
Christ being portrayed and revealed both in action and in words. In this Gospel also, the author
made several allusions to some symbolic facts as used by Jesus in His teachings. These
symbolisms joined together show the depth of the theology of the Gospel according to John,
pointing to the mission and the real identity of Christ. In the various miracles and sayings of
Jesus, the author intends not to tell stories but to show how Jesus is the link between the Old
Testament and the New Testament, purify the old to make or give way to new life in himself.
Hence for John, all that Jesus did and said were mere symbols that tell of something deeper and
greater than presented. It is this on this backdrop that our work aims to discuss symbolism in the
gospel of John, by examining the uniqueness of symbolism to John and why his choice of
symbolism. Having done this, we shall also examine some of the symbols in the gospel of John
and the actual message he tends to communicate.
An Overview of Symbolism
The word symbolism is related to the word symbolic. Etymologically, the word
“Symbolism or symbolic” is a derivative of an ancient Greek word symbolon which means
token, sign or mark. This was earlier derived from syn meaning “together” and ballo meaning to
throw. For the Greeks, this refers to an object that represents something beyond itself as
evidently seen in appearance. In ancient literature, this became a style of writing employed by
many authors of which the Author of the Gospel of John is guilty of. Thus, the composition of
the Gospel of John, though its evidenced historical consideration, is truer to be symbolic in
nature whereby the author of the Gospel uses symbolism as an essential literal tool for him to
achieve his aim of revealing the spiritual dimension of Jesus for his audience to believe in Him
(the person of Jesus).
In the words of Maurice Hogan, he affirmed this symbolic literal style of writing of the
Gospel as “a window on what happened during Jesus’ ministry… to deepen authentic faith in
Jesus, the Revealer of the true God, as contrasted with inauthentic or inadequate faith.” 1 This
literal style was so imperative for the author to implement in order to gain the faith and believe
of his community or audience in the person of Jesus who through his ministry, death, and

1
M HOGAN, The Four Gospels: Following in the Footsteps of Jesus, Veritas Publications, Dublin (7 – 8 LAS),
196.

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resurrection manifest true nature of God especially in the relationship between the Father and the
Son, and furthermore the Trinity.
John and the choice of Symbolism
John uses literal symbolisms to conveniently convey Theological truths in ways that are
easily accessible to his diverse audience. Recognizing the broad nature of his audience, John
tried to directly communicate with neophyte Christians who would only grab the surface
meaning of words by using words that were easily relatable and literally significant such as
turning water into wine, light overcoming darkness etc. However, for mature Christians, these
words transcended their literal meanings to communicate spiritual insights such that turning of
water into wine would symbolize the transformation that Jesus brings while the concepts of light
and darkness signified the continuous struggle between good and evil and the eventual triumph
of good over evil.2 When one goes further, one would see that even stories had both literal and
symbolic significance. For example, the raising of Lazarus literally depicts Jesus' compassion
and love but it also points towards Jesus' authority over death. 3 Thus, literal symbolisms served
to combine spiritual and physical meanings within the same lines in John.
John records far fewer miracles than the other Synoptic Gospels, with seven in the first
major section of his gospel, the Book of Signs and a final sign, the miraculous catch of 153 fish,
in the epilogue. However, each is significant for what it reveals about Jesus. The changing of
water into wine at the wedding at Cana (John 2:1–11) is more than just a miracle of provision.
Instead, it reveals Jesus as God. Just as the Divine Word had first created, or organized, the
world, the Incarnate Word reorganizes. Establishing this correspondence, the healings of the
nobleman’s son (4:46–54), the man at the pool of Bethesda (5:1–18), and the man born blind
(9:1–41) can be seen as acts of divine reorganization, restoring infirm bodies to their correct,
whole state.
Yet the symbolism is often even deeper. Because of the symbolic correspondence in this
Gospel of water to divinity and spirit on the one hand and wine and blood to mortality on the
other, the changing of water to wine can also be seen as a symbol of the incarnation as the Divine
Word becomes the man Jesus. Similarly, the infirm healed by Jesus can be types of fallen men
and women, making Jesus’s restoration of them symbols of his atoning work. In John, the
feeding of the five thousand (6:1–15) and Jesus’s walking on water (6:16–21) are directly
2
K. McCONNELL, The Gospel of John: A Commentary, Liturgical Press, Collegeville 2005, 234.
3
J. MARTINS, Come Forth: The Promise of Jesus' Greatest Miracle, HarperOne, New York 2023, 51.

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connected to the first Passover and the Exodus, revealing him as God who parted the Red Sea
and fed his people with manna. Now, as Jesus, he can feed us (temporally and spiritually) and
still the storms in our lives. The seventh and crowning miracle in the Book of Signs is the raising
of Lazarus (11:38–44), showing not only Jesus’s power over death but foreshadowing his own
resurrection and the ability to raise all of us from spiritual as well as physical death.
The first of Jesus’s speeches, the Discourse on the New Birth (3:1–15) and the Discourse
on the Water of Life (4:7–26), are set as dialogues with Nicodemus and a woman from Samaria.
As such, they present very personal interactions and conversations with Jesus that readers can
identify with. Framed by the signs of the new wine at the wedding at Cana and the newly healed
nobleman’s son, being born from above in John 3:3 and the water springing up to everlasting life
in 4:14 both symbolize the eternal life that Jesus came to bring. Jesus delivers his other
discourses in the Book of Signs to groups of people. The Discourses on the Divine Son (5:17–
47), the Life-Giving Spirit (7:16–52), the Light of the World (8:12–59), and the Good Shepherd
(10:1–18) were delivered in Jerusalem, often to hostile crowds, to whom he nonetheless boldly
declared who he was and what he had come to do.
Some Symbolisms employed in John’s Gospel
 The symbolism of Bread
Jesus gave the Bread of Life Discourse (6:35–58) in Galilee to a mixed group. Jesus first
addressed this discourse to the crowds who had recently seen the miracle of the feeding of the
five thousand, describing himself as the Divine Word come down from heaven, which
represented both the manna and the law that God had given the Israelites in the wilderness. He
then spoke more specifically to “the Jews,” which John frequently used as a term for the
religious elite who were often at odds with Jesus.38 To this group, who should have better
understood the symbolism he was using, he declared why it was necessary for people to
symbolically eat his flesh and drink his blood in order to obtain eternal life. Finally, after some
of his own disciples stopped following him because of this “hard saying” (6:60), he spoke with
Peter and the Twelve, who confessed their faith, declaring that he had words of eternal life and
that they believed that he was the Christ, the Son of the living God (6:68–69).
 The symbol of temple in John’s gospel.
John gospel presents the temple as one of the concepts Jesus used to explain the heavenly
things which his listeners often miss understood. Temple in John’s gospel “has both and a natural

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and a spiritual or figurative meaning”4 John 2:19 And Jesus said ‘Destroy this temple and in
three days I will raise it up. The temple here symbolizes Jesus’ body. Temple as a symbol
enables Jesus to explain the spiritual or figurative meaning intended to his listeners when
teaching. Temple is the Center for worship and praise of God. Hence, the temple in the gospel of
John symbolizes several key themes and motifs in Jesus’ mission and life. The temple is used to
describe Jesus’ body as the new temple which is replacing the physical temple in Jerusalem.
The temple also represents God’s presence among his people. Jesus who is the true son
of God embodies this presence. The temple as earlier said, is a place of worship and the spiritual
counter Hence, it symbolizes here that true worship can occur in spirit and truth. Therefore, the
temple as used in the gospel of John symbolizes Jesus’ body the true presence of God among his
people in spirit and truth.
 The Cross as a Symbol in the Gospel of St. John
In the Gospel of John, the cross emerges as an omnipresent and central symbol. Unlike
the Synoptic Gospels that use explicit passion predictions, John’s narrative and discourse subtly
builds towards the cross as a culminating reality. 5 This gradual revelation means that when the
passion narrative explicitly introduces the cross, it carries with it a rich accumulation of
significance. From the very beginning of the Gospel, there is an implicit foreshadowing of Jesus’
sacrificial death. The Prologue (John 1:1-18) introduces Jesus as the Logos, emphasizing His
divine nature and the incarnation. This foundational understanding sets the stage for the cross to
be seen as the ultimate expression of love and sacrifice.
The Gospel of John presents the cross not merely as an historical event but as a profound
theological symbol that encapsulates the essence of Jesus’ mission and identity. Unlike the
Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) which offer explicit predictions of Jesus’ passion
and death, John’s approach is more nuanced and layered. Scholars, like Barclay highlights how
John’s narrative builds towards the cross through symbolism and discourse. For instance, the
Cana miracle (John 2:1-11) foreshadows Jesus’ transformation of water into wine, symbolically
representing the new covenant established through His blood. By the time the passion narrative
is reached, the cross carries a rich accumulation of significance, embodying themes of suffering,
glory and divine love. Barclay goes further to emphasize that the cross in John’s Gospel is

4
T. OKURE, “John,” in The International Bible commentary, Theological, Bangalore 2004, 1515.
5
A. LINCOLN, The Gospel According to John Back’s New Testament Commentaries, Continuum, London 2005,
153.

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intricately linked to the themes of light and darkness. He posits that the cross represents the
ultimate victory of light over darkness.6
 The Symbolism of Light
The Gospel of John prominently features the symbol of light to convey divine revelation
and truth. In this context, light not only represents God’s presence but also the life and wisdom
that illuminate the darkness of the world. Firstly, John 1 :5 states, “light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it”. This verse establishes a fundamental contrast between
light and darkness, symbolizing the struggle between good and evil. Furthermore, in John 8 :12,
Jesus proclaims, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness
but will have the light of life”. Here, Jesus presents himself as the source of light, offering
guidance and life to those who choose to follow him. In addition, John 12 :46 reinforces this
theme, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in
darkness”. This statement emphasizes Jesus’s mission to save humanity from ignorance and sin.
Raymond Brown emphasizes that this light symbolizes God’s presence in the world. He
writes, “The light of Christ dispels the darkness of sin and ignorance, illuminating the path for
believers”7. This quote reinforces the idea that the light of Christ is essential for understanding
divine truth and living accordingly.
Conclusion
What every good writer is first known of is understanding the strength and weaknesses
of his audience, so as to better communicate in way that seems easy for their comprehension.
This was exactly what the author of the Gospel of John did in his narration, where he uses
symbols and stories not too far from his audience to communicate to them a reality which they
may not really get to understand if communicated to them in its deeper and abstractness.
Therefore, the utilization of the literal tool of symbolism by the author of the Gospel of John is
significant for the Johannian audience both then and now to come to the understanding of the
mysteries and purpose of Christ in order for them to believe in Him who was sent by the Father
in Love.

6
W BARCLEY, The Gospel of John, vol.1, Westminster Press, Philadelphia PA 1975, 10-20.
7
R. BROWN, The Light of Christ: A Study of Johannine Theology, Theology Press, New York 2020, 45