Isus veći od Abrahama (Iv 8,30-58). Mjesto i uloga Abrahama u Ivanovu evanđelju

Kao rodozačetnik i nositelj obećanja Abraham u brojnim novozavjetnim spisima i Židovima i kršćanima služi kao identifikacijski lik. Dok Židovi ističu svoje porijeklo od Abrahama, judeokršćani su uvjereni da su oni baštinici njegovih obećanja koja su se ispunila u Kristu, pa se s još više razloga mogu pozivati na zajedničkog praoca vjere. No upravo ta činjenica da kršćani na Abrahama gledaju iz kristološke perspektive predstavlja osjetljivo teološko pitanje takvog pozivanja na Abrahama, što rezultira daljnjim pitanjem odnosa Crkve i Izraela, kršćana i Židova. Kao i u mnogim drugim pitanjima, Ivanovo evanđelje i u tom pogledu predstavlja poseban tekst, jer je u oštrom polemičnom tonu Abraham uporabljen protiv Židova. Isus niječe Židovima da su djeca Abrahamova, jer traže da ga ubiju (Iv 8,40). Zato se oni ne mogu pozivati ni na Boga kao svoga oca (8,42), već im je otac đavao koji je od početka čovjekoubojica (8,44). Na kraju Isus tvrdi kako je Abraham sam svjedočio za njegov Dan, iz čega proizlazi da je Isus veći od Abrahama (8,55-58). Taj Ivanov tekst često je izazivao antižidovske reakcije i zato proglašavan antisemitskim. Zato se postavlja ozbiljno pitanje, mogu li kršćani taj tekst, nakon iskustva holokausta, čitati zajedno sa Židovima, a da se ne moraju stidjeti što on stoji i u novozavjetnom kanonu? U traženju odgovora na to pitanje nastoji se osvijetliti povijesna pozadina nastanka takvog teksta, mjesto i uloga polemike u tadašnjem vremenu, posebice među Židovima, kao i retorička strategija koju mu je autor namijenio u širem kontekstu svoga djela.
Our research has demonstrated that John 8:31-59 is a very complex text with a rich background. It is impossible to read it as a formal report of a historical event. It reflects not only the relationship of Jesus with the Jews of his time but more so the relationship between the evangelist and his community with the Jews of their time. It is not primarily concerned with historical facts but rather with important theological questions that seek answers by appealing to Abraham. This is why the text contains a certain ideological perspective and develops a rhetorical strategy by making use of a very sensitive and often debated controversy of that time. In doing so it was not more important to fence off those outside the faith community but primarily to incite and encourage those within the ranks, those on the inside. In the bitter disputes with the Jews, which thread throughout the entire Gospel, the uses for the term Jew are greatly varied. That is the name given to those who are against Jesus from the beginning, those who reject him and mean to kill him, but that is also the name given to those who come to him and follow him, or those who are at least neutral toward him. The Jews that Jesus debates with in John 8:31-58 are farmer Judaeo-Christians who had in the meantime fallen away from the faith and who call upon Abraham claiming that they are his children. Jesus challenges this claim because they do not do as Abraham did. For this reason they could not even be children of God, moreover they do not even know Him because they do not believe in Jesus in whom God is revealed. Here Jesus is clearly presenting himself as the new location of the new revelation of God whom Abraham himself foresaw. Jesus is there by shown as greater than Abraham and any appeal of the Jews to Abraham, and against Jesus, becomes senseless.