13 Metaphors That Teach Spiritual Truths In The Gospel of John

In the gospel of John, Jesus taught 13 physical realities that illustrated spiritual truths: light, the Jerusalem temple, physical birth, wind, water, food, bread, flesh and blood, door, shepherd, vine, cup, and breath.

These tangible metaphors helped enlighten believers with the spiritual realities of the Judeo-Christian worldview. Thus, the goal of this article is to expound upon these analogies in order to have a more holistic idea of God’s message for the world. Let’s begin!

1. The first tangible metaphor that teaches spiritual truth is light.

Light is a physical reality. The main source of our light comes from the sun, but this electromagnetic radiation can also be emitted from fire, lightning, and even animals and plants such as fireflies and mushrooms. Without light, there would be no photosynthesis from plants to give off oxygen necessary for humanity’s survival. Therefore, light is necessary for life.

In the same way, the light from God is necessary for spiritual life. In John 1, Scripture states, “In God was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (Jn. 1:4-5).” True knowledge, moral purity, and the presence of God are the primary sources of light. Unfortunately, people who reject God refuse to accept the light because their works are evil (Jn. 3:19).

2. The second tangible metaphor that teaches spiritual truth is the Jerusalem temple.

In John 2:19-22, Jesus said: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you will raise it up in three days? But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.”

The Jews initially thought Jesus was talking about the Jerusalem temple where they worshiped Yahweh. This temple, which was constructed during the time of Herod the Great, began around 18 BCE (Before Common Era) and lasted until 20 AD. However, the largest part of the temple was not completed until AD 66. We know this because shortly thereafter, in 70 AD, the physical temple was destroyed by Titus’s army.

Nevertheless, Jesus was talking about his physical body being crucified and raised three days later (Matt. 26:61; Mk. 14:58; Jn. 2:19). No longer do Jews or Gentiles have to worship God in a temple made by human hands. Instead, they can worship God in Spirit and Truth (Jn. 4:24).

For Jesus told his disciples after He ascended to the Father that He will send the Holy Spirit to indwell in them and be with them always, even to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20). Therefore, the physical temple has been replaced with the chief cornerstone, Jesus of Nazareth, and the bride of Christ—the Church.

3. The third tangible metaphor that teaches spiritual truth is physical birth.

In the gospel of John, Jesus was speaking to a devout Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus. Jesus told Nicodemus that unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus was confused and asked the following question: “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born (Jn. 3:3-5)?”

As you can see, the Pharisees focused so much on the physical reality that they often failed to associate these ideas with spiritual truths. The disciples also had the same difficulty and I am sure we would have as well. Let’s not be boastful in our thinking!

But what Jesus was trying to say is that being born again is like a spiritual birth. Just like when we are physically born we come into the natural world. Similarly, when we are spiritually born, we enter into the kingdom of God. Therefore, in order to become partakers in God’s realm, we must repent and be baptized into the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Acts 2:38).

4. The fourth tangible metaphor that teaches spiritual truth is wind.

Did you know that the same Greek word for wind also means spirit? Therefore, the idea of wind, though a physical aspect of nature, often alludes to how the spirit of God moves. Thus, wind is referring to the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said in John 3:8, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” There seems to be a divine mystery concerning the role of the Holy Spirit and how it’s autonomous nature is hard to comprehend. These are the moments when we behold the mystery of God and simply trust in the Spirit to conform us into the image of our Creator.

5. The fifth tangible metaphor that teaches spiritual truth is water.

Water is another element that is impossible to live without. If a human doesn’t drink water for three days, they will not survive. It carries nutrients to all our cells in the body and provides the brain with oxygen. Water helps regulate body temperature and helps absorb important nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and glucose. I think all of us agree water is essential.

Similarly, water represents the essential Holy Spirit within believers. For instance, during the Feast of Booths, Jesus stood up and said: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. Now this he had said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive (Jn. 7:37-38).”

The Holy Spirit is just like water in that it provides the nutrients needed for us to mature in Christ. Without the Holy Spirit, we wouldn’t be able to spiritually survive because it is God who causes the growth. Therefore, let’s continue to go to the Lord in prayer and ask that He quench our thirst by the power of the Spirit indwelling within us.

6. The sixth tangible metaphor that teaches spiritual truth is food.

When Jesus was eating with his disciples, they kept urging him to eat. However, the Lord responded by saying, “I have food to eat that you do not know about. So the disciples said to one another, Has anyone brought him something to eat? Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work (Jn. 4:31-34).”

Once again, the disciples had a hard time wrapping their brain around the spiritual concepts Jesus was referring to. He was not physically hungry or in need of other food. Rather, his ultimate sustenance came with doing the will of God and accomplishing his work.

In the same way, when we are physically hungry, let that be a reminder how much hungrier we should be for the kingdom of God to expand. For Jesus told us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Are we eager to fulfill the will of God just like we are eager to eat our next meal? I hope so.