Sunday, April 8, 2018 am
JESUS SAID, “I AM”
“I am”. It is a
first-person identifier, meaning the one who speaks is taking ownership
of something. It is often
used when one is making claims about themselves.
While Jesus was upon this earth, He made a number of claims about
Himself. They give us insight
into who He was, and as Christians each one shows how He can meet our
spiritual needs. This is why
we ought to believe and put our trust in Him.
This morning, I would like to notice some of the “I am” claims
made by Jesus. Our primary
focus will be in the book of John, as he is making a case for Jesus as
“the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His
name.” (John 20:30-31). It
was also what he professed in his preamble (John 1:10).
So let’s get started.
a.
Occasion:
Jesus has fed 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish.
The next day we find the crowds seeking Jesus again.
He notes the reason some were following Him was to be fed again,
and not for the learning.
He calls for them to labor not for food that perishes, but the
food that endures to everlasting life which He would provide (vs. 34).
This is very similar to the promise of living water to the
Samaritan woman in John 4: 10.
We then find our statement.
This leads to a discourse where Jesus declares that He is the living
bread (John 6:51) and in difficult language He notes that if they are to
have everlasting life, they must eat His body and drink His blood.
His point was that they must
absorb Him into every aspect of their lives.
Some were unwilling to do that and followed Him no more.
b.
Application:
He is our sustainer.
Just as we need food to sustain us daily, we need Him to sustain us
spiritually. That means He becomes a part of who we are.
Philippians 1:21 where Paul said,
“For me to live is Christ, and to
die is gain.”
Galatians 2:20 also summarizes this, It is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me…”
This is also why we can take consolation in His promise as recorded in
Matthew 28:20
a.
Occasion:
Jesus gives sight to a man born blind.
He declares that in giving him sight, we see the works of God
revealed in Jesus thus declaring that He is the hope we need.
b.
John often addresses the
subject of light – light and darkness are contrasted.
John 1:5 & 3:19 – both declare how darkness did not comprehend His
light.
John 1:9 notes that Jesus was the “true
Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”
Previously (John 8:12), Jesus had
declared Himself the light of the world in contrast to the spiritual
blindness of the Jewish leaders. I believe that the response and actions
of Jesus as recorded in our text with healing the blind man, were to
physically illustrate His spiritual power to give us light.
John 12:35-46 again Jesus appeals to Himself as the light, being with
you only a little while longer.
They are compared to the goodness provided by and in God with the
evil of this world. Those
who reject God are rejecting the light.
c.
Application:
Jesus is our source of light in this dark world.
We need His guidance to navigate through the darkness around us.
AND let us not forget that we are to be light – Philippians 2:15,
Matthew 5:14-16
a.
Occasion:
We are not certain, but Jesus continues to teach.
Here He make analogy to a sheepfold and how He is the ONLY true
access. Jesus declares that
one needs to enter a sheepfold by the door.
To go any other way is to be a thief and a robber.
TRUE sheep follow the shepherd who enters by that door.
Then Jesus declares that He is the door of the sheep.
He notes that ALL who came before are thieves and robbers but
rejected by the sheep. Then
He declares that He is the entrance and all who go in through Him will
find salvation.
b.
The point Jesus is
making is to warn about those teaching a different way.
Many of the Jewish leaders had corrupted the truth in the LOM and
about Jesus. Those following
them were in danger.
c.
Application:
Jesus is our ONLY door to heaven.
Acts 4:12 declares there is no other name by which we might be
saved. Galatians 3:27 notes
that baptism puts us into Christ.
IF want to get to heaven, it will be through Jesus.
a.
Occasion:
The same, unspecified occasion Jesus continues His discourse.
He declares He is the good shepherd.
He genuinely cares about His sheep (others) and will even give
Himself for them. He
contrasts this with the motives of the selfish.
But later in the chapter we find Jesus at the Feast of Dedication in
winter where He is asked to declare plainly if He is the Christ.
He proceeds to discuss being a Shepherd and His sheep. His sheep,
wherever they are, will listen to Him.
To refuse to hear Him is to reject Him.
b.
Application:
He leads us like a shepherd.
1 Peter 5:4 describes Him as “the chief shepherd.”
We MUST listen to our Lord and let Him lead us.
This analogy was familiar to Israel.
Psalm 23 gives us a good picture of this.
Jesus loves us and cares for us as a good shepherd would do for
His flock. Jesus even
said in our text, in vs. 17-18, that He lays down His life for His
sheep. Later in the letter
we will read of Jesus saying, Greater love has no one than this, than to
lay down one’s life for his friends. (John 15:13).
Let us in this analogy realize how much He loves us.
BUT also, let us resolve to HEAR the True Shepherd.
We must listen to Him (Matthew 7:21-23).
a.
Occasion:
John 11 records the events surrounding the death and resurrection of
Lazarus, a dear friend of Jesus.
In the midst of a discussion with Martha, Lazarus’ brother, Jesus
makes this statement. He
then proceeds to raise Lazarus who had been dead now for 4 days.
b.
He was continuing to
prepare His disciples for His death.
By raising the dead, Jesus demonstrated great powers and should
have given hope as He continually reminded His disciples that He would
be raised from the dead.
c.
Application:
He gives us hope beyond this life.
If He arose, so will we.
There is so much attached for us attached to the resurrection of
Jesus. It is the foundation
of our hope and faith. It is
the foundation and exclusivity of Christianity.
That is why it is addressed continually in the NT.
There are more than 300 verses that deal with the resurrection.
1 Peter 1:3-5 – we have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus.
As Paul summarized in 1 Corinthians 15:19,
If in this life only we have hope
in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
This comes after declaring if
there is no resurrection our faith is futile and we are still in our
sins.
a.
Occasion:
Spoken as Jesus is teaching His apostles (cf. Matthew 26:20) on the
night of His betrayal.
In the midst of His teaching He
encourages His disciples to not lose heart even though He was about to
leave them. He gives them
further instructions that would lead them back to Him and a promise that
He would return. In the
midst of declaring where He will go (to heaven to prepare a place for
them), He declares 3 more statements about who “I am”
b.
Application:
Jesus is our only ACCESS to the heavenly Father.
And that means access to eternal life in heaven.
The way – He is the ONLY path to God – Ephesians 2:18 (see
analogy of the door above as well)
The truth – His message IS truth.
It is the only message that bring salvation – Acts 4:12, John
8:32
The life – His is a message that gives us eternal life – 1 John
5:11-12 (see above point)
All of these have been alluded to in previous declarations.
a.
Occasion:
Still a part of Jesus teaching His apostles as above.
Here Jesus is describing how they need to keep abiding in Him.
He says, “I am the vine and you are the branches” and calls for
them to bear fruit
b.
Application:
We need to abide in Him, and we need to be producing fruit. (We have
recently addressed this application, so here we will just mention it).
Just be reminded our hope is found IN Him – Ephesians 1:7.
Colossians 2:6-7 calls for us to “walk
in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith…”
a.
Occasion:
Jesus continues to interact with both disciples and skeptics, as well as
His opponents. He makes a
bold declaration as recorded in our verse.
That the religious leaders understood what He was claiming is
evident by the conversation that ensues. It leads to an even bolder
declaration in verse 58, where Jesus said, “Before
Abraham was, I AM.” That
expression traces itself back to Exodus 3:14 where God was speaking with
Moses at the burning bush and declared “I AM WHO I AM”.
They understood clearly Jesus was claiming deity and thus they
took up stones to execute Him.
But He passed through the midst of them.
b.
Jesus frequently alluded
to His deity. It is a
worthwhile study to consider the claims He made and how He proved these
things. John 8:23 – “I am from above” “I am not of
this world”
Mark 14:62, Luke 22:70 –
when asked at the Jewish trial to declare plainly if He was the Son of
God, He said, “I
am”. Worthy of note
is that this was ONLY when He was ready to declare such.
c.
Application:
Jesus IS God. Part of the
triune God of scripture. He
has declared His deity, as well as His love for us.
He made provisions so that our sins could be forgiven and we
might have hope beyond this life. That
is why we should:
i.
Look to Him to sustain
us
ii.
Look to His light for
guidance and let is shine
iii.
Look to Him as the ONLY
door to salvation
iv.
Look to Him as a
shepherd to guide, guard and protect us through this life.
v.
Look to Him in hope of
our resurrection, meaning that the sacrifices of this life are
worthwhile.
vi.
Look to Him as the ONLY
way through which we can come to the Father
vii.
Look to Him as the Vine
in which we must abide and bear fruit.
When we consider the “I am” claims of Jesus, we find our source of
eternal hope. And that is
why as He said in John 13:13 – “You
call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so
I am”, we ought to learn
from Him and make Him Lord of our lives.
What does He mean to you?
Think about it!