Jesus said He is "I AM"

 

Jesus said He is "I AM"

Much of the Old Testament stories were pictures of Christ and are called types and shadows. Prior to Moses coming to deliver the Children of Israel from Egypt, he saw a bush that was burning but it did not burn up completely. As Moses drew closer a voice said, "Take off your shoes for you are standing on holy ground." Moses was intrigued, and asked, "Who are you and what do you want from me?" The voice told him he was to set the Jewish people free from their slavery and take them to the promised land.

Moses asked, "Who shall I say is sending me? What is your name?" God spoke to Moses and said, "I AM THAT I AM;” And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name LORD I was not known to them.

In the New Testament John's gospel, there are many times Jesus says he is "I AM."

One day as He was teaching Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Before Abraham was, I AM. John 8:58 Other times he likened himself to a symbol or illustration of who He is. We will view seven of these I AM's.

1. I AM The Bread of Life. Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life, He who comes to me shall never hunger spiritually.

2. I AM The Door. I am the door; whoever enters through me will be saved.

3. I AM the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)

4. I AM the Good Shepherd. The shepherd gives his life for his sheep.

5. I AM the Resurrection and the Life. Jesus offers us eternal life that begins when we invite Him into our life.

6. I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life. In John 6:44 He says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.' This is how we come to God. The Holy Spirit will use an incident in your life to speak to you.

7. I AM the True Vine and you are the branches to bare fruit.

   First we will examine the words of Jesus when He said: “I AM” the bread of Life. In John chapter 6 Jesus had just fed a multitude of people by multiplying a small lunch that a boy had contributed. His lunch consisted of 5 small barley biscuits and 2 small fish. When Jesus blessed the tiny lunch, he began to break it in pieces and place the pieces into some fishing baskets that were retrieved from the boat. As each disciple took a basket and began to distribute to the 5000 people - the food was increased so that everyone was fed to the full, and 12 baskets were left over.

   Afterwards Jesus wanted to be alone so he sent the disciples to take the boat and leave while he dismissed the people and went up on the mountain to pray.

   Soon he could view his disciples rowing frantically because of a storm so he went to them walking on the water. Naturally they were afraid and thought this must be a ghost. But Jesus spoke and said: It is I, don't be afraid, - I AM – stop being freightened and fearful. Here we see Jesus declaring he is “I AM” and is able to still the storms of life. Today, He desires to still the storms in our lives and Jesus continues to urge us NOT to FEAR, and to NOT BE AFRAID.

   When they arrived back at Capernaum the people knew the disciples had left Jesus on the mountain and now here he was with them, so they questioned how is it that you arrived here? Jesus knew their thoughts and that they were only interested in getting more bread so he told them: I know you came to get more bread to feed yourselves, but you must understand to come to me and you shall not hunger spiritually. Jesus continued by saying I am the bread that came down from heaven.

Jesus reminded the people, As the Children of Israel traveled in the desert towards the promised land, God gave them bread from heaven every morning. The people called it Manna. Upon rising, they were to find small kernels that fell with the dew. The taste was like wafers and honey. It could be ground to make bread and prepared other ways as their main diet. Jesus said, that the children of Israel ate the manna, but they died, but if you partake of me the bread from heaven, who offers you living bread, you shall have eternal life.

Jesus referred to Himself as the bread from Heaven. Jesus said, "I AM the bread of Life."

John 6: Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world …. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

To the people who were listening to Jesus this was confusing and they wondered about his teaching. It seemed strange and it was weird to them because they were only thinking in the Natural and Jesus was teaching them about Supernatural and spiritual things.

Jesus was speaking of his death, and how he would illustrate his death in the communion and what we refer to as the “Lord's Supper,” The bread and the cup of juice, refer to the flesh in his body was broken and his blood was shed for the sins of the world. However this was a mystery to the disciples and they did not understand and thought his message was strange. Others decided to leave Jesus and he asked his friends, will you leave me also?

Peter and the others said: To whom shall we go? No we are not leaving and we will follow you Jesus.

Today Jesus is asking if you will follow even if you don't understand everything for now. He asks that you not leave, but that you come onto him learn more about him daily.

As you read the Bible for yourselves you will find that Jesus is speaking to you through the words of the Bible. His desire is that you continue to seek Him daily.

Jesus continued in the gospel of John to explain more about his declaration “I AM”.

Jesus said; I AM the Door; There is a children's song you may have heard it; “One Door and Only one, and yet it's sides are TWO; inside and outside, on which side are you? One door and only one and yet it's sides are TWO, chose now to be on the inside which is the Lord's side for me and for you. - I changed the words a bit but they are good.

Jesus often spoke to the people with stories and one of his parables was about the Good Shepherd who will take the sheep to the door of the fold which is a safe place; but the sheep must enter in the door in order to be safe and cared for.

The people did not understand and so Jesus explained more by saying;

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, I AM the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. I am come that you might have life, and might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.

That is exactly what Jesus did, he gave His life for you and for me on the cross so that whosoever believes on Jesus, will have everlasting life - that begins the moment you invite Jesus into your life.

Jesus continued by saying: “I AM” the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

We are reminded that in the beginning: Genesis 1:4 says, “God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.”

It is good to realize that Jesus is the Light of the world, and all who are without Jesus in their lives, actually live in darkness. Being without Jesus and perhaps not understanding, or unaware of the darkness will leave a person wanting for something that cannot be produced on our own.

We can't save ourselves, and we come to the end of ourselves in frustration, hopelessness, and surrender our lives to Jesus who is the Light. He changes the darkness into light and causes us to have joy in our hearts regardless of our circumstances. When we walk through life in darkness we are empty. But With Christ Jesus, we have the absolute fullness of life because He is the Light of the world.

Jesus continued to say: “I AM” the Good Shepherd;

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

The 23^rd Psalms tells us about the Good Shepherd leading us sometimes in green pastures and still waters, but other times through tribulation and hard times. The promise is that Jesus our Good Shepherd will always be with us caring for us when we have invited him into our life.

Jesus continued by saying; “I AM” the Resurrection and the Life, He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”

Jesus spoke these words to Martha before raising Lazarus from the dead. No doubt many had come to see Martha, hugged and kissed her and said, “Your brother will rise again.” And now Jesus comes along and said the same thing “Your brother will rise again.” Jesus meant right then, as he called Lazarus from the grave, but Lazarus eventually died again. Jesus knew that even the final death did not keep Lazarus from going to heaven where Lazarus would live forever.

The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:20 “Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of them that slept.”

What Paul was telling us was that after Jesus rose from the dead he was the first person to receive his new body. This verse tells us that those who die and have accepted Jesus into their hearts, are promised a new body at the resurrection of the dead, and will be with Jesus forever.

Jesus continued saying “I AM” by declaring; “I AM” the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE.

On the last night before His betrayal and death, Jesus was preparing His disciples for the days ahead. For over three years, these men had been following Jesus and learning from His teaching and example. They had placed their hopes in Him as the Messiah, the promised deliverer, yet they still didn’t understand how He was going to accomplish that deliverance. After the Last Supper, Jesus began speaking about His departure, which led to questions from His disciples.

In John 13:33, Jesus said, “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.” This prompted Peter to ask where He was going (verse 36). Peter and the others did not understand that Jesus was speaking of His death and ascension to heaven. Jesus’ response was, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”

As Jesus patiently continued to teach His disciples, He began speaking more plainly about heaven, describing the place He was going to prepare for them (John 14:2-3. ) Then Jesus said, “You know the way to the place where I am going” (verse 4). Speaking for the others, Thomas said they did not know where He was going, so how could they know how to follow Him there? It was in answer to this question that Jesus uttered one of the seven famous “I am” statements.

John 14:  "I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

The way – Jesus used the definite article to distinguish Himself as “the only way.”

A way is a path or route, and the disciples had expressed their confusion about where He was going and how they could follow. As He had told them from the beginning, Jesus was again telling them (and us) “follow me.” There is no other path to heaven, no other way to the Father. Peter stated this truth later to the rulers in Jerusalem, saying about Jesus, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus is the only path to salvation and is expressed in the words “I am the way.”

The truth – Again Jesus used the definite article to emphasize Himself as “the only truth.” Psalm 119:142 says, “Your law is the truth.”

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminded His listeners of several points of the Law, then said, “But I say unto you I have come to fulfill the Law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17) Jesus, as the incarnate Word of God (John 1:1) and He is the source of all truth.

The life – Jesus had just been telling His disciples about His impending death, and now He was claiming to be the source of all life. In John 19:17-18, Jesus declared that He was going to lay down His life for His sheep, and then take it back again. He spoke of His authority over life and death as being granted to Him by the Father. In John 14:19, He gave the promise that “because I live, you also will live.” Jesus offers a true deliverance from a life of bondage to sin and death - - to a life of freedom and eternal life that begins the moment you invite Jesus into your life.  

Jesus said that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  In these words, Jesus was declaring Himself the great “I AM,” as the only path to heaven, the only true measure of righteousness, and the source of both physical and spiritual life. 

The last "I AM" we will consider today is:

“I AM” the True Vine and you are the branches to bare fruit.

Jesus went on to remove any misunderstanding about what He meant (John 15:4). He said that no branch can even live, let alone produce leaves and fruit, by itself. Cut off from the trunk, a branch is dead. Just as a vine’s branches receive their energy to bear fruit by being connected to the trunk. Those who follow Jesus’ must depend on being connected to Him for their spiritual life and the ability to serve Him effectively.

The fruit we produce is that of the Holy Spirit; namely; — love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Our source of life and spiritual fruit is not in ourselves; it is outside us, in Christ Jesus. We can live, live rightly, and serve Him effectively only if we are rightly connected to Him in a personal relationship.

It is interesting to note that in the garden on the day Jesus was betrayed, Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I AM he.” When Jesus said these words to them, “I AM he,” they drew back and His powerful words “I AM” caused them to fall to the ground.  When they had recovered themselves, Jesus asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I AM he, I will go with you willingly.

So we find Jesus declaring that he was the Same “I AM” who spoke to Moses, and that he is not only The Bread of Life, The Door of Salvation, The Light of the World, The Good Shepherd, The resurrection and the Life, He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and He is the Vine and has provided the way for you to be a branch of this vine and bare fruit.

Not only is Jesus all of these but he is the Savior who died for you and for me. If you have not already done so, today is a good time to invite Jesus the giver of eternal life into your heart by telling him you believe all the words in this message and you now ask him to come into your heart and life and your desire is to follow Him all the days of your life.