Jesus made eight clear I am statements in the Gospel of John. Was he simply stirring the proverbial pot, or did he have a specific reason for making those "I am" statements?
Why did Jesus make these often controversial I AM statements?
The I AM statements of Jesus were a continuation of what God said to Moses. God told Moses, "I am that I am." Jesus contributed to this divine revelation through his I AM statements.
The statements I am of Jesus
- I am the bread of life
- I am the light of the world
- Before Abraham was I AM
- The door
- The Good Shepherd
- resurrection and life
- The way, the truth and the life.
- the true vine
Jesus never apologized for telling the unvarnished truth. He simply explained the case to him without further explanation. Wisdom was imparted to the listeners and He allowed them to accept or reject it.
The Church is still struggling with some of these I AM statements. Jesus made the statement and moved on.
I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE
Juan 6:48-51I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate manna in the desert, and died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven for everyone to eat and not die. I am the living bread come down from heaven; Whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is also my flesh.
Jesus encouraged the crowd while correcting them at the same time. Many followed him, at least to this point, because of the miracle of the fish and the loaves of bread. Despite his wrong motives, He continued to advance in teaching him.
Jesus made it very clear that he was the means to obtain eternal life. This "bread" was available not only to the Jews but to the whole world.
He continued his teaching with the summary: "Eat my flesh and drink my blood," which caused many disciples to stop following him (John 6:66). Jesus never tried to draw a crowd.
I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Juan 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again and said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but he will have the light of life."
Light drives out darkness. Imagine the darkest, most cavernous place you can imagine. Even a simple match, flashlight or cell phone would prevent darkness.
Darkness is no match for light.
Darkness is banished when we walk with Jesus. The more we follow it, the greater the intensity of the light in our lives. It also means that even minor offenses and seemingly insignificant sins are magnified.
We will find even our most mundane and trivialsinsbe upsetting and painful when the light of Jesus shines in our hearts.
BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS, I AM
Juan 8:58 Jesus said to them: Truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.
This proclamation by Jesus really brought the religious establishment to a boil! As soon as these words were out of his mouth, they took up stones to kill him for blasphemy (John 8:59).
In essence, Jesus made himself equal to God when he said, "Before Abraham was, I AM." Sproul explains the divinity of Christ. It may seem semantic, but I appreciate the clarity of it.
I AM THE GATE
Juan 10:7-10 Then Jesus said to them again: “Truly I tell you, I am the gate of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came so that they may have life and have it to the full.
I am often asked if the Bible is to be taken literally, which is a great question. In some cases the Bible is to be taken literally and in other cases it is not to be taken literally.
Obviously, Jesus is not a literal door. So what could this text really mean?
The doors are not wide and huge. Most gates are narrow and restrictive. Doors are entrances to different places. Jesus is that point of entry to the sheep.
When we enter through Jesus, we are saved and find spiritual nourishment. The doors that exclude Jesus are built by thieves, criminals and bandits.
Too many Christians believe that the "thief" mentioned in John 10:10 is the devil, but he is not. Read the tenth chapter of the gospel of John in its entirety and not just John 10:10.
I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Juan 10:14 I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and my sheep know me.just as the father knows me and I know the father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.
It is imperative that we be recognized by Jesus. In my opinion, the scariest scripture in the Bible isMateo 7:21-23. In this text, people were sure that they would be safe in heaven. However, Jesus admitted that he had never met them and told them to leave.
Sheep often know the voice of their shepherd. They recognize the tone, height, and undertones of their pastor. Someone who was not a shepherd could give the exact same command as the shepherd, and the sheep would not move.
We in the church should have a similar attitude towards our Good Shepherd.
I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE
Juan 11:25 Jesus said to him: I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even if he dies.
Lazarus's death was tragic and triumphant at the same time. Jesus was fully aware that Lazarus was sick and dying. Mary, Martha, and even Jesus experienced legitimate pain during this time.
The shortest verse in the Bible, John 11:35, succinctly affirms the humanity of Jesus. Jesus knew that Lazarus would rise from the dead. Despite this knowledge, he shared the pain with María and Marta.
Death was no match for Jesus.
Jesus, true God and true man, specifically addressed Lazarus and ordered him out of the tomb. Those of us who believe in Christ can hold on to the promise that Jesus made to Martha.
Juan 11:25-26Jesus said to him: “I am the resurrection and the life; He who believes in me will live even if he dies, and he who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you think he?"
Do you think he?
I'M THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE
Juan 14:6 Jesus said to him: I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.
This Scripture has recently been pushed into the general conversation. Scholars, academics and even some preachers question the truth and even occasionally attack the truth that Jesus is THE WAY.
Many Christians now get their theology from talk shows and podcasts that rebuke God. Oprah's Gospel points out that there are a million ways to God, not just one. Steve Harvey also seems to have created a new gospel.
None of these are consistent with Scripture and must be considered false gospel.
Jesus is clearly THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE. No one comes to the Father except through Jesus. Don't lose ground on this issue. Stand firm and fight for the faith!
FINAL DECLARATION I AM - I AM THE TRUE VINE
Juan 15:1-2 “I am the true vine and my father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that bears no fruit, he takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, he prunes it so that it bears more fruit.
I have never worked in a vineyard, but I haveObstbauernhof. The pruning of good trees and apparent vine branches is a matter of routine. Bad branches are removed and destroyed and good branches are pruned to improve future growth.
The life of a disciple of Christ, even at its best, will involve at least some pain and discomfort; it's just part of the process.
Jesus is the true vine and we are the branches. Are we, the branches, bearing fruit or are we simply taking up space and abusing nutrients?
It is important that we remain in Him. In our permanence we can bear much fruit. Let us be fruitful and bless the Church of the living God!
Juan 15:5I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.
If we remain, we bear fruit, and without Christ we can do nothing. I prefer fruit!
And you?
blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
FAQs
What are the I am statements of Jesus? ›
- I am the bread of life. 6:35, 48, 51.
- I am the light of the world. 8:12; 9:5.
- I am the door of the sheep. 10:7, 9.
- I am the good shepherd. 10:11, 14.
- I am the resurrection and the life. 11:25.
- I am the way, the truth, and the life. 14:6.
- I am the true vine.
Elsewhere in John's gospel, Jesus made seven profound “I am” statements (“I am the bread of life … the light of the world … the gate [for the sheep] … the Good Shepherd … the resurrection and the life … the way, the truth and the life … the true vine …”).
What did God mean when he said I am that I am? ›Based on such readings, Yahweh has commonly been interpreted as a statement of God's self-existence or aseity, terms theologians use to indicate that God had no beginning and does not depend for continued existence on anything other than his own self.
What are the proofs of Jesus divinity? ›The Savior's birth, ministry, atoning sacrifice, Resurrection, and promised coming all bear witness to His divinity. There are fundamental truths about our Lord which we must believe if we are to consider ourselves truly His disciples.
What do the I am statements mean? ›Jesus' "I Am" Statements. In the gospel of John, Jesus offers eight word pictures to help understand his identity. These names Jesus chose for himself throughout his ministry matter because they connect him to God.
Where in the Bible does Jesus say I am the? ›Jesus told His disciples in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The “I am” here is the first of seven self descriptions of Jesus introduced by “I am” and echoes Exodus 3:14, where God said, “I am who I am — tell them the 'I am' has sent me (Moses) to you.”
What phrase is repeated 365 times in the Bible? ›That's a daily reminder from God to live every day being fearless.
How many times did Jesus say to forgive? ›That's how many times the Bible tells us we should forgive someone. Matthew 18: 21-22 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Does Jesus say I am the son of God? ›For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 16:15–17). In Matthew 27:43, while Jesus hangs on the cross, the Judean leaders mock him to ask God help, "for he said, I am the Son of God", referring to the claim of Jesus to be the Son of God.
What does God call himself? ›Yahweh is the principal name in the Old Testament by which God reveals himself and is the most sacred, distinctive and incommunicable name of God.
Is Yahweh the same as I am? ›
Of course these are two different forms of the same word, but they represent two distinct "names". The God who calls himself "I AM" is the God who is to be addressed by the people of Israel as "HE IS". But neither of these sounds like a name in translation.
What did God mean when he said Be still and know that I am God? ›“Be still and know that I am God,” the first half of Psalms 46:10, is a popular verse used to encourage believers to be still and silent before the Lord. This interpretation promotes a healthy rest in the presence of the Lord.
What is the meaning of divinity of Jesus? ›The true significance of the divinity of Christ lies in the fact that his achievement is prophetic and promissory for every other true son of man who is willing to submit his will to the will and spirit og God. Christ was to be only the prototype of one among many brothers.
What is the divinity of God? ›What is Divinity? Divinity refers to the quality or nature of God's being. In Christianity, divinity belongs to God alone. Orthodox Christians believe that Jesus is divine as well as human. Jesus is God and man, and the second person of the Trinity; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Is Jesus a human or divine? ›The Bible teaches us that Jesus is both human and divine; not half man and half God but fully man and fully God. When Jesus became man he did not become any less God. When he died on the cross, and rose from the dead, he was no less human.
How many times did God say I am the Lord? ›However, when the Bible says over 150 times that he is the Lord our God, we need to understand God hasn't changed, even though our culture has.
Where 2 or 3 are in my name I Jesus am? ›"For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them" (Matthew 18:20).