Tuesday
was my last devotion for coop on the “I am” statements of Jesus.
We started out singing “I Am the Resurrection and the Life” and
then summarized:
The
first one is the bread of life. Jesus said to
them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not
hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” John 6:35
Jesus
can completely satisfy us. I know that sometimes I struggle with
running to food, or people, or entertainment (a good story or movie)
when I should be going to God. But this verse says that Jesus can
satisfy us – we will not hunger or thirst. Jesus can satisfy our
spiritual hunger.
The
next “I am” is in John 8: “I am the light of the world. Whoever
follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of
life.” Later in John 8 Jesus says,“If you abide in my word, you
are truly my disciples, 32
and
you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The
truth sets us free from the darkness of our sin.
Jesus
makes an incredible claim in John 8:58: “Truly, truly, I say to
you, before Abraham was, I am.”
“I
am” was a name God used for Himself in the Old Testament. By saying
this, Jesus was claiming to be God and is therefore worthy of all
worship, honor, glory, and praise! He is the only man in all of
history who could make this declaration, because He is the only one
who is truly God!
In
John 10 Jesus says, “9
I
am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in
and out and find pasture. 10
The
thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may
have life and have it abundantly.”
There
was only one door for the sheepfold. Jesus is the only way to be
saved and find pasture. Jesus can provide for all of our needs like
the pasture – the place where the sheep had their needs met. Jesus
came that we may have life abundantly!
Later
in John 10 Jesus says, “11
I
am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the
sheep...14
I
am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15
just
as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life
for the sheep.”
Jesus
tells Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes
in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26
and
everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe
this?”
Resurrection
implies death. Jesus showed his power over death by raising Lazarus
from the dead. Then he himself died for us and rose again. When he
died, he took on all our sin and the guilt of our sin and we took on
his righteousness. Amazing!
Jesus
makes an incredibly exclusive statement in John 14: “I am the way,
and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me.”
Jesus
is the only way to God, the only way to heaven. One can't get there
following any other religion or even trying to do good things to earn
their way there. Jesus is the way and the only way.
Finally,
in John 15 Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the
vinedresser...4
Abide
in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself,
unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in
me. 5 I
am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him,
he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do
nothing.”
There
is a huge contrast between those who remain in the vine and bear much
fruit, and those who don't remain in the vine. They “can do
nothing” and wither and die. We need to stay connected to our
source of life, Jesus, and daily be receiving our sustenance from
him.
If
we believe in Jesus, we should “bear much fruit and so prove to be
his disciples.” If not, than why not believe today?
Romans
10:9 states, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be
saved.”
John
15 says, “8
By
this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to
be my disciples.”
