I AM
The four Gospels in the New Testament give accounts of Jesus’ earthly ministry and teachings. They are internally consistent though much different in focus, audience, and end goals. Three, known as Synoptics, look to be more chronological accounts, though each has its own particular slant for what the author is intending to communicate and to whom that communication is going. And then there is John’s gospel. In a sense, John’s gospel stands alone from the other three.
Each gospel writer has a particular audience in mind along with a purpose. Mark is writing to Romans and seeks to show Jesus as the true king through a juxtaposition of the Via Dolorosa with the crowning of a Caesar in Rome. Matthew is writing to a Jewish audience to show His true Messiahship and love for the rejected. Luke writes an ordered account perhaps meant to be read in line with the synagogue weekly readings. John writes to a mix of Roman and Jewish people intending to show the divinity of Jesus.
In much the way the ten plagues in Egypt each hit at one of the main false gods of their belief system, John uses the seven “I AM” statements of Jesus to show Christ as greater than both the Greco-Roman deity system and the first century Jewish cultural religiosity. For today, these same statement speak to the very things often found to be anxiety inducing and worrisome. Even now, the Bible is speaking directly to daily issues of life.
Seven “I AM” Statements
These unique statements declare Jesus’ divine identity. Each statement uses the same phrasing as when Moses asks God what His name is in case the Israelites don’t believe he was sent by Him. There is an unmistakable reality in each one that Jesus has the authority to speak in such a way and His existence is both divine and human. John’s use of the statements not only reveals this divine nature, but they also speak to specific constant issues of life. The seven statements are:
Bread of Life
Light of the World
Door of the Sheep
Good Shepherd
Resurrection and the Life
The Way, the Truth, and the Life
True Vine
These statements addressed and challenged the real life situations of the first-century Greeks, Romans, and Jewish people. They each hit at core parts of their societal identity and points the hearer back to Jesus. These same statements still speak today.
Bread of Life
Ever worry about what you will eat? How you will survive? It is a question of provision. Will you have enough? What exactly is “enough” is really a different discussion for a different day. Jesus is telling you that His provision is enough. He is God who provided manna for the Israelites in the wilderness. He can make sure you have chicken strips.
Light of the World
Ever found yourself worrying about direction? Where to go? How to get there? Jesus illuminates the path. There are a lot of difficult decisions, challenging choices, and foggy factors out there. Jesus is safe harbor. Trust His light.
Door of the Sheep
Ever faced unexpected transitions in life? What about the uncertainty of known and planned transitions? Your youngest graduates high school. The nest empties. You welcome a new child into the family. It is endless. Transitions and change cause worry. Jesus is the guide that can walk through it. He is the door from what is becoming past and what is now present.
Good Shepherd
Ever been afraid? Worried about a potential situation? Jesus is a guide towards safety. Think of Psalm 23. Jesus may have to take you through the harsh terrain to bring you to the green pasture, but He doesn’t leave you. He is with you. He hasn’t forgotten you, or abandoned you.
Resurrection and the Life
Ever faced health issues? Worried about death and beyond? Jesus is a healer. But healing doesn’t happen every time. Sometimes it is delayed. Sometimes it never shows. It doesn’t mean Jesus has failed, but that He has a bigger story to tell. You can continue to trust Him through everything.
The Way, the Truth, and the Life
Ever had to figure out what is true? It is likely a much shorter list than it is made out to be in the world. Jesus is the basis of all that is really true in the world. He is the source. Jesus is our ultimate guide for life because He is all of these things.
True Vine
Ever considered your source? Thought through what drives you? What your passion is? Jesus is the trunk from which you spring. He is the true source. Detached from the source you will wither and fall away. Lots of things in the world compete to be your source. Jesus is the only one that brings real life to you. True life. Full purpose and existence. Only Him.
John’s “I AM” statements simultaneously challenge every area of life today. Each points back to Jesus as the true and real life-giving reality in a world that often wants everything except Jesus. But where is your life focused right now? Are you trusting God’s story? Or looking to build your own on the sand?