A Visionary View of The Seven "I Am" Statements of Jesus
Today I want us to consider the seven powerful "I Am" statements of Jesus found in the Gospel of John.
These statements reveal deep spiritual truths about who Jesus is and what He offers to each of us.
May we open our hearts and minds to these life-changing revelations which offer us invaluable insight into the nature of our Lord and the blessings that await those who believe in Him.
"I Am the Bread of Life" (John 6:35)
John 6:35 (New Living Translation) Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Why Would Jesus Use the Analogy of Bread for Himself?
Jesus spoke in terms, parables, and analogies most could understand.
Especially in the light of Passover, Jesus knew the Jewish leaders and God’s people would understand His reference to bread.
Their understanding of exactly what He meant, however, was divinely appointed.
Through the relation of hunger, a physical need, Jesus explained the recalculation of our every desire - not just for physical food but spiritual - to be satisfied in Him.
The Israelites in the desert were required to trust God daily for manna, their literal daily bread.
Jesus is imploring believers to put full confidence in Him, trusting He will provide wisdom that leads to true satisfaction.
Jesus is the only way to the Father.
Jesus’ earthly life was dedicated to executing the will of His Father.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian church in Philippians 2:5-8 “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”
Christ took on human skin and was crucified to eliminate the separation between God and His people.
The key thing we need to understand here is this is not about Jesus’ repairing the relationship of God and every person who has ever lived – this is about reconciling the people whom the Heavenly Father has given into Jesus’ care to Himself.”
Consider a weary traveller, lost and hungry, stumbling upon a grand feast. Just as physical bread sustains our bodies, Jesus, as the Bread of Life, sustains our souls. When we come to Him, we find spiritual nourishment and everlasting fulfilment.
God is the supplier of divine bread, and whoever eats of it will live forever. Every word Jesus spoke on earth carried precise weight and meaning.
This important Scripture defines our need to trust the Living Word to satisfy our physical bodies, heart and soul.
God is our Provider, and Jesus is the Bread of Life.
John recorded Jesus’ promise that all who freely accept this bread will no longer hunger.
The first of the “I am” statements of Jesus, which solidify His nature as fully God and fully man is
“I am the bread of life,” which describes the way we find full satisfaction in and through Christ alone.
This statement emphasizes the profound spiritual nourishment Jesus provides.
"I Am the Light of the World" (John 8:12)
John 8:12 (New Living Translation) Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
The statement “I am the light of the world,” is grounded in Jesus’ relationship with His Father.
The author and preacher John Piper stated:
“Jesus speaks from God and for God and as God.”
Apart from Jesus, we live in darkness. We have limited capacity to understand who we are or what we see in the world.
The writer Aimee Joseph put it this way:
“The beauty of our humanity is still evident, but ugliness abounds.”
Imagine walking in the pitch-black darkness and then suddenly encountering a brilliant, radiant light. Jesus, as the Light of the World, dispels the darkness of sin and ignorance. When we follow Him, we are led into the path of eternal life, illuminated by His divine truth.
John Piper said “The light of Christ is the brightness of God shining on the retina of the human soul.”
Life can be wonderful on earth, but not fully complete without Jesus.
We are all created to crave the Creator, our Father, and only through a relationship with our Saviour Jesus can the dark parts of our hearts brighten.
To quote Aimee Joseph again, “When I admit I am not enough, I’m freed to run and cling to the God who is.”
Jesus consistently focused on linking Himself to the Father. The Greek word for light in this verse is phos, defined as the light; anything emitting light; light, i.e. brightness.
God profoundly states, “I am.”
Light is part of who He is. Subtle but powerful.
Each day, the sun rises to warm, illuminate, and provide growth on earth.
The moon and stars light the night, serving as navigators long before smartphones.
We reach for the light-switch when we enter a dark room, and we depend on our accumulation of knowledge to shed light on our lives.
Light permeates into every crack and crevice of our lives and beings, whether visible, tangible in regard to warmth, or metaphorically enlightening.
The origin of phos describes how light makes manifest, evident, exposed or clear.
Light is required for any vegetation to grow, and the light clarifies the human spirit.
Christ was present at the creation of the world. The Author of Light has the authority to illuminate His creation in its truest form.
Jesus saying He is the Light of the world is the outer recognition of His Father’s creation and presence, and the inward dwelling of the Holy Spirit, by which we know our Father and walk with Jesus. Jesus is the Light of the world, our world, and in the world. Like God is omnipresent, so Jesus is Light. Through Him and His sacrificial death on the cross, we are exposed to the light and of our sins.
Matthew Henry wrote: Christ is the Light of the world. God is light, and Christ is the image of the invisible God. One sun enlightens the whole world; so does one Christ, and there needs no more.
Light is the opposite of Dark, in John 8:12, the word translated as darkness is the Greek word skotia, defined as the darkness due to the absence of light and it is used to describe an ignorance of divine things.
Skotia is a word that is associated with wickedness, and the resultant misery in hell.
Genesis 1:4 says, “God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.”
Jesus is the Light of the world, and all who are separate or far from Him live in darkness.
Being separate, ignorant, or unaware of the dark leaves us wanting for something we cannot produce on our own.
We come to the end of ourselves in frustration, hopelessness, or an aloof sense of happiness and joy, when we traverse through life in darkness.
But, with Christ, we have the absolute fullness of life.
The light of Christ should ignite our passion for worship and lead us out of spiritual darkness.
"I Am the Door(Gate)" (John 10:9)
Scripture: John 10:9 (New Living Translation) "Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures."
The Greek word ‘thoo'-rah’ is most often translated in our Bibles as Door or Gate – the literal meaning of thoo-rah is opening or entrance.
If you think about it there is an important difference in meaning here.
A door or gate can be shut or closed.
Jesus refers to Himself as the opening or entrance.
In John 10:7 Jesus used the same word, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate (the entrance) for the sheep.”
Again in John 10:9 he said “Yes, I am the gate (the entrance). Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.
The words of Jesus would have resounded with meaning to those listening to him in their context and time.
Those words would have been scandalous to the religious rulers of His day, His declaration is one of safety to all who will enter into His care, it is an open offer to all who will choose to repent and enter into a relationship with Him as Lord and Saviour.
The gate or door is not shout to those who willingly take the step of faith.
Let’s consider the biblical concept of Shepherd-King in order to better understand the depth of what this means.
Woven through Scripture many men of God worked both as sheep tenders and leaders of people.
Political and religious rulers were often referred to as shepherds.
In fact, many Old Testament leaders served as shepherds on the hills of Israel and Judah. Jacob, Moses, and David cared for flocks before leading God’s people.
Envision a secure and protective gate that safeguards against danger and provides access to safety. Jesus is the Door, the entrance to salvation and abundant life.
When we enter through Him, we experience not only security but also spiritual abundance and life eternal.
Biblical history recounts God shepherding His people through His designated leaders.
David fulfilled the prophecy to become the shepherd line through which the Messiah Good Shepherd would one day be King.
Jesus’ statement, “I am the Entrance” reflected Eastern customs of towns gathering scattered flocks into one common sheepfold.
Shepherds either took turns to guard or were designated as gatekeepers.
They stayed with the sheep throughout the night, protecting the fold from predators and robbers.
A gatekeeper then served as a type of doorway or entrance often spending the night prone across the narrow entrance to the sheepfold.
When we enter through the Door, our lives are transformed, and we find a new depth of worship and spiritual vitality.
This logically leads us onto -
"I Am the Good Shepherd" (John 10:11)
Scripture: John 10:11 (New Living Translation) "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices His life for the sheep."
Although the title, Good Shepherd, is only found in the New Testament, Jesus was intentionally reaching into the Old Testament with His words.
When Jesus claimed to be the good shepherd, he was speaking to the Pharisees who claimed to know the scriptures.
The book of Ezekiel is a prophecy regarding shepherds and sheep.
This prophecy is regarding shepherds that were overseers for the people of God, and another shepherd that was to come later.
The shepherd to come later was the Messiah that Israel was waiting for.
By calling himself the good shepherd, Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah that the scriptures foretold.
The prophecy in Ezekiel 34 was not kind to the overseer shepherds.
Ezekiel 34:2-3 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep?
Ezekiel 34:7-10 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, you abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. And though you were my shepherds, you didn’t search for my sheep when they were lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I now consider these shepherds my enemies, and I will hold them responsible for what has happened to my flock. I will take away their right to feed the flock, and I will stop them from feeding themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths; the sheep will no longer be their prey.
Jesus was called the Good Shepherd because he called himself the good shepherd in the Gospel of John. His claim to this title is not casual by any means. In fact, Jesus’ claim to be the Good Shepherd has a meaning that is both deep and wide.
In Psalm 23:1 David declared “The Lord is my shepherd”
God often refers to Himself as the shepherd of His people. He refers to His people as His sheep and the sheepfold as those possessing eternal life.
The imagery of sheep following a shepherd was well-known and common to see.
Ezekiel 34:31, “You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
Biblical history recounts God shepherding His people through His designated leaders.
David fulfilled the prophecy to become the shepherd line through which the Messiah Good Shepherd would one day be King.
Think of a devoted shepherd who tirelessly cares for his flock, even at the risk of his own life. Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, epitomizes this sacrificial love. He guides, protects, and provides for His sheep.
The love of the Good Shepherd makes our journey of faith not only possible but also joyful and secure.
"I Am the Resurrection and the Life" (John 11:25)
John 11:25 (New Living Translation) "Jesus told her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.'"
To put this verse in context, Lazarus was dead, and Martha had gone to see Jesus, her sister Mary was at home full of grief. Then Jesus declared himself to be the Resurrection and the Life.
In every sense he is the Resurrection; the source, the substance, the cause of it.
Visualize a desolate field suddenly bursting with vibrant life. Jesus, as the Resurrection and the Life, offers the hope of eternal life even in the face of physical death. Believing in Him brings the promise of everlasting life and a renewed existence.
In simple terms, when someone who has been saved by Jesus dies, they will be happy in the afterlife.
And after the resurrection, both their physical body and their soul will be protected from all harm forever.
When we read or hear the teachings of Jesus about the amazing things that will happen in the next life, we should ask ourselves, "Do we truly believe this?"
If we really believed in the eternal things as we should, the challenges and joys of this current life wouldn't affect us as deeply as they do.
When our Master, Christ, comes, He calls for us. He reaches out to us through His teachings and through the rituals of the church, inviting us to come closer to Him.
Those who, during times of peace, humble themselves to learn from Jesus can, with confidence, turn to Him in times of trouble to seek His favour and comfort.
Jesus, as the Resurrection and the Life, establishes our character and secures our eternal destiny.
"I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6)
John 14:6 (New Living Translation) "Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.'"
Imagine having a trustworthy guide leading you through life's winding paths. Jesus is the Way to God, the Truth that sets us free, and the Giver of eternal Life. Through Him, we find not only direction but also liberation and eternal life.
Christ will complete what He started.
If He has prepared a place for us, He will prepare us for it as well.
Christ is the way for sinners to reach the Father and heaven. He does this through His divine presence, His sacrifice for our sins, and as our intercessor.
Jesus embodies the truth by fulfilling all the prophecies about a Saviour.
By believing in Him, sinners come to God.
Jesus is the source of life, and through His life-giving Spirit, those who were spiritually dead are made alive.
No one can approach God as a Father unless they are made alive by Christ and taught by Him to come to God through Him.
Through Christ, our prayers reach God, and His blessings come to us. He is the path that leads to rest, the ancient and proven way.
Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.
Those who believed in Christ saw the Father in Him.
In Christ's teachings, they saw God as the source of wisdom and in His miracles, they saw God's power.
Christ's perfect life reflected the holiness of God.
We are to believe in the revelation of God through Christ because the works of the Redeemer reveal His glory and God's presence in Him.
Our faith in Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life makes all things possible, while His love makes our journey easy and joyful.
"I Am the Vine" (John 15:5)
John 15:5 (New Living Translation) "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing."
Visualize a lush vineyard producing abundant fruit. Jesus, as the Vine, connects us to the source of spiritual nourishment and productivity. When we abide in Him, we bear fruit that glorifies God and blesses others.
Jesus Christ is like a vine, the true vine. The combination of His human and divine natures, along with the fullness of the Spirit within Him, is like the root of a vine, nourished by rich soil.
We, the believers, are like branches connected to this Vine. The root is unseen, and our life is hidden with Christ. He sustains us, providing us with nourishment and support. Just as branches of a vine, though many, all connect at the root, real Christians, even if they are physically distant or have different opinions, are united in Christ.
Believers are like vine branches, often weak and unable to stand on their own.
God the Father is like the caretaker of the vineyard, watching over His church with great wisdom and care.
Our purpose is to be fruitful. Just as we expect grapes from a vine, we should expect a Christ-like character, disposition, and way of life from a Christian. This glorifies God.
Those who remain unfruitful will be removed, and even fruitful branches require pruning. Christ has promised to aid in the sanctification of believers.
The word of Christ applies to all believers, and it possesses a cleansing power.
It produces grace and eliminates corruption.
The more fruitful we are, the more we abound in goodness, bringing greater glory to our Lord.
To be fruitful, we must remain in Christ, maintaining a connection through faith.
It is crucial for all disciples of Christ to continually depend on Him and maintain communion with Him.
Real Christians know from experience that any interruption in their faith weakens their holiness, revives their sinful tendencies, and diminishes their comfort.
Those who do not remain in Christ, despite outward appearances, will ultimately wither away.
For withered branches, the fire is the only fitting place, as they serve no other purpose.
Let us seek to live simply by relying on the fullness of Christ and to become more fruitful in every good word and deed.
This way, our joy in Him and His salvation will be complete.
This "I Am" statement emphasizes the vital and transformative connection between Christ and His followers.
Applying the "I Am" Statements to Our Lives
In conclusion, these "I Am" statements of Jesus are more than mere declarations; they are profound revelations of His divine nature and purpose.
They invite us to experience Christ in transformative ways and to share in the blessings He offers.
We should allow these "I Am" statements, to shape our faith and walk with our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Some questions to us reflect on:
Are we coming to Jesus, the Bread of Life, for spiritual nourishment?
Are we following Jesus, the Light of the World, to walk in His illuminating truth?
Are we entering through Jesus, the Door, to find salvation and abundance?
Are we trusting Jesus, the Good Shepherd, for guidance, protection, and provision?
Are we believing in Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, for the hope of eternal life?
Are we walking with Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, to find our way to the Father?
Are we abiding in Jesus, the Vine, to produce fruit that honours God?
Call to Action:
As we leave this place today, let us carry these "I Am" statements of Jesus in our hearts.
Let us strive to live as those who have encountered the Bread of Life, walked in the Light of the World, entered through the Door of salvation, followed the Good Shepherd, believed in the Resurrection and the Life, walked in the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and abided in the Vine.
Let us be transformed by these truths and share them with a world in need of the Saviour. Let us walk as living testimonies to the profound impact of Christ in our lives. Amen.
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the profound "I Am" statements of Jesus. May these truths deeply impact our lives and draw us closer to our Saviour. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
