This week I wrote a third grade Bible lesson on the "I Am" statements of Jesus. I pulled out all my commentaries, Bible dictionaries, and word study books. I did some monster research on these 8 phrases (well actually only 7 for these purposes). God used those massive books to hit me upside the head with truth, truth that went straight from my head to my heart. Here are some things I learned:
- When Jesus reveals something about Himself, He demands a response, a reaction from us. If He is the Bread of Life, we must consume Him. We must "eat" Him. This consuming process happens through believing in Jesus Christ. If Jesus is the Good Shepherd, He must be listened to, trusted, and followed. If Jesus is the Light of the World, we must no longer walk in darkness. He demands a reaction.
- When Jesus reveals something about Himself, He draws our attention to what He has said before, so that when we make the connection, we stand in awe of Him. Each of the I Am statements is reminiscent of the desert experience. The phrase "I Am" comes from the burning bush in Exodus 3:14. He is also Bread=manna; Light= pillar of fire; Good Shepherd= Moses was called the good shepherd of Israel; Resurrection= the snake lifted up that brought life, The Way= pillar of cloud, The Truth= the law; The Life= I set before you this day life and death, choose life; The Vine= the grapes representative of the fertile land of Canaan.
- When Jesus reveals something about Himself, He shows off the character of God. God is Light, Life, and Truth. Surely, Jesus was not just a man. He was the Son of God, for His character is God's character.
- When Jesus reveals something about Himself, He presents those who would follow with unspeakable riches. When we follow Jesus, we get our spiritual hunger and thirst satisfied. We get guidance, protection, and direction. We get life itself.
He blew me away afresh with the Good Shepherd analogy. This relationship is one of intimacy. Jesus knows me by name. He loves me and cares for me. He cares for every single one of my needs. He lies across the entrance to the sheepfold, making Himself the Door, so that I won't wander away, and so that no enemy will wander in. He risks His life for me, He lays it down. A good shepherd will stand against thieves, robbers, and wild animals, with the risk that He could die, but with the confidence that He will prevail, for nothing will come against His sheep. Jesus loves me this way. I love it too that He calls me and leads me out. I do know His voice. I have heard Him call me. I will follow.
The other thing that blew me away was The Vine. He is the vine, I am the branch. If I remain in Him, I will bear much fruit. This word remain or abide is the verb form of dwelling place. That is what the Tabernacle was called, for God Himself would come down in all His glory and dwell with men. The God of the universe living with me. My friend Alaina described this as one of those huge old trees, the ones with big holes in them. We can go and make our home in the hole of that tree so that it is wrapped all around us. Likewise, we can dwell with Jesus as He completely surrounds us. The fruit mentioned in John 15 is greater trust, answered prayer, and love for each other. God has been giving me this fruit as the last several days He has taken me to new places of faith, prayer, and love.
So the conclusion of the matter is this I AM has overtaken my life so that it no longer matters who I am. He is the One who satisfies me, guides me, cares for me and protects me, calls me by name and leads me out, gives me eternal life that begins life. He is my life giving source. He is I AM.
No comments:
Post a Comment