The Seven I Am Statements of John - Essay Example

The Seven “I Am” Statements of John The opening chapters of the Book of John describe the ministry of God by means of John’s discerning employment of the seven “I Am” statements of Jesus Christ, as well as the seven discourses. From the aloof, lifeless, and drained way of man’s religious conviction towards an active and jubilant relationship humanity is saved by the grace of God, not through our individual pointless works, into His unbelievable nurture and provision. Christians who contend of the Lord as merely an illustrious man who in no way alleged to be God need to challenge His startling statements to the Scribes and Pharisees of Jerusalem when they were rebuking Jesus Christ in the temple (Morris 37). Hence, this paper will look at the seven “I Am” statements of Jesus, and will elaborate on the following points: (1) where do these statements occur; (2) the significance of these statements; (3) how do these statements fit into the Gospel of John; and (4) are there old testament contexts of them. New International Version (John 6:35) states “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” This particular statement reveals a significant contextual reference from the Old Testament. The Bible says, “Then the Lord says to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way, I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.’” (NIV, Exodus 16: 4). Further, Exodus 16:13-18 underscores not just God’s mere provision for human needs but also to deliver lesson pertaining to “the bread of life” that the world badly needs to hear today (Wiersbe 29).The statement was intended to serve as a representation of the Messiah. Any person who consumes and takes Him will lose notion of spiritual hunger. Just like the Manna that was talked about in Exodus 16, everyone who will look for Him will definitely find Him; nevertheless, a binding between humanity and God should be initially established. The Lord said in John 15:27-71 that He affords the world with the bread of life, and that bread of life is Jesus Christ who will soon bring order and peace to the world, and would eventually reunite the sinful world back to Him (29). This posits a subtle point that what the world needs is Jesus, and that He is the only bread of life (29). The next “I Am” statement can be found in John 8:12-59. John’s scriptural and circumstantial objective is to demonstrate that Jesus came to be the light of the world (Lavin 21; Wiersbe 47). While in Jerusalem during the Feast of the Tabernacles, Jesus states publicly the following words “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (NIV, John 8:12). The statement implies that Jesus is the lone requisite and road to deliverance (Lavin 23). During the concluding night of the Feast of Tabernacles, one lamp was not lit up to signify that salvation is yet to arrive in entirety. The next Jesus Christ’s “I Am” statements take place while He declares and perceptibly manifests that He is the final and definitive completion of the Feast of Tabernacles when he restored the blind man’s sight (Morris 114). However, a probe was carried in order to shed light on why the healing took place on a Sabbath day. The satirical gist of the story is that Jesus delivers a man from darkness to light while the Pharisees believes that they are in lightness yet are living in darkness. In John 10:7, Jesus speaks about metaphorically that He is gate for the sheep (Vieths 33). Jesus is conveying the truth that He alone can lead humanity into the Father; that only through Him does mankind have access to the Father. Jesus is more than willing to reconcile humanity to God (29). Jesus had the characteristic of eternal life, which means that He give life to other people (23). The initial chapters of the Book of John tell about the raising of Lazarus from the dead. John 11:1-54 elaborates Lazarus's deteriorating illness and impending death (NIV, John 11:1-16). But what is more telling is Mary and Martha's contention and belief that if Jesus would have arrived earlier, their brother would have still been alive. (NIV, John 11:21). In the subsequent verse, Jesus confesses that could still intercede in the situation. Jesus comforts Martha by telling her about the truth of resurrection and life. In John 11:25-26, Jesus declares to Martha "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" The verses signify that only Jesus realizes this function for those who believe in Him; and Jesus "does not provide it, but rather is this" (Morris 117). This assurance of a new life is just in close proximity, and is ever nearby (117). Jesus employs this particular claim in order to confirm his rule over life (117) John 14 draws a fascinating conversation between Jesus and His disciples, talking about where Jesus is departing in a little while. The only way and access to God is through Jesus Christ. His declaration of Him being the only way and the truth demonstrates how accurate, reliable and unfailing His teachings are (Lavin 30). Jesus does not pronounce His precepts as the only way or means, but that "He is the Son of God" (Wiersbe 24; Larsen 110). In most cultures, the tie between a father and a son is very strong. In other words, this strong connection allows the kind of sharing [of things, etc.] that only exists between a father and a son. Hence, in the simplest analogy, in order for humanity to completely know the Father, it must first get itself acquainted with the Son. Humanity must know Jesus. The Son is telling everyone that in order to entirely learn about the Father, mankind should learn to constantly resort to the Son to be able to reach the Father (Wiersbe 113). John 14:6 states, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (NIV). Finally, John 15 tells us about "The True Vine". The chapter starts with “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener” (NIV, John 15:1). This claim goes further with a re-affirmation that Jesus is the Vine, and so we are the offshoots of the vine, and that because of Him we have life (Morris 119; 120). This confirms a religious reality that because we are believers of Christ, we are originated in Christ. The resemblance of the vine clearly conveys what Jesus is expecting of us. The last “I Am” statement proclaims the divinity of Jesus. Works Cited Larsen, Dan. Jesus: The Son of God. Uhrichsville: Barbour Pub Incorporated, 2003. Print. Lavin, Ronald J. The Great I Am: Preaching the “I Am” Statements of Jesus. Lima: CSS Publishing, 1995. Print. Morris, Leon. Jesus Is the Christ: Studies in the Theology of John. Grand Rapids: Wm. B Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1989. Print. Vieths, John A. Jesus I Am Statements: Bible Study. Milwaukee: Northwest Publishing House, 1999. Print. Wiersbe, Warren W. Jesus in the Present Tense: The I Am Statements of Christ. Colorado Springs: David C Cook Publishing, 2011. Print. Read More