CH 8 I AM…
Artwork © Greg Olsen
Jesus of Nazareth is much more than a great teacher. More than an inspirational example of excellent living. No, he is the centerpiece of history. He is the decision point of life. All must come to terms with his message, certainly. But all must also decide just who he is. As C.S. Lewis has famously said, Jesus of Nazareth is either a liar, a lunatic, or he is Lord. There is no middle ground. The things he said, some of which we will discuss in this section, can only be said by God.
The disciple Jesus loved wrote extensively about his Master. He opened his gospel by stating that Jesus was from the beginning and that he is God, (John 1:1-14). His narrative compliments the first book of Bible, that of Genesis. In that section of the Torah, given to Moses by God, we learn that in the beginning, God… (Genesis 1:1). There we are introduced to Almighty God & his many names which reveal to mankind his very nature. This is also what John has done for us with the second person of the Godhead. They are both I AM, they are equally whatever we need!
The Bread of Life
Another name we learn for God, found in Genesis 22, is Jehovah-Raphe. That is, God who provides. In that portion of scripture God proved Abraham’s faith in an incredible way when he asked him to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac as an offering back to him. Little did Abraham know that God was picturing for all time what he was planning upon doing in sacrificing his beloved Son for the sins of the world. Abraham, with mind boggling faith to me, believed God and was willing to sacrifice his son. Of course, God called off the offering after Abraham demonstrated his willingness to carry it forth. The Provider then caused a ram to be caught in a thicket nearby and Abraham presented that to God as a substitute. Abraham then worshiped the God of heaven, calling him Jehovah-Raphe, God who provides.
Likewise, in John’s gospel we find seven names Jesus announced to his followers that reveal is equality with God, the I AM, as well as his nature. All seven names are preceded by the Old Testament name of God, I AM. The first of the I Am names also reveal Jesus as the God who provides, as he is the bread of life. He is the Provision that gives eternal life!
In chapter six of John’s gospel, when Passover was nigh (vs 4), Jesus multiplied five loaves of bread and two small fish in order to feed five thousand men as well as uncounted women & children. The hungry souls were reminded of manna from heaven given to their forefathers centuries prior and desired to make Jesus king upon recognizing the significance of this miracle. This was not the Father’s plan for Jesus at that time, and thus, our Lord departed alone to escape their desire. He sent his disciples across the Sea of Galilee and later rejoined them in a way that should blow our minds if it were not so familiar, he walked on water to reach therm. No floatation devices, no jet skis, just walked out to them! The many followers noticed the next day that Jesus did not go with his men, so when he was together with them on the other side of the lake, they were understandably perplexed, wondering how he was able to travel over to the opposite side. Jesus got them back on point with soft reproof to his followers that they were not really seeking miracles, not seeking the power of his ministry, but only because they were hungry and desiring to be filled. He then told them what they really needed. What we all really need…him.
Labor not for the meat which perishes, but for that which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: For him has the Father sealed. Then said they unto him, what shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, this is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he has sent. They said therefore unto him, what sign show you then, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you do? Our fathers ate manna in the desert; as it is written, he gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, truly, truly, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which comes down from heaven, and gives life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: He that comes to me shall never hunger; and he that believes on me shall never thirst. John 6:27-35
Come unto him and believe and one will never ever hunger or thirst. Belief in him is the work of God. Jesus is the fulfillment of the manna given in the wilderness. He is the realization of the type given to Abraham on the mount of sacrifice. He is our provision for everlasting life. He is the bread of life.
Jesus went on to explain to his listeners that these words of his are spirit & they are life, (John 6:63). That is, his word, God’s Word, activates the Spirit in my life. It is what really makes me alive!
Next, let’s look at the second I Am statement. That of Light.
The Light of the World
Five month later, Jesus travelled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. During that week-long feast Josephus writes that the Jews would stoke a raging fire on a high hill nightly in order to light up the sky. That light could be seen for over sixty miles. They would then extinguish it the morning after the feast ended. So, the morning after the feast concluded, Jesus was again found teaching in the Temple, as was his custom. The Jewish leaders by this point were in the process of rejecting their Messiah and were now in temptation mode trying to discredit Jesus to the multitudes of common people who had embraced his message. They brought a woman, but curiously not her partner, who was caught in adultery. The penalty for that crime was death, to both parties. Would Jesus, the man of compassion agree to this judgment? Of course, he saw through their trap and brilliantly stated, “yes, stone her, but he who is without sin throw the first stone.” Then, with the finger of God, he wrote in the sand, recalling to our minds the finger of God which wrote the Ten Commandments on the two stone tablets years earlier. Commentators preach that Jesus likely wrote the accounts of the sins of the men holding the rocks, as they left one by one. With no one left to accuse the woman, neither could our Lord, as the Law directed that by the witness of two or more could a person be condemned. He next gave that great statement to his listeners demonstrating his godly wisdom;
I am the light of the world: He that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 8:12
With the bright light on the hill now extinguished, Jesus contrasted his light with their humanly attempt at bringing light to their world. He is the One that brings illumination. He is the One that brings discernment. Earlier in John’s gospel we are told that Jesus is “the true Light, which lights every man that comes into the world,” (John 1:9). This is an awesome statement when taken at face value. This is saying that every person who has ever lived has at some time been exposed to his light. No one can really say that there is not a Creator.
Paul picks up this thought as he opens his epistle to the Romans with this powerful and equally dramatic statement;
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that were made, even his eternal power & Godhead; so they are without excuse. Romans 1:20
Creation declares the Godhead, declares Jesus.
Well, the Jews did not accept Jesus’ testimony of being the Light of the world, of being the source and the illumination they needed, and they attempted to stone him for what they believed was blasphemy, that of a man making himself God. It was not Jesus’ time and he escaped their attempt. But immediately thereafter, he demonstrated his power over creation by healing a man who was born blind. He took dust from the ground, made clay out of it and put it in the man’s eyes, telling him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam (meaning Sent One). Once again, he repeated that heavenly proclamation;
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. John 9:5
Of course, this miracle points us back to the creation of Adam, when God formed that first man also out of the dust of the ground.
Later, in the revelation given to John we see Jesus lighting up the entire planet! Let me show you;
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: For the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. Revelation 21:23
Indeed, Jesus is the I AM. He is all that we need. In this case, we need light. We need direction, we need warmth, we need wisdom.
In concluding this section on the Light of the World, I would be remiss if I did not remind you that Jesus and the Word are also one & the same, (John 1:1). Jesus is called the Word of God (Revelation 19:13), so, as I take in the Word, I am taking in Jesus. Let that sink in…if you learn, if you meditate, if you assimilate God’s Word, you are intimately partaking of our Lord! You are getting light, wisdom, discernment & insight. Not a bad deal!
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105
Next, let’s travel to later that same day and hear our Lord’s words to those who would say they see but in reality, are blind, for they do not see him as the door.
The Door to the Sheep
After the Light of the World gave sight to the one born blind, the man boldly witnessed the awesome power of God to the unbelieving Jewish leaders saying:
Herein is a marvelous thing, that you know not from where he is, and yet he has opened my eyes. Now we know that God hears not sinners: But if any man be a worshipper of God, and does his will, him he hears. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. John 9:30-33
The blinded Jewish leaders cast the man out of Judaism for the audacity of his bold speech to them. No matter, for when Jesus heard that the man was cast out for his stand, he sought him out. The Lord revealed himself more fully to the seeing man, as the Messiah. He then spoke another of his many paradoxical statements that reveals God’s nature in comparison to man’s.
For judgment I am come into the world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. John 9:39
The Pharisees in the audience called Jesus on that statement. (Remember the Pharisees were considered the ones most likely to inherit eternal life, prior to Jesus’ arrival.). They said to Jesus, “are we blind also?” To that question gave the Teacher the following answer as well as a parable demonstrating their need to open “the door” to obtain sight.
If you were blind, you should have no sin: But now you say, we see, therefore your sin remains. Truly, truly, I say unto you, he that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter opens; and the sheep hears his voice: And he calls his sheep by name, and leads them out…This parable spoke Jesus unto them: But they understood not what things they were which he spoke unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, truly, truly, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: But the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: By me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. John 9:41 – 10:1-3, 6-9
Like his proclamation in Matthew’s gospel to enter in by the strait gate, Jesus again uses a metaphor which involves an entranceway. He invoked God’s name, I AM, and said he is that door. In a moment he will add that in addition to being the door, he is also the Shepherd. In this parable, the sheep of course are believers who follow the shepherd by entering in and going out via the door of Jesus and his sacrifice for us. Other false messiah’s & teachers, climb over the wall to fleece the sheep. Jesus calls them thieves and robbers but points out that his sheep are not fooled by them.
Immediately on the heels of this I AM statement, Jesus will explain the next one, that of the Good Shepherd. The One the Song of Solomon called the Shepherd King, the one David sang of in Psalm 23, “the Lord is my shepherd.”
The Good Shepherd
Did you know that sheep are stupid! They tend to follow blindly, walking single file on the same path day after day. They are clueless and easily freaked out too. They have been known to walk over cliffs following in step with the animal immediately preceding them. Sometimes they wander off when they are at rest in their pasture. And not only are they dumb, but they are also defenseless. They are easily scattered and taken out by bears, lions & wolves. With these characteristics, it is easy to see why humans are likened to sheep throughout the Bible. We too can be pretty stupid. We live day to day walking in the same paths, even when green pastures are within our reach if we would only lift our eyes. We often follow blindly after others to our detriment. We wander away constantly when staying put is the comfortable and safe thing to do. And bears, lions & wolves (all pictures of the Devil in scripture) can easily scatter us and whip us into a frenzy. Indeed, sheep need a shepherd. Indeed, we need the Good Shepherd. Jesus’ next words to his listeners explains why;
The thief comes not but to steal, kill & destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10
The thief, of course, in this parable is the Devil and his hoards of Hell. His agenda towards us is three-fold. First, he wants to steal from you. Promises from God given to you, he wants you not to live in. He can’t have them so why should you, is his thinking. A life full of peace and joy is available to you through Jesus. Satan does not want that for you. He can take it from you by enticing you to worry and complain. Anxiety and murmuring are his weapons to steal from you. Don’t let him. “Resist the Devil and he will flee from you,” (James 4:7). How do you overcome anxiety & complaining? With trust and thankfulness. It’s very hard to worry when you are praying words of trust to your Father. And being thankful sends complaining and murmuring back to the place it belongs. Back to its home where the father of lies resides! Secondly, the thief wants to kill you. This speaks of his desire to end your earthly life. Know for a certainly though, that he cannot do that without the Lord’s permission. The two witnesses found in the Revelation could not be killed until they had finished their testimony (Revelation 11:3-7), same for you and me. If you have a testimony that God has for you to share, you won’t die until you have accomplished that, whatever it is! This of course doesn‘t mean bad things won’t occur in your life along the way, but the Lord will redeem those difficult chapters of your life for his glory and as part of your testimony. Now the lamb who gets caught up and ensnared by the Thief may no longer have a testimony. That is what the Devil wants…to short circuit your story. That is the person that sometimes can be killed prematurely, as he has left his witness behind and is vulnerable to being slain by the thief. Lastly, the Devil wants to destroy you. Simply put, this means he wants your soul! He desires you to experience separation from God eternally. He wishes to take you with him to Hell and whatever terrible thing that entails. Thankfully for the believer in Christ, Satan cannot do that. Jesus said, all that the Father has given me I lose none (John 18:9).
While the thief wants to steal, kill & destroy, Jesus wants to give us life and that more abundantly. How does he do that? Read on;
I am the good shepherd: The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees: And the wolf catches them, and scatters the sheep. The hireling flees, because he is a hireling, and cares not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and am know of mine. As the Father knows me, even so know I the Father: And I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: Them also must I bring, as they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. John 10:11-16
The Good Shepherd gave his life for us! The hireling, the poser, doesn’t care for the sheep. He will run away and let the sheep be scattered. Of course, in Jesus’ parable, this is exactly what has happened, and continues to happen, when we humans, the sheep, follow after dishonest leaders & false messiahs. We are always scattered and taken out by the wolves. Not so with our Lord, as the Good Shepherd, he gave his life voluntarily for us in order to buy us back from the Thief. Others, the hirelings, could not or would not do that. The I AM is the only one with the power to save, (Revelation 5:1-6).
And his sheep know him, they recognize his voice & they follow him, (John 10:27). Other sheep, those of another fold, will also hear his voice and follow him. This parabolically speaks of the Gentiles who will hear the Gospel message and believe, being brought into the life of the Christian faith, having Christ in them, the hope of glory, (Colossians 1:27).
Sometimes though, sheep, in their stupidity, wander off. Jesus spoke to that frequent eventuality with these wonderful words:
How think you? If a man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, does he not leave the ninety and nine, and go into the mountains, and seek that which is gone astray? And if so be that he finds it, truly I say unto you, he rejoices more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. Matthew 18:12-14
This wonderful parable reveals that God’s love is unconditional, individual and emotional! Our Shepherd gives us much worth. Not for anything we have done but because of who he is. He loves us individually & passionately!
Before we leave the Good Shepherd, we must speak of one of the most recognized Psalms of all time, that being Psalm 23.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” He purchased me with his blood. So, when my relationship is in order with him, I have no wants, no needs. All is well! Again, he is the I AM, he is whatever I need.
“He makes me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me besides still waters.” You know, sometimes I can’t get comfortable, I can’t rest. Thankfully though, he senses that and makes me to lie down as I walk with him, (Matthew 11:28-30). And he quenches our thirst with the water of his word, (Matthew 5:6).
“He restores my soul: He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Sheep can be tossed. This is called casting. They can become fat or overgrown with wool and roll onto their backs, unable to right themselves. Easy to see this happen to us. I’m thankful that the Good Shepherd restores my soul! And when I get into the rut of walking the same path day after day, he gives me the direction and motivation to break free of my sheep-like habitual nature.
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: For you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.” Death has no substance to the believer. It’s only a shadow! Fear leaves me as I walk with my Shepherd, basking in his love, (1 John 4:18). His rod keeps the Enemy away and his staff brings me back to him as I stray. They comfort me!
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: You anoint my head with oil: My cup runs over.” Indeed, he has invited me to his table. I can partake of communion with him any time I desire. And he has filled me with his Spirit so that his power overflows in my life & walk.
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” I don’t have to look over my shoulder afraid of the other shoe dropping, for goodness and mercy are following me. And after my life comes to an end, well it’s really only the beginning as I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!
Why can we say death is a shadow, for it is appointed unto men once to die, (Hebrews 9:27)? That’s where the next I Am statement comes into play. If I am going to dwell with the Lord forever, and I am, then I need the resurrection & the life!
The Resurrection & the Life
Approximately six months later, during the Spring season and prior to the fateful Passover celebration when our Lord gave his life for the sins of the world, Jesus learned that his friend Lazarus was ill and near death. His sisters were Mary & Martha, two women who consistently supported Jesus’ ministry when he would travel in the area. They had a special relationship with Jesus, as their generosity to the Lord was not going to be outdone. As an aside, when you and I are generous to others, in the name of the Lord, we too will be blessed over and above the level of our magnanimity, (Proverbs 19:17). Well, the two women sent word to Jesus asking him to come and minister healing to their brother. Jesus was up north, in Galilee and presumably word did not travel fast in those days. Likely, it was a week or two after the message was sent before it was received by their Lord. Then curiously at first, Jesus delayed another two days before leaving on the journey to Bethany, a town near Jerusalem which was the home of Mary, Martha & Lazarus. We don’t know how long it took Jesus and his disciples to travel to Bethany, but we are told that when he arrived, Lazarus had been dead four days.
This is where we will pick up our story of the resurrection and the life. When Mary learned that Jesus was near, she left her home and went out to met him. A wonderful exchange is what followed when she encountered him;
Lord, if you had been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatever you will ask of God, God will give you. John 11:21-22
What wonderful faith Martha is demonstrating. Her paradigm was that Jesus would come and heal Lazarus prior to his death, but she is able to see past her request to something even better. That of Jesus bringing her brother back to life! Something she had not considered when she first sent word to Jesus about the situation. This is what the Lord is looking for from you and me also. We are to think outside of the box for miracles, as God operates outside of the four dimensions we inhabit. He is able to do anything, anyway he desires. We must give him space when we call out to him to move in the way he sees best.
Continuing;
Jesus said to her, your brother shall rise again. Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. John 11:23-24
We will see subsequently that Martha misunderstood what Jesus was saying. She interpreted Jesus’ promise for a future date, not that very day. This is often my mistake too! Jesus gave a promise for that day, for today, but Martha, and I, see it applying to a future dispensation. Often, the Lord’s promises are for today but I mistake then for a later time and place. There were three errors in her thinking that led to this false conclusion. First, in her Jewishness she may have still seen resurrection as works related and not a gift from God. Secondly, resurrection is never at a later time, we will soon see that Jesus IS the resurrection. Resurrected life starts immediately when I receive the Lord as my Savior. Lastly, Mary looked at death from her perspective instead of God’s. In his eyes, the believer never dies!
Listen;
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: He that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall live: And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. John 11:25-26
I AM the Resurrection & the Life. Jesus is what she, and Lazarus, needed over anything else. He is what I need over anything else. The Lord is what gives & brings life to my world. Over miracles and promises, it’s the Person! As the Father said to Abraham when he was fearful of Canaanite retaliation after he had liberated Lot, “I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward,” (Genesis:15:1). And because we have him, we don’t have to fear death. You see, God’s definition of death is not the absence of a heart beat or brain waves but separation from him. That parting will never happen to you as a believer in Jesus. What the Messiah said to Martha, and by extension, to us, is that the “real you” of his followers, their consciousness if you will, never dies! Sin is what leads to death, (Romans 3:23), and our sins have been blotted out by his sacrifice. Thus, it is possible to be dead while alive & alive while dead. In our case, we will never die, just move to another dimension, to a better place when our body ceases to function. As Paul so poignantly stated, “for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain,” (Philippians 1:21). He knew he would be with the Lord the moment that he passed on from this life. So will we!
Next, let us consider the true way to life. The only way to true life.
The Way, the Truth & the Life
A few days prior to his death and subsequent departure back to heaven, the Lord gathered his disciples, giving important final teachings for which they would need to have a handle. He knew there would be issues and attacks as they took the gospel to the entire world by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus understood that during tribulation the vision of heaven will carry the believer forward. He also recognized that Satan would continue to attempt to counterfeit the gospel message, thus, his next I Am statement emphatically was made in response to that sure future eventuality as well as to give comfort to his followers.
Let not your heart be troubled: You believe in God, believe also in me. John 14:1
Fight for your heart! The implication is that we have power over our hearts. How do we activate that power? By believing in the promises of God. He is for you. He will never leave you. He came to give us abundant life. He has set us free. No good thing does he withhold from you! You see, belief in God & his Son, faith that energizes hope, (Hebrews 11:1), is the cure for a troubled heart. For that faith assures us we have a home in heaven awaiting. That Jesus will be there. That we can pray in his name. That we have the Comforter abiding with us & that we can have peace.
In my Father’s house are many mansions: If it were not so, I would not have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a placed for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know. Thomas said unto him, Lord, we know not where you are going; and how can we know the way? Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: No man comes unto the Father, but by me. John 14:2-6
Let’s all thank Thomas for asking one of the most important questions of all time. What is the way? The answer…He is the Way! Not keeping the commandments, that cannot be done. Not having more good works than bad, for God is holy and we are not. Not disciplining and flagellating our bodies in sacrifice, no amount would be enough! No, He is the way, the only way. Simply put, Jesus is the way to the Father. He is the way to heaven, that place of many mansions, the place of truth & life.
But why would God only make one way of salvation? That’s easy when you think about the spiritual battle that rages around us at all times. You see, if God allowed several roads to salvation, Satan would have a much easier time counterfeiting the truth. If there were five paths to heaven, Satan would have ten false passageways for us to stumble thereby. With the Lord being the only way, it is clear. All other roads are not true. All other roads end with a dead-end sign, (pardon the pun).
And Jesus is the Truth. Pilate asked, what is truth, (John 18:38). That which is aligned with the mind, will, character, and glory of God is truth. Whatever the Almighty says, is truth. And without a Supreme Being, well then, the concept of truth makes no sense at all. There would be no such thing as truth. Everything would be relative. What would be truth for one, may not be for another. Obviously, we need a referee to determine truth. Thankfully we have that in our King. As Mary so wonderfully stated to the servants at the wedding ceremony at Cana, “whatever he says to you, do it,” (John 2:5).
He is the Life. He is our Source. He is the resurrection life we spoke of in our last section. He is our sun & shield (Psalm 84:11). He is the one that holds everything together. Unlearned scientists have unsubstantiated faith in “atomic glue” holding all things jointly, we know better;
God, who at sundry times and diverse manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom he made the worlds: Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power… Hebrews 1:1-3
Jesus upholds everything by his word. The atomic nucleus, having only positive charges, should not stay together. But it does, not with wishful thinking atomic glue, but by the word of his power. It’s an unbelievably awesome power that he wields in our Universe. For he IS the Life!
Lastly, we get to come back to earth and consider our partnership with him. For he is the Vine and we are the branches.
The True Vine
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. John 15:1
The setting again is during the last week of our Lord’s ministry prior to his crucifixion. He was building up his disciples for he knew later the Jews would ostracize them. The irony here is the Jews felt they were the true vine. The Bible does call Israel a vine (as well as an Olive tree and a Fig tree). Whenever these three plants are mentioned in the Bible an application for the nation of Israel is present. But the distinction here is the True Vine. That is Jesus. He is the vine that nourishes all of the branches, as we shall see. Being separated from the vine, Israel, as would happen to them, is nothing as long as they stayed attached to the True Vine. In addition, once again he proceeds this truth with the name of God, I AM, but distinguishing himself from the Father in the same breath.
Every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes away: John 15:2a
The Greek for “takes away” is “airo.” A better translation is, he lifts up. Did you know that grape branches are weak, just as are we. Unless they are held up, they fall to the ground and are limited in the amount of fruit they produce. The branches that are attached to the True Vine are lifted up by the husbandman, by the Father.
And every branch that bears fruit, he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. John 15:2b
It is certain that most readers would see this as the pruning that God will do in our lives from time to time. The cutting away of things that inhibit our growth is well understood as a Biblical principle that the Author of Life will use from time to time. But, as we read this in the context of the parable, we see that “purges, or pruning,” is better translated “cleans.” He cleans us after lifting us up. Look with me;
Now you are clean through the word I have spoken to unto you. John 15:3
“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to your word,” (Psalm 119:9). It is the word of God which the Father uses to lift me up and to clean me. Have you noticed how good it feels to spend time with the Lord in his Word? Indeed, it is better than the best bubble bath, or hot shower, for you men, than you can even imagine.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: For without me you can do nothing. John 15:4-5
Just like the branch in relation to the vine, we are totally dependent upon our Lord. And we abide in him by being in his Word. (Remember, Jesus and the Word are one & the same, John 1:1-2 & Revelation 19:13.). Adam & Eve wanted to be independent from God when they ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil. The Second Adam came to make a way for us to abide again with God, to be dependent again with him. For indeed, apart from him we can do nothing. Nothing of any eternal value!
We see also that the one who abides in him, the one staying close to him by making his Word a priority, by often meditating in his Word, produces much fruit. This reminds me of the parable of the sower & the seed. The seed (the Word) which fell on good ground produced much fruit, some thirty, some sixty and some a hundred-fold. And the fruit he is talking about? Why it’s love! Love God & love people. For as we have discussed, on these two commands, hang all of the law & the prophets, (Matthew 22:40). In agreement with the two great commandments, the fruit of the spirit, mentioned by Paul, is love, (Galatians 5:22-23). The aspects of love are the other components mentioned, i.e., joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, faith, meekness & self-control. Other fruit this promise of abiding includes, as I have cited previously, is fruit unto holiness, soul winning, praise & good works.
We have come to the end of Jesus’ I AM statements found in the Gospel of John. Seven statements that reveal various aspects of God. He is the Bread of Life, our Provider, and the Light of the World, our Source of illumination. He is the Door to the Sheep & the Good Shepherd, he leads us in all of our ways. He is the Resurrection & the Life and the Way, the Truth & the Life. He gives us hope for the future. And lastly, he is the True Vine. Abiding in him allows us to partner with him in the World, producing much fruit for his Kingdom.
I hope these words of his have helped you see Jesus in a much bigger way. That of King of the Universe, that of God becoming a man, that of showing us himself in a way that we can understand, displaying to us the very nature of God!
Summary:
Jesus, the Bread of Life, is our provision for everlasting life.
Jesus, the Light of the World, has shined light upon every man according to John 1:9.
The Devil wants to steal, kill & destroy but the Good Shepherd gave his life for the sheep that they might have abundant life.
He who believes in Jesus, the Resurrection & the Life, will live on even after his body dies. He need not fear death.
Jesus is the Way of salvation, the Truth that reveals the mind, will, character and glory of God and the Life that upholds everything in the Universe by the awesome word of his power.
The Word of God is used by the Father to lift us up & to clean us so that we might bear much fruit.
For Further Study:
According to John 6:29, what is the work of God?
How does the Lord’s Table fit into your thinking of Jesus as the Bread of Life?
How is the Word of God related to light? Hint; see John 1:1-4 & Psalm 119:105 & 130.
Jesus is the Door into the Sheepfold. Can you think of other times the Savior is pictured in the Bible as an entranceway?
What are the two “T’s” of overcoming anxiety & complaining?
What does thinking outside of the box for miracles mean to you? Is it better to pray with specificity or to pray ”thy will be done?”
Why is there only one way to the Father?
What is the fruit you produce as you abide in the Vine?