The Seven I AM Statements series Archives

The Seven I AM Statements: The True Vine

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” John 15:1

This is the final of seven I AM statements Jesus made that are recorded in John’s gospel. Each declaration employs a vivid metaphor that encapsulates Christ’s salvation work. But with each statement, Jesus exposes our hearts as well.

Jesus continues His Upper Room discourse to His disciples on His last night with them. In this statement, I AM the true vine, He further tells us His Father is the vinedresser. And in verse 5 we, His followers, are the branches.

But consider the situation for a moment. Jesus is preparing His closest followers for His death, but also to take up His work and carry it on. This is a serious responsibility, one that has the Father’s attention.

Every branch that does not produce fruit, He cuts off.

Every branch that does produce fruit, He prunes to stimulate more production.

So that brings up a simple question. Are we producing or not? And if we’re not producing, what do we need to change. The Greek word for prunes is kathairo, and it means to purge. Think of it like using Marie Kondo’s methods on your life. Does this bring the Father joy and glory? Is it useful for His kingdom? Is it pure and beautiful? If the answers are no, it’s got to go … IF we want to continue to be fruitful.

Theologically, this process is called sanctification, an ongoing work of the Holy Spirit to make us more like Christ.

If that were the only outworking of Jesus’s statement, that would be more than enough to keep us busy, but He goes on.

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Jerry Bridges, in his challenging book, Respectable Sins, defines ungodliness as “living one’s everyday life with little or no thought of God, or of God’s will, or of God’s glory, or of one’s dependence on God.”

In other words, ungodliness is the opposite of abiding in Him and producing fruit. And ungodliness gets you cut off.

I am the true vine. My Father is the vinedresser. You are the branches. Will you bear fruit?

Or will you resist making the necessary changes? Will you persist in self-sufficiency?

The guys in that room that night got off to a bumpy start after Jesus died, but then they turned the world upside down.

What about us?

Fruit or no fruit?
Pruned or cut off?
Abiding or ungodly?

The Seven I AM Statements: The Way, the Truth and the Life

By Paula Wiseman

The Way the truth the life title graphic

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6

The last three of the seven emphatic I AM statements Jesus makes in the Gospel of John are made in private. The declarations that He is Good Shepherd, the Door of the Sheep, the Light of the World and the Bread of Life were all made in front of the crowds. But beginning with the Resurrection and the Life, the statements were made in private. It should not be a surprise that these fuller, deeper revelations come to those closest to Him. Even so, each statement employs a metaphor to describe His salvation work. But in each of the conversations or discourses, He also exposes us.

The Upper Room Discourse

Sometime, read through John 13-17 in one sitting. It will only take a few minutes. Now try to imagine hearing it all for the first time. Information, doctrine, revelation, encouragement, and instruction are packed into those chapters. Seminaries offer courses on this Upper Room discourse that require weeks of intense, graduate-level study to mine the riches of what Jesus discloses. Even those are insufficient. Tucked in there is an exchange that reveals how clueless the disciples were. But in all honesty, we would be just as clueless if the Holy Spirit were not helping us out.

In the preceding chapter, Jesus had announced His betrayal, His departure, and Peter’s denial. Then comes, “Don’t be troubled by this. Yes, I’m leaving, but I’m leaving to prepare a place for you. And you know the way to where I am going.”

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:4-5) That’s when Jesus responds, I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. He answers both of Thomas’s protests.

Jesus’s entire mission has been to bring us to the Father.

Not to heal people-although He did. Not to give us great words to live by-although He did. He came to bring lost people back to the Father, to restore the relationship we destroyed through our rebellion.

Thomas and the guys were far more focused on what Jesus’s words meant for them.

How would their lives be impacted? What changes would they have to make? Not to mention, how were they supposed to make sense of all this?

Jesus draws their attention back to the kingdom work, work that He was turning over to them.

“Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12

We have quite a bit in common with Thomas. Jesus says, you know where I’m going and you know the way. You know the mission you’ve been given and you know how to accomplish it. We have been tasked with bringing people to the Father. That is through Jesus Christ and His atoning work.

But too often we respond, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.

I don’t know where to start. If only Jesus would be clear.

That’s kind of how Philip stalls and dodges. Well, if you would show us the Father, then we would understand. I’m waiting on a clearer revelation, on a sign. If the Holy Spirit would just make it known.

How long have we been believers? What sign are we waiting for? What prodding or prompting does Jesus still need to give?

He has given all the information, all the tools we need.

I AM the way, the truth, and life. No one comes to the Father, but by Me.

The only question is, will we take that up as our mission or will we dither about the temporal impact that commission has on our life rather than the eternal impact it has on those who need to come to the Father?

The Seven I AM Statements: The Resurrection and the Life

By Paula Wiseman

the resurrection and the life title graphic

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” John 11:25

The last three of the seven emphatic I AM statements Jesus makes in the Gospel of John are made in private. The declarations that He is Good Shepherd, the Door of the Sheep, the Light of the World and the Bread of Life were all made in front of the crowds. It should not be a surprise that these fuller, deeper revelations come to those closest to Him. Even so, each statement employs a metaphor to describe His salvation work. But in each of the conversations or discourses, He also exposes us.

You know the story.
Lazarus is dead. Jesus bluntly tells His disciples as much before they even get to Bethany. After a pointed delay, Jesus responds to the message from Mary and Martha to come. Martha meets Him and affirms (accuses) that if Jesus had come when they first sent for Him, Lazarus would have been healed. She is not wrong. Jesus certainly has power over diseases. He had proved it many times.

When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” John 11:4

See that’s the key. This sickness is for the glory of God that the Son of God may be glorified through it. Martha and Mary saw the sickness from their perspective and with their priorities. Their brother, whom they loved dearly was hopelessly ill. So, of course, they turned to the One they know has both the power and the will to intervene.

Jesus, however, is just weeks away from the cross. His priorities, the Father’s priorities are different. This is not to say He didn’t love Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, because He clearly did. But His overarching purpose was to glorify the Father who in turn would glorify the Son. The greatest glory would come from the redemption of sinners.

Jesus expands on that a few verses later.

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.” John 11:9

There is an appointed time. And His references to the light of this world and those stumbling in darkness echo His mission–to seek and to save those who are lost.

But then Jesus is met by Martha. He declares to her I AM the Resurrection and the Life.

Resurrection comes from a Greek word that means standing again. That’s pretty straightforward. Miraculous, amazing, wondrous, yes. But it doesn’t need a lot of explanation. Every kind of death is reversed in Christ. Every kind. And forever.

But life … this is where things get interesting. This is not the natural life. Greek uses the word bios for that. Think biology. This is something different.

J. H. Thayer in his Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament says “zoe is life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and to last forever (the writers of the O.T. have anticipated the conception, in their way, by employing ‏chaim to denote a happy life and every kind of blessing.”

Martha was asking Jesus to restore Lazarus’s bios. Jesus was offering zoe.
Martha was fixed on the present. Jesus wanted her to fix her eyes on eternity.
Martha was seeking consolation. Jesus was seeking the Father’s glory.

Time was short and those closest to Jesus didn’t understand what His ultimate purpose was. We read the account and shake our heads at their spiritual blindness. But hold on.

Do we cry out seeking consolation from Christ rather than His glory?
Are we focused on the present when Jesus wants us to realize there is so much more beyond this life?
Are we building a bios when Christ wants to draw us to zoe, life real and genuine, active and vigorous, devoted to God, enjoying every spiritual blessing?

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

Jesus said to Martha, Jesus says to us, “I am the resurrection and the life … Do you believe this?”

Do you?

The Seven I AM Statements: The Good Shepherd

By Paula Wiseman

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.” John 10:11

We are halfway through our look at the seven emphatic I AM statements Jesus makes in the Gospel of John. Last week Jesus said He was the Door of the Sheep. This week in that same conversation, virtually in the next breath, He proclaims He is the Good Shepherd. Each statement employs a metaphor to describe His salvation work. But in each of the conversations or discourses, He also exposes us.

As we said last week, Chapter 10 of John is actually a continuation of a long back-and-forth with the Pharisees that began in chapter 9 with the healing of the man born blind. This is late in Jesus’s ministry. His confrontations with the entrenched religious leaders are more intense. He has endured more at least one attempt on His life.

The Good Shepherd stands in contrast to the hired hand. The hired hand doesn’t know the sheep and doesn’t seem to have an interest in knowing them. He bails when danger approaches. He’s only doing his job because of the money. Bottom line, they aren’t his sheep so his interest and investment are limited at best.

The Good Shepherd, however, sacrifices his life for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, John 10:14

The Good Shepherd doesn’t just sacrifice his life for the sheep. He pours time and energy into knowing his sheep. He can identify them. He understands their makeup, and he has forged a close bond with them.

Here’s where the challenge comes in. My own know me. We love the imagery of being the sheep of his pasture, under his protective, providing hand. But with Jesus’s statement that his own KNOW him, he lays down a challenge for us. Verse 14 is half a sentence. The rest is “just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10:15

Let that sink in. Jesus has the goal that we enjoy the same intimacy with him that he enjoys with the Father. “My own know me just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.”

Think about those you are closest to. How did those relationships develop? Now consider, have we taken the time, expended the energy to know Jesus?

Time – If we are relying on a weekly thirty-minute sermon– and nothing else– to build our relationship with Christ. Those you know best are those you interact with regularly. You talk to them. You spend time together and long for those moments. For your relationship with Christ that means prayer (you talking), reading your Bible (Jesus talking) and being still in His presence (more listening). This takes time. If our response is, “I don’t have time,” then our priorities are perilously out of balance.

Energy – We must be active in pursuing a deep relationship with Christ. We include him in our decision-making. We lean on him in the difficult seasons. We exult over his blessings in the good times. We cultivate a deep awareness of his presence. We learn the things that are important to him, what breaks his heart, what brings him joy. We join him in his mission. This takes effort. If our response is, “That’s too much work,” then we need to evaluate what we are working for.

He is the Good Shepherd. Do we know him?

The Seven I AM Statements: The Door of the Sheep

By Paula Wiseman

Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” John 10:7

We are continuing our look at the seven emphatic I AM statements, Jesus makes in the Gospel of John. So far we’ve discussed the Bread of Life and the Light of the World. This week Jesus says He is the Door of the Sheep. Each statement employs a metaphor to describe His salvation work. But in each of the conversations or discourses, He also exposes us.

Chapter 10 of John is actually a continuation of a long back-and-forth with the Pharisees that began in chapter 9 with the healing of the man born blind. This is late in Jesus’s ministry. His confrontations with the entrenched religious leaders are more intense. He has endured more at least one attempt on His life.

This statement and His next that follows closely — I am the Good Shepherd — are the last public declarations of His identity and mission. The last three come in private conversations with Martha and with His disciples.

The religious leaders had set themselves up as the moral scorekeepers, the arbiters of who entered heaven –mostly them — and who did not — pretty much everyone else. Jesus explodes that notion.

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. John 10:9

I am the door. A door is an access point, the only legitimate access point, and this door is Christ. It is not membership in a group. It is not heritage or politics. It is not form or ritual. It is not a resume or a pedigree. It is Christ. We cannot adhere to or espouse our own “brand” of Christ. It’s Jesus’s plan, His blood, His work and so they are His terms.

Here are His terms.

If you seek salvation through Him that means:
1. You will be saved.
2. You will be free.
3. You will find abundance.

Saved from what? The consequences and just punishment of our sins, not just the torment of the guilt but the unfathomable hopelessness of being separated from God. Saved to what? We’re not just yanked from hell at the last minute and sent along our merry way. No, He saves us with a purpose in mind. We’re saved to join Him in His kingdom work.

Free from what? This is the one that really frosted the Pharisees. Free from the requirements of the Law. Free from a standard we cannot meet. Free to have a relationship with Him that is based on His grace and not our performance. Free from being controlled by insecurity and failure. Free to rest in the One who secures us.

What abundance? If it’s about stuff, then the system is messed up, because only modern-day Western Christians are experiencing much abundance. Really, how insulting is it to suggest that Jesus suffered so we could have stuff? No, it’s every spiritual blessing. Try to get through Ephesians 1:3-12 without being overwhelmed by what you have been given in Christ.

So how does Jesus call us out as He’s setting the Pharisees straight?

The Pharisees missed the whole point of the Law. It wasn’t given to separate people into a religious “us” and “them.” The wisdom in it was supposed to ultimately point people to God who gave it. (Deuteronomy 4:6-8) The sacrifices required by the Law underscored our need for forgiveness and looked forward to a day when our sins wouldn’t just be covered by the blood of a sacrifice but erased by the blood of Christ. (Hebrews 9:11-15)

We have the message of salvation, an even better testament to God’s goodness and grace. Christ didn’t come to make our lives more comfortable, or so that we could rack up numbers, or so that we could increase our influence. In Ephesians 3:10, Paul explained that we, as the body of believers are to display the wisdom of God’s salvation plan.

Be honest. Does the church, we as individuals, we as local bodies and we as the whole body, does the church display the wisdom of God in saving us? Or do we display something else?

Jesus is the Door. Let’s make sure we are doing all we can to make sure everyone FINDS the door and goes through it.

The Seven I AM Statements: The Light of the World

By Paula Wiseman

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12

Last week, we began a look at the seven emphatic I AM statements Jesus makes in the Gospel of John. Each statement employs a metaphor to describe His salvation work. But in each of the conversations or discourses, He also exposes us.

We have to go back to John 7 to get the context of this statement. It is the Feast of the Tabernacles, the time when the Jews commemorated and celebrated God’s provision and presence with them in the desert. As part of that celebration, the lit huge lamps in the Temple court to recall the pillar of fire, God’s manifest presence.

In that setting, Jesus declares, “I am the light of the world.”

Then, Jesus presents a stark contrast for His followers. They do not walk in darkness but have the light of life.

We don’t walk in darkness. Right? Darkness is evil. We aren’t evil. In the big picture, no. If we’ve accepted Jesus Christ then we have that light of eternal life and that can’t be lost or taken away from us. But considering the timing of Jesus’s declaration, I think He was calling us to more than just salvation.

In Exodus 14:19, the pillar of fire moves between the children of Israel and the armies of Egypt, clearly dividing the two. There was no question which side of the fire you were on.

By choosing this moment to make this pronouncement, Jesus is issuing a pointed, convicting challenge to His hearers. That includes His hearers today.

There has to be a choice. A clear, definitive choice. And you have to go all in. In fact, Jesus spells this out multiple times. If you put your hand to the plow but look back, you aren’t fit for the Kingdom (Luke 9:62). If you are unwilling to forsake all that you have, you can’t be My disciple (Luke 14:26).

Jesus didn’t stutter when He said it, either.

If you want to play the “follow Jesus on Sunday but the other six days are mine” game, then you are choosing to walk in darkness rather than the Light of the World. Jesus says His followers aren’t like that. They don’t choose the far side of the fire. They choose light. They choose to live every day in His presence and under His protection. But that means saying no to everything else.

He is the Light of the World. Are you His follower?

Last week: I am the Bread of Life