A Very Special Gift

A Very Special Gift

By

Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer

OPENING: I know that this week we will celebrate Christmas. We will celebrate with family and friends. Preachers will preach and teach the Birth of Christ for their yearly Christmas message. One of the best parts of Christmas is unwrapping the gits. Today I want to go in a little different way and not bring the traditional Christmas message, but I do want to unwrap a very special gift.

Today I want to talk about the Seven I AM statements Jesus said in the book of John. The number 7 means perfection. From the seven days of Creation to the many sevens mentioned in Revelation, the number seven talks of the concepts as completion and perfection, exoneration, healing, and the fulfillment of promises and oaths. 7 speaks of completion when at the Crucifixion, Jesus spoke seven statements in agony from the cross at the completion of His earthly duties:

PRAYER:

SCRIPTURES: John 3:16, John 6:35, John 8:12, John 10:9 & 11, John 11:25-26, John 14:6, John 15:5.

John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, that he gave is only begotten Son, that, whosever believeth.in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. This verse reveals the very nature of God. God is Love and He loves us unconditionally and so much so that He gave His only begotten Son – that is the ultimate gift. This verse right there is the reason for the season. It has been called the Gospel in a nutshell, because it is considered a summary of the central theme of traditional Christianity. We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ at this time of year – another Bible study and we will discuss the actual time of His birth, but it is because God so loved the world.

John 6:35 says, “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst”. I am the bread of life – Jesus tells us that He is the One who spiritually sustains and satisfies us. He is the bread that provides life eternal. Food satisfies the physical needs of us for a while. Christ satisfies our spiritual needs forever. Those of us that believe in Jesus have life. That is a wonderful gift to have. Jesus is bread of life that leads to life everlasting.

John 8:12 says, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life”. “I am the light of the world.” Jesus made this statement during the Feast of Tabernacles and it was during this feast that a celebration of the pillar of fire that led the Children of Israel was commemorated. Jesus was letting them know that in a world darkened by sin, He is Holy and He offers the light and guidance to those living in the darkness of sin.

John 10:9 says “I am , the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture”.This statement of Jesus' was made during a discourse with Israel’s religious readers in which Jesus in so many words declared them to be unfit shepherds of the nation. Shepherds guided their flocks into stone enclosures each night to protect them. These structures had no doors. The shepherd would sit or lie in the opening to prevent predators from attacking. Not only does He protects us but by Jesus being the door we have unlimited access through Him/

John 10:11 says, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep”. Jesus is describing His sacrificial love for His people. Greater lover hath no man than this than to lay down His life for a friend – John15. He was letting the Israelites know that, unlike a hired man who will run and leave a flock unprotected in order to save his own life when the wolf threatens the sheep, He will not abandon His sheep, but will keep watch over His people. In John 10:15-16, Jesus said “I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd.” In Psalm 23, David referred to the Lord God as his shepherd, and in this passage, Jesus refers to Himself as the ultimate Good Shepherd who was about to give His life for His sheep and fulfill His Father’s plan of salvation for all people.

John 11:25-26 says, “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” . Jesus spoke this statement of hope to His grieving friend, Martha, after her brother, Lazarus, who had died. Then He clarified any doubt possible t by saying, “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” Death has a way of bringing a sense of despair, hopelessness, and finality to people and until Jesus spoke those glorious words, and then demonstrated them by bringing His dead friend back to life. Shortly afterward,