A Visionary View Of The Seven "i Am" Statements Of Jesus (Full Sermon) Series

A Visionary View of The Seven "I Am" Statements of Jesus

Today I want us to consider the seven powerful "I Am" statements of Jesus found in the Gospel of John.

These statements reveal deep spiritual truths about who Jesus is and what He offers to each of us.

May we open our hearts and minds to these life-changing revelations which offer us invaluable insight into the nature of our Lord and the blessings that await those who believe in Him.

"I Am the Bread of Life" (John 6:35)

John 6:35 (New Living Translation) Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Why Would Jesus Use the Analogy of Bread for Himself?

Jesus spoke in terms, parables, and analogies most could understand.

Especially in the light of Passover, Jesus knew the Jewish leaders and God’s people would understand His reference to bread.

Their understanding of exactly what He meant, however, was divinely appointed.

Through the relation of hunger, a physical need, Jesus explained the recalculation of our every desire - not just for physical food but spiritual - to be satisfied in Him.

The Israelites in the desert were required to trust God daily for manna, their literal daily bread.

Jesus is imploring believers to put full confidence in Him, trusting He will provide wisdom that leads to true satisfaction.

Jesus is the only way to the Father.

Jesus’ earthly life was dedicated to executing the will of His Father.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian church in Philippians 2:5-8 “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”

Christ took on human skin and was crucified to eliminate the separation between God and His people.

The key thing we need to understand here is this is not about Jesus’ repairing the relationship of God and every person who has ever lived – this is about reconciling the people whom the Heavenly Father has given into Jesus’ care to Himself.”

Consider a weary traveller, lost and hungry, stumbling upon a grand feast. Just as physical bread sustains our bodies, Jesus, as the Bread of Life, sustains our souls. When we come to Him, we find spiritual nourishment and everlasting fulfilment.

God is the supplier of divine bread, and whoever eats of it will live forever. Every word Jesus spoke on earth carried precise weight and meaning.

This important Scripture defines our need to trust the Living Word to satisfy our physical bodies, heart and soul.

God is our Provider, and Jesus is the Bread of Life.

John recorded Jesus’ promise that all who freely accept this bread will no longer hunger.

The first of the “I am” statements of Jesus, which solidify His nature as fully God and fully man is

“I am the bread of life,” which describes the way we find full satisfaction in and through Christ alone.

This statement emphasizes the profound spiritual nourishment Jesus provides.

"I Am the Light of the World" (John 8:12)

John 8:12 (New Living Translation) Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

The statement “I am the light of the world,” is grounded in Jesus’ relationship with His Father.

The author and preacher John Piper stated:

“Jesus speaks from God and for God and as God.”

Apart from Jesus, we live in darkness. We have limited capacity to understand who we are or what we see in the world.

The writer Aimee Joseph put it this way:

“The beauty of our humanity is still evident, but ugliness abounds.”

Imagine walking in the pitch-black darkness and then suddenly encountering a brilliant, radiant light. Jesus, as the Light of the World, dispels the darkness of sin and ignorance. When we follow Him, we are led into the path of eternal life, illuminated by His divine truth.

John Piper said “The light of Christ is the brightness of God shining on the retina of the human soul.”

Life can be wonderful on earth, but not fully complete without Jesus.

We are all created to crave the Creator, our Father, and only through a relationship with our Saviour Jesus can the dark parts of our hearts brighten.

To quote Aimee Joseph again, “When I admit I am not enough, I’m freed to run and cling to the God who is.”