OPEN:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K80pozOfrU&fbclid=IwAR0T8oXzHhv4JoeIWzW6HuZ4lpgU4FNNRs3uyRJEGmyb2JW_7h9f0LDRCYE (thru time-stamp 2:27 “indescribable”)
(The script of the video is from the sermon “That's My King” by S.M. Lockridge, which says “The Bible says my King, He's the King of the Jews; He's the King of Israel; He's the King of Righteousness. He's the King of the Ages. He's the King of Heaven. He's the King of Glory. He's the King of Kings, and He's the Lord of Lords. Now that’s my King! Do you know Him? No means of measure can define His limitless love. Well, well, He's enduringly strong. He's entirely sincere. He's eternally steadfast. He's immortally graceful. He's imperially powerful. He's impartially merciful. Do you know Him? He's God's Son. He's a sinner's Savior. He's the centerpiece of civilization. He stands in the solitude of Himself. He's unparalleled. He's unprecedented. He's the loftiest idea in literature. He's the highest personality in philosophy. He's the fundamental doctrine of true theology. Do you know Him? He supplies strength for the weak. He's available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and He saves. He heals the sick. He cleansed lepers. He forgives sinners. He discharges debtors. He delivers captives. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged. He rewards the diligent. And He beautifies the meek. Do you know Him? He's the key to knowledge. He's the wellspring to wisdom. He's the doorway of deliverance. He's the pathway of peace. He's the roadway of righteousness. He's the highway of holiness. He's the gateway of glory. Do you know Him? His life is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His Word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. And His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. I wish I could describe Him for you – but He’s indescribable.”)
Someone once said that there were 256 names in the Bible for Jesus (Billy Sunday) and you’ve just heard a few of them in that video just now. But the one name that got Jesus in the most trouble was this one (PAUSE) “I AM!”
Just a few verses later in John 8 (after the text we read this morning) we read that “Jesus said… ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’ Then they up took stones to stone him…” John 8:58-59
Now, obviously Jesus said something that ticked them off! But what did He say that upset them? I mean all He said was “Before Abraham was, I AM.” What’s the big deal?
Well, the big deal was that - centuries before, Moses had met God at the burning bush. And God told Moses that he’d been chosen to go to Egypt and tell Pharaoh – “let my people go.” But MOSES said to God “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” Exodus 3:13
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM… Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’" Exodus 3:14
You see what God was telling Moses was - that’s my name! My name is “I AM!” So, when Jesus told the crowd “Before Abraham was, I AM” He was claiming God’s name (I AM). He was saying I AM… GOD! and all the Jews knew it! Now, if Jesus hadn’t been God, His claim would have been blasphemy. It would have been sin and He would have deserved to be stoned to death. But of course, Jesus was God - so it wasn’t blasphemy. Jesus had come to be God in the flesh.
That’s why – when the angel told Joseph that Mary was to have a child, the angel said “‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son (Jesus) and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).” Matthew 1:23
You see, Jesus was God in the flesh. He was the great “I AM.” But, what does that mean – that Jesus is the I AM? Well, a number of times throughout His ministry, Jesus said He was the “I AM.” The term Jesus used here in John 8 was the Greek phrase “EGO EIMI.” EGO means “I” and EIMI means “I AM.” So Jesus was literally saying “I am the I AM” (kind of redundant). Or, I am God!!!
And Jesus used that phrase several times. For example, every time Jesus said things like “I am the way, the truth and the life”; or “I am the resurrection and the life”; or “I am the Good Shepherd” - the FIRST two words out of His mouth were “I – I AM.” “I – I AM the Way, The Truth And The Life;” “I – I AM the Resurrection And The Life;” “I – I AM the Good Shepherd” (and so on). And every time He said that He was saying “I AM…God in the flesh.” And (He was saying) these are the things I’ve come to be (as God) in your lives: I have come to be your way and truth and life; I have come to your resurrection; I have come to be your Good shepherd. And I can do all of that… because I AM GOD!!!
Over and over again, Jesus said “I AM. There’s NO ONE ELSE who is I AM. And because I AM, I can supply what I’ve promised to give you.”
ILLUS: Someone once put it this way: “Science says we need 4 things to survive: 1. Water; 2. Air; 3. Food; 4. Light. And Jesus said: 1. I am the living water; 2. I am the breath of life; 3. I am the bread of life; 4. I am the light of the world.
You cannot survive without Me!
Now, that all sounds good, but what exactly does that mean? What does it mean that I can’t survive without Jesus? I mean, there’s all kinds of people who are powerful and influential, but they didn’t need Jesus for that. And there’s all kinds of folks are famous, and have their names in history books, and they didn’t need Jesus for that. And there’s all kinds of folks who wealthy and have mansions and fancy cars, but they didn’t need Jesus for that. So, what do you mean “I can’t survive without Jesus?”
Well… for example: Wealth, power and fame only go so far. They can’t make life more comfortable, but they can’t make it so you SURVIVE.
ILLUS: One person noted that for “those who devote themselves to money (money is their hope) it seems to eat them away, inside out. Inside they lose their joy and spontaneity and generosity of impulse. Outside, they seem to wither, become pale and drawn and fragile looking. (Herb Goldberg & Robert Lewis “Money Madness” William Morrow & Co.)
Howard Hughes, for example – was one of the wealthiest men who ever lived. In his youth he was famous, and powerful. He dated some of the most beautiful actresses of the day. And his money could buy almost anything, and it often did. But the last 20 years of his life he was a recluse (totally isolated from others). If you talk about “Social Distancing” this man had it down pat. He became an extreme hypochondriac, with unnatural fear of germs. He refused to cut his hair, his beard or his nails, and the only people who ever saw him were his doctors and his personal servants. And when he died… nobody cared.
People who depend upon money, or fame, or power for their “survival” are doomed to disappointment. That’s why Jesus said "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
Speaking about Jesus, Paul put it this way: “…I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” 2 Timothy 1:12
Paul was saying: I can trust Him! I can trust Jesus to protect everything I leave in His care. But I can’t trust the things of this world. I can’t trust the things of this world to last; I can’t trust the things of this world to protect me; I can’t trust the things of this world to help me survive. But I can trust Jesus because HE is the great I AM. And I need HIM to survive.
It’s also interesting HOW Jesus said what He said. He didn’t say “Before Abraham was… I WAS!” He said – before Abraham was… I AM!
Someone once wrote a poem about this… and it went this way: “I was regretting the past and fearing the future. And suddenly my Lord was speaking: ‘MY NAME IS I AM.’ He paused. I waited. He continued. When You Live In The Past With It's Mistakes And Regrets, It is hard. Because I am not there. My name is not I WAS. When You Live In The Future, With Its Problems And Fears, It is hard, I am not there. My name is not “I WILL BE.” When You Live In The Moment, It's Not Hard, Because I AM HERE. MY NAME IS I AM.” Helen Mallicoat
As one person noted: Jesus is the one who will never me nor forsake me. Jesus is here --- NOW. ALWAYS. He is everything and anything we will ever need and He is always with me. He will NEVER LEAVE, never!
It reminded him of the promise God had made to Joshua "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
No matter what difficulties you may encounter, Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, because Jesus is the Great I AM and He will be with you no matter WHERE you go and no matter what HAPPENS to you.
(PAUSE)
Now… let’s get back to our main text. In John 8:24 Jesus said: “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am (he) you will die in your sins.”
Now, did you notice, the word “he” is in parentheses? The parentheses are there because I put them there. That’s because the word “he” doesn’t show up in the Greek text. It’s just not there (if you were to read it in the KJV you’d find the word “he” in italics, indicating that they want the reader to know “he” is not in the Greek manuscript).
So (since the word “he” is not there) what Jesus actually said here was: “unless you believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.” And guess which two Greek words He used here???? EGO EIMI! I – I AM! Unless you believe that I AM GOD!!! You will die in your sins.
Now, we can read this one of two ways. We can read it as saying “If you don’t believe that I AM, I’ll punish you. You’ll die in your sins because I don’t like you very much. That’s one way to read this, but that’s NOT the Jesus we see in the New Testament. In fact right after John 3:16 (which says “For God so loved the world…”) we find that the next verse says “For God DID NOT send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:17
So - if you reject the idea that Jesus is the “I AM” (i.e. – that He is God) you’re not going to die in your sins because God DOESN’T LIKE YOU. You’ll die in your sins because you’ve refused the only cure that God could offer for your shame and guilt.
ILLUS: It’s like going to a Doctor and he tells you that you have COVID 19. He tells you that you have a very serious form of the disease and if you don’t take the medicine he gives you … you’ll die. So what you gonna do? Well, if you’re smart, you’ll take the medicine and you’ll be cured. But if you’re not so smart --- you’ll die!
Your SIN IS serious. Romans 6:23 tells us “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Let me repeat: The wages of sin… is death (PAUSE) unless you take the cure. And the cure is eternal life thru Jesus… the Great I AM. You accept Jesus by believing He is God in the flesh; You accept Him by admitting you’ve sinned … and repenting of that sin; You accept Him by confessing that He will now be your Lord and Master; And you accept Him by imitating Him – by DYING to your sins, being BURIED in the waters of baptism, and RISING UP from that watery grave to walk in newness of life.
Once you’ve done that… you’re His child.
One person put it this way – “If you don’t follow Jesus, you won’t go where He went.” But the flip side of that is this: “If you DO follow Jesus, you WILL go where He went.”
CLOSE: I want to close with this story: While praying one day, a woman asked God “Who are you God? And He answered: “I am”. “But, Who is ‘I am.’” She asked.
And God replied: “I AM Love, I AM Peace. I AM Grace. I AM Joy. I AM Strength. I AM Safety. I AM Shelter. I AM Power. I AM the Creator. I AM the Comforter. I AM the Beginning and the End. I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life.”
By now, the woman was in tears, and she looked up and said “I think I understand now…. But who am I?” And God tenderly wiped her tears away and He whispered: “You? … YOU are Mine.”
INVITATION
