EUREKA: I HAVE FOUND THE GREAT I AM.
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
MANY HATE WHAT THEY DON’T KNOW. JESUS’ CLAIM TO “I AM” ANGERS MANY. EUREKA: COME LET US FIND JESUS’ ETERNAL EXISTENCE. DO WE KNOW THE GREAT I AM? THAT WAS HERE FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD? JESUS IS THE ETERNAL I AM.
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness ---
When I was in the 3rd grade I attended a VBS. The theme that year was COWBOY, WESTERN. We were searching to finding new trails to deeper living. Each night there was a new sign pointing toward God’s plan. The last night the word was EUREKA: I FOUND IT.
*EUREKA: to finally understand, excited by discovery, a cry of joy or satisfaction when one discovers or finds something. To suddenly find something, to solve a difficult problem, to come out of darkness into the light.
HAVE WE FORGOTTEN? THERE IS A DANGER OF BECOMING TOO FAMILIAR WITH A NAME. THE THIRD COMMANDMENT IS DON’T TAKE THE LORD’S NAME IN VAIN…
Have we become so familiar with God’s name that we trivialize God’s holy name ?
Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
THE THIRD COMMANDMENT IS VERY CLEAR. WE TAKE THIS COMMAND LIGHTLY. WE PALLIATE. DON’T TAKE THE LORD’S NAME IN VAIN… JESUS HAS A LESSON. HE IS MORE THAN A LIFE GIVER AND HEALER --- JESUS LESSON IS WHO HE REALLY IS.
KNOWING THERE GREAT DANGER IN ABUSING OR MISUSING THE NAME OF GOD, THE HEBREW PEOPLLE WAS VERY CAREFUL WITH THE NAME OF GOD.
*Prior to the burning bush God was known as a TITLE: ELOHIM OR EL. This is a title not a name.
*Later God is known by EL SHADDIA this name suggests GOD ALMIGHTY.
*GOD CALLS HIMSELF AND HIS ETERNAL NATURE AS: I AM --- THE DOMINION OVER ALL.
*The name of God is mention in various forms over 6,000 times in the Bible.
*THE HEBREW PEOPLE WERE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO SAY YHE NAME OF GOD ALOUD.
*The Hebrew were careful not to completely spell out the name of God.
*THE GOD WHO WAS, THE GOD WHO IS, THE GOD WHO WILL BE.
*They might say the name ADONAI or write in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS to identify God.
*The people might use the name JEHOVAH or LORD IN ALL CAPS.
EUREKA: WHAT SHALL I SAY? AS MOSES LEFT HIS TENT THAT MORNING HE WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME. ONE DAY MOSES HAD A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OR ENCOUNTER WITH THE ETERNAL GOD OF HEAVEN. WHAT SHALL I SAY?
Exodus 3:13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? What shall I say unto them?
God comes to term with mortal man. God was so great one name was difficult at best. God says: I HAVE NO NAME TO DEFINE ME: I AM LIMITLESS--- ANY NAME WOULD LIMIT GO.THE ONE WHO STARTED EVERYTHING AND THE ONE THAT WILL CONTINUE… THE ALPHA, THE OMEGA --- THE BEGINNING, THE AUTHOR, and THE ALL POWERFUL. Is it possible that WE WILL EVER REALLY UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF GOD’S NAME? THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES.
Exodus 3:14 (KJV) And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
ESV: I AM WHO I AM; KJV: I AM THAT I AM; NIV: I AM WHO I AM; WYCLIFFE: I AM THAT I AM.
Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Leviticus 18:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God.
JESUS COMES FORWARD TO TEACH US WHO HE REALLY IS. JESUS’ LESSON IS LOUD AND CLEAR. . HE IS MORE THAN A LIFE GIVER AND HEALER --- JESUS’ LESSON REVEALS WHO HE REALLY IS. JESUS HAS A LESSON. HE IS MORE THAN A LIFE. JESUS IS THE “I AM!” JESUS IS THE GIVER AND THE HEALER --- JESUS LESSON IS WHO HE REALLY IS. THE GREAT I AM.
JESUS IS THE GREAT I A. THE GOD OF ISRAEL --- JESUS IS GOD. The claim to I am makes many mad.
Everything in the Bible tells us JESUS IS THE GOD OF ISRAEL. The Old Testament points Jesus was a type and a fore shadow of GOD to come. He was the forward to the coming Messiah. The New Testament reveals Jesus as GOD IN THE FLESH.
Jesus claims the name I AM for himself. Jesus claims more than being a good teacher, a helper of God …
Jesus establishes himself as the son of God, GOD HIMSELF. He claims to be equal to God. In the declarations of the I AMs Jesus lays claim to the eternal pre-existence. His claim establishes himself as sin-less and perfect. Jesus is DIVINE --- INFINITE. By claiming the I AMs Jesus lays the foundation that he was the God that visited MOSES. Jesus is informing his fellow Jews that the I AM is among them.
THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE GREAT I AM. EUREKA: LET US FIND THE BREAD FROM HEAVEN. JESUS --- I A THE BREAD.
John 6:35 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.
BREAD: a dietary stable The MANNA FROM HEAVEN. Manna was a DIIVINE PROVISION. Jesus feed the thousands. Somehow those that ate the bread missed the point. This multiplication of Bread was more than feeding hungry people. Jesus was offering himself by coming down to earth just as the manna came. Jesus can fulfill more than just our needs. Jesus can fulfill our ETERNAL NEEDS. The manna fulfilled man’s temporary needs. Manna started and stopped at the Divine orders.
JESUS LAYS CLAIM THAT HE IS GOD AND HE WAS THERE WHEN LIGHT WAS PRODUCED. GOD IS THE LIGHT NOT A REFLECTION BUT THE LIGHT, JESUS
Genesis 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
EUREKA: JESUS THE GREAT I AM IS THE LIGHT THAT LEADS UA THROUGH DARK PLACES. THE I AM WAS GUIDING AWAY FROM EGYPT. It took a few days to get God’s children out of Egypt. It took 40 years to get Egypt out of God’s people.
Exodus 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
IN DARKNESS WE ARE HELPLESS AND HOPELESS. Man can get trapped and stuck in darkness. Where there is light darkness cannot exist. We must allow the light to guide and lead us.
EUREKA, THE GREAT I AM REVEALS HE IS THE DOOR.
John 10:2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
I AM: THE DOOR. (An open door vs a closed door.) A good shepherd has a safe place to guard his sheep. The good shepherd will lay his body and sleep at the entrance to the sheep fold. A good shepherd knows his sheep and his sheep knows his voice. We are kept safe behind the door. The door both KEEPS THINGS IN… IT ALSO KEEPS THINGS OUT.
I learned something in Israel: THE ANCIENT DOORS HAD TWO PARTS. There was a large door that opened wide. Then in the large door was a smaller door. At night the smaller door was used as a safety precaution. You had to duck low to enter. This was for protection from any enemy attack.
EUREKA, HAVE WE FOUND THE I AM: A GOOD SHEPHERD. THE SHEPHERD FINDS GREEN PASTURES, CALM WATERS AND KEEPS HIS SHEEP TOGETHER.
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
History records HIRELINGS that put themselves before the safety of the sheep. A good shepherd does not place have burdens on the back of the sheep.
In Israel there were two shepherds standing in the road. Both their flocks combined in the road. As our bus approached I wondered how would they separate the two flocks? One shepherd stepped to the right and spoke. His sheep recognized his voice, they followed him. The other shepherd spoke and his sheep followed him.
A good shepherd will rescue the lost, feed the sheep and take care of their wounds.
EUREKA: HAVE WE FOUND THE I AM OF THE RESURRECTION? I AM THE LIFE.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
WE DISCOVER THE RESURRECTION POWER OF THE RISE SAVIOR, WE SHALL KNOW THE I AM OF ETERNAL LIFE. We will accept the I AM and live for ever and ever. The Jewish found this I AM to be very offensive. Though we are dead, we shall live again, abundant life. All life comes by the Father.
EUREKA: ONE OPTION MY FRIEND. THERE HAS BEEN AN AGE OLD QUESTION: WHAT IS TRUTH. JESUS CONFESSED I AM THE TRUTH AND THE WAY. OUR HOPE IS IN THE GREAT I AM. GOD HAS A PREPARED PLACE FOR THE PREPARED PEOPLE. I AM THE POWER, THE ONLY PATH, THE ONLY WAY, FOLLOW JESUS.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Contrary to modern compromise and accepting any way goes, the great I AM DECLARES THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY.
Christianity is criticized for claiming there is only one way to God. The I AM is standing on God’s word.
EUREKA: WE MUST STAY CONNECTED TO THE VINE TO BEAR FRUIT AND GROW.
John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
The vine is essential to nourishment. The vine produces both life and fruit. Jesus is the connection. Apart from the I AM JESUS THE CAN BE NO LASTING FRUIT.
Do we know the vine has to be pruned for growth and more fruit? The vine represents growth and staying connected. We are totally dependent on the vine. We must stay connected.
John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
John 18:4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? 5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
CONCLUSION: We end in the garden of suffering. Jesus invites three of his best to join him in prayer. The greatest pain was the pain of fore-knowledge. The garden of GETHSEMANE --- the rejection? Judas has prepared himself to betray the GREAT I AM. Jesus prayed until the agony made his sweat become great drops of blood. The great I am says if it possible may this cup pass from me. The religious crowd hated the claims of the great I AM. THERE IS POWER IN THE GREAT I AM. I AM HE.
John 18:4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? 5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. 6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
