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The “I Ams” of Christ
If someone asked you to finish the following statement about yourself, what would you say? “I am…” Who are you? How do you see yourself; what identifies you? Some people would probably say something about their occupation. Who are you? Well, I’m a fireman, schoolteacher, computer programmer, or technician of some sort. Some might say something about their hobbies. Who are you? Well, I deliver newspapers in order to pay the bills, but really, I’m an artist; I take great pleasure in painting; that is who I really am. I deliver newspapers, but that is not who I am, I am a painter. Some people might define themselves by their achievements. Who are you? I am a PH.D; I am the inventor of spam; I am a Super Bowl champion. For others, it may be their faith. Who are you? I am, above all else, a Christian.
Who do you think Jesus would have said that He is? How would Jesus define Himself? Man has a lot of ideas about who the historical Jesus really was. There are some that think He was just a prophet, and nothing more. Some think that He was a deceiver who began His own new religion. Some think that He truly thought that He was the Son of God, but that He was crazy. Some think that He was just a good person who taught some good moral lessons, but nothing more. But what really and truly matters, is not who man thinks that Jesus was, but who the Bible teaches us that He was. Jesus once asked His disciples,
Who do men say that the Son of man is? And they said, Some say John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets He saith unto them, But who say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. (Mt. 16:13-17)
Man’s estimation of Jesus apart from the Bible is not reliable.
But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God. But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; combining spiritual things with spiritual words. Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged. (1 Cor. 2:10-14)
We know who Jesus was be cause it has been revealed to us in the Scriptures.
It is in the Scriptures that Jesus tells us who He is. So in our lesson this evening, we ask the question as if we were talking to Jesus in person, “Jesus, who are you?”
I. Jesus said in Revelation chapter 22 and verse 13, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” While I was in preaching school, I had to take three semesters of New Testament Greek. I enjoyed the first semester and was ready for more, but the further we got, the harder it got, and the more I began to dislike it. By the end of the last semester, I absolutely hated it! I did at least learn though, that Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. So its significance, as he says, is “I am the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”
In the first chapter of Revelation, verse 8, it says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” In some translations it appears to be God the Father speaking, but in other translations, it is translated as Christ speaking. And we may think, well, in chapter 22 it is clearly Christ speaking so that should settle it. But, not necessarily, because it is just as much true of the one as it is of the other. Both God the Father and the Son are equally God by nature, and therefore, equally the Alpha and the Omega. The point I’m trying to make here is that Jesus claims to be Deity and co-eternal with the Father.
John 1:1-3 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made.” What is the ”Word?” Well, we know that it is a being because the text gives us the pronoun, “him.” So the Word is a who and not an it, but who is the Word? Verse 14 says, “and the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth,” which identifies the “him” as Christ. Ok, so what does it say about Him? It says that “in the beginning was the Word,” or in the original Greek, “in the beginning, He already was.” It means that Jesus existed before the beginning, and even more than that, He didn’t just exist before the beginning, but He had always existed. Well, when was the beginning? Genesis 1:1 says, “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” So, the “beginning” was creation. At the time that the world was created, Jesus already was, and always has been. So, Christ is co-eternal with the Father not a created being.
Next, it says, “… and the Word was with God.” So it cannot be said that the Father and the Son are the very same being, because the Bible says that Christ was with the Father. He was with Him, but He was separate from Him. They are two separate personalities.
Then, “…and the Word was God.” Christ is not God personally, but He is equally God by nature. Christ is not created, He has always been, He is separate from the Father, but He is equally God and the same as the Father by nature. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the same as God.
In John 8 and verse 58, Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was born, I am.” “Verily, verily, or truly, truly, or most assuredly, make no mistake about it, it is beyond discussion, one greater than Abraham is here. Abraham had lived some 2,000 years before Jesus. In verse 57, the Jews said, “thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?” But before Abraham ever was, Jesus said, “I am.” He’s not a has been or will be, but he is, without beginning or end, he always is. He was claiming to be Deity and they knew it. In Exodus, when Moses asked God what to say to the Israelites if they asked him for the name of the God of their fathers, God said to tell them, “I Am hath sent me unto you” (Gen. 3:14).
So, who are you Jesus? “I am that I am, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I always have been and always will be. I am co-eternal with the Father, I am by nature, equal to the Father, but I am not the Father.”
II. What else are you Jesus? “I am He that searcheth the reins and hearts” (Rev. 2:23). Jesus knows us inside and out. He knows what is in our hearts. He knows our thoughts. He knows and understands what is driving each and every one of us. There is no man whose heart is not laid bare before Him.
But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak? he blasphemeth: who can forgive sins but one, even God? And straightway Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, saith unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins are forgiven; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? (Mk. 2:6-9)
Jesus knew exactly what those people were thinking. I can’t help but to think about all of those people who tried and tried to trick Jesus and they had no idea how outmatched they were. Jesus knew what they were going to say before they did.
John 2:24-25: “But Jesus did not trust himself unto them, for that he knew all men, and because he needed not that any one should bear witness concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.”
So why does this matter to us? Going back again to the book of Revelation, chapter 2 and verse 29: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.” Well, that’s us, what else did He say? Going back again to verse 23: “all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to your works.” One of these days, we will all stand before Him, and knowing all that we have ever thought, said, or done, He will judge us. He’s not going to need a lie detector to find out if we’re telling the truth or not, He’ll already know. The only hope we’ll have then is to seek forgiveness now and be cleansed by the cleansing power of His blood now, while we still have the chance.
Jesus said, “I know every little thing there is to know about you, and I am He who will either say, “well done thou good and faithful servant,” or “depart from me, I never knew you.”
III. What else are you Jesus? “I am the bread of life.”
They said therefore unto him, What then doest thou for a sign, that we may see, and believe thee? what workest thou? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat. Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, It was not Moses that gave you the bread out of heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which cometh down out of heaven, and giveth life unto the world. They said therefore unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. Jesus said unto them. I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, that ye have seen me, and yet believe not. (Jn. 6:30-36)
They were asking Him for a sign so that they could believe on Him, and an example of the kind of sign they wanted was the manna in the wilderness. But here before them they had something so much better than that. Before them stood the bread of eternal life, the Son of God come down from heaven. The manna was only a temporary food that sustains physical life, but he is that bread which gives eternal life. And yet, they did not believe Him. They claimed that a sign like manna would have convinced them, but the Son of God standing before them could not do it!
IV. Well, what else are you Jesus? “I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me” (Jn. 14:6).
V. What else?
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he cleanseth it, that it may bear more fruit. Already ye are clean because of the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; and so shall ye be my disciples. (Jn. 15:1-8)
One of the things that we might notice here is that the branches are individual believers and not churches. In verse 6, it says, “if a man abide in me.” Secondly, just as a branch receives its nourishment that it needs to grow and survive, Jesus disciples also receive their spiritual nourishment through Christ. Just as a branch that is cut off from the vine will wither and die, the same is true of us if we are without Christ. And third, the branch is not there for decoration, and it does not such nourishment from the vine for no reason, it is there to serve a purpose, to bear fruit. In the same way, we have a responsibility and a purpose, to be fruit bearers. Why? So that God might be glorified, verse 8. “I am the vine and you are my branches.”
VI. What else are you Jesus? “I am the door.”
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Jesus therefore said unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture. (Jn. 10:1-9)
Imagine, instead of a barn, a small area with a wall around it and one gate through which to go in and out. So that shepherds would not have to watch the sheep all through the night, they could pay to leave them in one of these areas and someone would guard the way in. So within one of these areas you might find a handful of sheep flocks put together. In the morning, the shepherd whose sheep are within goes to the gate and the porter will open it for him and when he calls to his sheep they will recognize his voice and follow him out. Only his sheep will follow him and they will separate themselves from the rest of the sheep. Jesus is like the shepherd and we are his sheep. Those who are His will recognize His voice and follow Him out away from the other sheep. The scribes and Pharisees could not go in the right way because they were not the true shepherds of the sheep, the porter wouldn’t allow them in and the sheep would not recognize their voice. So they were more like thieves who would climb over the walls and go in another way. The thieves don’t care about the sheep; they care about themselves and would just as soon hurt the sheep as not to. When they didn’t follow what He was saying, He changed the figure a little bit and just said, “I am the door.” His followers, or His sheep go in and out through Him and not through the Pharisees, or any other for that matter.
All of those who were taken out another way, who used another door other than Christ, or to drop the figure, any who were to follow after the scribes and Pharisees rather than Christ were lost. We can see this principle so clearly illustrated for us in what took place in the preceding chapter. The man that was born blind heard the shepherd when he heard Jesus. Those Pharisees tried so heard to persuade him to go another way, but the man instead, went out through the door, he followed Christ and went out into green pastures.
The same thing can be true of us if we will here Jesus voice (through the Scriptures) and follow Him. He is our door. He is our way to go.
VII. There in the same passage, we find another “I am” of Jesus, He said, “I am the Good Shepherd.”
The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep. He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them, and scattereth them: he fleeth because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me, even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. (Jn. 10:10-15)
Not only is he the shepherd, but He is the Good Shepherd. He not only knows His sheep and cares for His sheep, but He laid down His life for the sheep so that they may have eternal life in Him.
VIII. In John 8 and verse 12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.” What does light do? It aluminates and casts out darkness. That is the effect that Jesus has upon us; He illuminates our minds and He casts out the darkness from within us. How? Through the Word. When we take those things that Jesus taught and we will follow His pattern as we learn about it through the pages of the Bible, we are renewed in the spirit and the darkness is put out and the light of Christ replaces it. Over a period of time, that same light that is of Christ will be reflected in us and seen in us, Christ’s influence will be visible in us to others. When we “walk in the light as He is in the light,” the apostle John tells us “we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
IX. Just one more. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die” (Jn. 11:25-26).
But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's, at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be abolished is death. (1 Cor. 15:20-26)
I think that all of these together gives us a pretty good picture of Jesus. Of the nine things that we looked at in this lesson that Jesus said He is, one of those have to do with His being God, “I am the Alpha and the Omega.” In one other one, He said that He is “He that searcheth the reigns and heart.” Now lets think about this. Jesus is not only going to be our Judge and knows our hearts, but He understands because He has been a human being Himself. He knows what it means to be a human and He knows what it means to be God. There is no other being ever to exist of whom that is true only Jesus, and no other. Only Christ can go to man on his level, and go to God on His level. That is why Christ, and no other, can be our mediator between us and the Father; He’s the only one that has that ability. Is it very surprising then that every one of the other “I ams” of Jesus have to do with Jesus being the way to salvation, or the way to the Father? Not only that, be He is each one of those things and the only one. Notice the definite article in each of them: “I am the bread of life”; “I am the way the truth, and the life”; “I am the light of the world”; “I am the true vine”; “I am the door”; “I am the good shepherd”; and “I am the resurrection and the life.”
This lesson was adapted from an outline by the same title in:
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