Who is I AM
0 comments | Posted by Steven Layson on 16 Mar 2008 in From Steve's Study ::
Today we come to the last of Jesus’ “I am” sayings from John’s gospel. It’s been great, hasn’t it, to look back afresh at the person of Jesus as he shows himself to be?
As we’ve looked at each of the passages, some things have stood out. In particular, Jesus does not leave us in any doubt about who he is. He is God on earth. How else could he claim to be the “Bread of Life” that sustains us to eternal life; or the “Light of the World” that reveals and deals with our sin; or the “resurrection and the life” who gives eternal life to all who believe in him; or the “Way, the Truth and the Life” through whom we must come to get to God?
Jesus is not a retiring flower who is too afraid to speak out lest he stands on someone’s toes. The things he says about himself are confronting in the extreme & we need to either accept and worship him, or reject him altogether. Right from the very beginning Jesus has polarized people. Some have loved him, others have wanted to kill him. The same is true today.
Jesus did not tell us these things about himself just for our interest’s sake. Jesus constantly calls for a response from us. In particular he calls us to “believe” in him – to trust that he is the Lord of all who can indeed give us eternal life. This belief, of course, is no mere intellectual assent, but rather a trust that translates into a life devoted to following him.
In today’s passage Jesus identifies himself as the “True Vine” (Jn 15:1). Israel had originally been described as God’s vine (cf Is 5:1-7), but they had not “borne fruit” & so now were being replaced. We are called to connect ourselves to the true vine, to remain in him & to bear fruit in his name. Jesus says “I am”… do we, through our lives, proclaim “you are”?
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