Jesus: I Am

Moses had fled from Egypt for killing an Egyptian. He had married the daughter of Jethro the priest of Midian. One day as Moses was watching his father-in-law’s sheep, he saw a bush that was burning but not being consumed by the fire. He approached the bush and God spoke to him. God tells Moses that He is going to use him to bring His people out of slavery in Egypt. Moses makes several excuses not to go back to Egypt to lead God’s people to freedom.

One of Moses’ excuses is “What if the Israelites ask who sent him? What would he tell them about who had sent him to lead them to freedom?”

In Exodus 3:14 God says to Moses, “I Am Who I Am.”

God reveals that His covenant name is I Am.

In John, Jesus makes seven statements referring to Himself as I Am. These statements are to show us what, as the I Am, Jesus is and thus who He is in our lives.

John 6:35

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.”

John 6:48

I am the Bread of Life.

John 6:51

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I gave for the life of the world.

Jesus: I Am the Bread of Life

Jesus as the Bread of Life is the basic sustenance of life. Jesus gives us life and sustains our lives.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is receiving Jesus as the thing you need for life.

 

John 8:12

When Jesus spoke again to the people, “I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 9:5

While I am in the world, I am the Light of the World.

Jesus: I Am the Light of the World

Jesus as the Light of the World illuminates our world so that we don’t walk in darkness. Walking in darkness means we are moving away from Jesus and not really seeing where we are going.

1 John 1:7

But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son purifies us from all sin. 

But as we walk with Jesus as the Light of the World, we enjoy fellowship with other followers of Jesus and are purified from any residue of sin.

Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is living our lives with Jesus as our Light illuminating the direction of our lives and cleansing sin out of our lives.

John 10:7

Therefore, Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.”

John 10:9

I am the gate, whoever enters through Me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.

Jesus: I Am the gate or door

Jesus is the entrance into forgiveness and eternal life.

There is no other way to experience forgiveness for sin but Jesus.

There is no other way to have eternal life but Jesus.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing forgiveness of sin and receiving eternal life through Jesus.

John 10:11

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:14

I am the good shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me.

Jesus: I Am the Good Shepherd.

Jesus as the good shepherd does for us what a shepherd does for his sheep.

He protects us.

He provides for us.

He guides us.

He disciplines us.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is allowing Jesus to protect us, provide for us, guide us, and discipline us.

John 11:25

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die.”

Jesus: I Am the Resurrection and the Life.

Jesus as the resurrection and the life gives us eternal life that allows us to live eternally after our earthly life is over.

The picture of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is what Jesus does for us by giving eternal life with Him in heaven after our earthly life. 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is receiving Jesus as our Savior and then receiving His eternal life that He secured for us on the cross.

John 14:6

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus: I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life.

Jesus as the way is the way or model for how we are to live and the way to heaven for us.

Jesus as the truth is the source of all truth.

Jesus as the life is the source of our physical and spiritual life.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is surrendering our lives to Jesus and experiencing Him as our way to live, the truth that we are to live our lives based on, and the source of our lives.

John 15:1

I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener.

Jesus: I Am the True Vine.

Jesus as the true vine provides us with what we need to really live and produce works that draws others to God.

We as the branches produce the fruit and the vine gives us all that we need to accomplish that.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is having Jesus as the true source of our lives.

With the I Am, Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

                                         Joe