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1 John 3:21-22 (NIV, 1984 version):

²¹ Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God ²² and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.

Here’s the concept map I created for these verses. I created two because I had so many cross-references this time:

Here is an image of my verse map for 1 John 3:21-22. I will also type out what I have written for easier reading.

Keep in mind that a lot of my writing is shorthand or bullet points rather than complete thoughts or sentences due to limited space in the journal. That shorthand is reflected in the content I have typed out.

1 John 3:21-22 (NIV 1984)

²¹ Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God ²² and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.

Translations (key differences bolded)

NIV2011: ²¹ Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God ²² and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.

KJV: ²¹ Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. ²² And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

NKJV: ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. ²² And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

ASV: ²¹ Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God; ²² and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.

NLT: ²¹ Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. ²² And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.

ESV: ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; ²² and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

NASB20: ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; ²² and whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.

Context

Author: John

Date: Between 85-90 AD, from Ephesus

Audience: Gentile Christians, all believers everywhere

Purpose: Showing us how to stand with confidence before God—through obedience

Key Words

I’m studying Greek, so I’ve included the Greek terms for each key word.

Hearts

Greek: καρδια (kardia)

Definition: the organ that is the seat of physical life, center of all spiritual life—seat of all thoughts, passions, desires

Condemn

Greek: καταγινωσκω (kataginosko)

Definition: to find fault with, blame, to accuse (against understanding)

Confidence

Greek: παρρησια (parresia)

Definition: boldness, courage, freedom in speaking

Receive

Greek: λαμβανω (lambano)

Definition: collect, accept, to take, acquiring or obtaining something

Ask

Greek: αιτεω (aiteo)

Definition: to ask, demand, beg, ask for favor, pray, request, usually asking a superior

Obey

Greek: τηρεω (tereo)

Definition: keep, observe, guard, watch over protectively

Commands

Greek: εντολη (entole)

Definition: an order that has authority, instructions, law, order, edict, direction

Pleases

Greek: αρεστος (arestos)

Definition: pleasing, desirable, right, acceptable

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Cross References

1 John 2:28: ²⁸ And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

Remain in Christ so we can be confident at his return

1 John 4:17: ¹⁷ This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.

His love made complete in us makes us confident on the day of judgment

Hebrews 4:16: ¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Approach the throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy and grace

1 Corinthians 4:4: ⁴ My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.

My conscience is clear

2 Corinthians 1:12: ¹² Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.

Conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves with wisdom

1 John 5:14: ¹⁴ This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

We have confidence to approach God—he will hear when we ask

Matthew 7:7-8: ⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Ask and it will be given, ask and you will receive (also found in Luke 11:9-13)

Matthew 21:21-22: ²¹ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. ²² If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

If you don’t doubt, you will receive what you ask for

John 14:13: ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

God does what we ask to bring himself glory

John 15:7: ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

If we remain, what we ask will be given

John 15:10: ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

Obey God’s commands to remain in his love

John 16:23-24: ²³ In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. ²⁴ Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

Ask and you will receive

James 1:5: ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Ask God for wisdom and he will give it generously

1 John 3:23-24: ²³ And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. ²⁴ The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

His command is to believe in Jesus and love others; if we obey his command, we live in him and him in us

Colossians 1:10: ¹⁰ so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

Please God by bearing fruit

Hebrews 13:21: ²¹ equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

God works in us what is pleasing to him

View of God

God is pleased when we remain in him and obey his commands. His command is to believe in Jesus and love others. When he is pleased with us, he is delighted to give us what we ask for. Doing this brings him glory.

View of Man/Self

We can be secure in our faith and salvation, which gives us the confidence to ask God for anything. We can be secure and confident by knowing that we obey him and do what pleases him. We please him by bearing fruit.

Reflection and Application

How can I have confidence to stand before God? By remaining in Christ, living in his love, conducting myself with wisdom, obeying his commands, and doing what pleases him. This same confidence allows me to ask for anything in Christ’s name and know that I will receive it. God finds pleasure in giving his children good gifts. He does this to bring himself glory.

Prayer

Lord, help me to have a clear conscience before you, knowing that I have remained in you and been obedient to your word. Lord, help me to be confident when I ask you for things in your name, having my will aligned with yours. Lord, help me to live a life that is pleasing to you and glorifies you.

Back to Verse Mapping Index

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Do you ever feel like you have information overload? Your brain just can’t take everything in and make sense of it in any way that allows you to carry that information with you into something meaningful.

That’s how I feel about this “I AM” study.

So I’m going to do something I haven’t done in any of my previous studies and try to boil down what we’ve learned through this study into its key points. I want to answer 3 questions:

1. What do we learn about Jesus from his “I AM” statements?

2. What do we learn about Jesus’ relationship with God the Father?

3. What do we learn about Jesus’ relationship with us?

Just as a reminder, here are Jesus’ 7 “I AM” statements (plus his simple “I AM” claim):

John 8:58: “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

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 8:12: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 10:7: Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.”

John 10:11, 14: ¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” ¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”

John 11:25-26: ²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

John 14:6: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 15:1, 5: ¹ “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.” ⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

What do we learn about Jesus from his “I AM” statements?

The most important thing to understand about Jesus’ I AM statements is that through these statements, Jesus is proving his identity as God. He is the one with power and authority over life and death, particularly eternal life.

In John 8:58, Jesus identifies himself with God by saying, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” Through this, Jesus declares his eternal nature and his self-sufficiency. Through his I AM statements, Jesus proclaims that he is the Son of Man who came from heaven to do God’s will. As the one who came from heaven and who is eternal and who is intimately connected to God the Father, Jesus establishes his authority and his identity as God.

Jesus uses this authority and power to bring eternal life to those who choose to follow him. Jesus gives the food that leads to eternal life. He is the light that brings people out of darkness and into life. He is the one who gives living water, the Spirit of truth.

What did Jesus do that gave him the power to bring eternal life to us? He laid down his life. Not only did he lay down his life, he also had the power and authority to take his life up again in the resurrection. By his resurrection, Jesus destroyed the power of sin and death. Because of this, his resurrection power extends not only to himself but also to us. He has the power and authority to raise people up on the last day and to judge whether we go to eternal life or to eternal condemnation.

Because Jesus is the only one who has been resurrected through his own power, he is the only way to salvation. He is truth, so we can trust in him. He is the true vine that is connected to the source of life, and he will never stray from the truth. This is why we can believe in him. He knows the ones who follow him, and he knows who chooses to reject him. For those who choose to follow him, he gathers them from wherever they are, calls them his, and gives them eternal life.

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What do we learn about Jesus’ relationship with God the Father?

Through the I AM statements, Jesus reveals a lot about his relationship with the Father. His words reveal an intimate relationship and deep connection that is inseparable. Jesus makes it clear that he is in the Father, and the Father is in him. Jesus knows God and has seen God, and God knows Jesus and has glorified him.

Because of this intimate relationship between Jesus and the Father, the Father placed his seal of approval on Jesus and sent him to earth to do the Father’s work. Throughout his time on earth, when he was doing the Father’s work, Jesus longed to be back in heaven with the Father. In fact, Jesus is the only way to the Father.

The passages surrounding Jesus’ I AM statements speak of a love between Jesus and the Father. The Father loves Jesus because Jesus laid down his life in order to provide a way of salvation to anyone who chooses to follow him. The Father gave Jesus the authority to take up his life again after his death, thus establishing a way to eternal life.

Anyone who believes in Jesus will have eternal life, and Jesus will not lose anyone whom the Father has entrusted to him for salvation. As the gardener, God will prune those whom he has entrusted to Jesus so that they can produce fruit and remain healthy and strong in their connection to Jesus, the vine. In this way, Jesus and the Father work together to bring in those who belong to Jesus and keep them from going astray. They will ultimately bear fruit for God’s kingdom.

What do we learn about Jesus’ relationship with us?

The key theme through all of Jesus’ I AM statements related to his relationship with us is that he is our connection to the Father and to eternal life.

Without Jesus, we are lost in the darkness of sin. With his light, he exposes our sin so that we can confess and repent and turn from our sin. This light exposes our need for a Savior and guides us to the path of salvation. We find that Jesus is the only way to eternal life.

Our responsibility in this is to choose to believe in the person God sent, which is Jesus. If we choose to follow Jesus, if we believe in him, we will never be spiritually hungry or thirsty. He will provide us with everything we need, including protection from the enemy. We have no ability to save ourselves from the enemy. Jesus is the only way for us to be saved because he gave his life for us and then resurrected to conquer sin and death.

If we believe in Jesus, we know him as our shepherd and listen to his voice. He knows us by name and brings us into his fold. As our shepherd, he leads us where he wants us to go. If we follow him and listen to his voice, he will give us satisfaction, safety, and a full life. We listen to his voice by spending time in God’s word and in prayer. This is what it means to remain in the vine. He also gives us his Spirit to guide us in life. If we remain in Jesus, Jesus provides the connection between us and the Father.

This relationship with Jesus isn’t only for this life. If we believe in Jesus, he will resurrect us into new life for eternity; we will never face eternal death, or eternal condemnation. As we wait here on earth, Jesus is preparing a place for us in his Father’s house, and he is planning to come back to take us to be with him. We will then experience the fullness of eternal life when we are finally in the presence of the Father.

As we wait for this glorious day when we will be with the Father, we have been tasked to go and do the works of the Father through the life we have been given in Christ. We allow the Father to prune the sin and distraction from our lives so that we can go and bear fruit for the Father’s glory.

Conclusion

These I AM statements give us the gospel in a nutshell. God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit are working together to provide salvation for those who choose to follow Jesus. Jesus has the authority over life and death, which he clearly showed by his death and resurrection. He is the one that the Father sent to earth to provide a way of salvation for us.

Without Jesus’ saving act, we would be lost in darkness and sin. But he provides the light to guide us out of sin and into eternal life. He is the only way back to the Father. He gives the Spirit to help us remain connected to Jesus and to have power to do the work of the Father. But none of this is possible without Jesus, the Son whom God sent to earth, giving his life for us. Jesus is the only way to eternal life.

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In Part 1 of this lesson, we learned a few things about vines. Vines must be tended carefully if they are going to produce the best fruit. One of the most important tasks when tending vines is cutting off the branches that are diseased or are not bearing fruit and pruning the fruit-bearing branches. This helps keep the whole plant healthy and maximizes the crop.

In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel is God’s vine. God transplanted his vine from Egypt to the Promised Land, and he tended them so that they would flourish. But instead of a nation that glorified God, they only produced bad fruit. Instead of following God, they followed idols and themselves instead. Therefore, God had to replace that vine with the True Vine. Jesus is that true vine. Jesus not only remained in the Father but loved us so much that he laid down his life for us.

John 15:1-8: 15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

3. What do we learn about Jesus from this statement?

In this visual picture that Jesus gives about the vine, we see three components of the whole: Jesus as the vine, God as the gardener, and us as the branches. We’ll look at Jesus (the true vine) and God (the gardener) in this section and look at us as the branches as we answer the next question.

Jesus as the Vine

John 15:1 says that Jesus is the “true vine.” What does this mean? If you read John 15 again, you will see that there is never any worry about the vine. The gardener isn’t concerned with whether the vine is good or bad. The gardener doesn’t have to cut back the vine itself. The gardener is only concerned with the branches. Why? Because Jesus is the true vine. The true vine doesn’t go bad. The true vine remains connected to the source of life—the Father. The true vine is faithful to keep the Father’s commands.

John 15:9-10: ⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

The true vine is a reflection of the One True God and in fact is so connected to the Father that they are one. The Father is the source of life for the Vine, and the Vine stays connected to the Father just as we as the branches need to stay connected to the Vine. As the true vine, Jesus has everything we need as branches to stay healthy and bear fruit.

The true vine is also the conduit between the source of life and the branches. We saw in the lesson on I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life that Jesus is the only way to the Father. In the same way, the vine is the only connection that the branches have to the source of life—the Father. Without the vine, the branches die. But if the branches remain connected to the vine, then they will live and bear fruit.

But this passage tells us something else about Jesus as the vine. Jesus has remained in the Father, and out of his love for us, he laid down his life for us.

John 15:9-13: ⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

This is how Jesus was able to redeem the failed vine, Israel, and produce a true vine that would never fail. He lived a sinless life, which the Israelites could never claim, and therefore he was the perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins so that we wouldn’t have to face the fire of God’s wrath. This vine will always remain connected to the Father and will always bear fruit.

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God as the Gardener

John 15:1 identifies Jesus as the true vine, but it also identifies God as the gardener. What is the role of the gardener in this story? The gardener is the one with the wisdom to know how to tend the vine. Which branches should be cut off? Which branches should be pruned? The gardener is the one who can make this decision.

But unlike a gardener, who can only see the outside appearance of the vine and branches, God can see into our hearts.

1 Samuel 16:7: ⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

With God as the gardener and us as the branches, God can see into our hearts. He knows the hearts that will follow him and bear fruit, and he knows the hearts that will be hard-hearted and reject him. The ones that are hard-hearted, like the religious leaders in the parable Jesus told in Matthew 21:33-46, God cuts off and destroys.

In contrast, God will prune the hearts that will follow him and bear fruit. What does this look like practically? It means that he will work on your heart to convict you of sin so that you will abandon your sin and follow him in obedience. It means that he will guide you into the plan he has for your life so that you can bear fruit. This is the purpose of every Christian life.

4. How should we respond?

Now it’s time to look at us as the branches. This passage in John 15 basically talks about two types of branches: branches that bear fruit and those that do not.

Branches that Do Not Bear Fruit

Other than not bearing fruit, what else do we know about these branches? What causes them to not bear fruit? The main problem is that they don’t remain in the vine. They try to bear fruit by themselves without the vine’s help. Any branch that tries to sustain itself apart from the vine will die and not bear fruit.

What happens to these branches? They will be cut off and burned. If they don’t bear fruit, they have no purpose anymore. They are just weak branches that suck the life out of the rest of the plant. The best thing to do with them is to get rid of them so they can’t harm the plant anymore.

This is what happens to those who decide that they want to live a life apart from Jesus, who want to go their own way and do their own thing. These branches have no value to the gardener. Therefore, he cuts them off and throws them away to be burned in the lake of fire.

Branches that Bear Fruit

Now let’s look at the other side—at the branches that do bear fruit. What do we know about these branches? Unlike the other branches, these branches have remained in the vine. These branches know that without the vine, they are nothing. Being connected to the vine and bearing fruit is what gives these vines their value and purpose.

However, these branches also have to go through the pruning process. They can’t keep every bud and every leaf that they produce. They have to submit to the gardener’s pruning process in order to be healthy and thriving.

In the same way, we who are Christians must remain connected to Jesus. If we try to live life without Christ, we will wither and die. We must remain in him. We also must submit to the work God is doing in our lives to prune the sin out and allow the life of Christ to flow through us.

Now it’s time for you to choose. Do you want to remain strong and healthy, bearing fruit for God’s kingdom? Or do you want to be cut off and end up in the fire? I will be praying that you remain connected to the True Vine.

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It’s that time of year. Time for gardening. Have you ever grown a garden? We always had a huge garden when I was growing up, and even now I have a little garden in my back yard, even in the middle of town. There’s something about a tomato right from the vine that is so much better than anything store-bought.

In our last I AM statement for this series, we are looking at another type of vine. Jesus’ audience probably would have been thinking of grape vines, not tomatoes, but the comparison is the same. Jesus said:

John 15:1: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.”

John 15:5: ⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Let’s look at these verses in context.

John 15:1-8: 15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

1. What is the story surrounding Jesus’ I AM statement?

Similar to Jesus’ statement from the lesson on I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Jesus is still teaching his disciples the most important things he wants them to know on the night before his death. He has told them that he is the way to the Father, and if they believe in him, they will have eternal life. He also promises to send them the Spirit of Truth to give them what they need in Jesus’ absence.

Jesus is teaching the disciples what they need to know to remain strong and do God’s work even when Jesus isn’t physically present with them. They are to love Jesus and obey his commands. They are to not be afraid. They are to remember that Jesus will come back for them.

How do the disciples do all of these things? That’s when Jesus throws them another comparison that they are likely to understand. Just as branches must remain connected to the vine in order to survive, so the disciples must remain in Christ if they want to have life. So he gives them this mental picture: “I AM the true vine.”

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2. What would this statement have meant to the original audience?

The idea of a vine would mean many things to the disciples. First, grape vines were common in the area, so they would likely have some knowledge about what it takes to tend grape vines and keep them healthy, even if they didn’t own a vineyard themselves. Second, the Old Testament often compared the nation of Israel to a vine. Third, Jesus has already told parables related to vines and vineyards. Let’s look at each of these in more depth.

Tending Grape Vines

Vines have a tendency to grow without boundaries. In order to keep grape vines healthy and under control, the vines must be tended carefully through either pruning or cutting off branches. This helps keep the grape vines within its boundaries so the owner can more easily access the grapes during harvest.

How does the owner know which branches of the vine should be pruned vs cut off? He differentiates between the healthy branches that bear fruit and the unhealthy or dead branches that do not bear fruit. The extra branches that don’t bear fruit can suck up nutrients and water from the main vine, which diminishes the nutrients available for the fruit-bearing branches. By cutting off these excess branches, the fruit-bearing branches can flourish. This helps the whole plant remain healthy. These unproductive branches are then thrown away and burned.

Then the remaining branches, the fruit-bearing branches, must be pruned. This involves cutting off any excess buds or leaves or parts of the branch that aren’t needed. This allows nutrients to flow to the strongest parts of the branch to bear the best fruit.

Vines in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, Israel is compared to a vine.

Psalm 80:8-9: ⁸ You transplanted a vine from Egypt;
you drove out the nations and planted it.
⁹ You cleared the ground for it,
and it took root and filled the land.

Just like a vine can be cut and transplanted, God cut Israel out of Egypt and transplanted it in the Promised Land, where he made the nation flourish. However, Israel decided not to remain loyal to God.

Isaiah 5:1-2: 5 I will sing for the one I love
a song about his vineyard:
My loved one had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside.
² He dug it up and cleared it of stones
and planted it with the choicest vines.
He built a watchtower in it
and cut out a winepress as well.
Then he looked for a crop of good grapes,
but it yielded only bad fruit.

God did all the work to plant and tend his vineyard, Israel, but even with all his effort and his faithfulness, Israel still only yielded bad fruit. Jeremiah says that they turned into a corrupt, wild vine.

Jeremiah 2:21: I had planted you like a choice vine
of sound and reliable stock.
How then did you turn against me
into a corrupt, wild vine?

The corruption was due to their pursuit of idols. They built altars and worshipped false gods instead of the One True God.

Hosea 10:1-2: 10 Israel was a spreading vine;
he brought forth fruit for himself.
As his fruit increased,
he built more altars;
as his land prospered,
he adorned his sacred stones.
² Their heart is deceitful,
and now they must bear their guilt.
The Lord will demolish their altars
and destroy their sacred stones.

Unlike Israel as a vine, which went astray and deserted God in favor of idols, Jesus is the true vine. He will never abandon God to follow after other gods or to follow his own desires. He will remain true to the gardener who tends his branches.

Vines in the New Testament

Jesus used vineyards as a mental picture in two of his parables.

In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus tells the parable of a landowner who had a vineyard. Starting in the early morning, he went out and hired workers for his vineyard. Then he went back out again at nine in the morning, at noon, at three in the afternoon, and again at five in the afternoon. Each time, he hired more workers. At the end of the day, when the workers were lining up to be paid, the landowner paid each one a day’s wages, just has they had agreed. The workers who were hired first were outraged that they had received the same amount as those who only worked for an hour. In this parable, Jesus was making the point that “the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

This parable tells us something about the kingdom of heaven. In the kingdom of heaven, it doesn’t matter how long or how faithfully you’ve been toiling for the kingdom. What matters is that at the end of the day, you heard the call to come work, and you responded. In the same way, everyone who responds to the call to follow Jesus will enter the kingdom of heaven, whether they responded early in life or just before death.

Then, in Matthew 21:33-46, Jesus tells the parable of a landowner who planted a vineyard, protected it with a wall and a watchtower, and built a winepress. Then, he moved away and hired tenants to tend the vineyard for him. At harvest time, the landowner sent his servants to collect his fruit, and the tenants killed them. Each time the landowner sent someone to collect his harvest, the tenants treated them the same way. Finally, he sent his son, and they killed him too. In the end, when the landowner came, he took the vineyard away from the tenants and gave it to people who would produce the fruit for the landowner.

In the same way, God sent priests and prophets to tell his people to follow him, and the Israelites refused to listen. They treated the prophets in much the same way that the tenants treated the landowner’s servants. Finally, God sent his only Son, and they killed him too. In the end, God will take the reward—the kingdom of heaven—away from those who refuse to follow him and will instead give the reward to those who will follow him.

Next Week

The imagery of vines and vineyards is rich in the Bible. The claim that Jesus was the true vine would have perhaps put a bit of guilt into the disciples’ hearts. They were Jews, and the Jews had consistently rejected God and followed their own way. They were supposed to be God’s vine, but they had failed. Come back next week to see how Jesus redeems the vine.

Go to Part 2

Source: Ryken, L., Wilhoit, J. C., & Longman III, T. (1998). Vine, vineyard. In Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (p. 914-917). InterVarsity Press.

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Have you ever been lost? Or have you ever had to look for someone who was lost? Ten years ago, I had one of the scariest experiences of my life. My sister and her family had just moved into a new house a couple days before. They had a new baby and three other kids. My nephew, who would have been 3 (almost 4) at the time, decided that he had so much fun at his aunt and uncle’s house (not me…a different aunt and uncle) that he wanted to go back there. They had taken him to Chuck E. Cheese, and he loved it!! So he figured out how to press the button to open the garage door, and he was gone.

I got a call from my sister in a panic, telling me that he had escaped and asking if I could come help look for him. Of course, I came right away, looking for him the whole time. We couldn’t find him anywhere. They even called the police to report him lost. Thankfully, three middle school boys found him and knew that it didn’t seem right that he appeared to be alone. So they also called the police to report a found child. The police put 2 and 2 together and we were able to go pick him up, about 6 blocks from home but in a direction that no one was looking.

When he told us where he was going, it was clear that he would have never made it. First, it was too far away, and he would have had to cross many busy streets. Second, he didn’t know the way. He wasn’t even going in the right direction. He was lost without someone to guide him and show him the way.

Knowing the way to where you are going is vital if you plan to get there safely. When it comes to your eternal destination, you don’t want to wander around aimlessly, hoping you’ll stumble onto the right path. That’s why Jesus said clearly, “I AM the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).

John 14:1-14: 14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.”

⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

⁸ Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

⁹ Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ¹¹ Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. ¹² Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

1. What is the story surrounding Jesus’ I AM statement?

The book of John gives the most context for what Jesus and his disciples discussed during the Passover meal, what we normally call “The Last Supper.” That’s where we find today’s passage. In John 12, we read the story of Palm Sunday, when Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a young donkey to the cheers of “Hosanna!” and “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (John 12:13).

Then John 13-17 tell us what Jesus found important to teach his disciples before his death. First, he washed their feet, taking on the role of a servant. Then he predicted Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial. Jesus also told the disciples that he would be leaving them. Even more disturbing was that Jesus said they would not be able to follow him to wherever he was going.

It is in the midst of this distressing news that Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Why? Because Jesus is going to prepare a place for them, so that eventually they will be able to join him. The disciples were confused by this. If they don’t know where he is going, how can they join him? That’s when Jesus says, “I AM the way and the truth and the life.”

2. What would this statement have meant to the original audience?

Unlike many of the I AM statements that we’ve looked at thus far in this study, where the audience was crowds of people, the original audience for this I AM statement was only Jesus’ closest 12 disciples (well, 11 at this point). The conversation went like this:

Jesus: “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.” (John 13:33)

Peter: “Lord, where are you going?” (John 13:36)

Jesus: “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” (John 13:36)

Peter: “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” (John 13:37)

Jesus: “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!” (John 13:38)

Jesus: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:1-4)

Thomas: “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (John 14:5)

Jesus: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Both Peter and Thomas had the same concern: If Jesus was leaving, and they didn’t know where he was going, how would they find him again? They were so focused on knowing where Jesus was going that they missed the point: Jesus is the way. It didn’t matter where Jesus was going. What mattered is that they knew Jesus. As long as they knew Jesus and believed in him, Jesus would show them the way.

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3. What do we learn about Jesus from this statement?

In his I AM statement, Jesus claimed three things: I AM the way, I AM the truth, and I AM the life. Let’s look at each one of these separately, and then we’ll discuss how they work together.

I AM the Way

Jesus claims to be “the way,” but the way to what? The way to the Father. Jesus doesn’t really even mention heaven here, which is how we often think about this statement. His focus is on the Father. Heaven is nothing if the Father isn’t there. The rest of Jesus’ I AM statement goes like this:

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 is the way to the Father. Jesus not only shows us the way to the Father, but he has gone ahead of us to prepare a place for us in his Father’s house. Then he also promises to come back and take us to be with him in his Father’s house.

Jesus makes the point in several different ways that if we know Jesus, we also know the Father.

John 14:7: “If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

John 14:9-11: ⁹ Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ¹¹ Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.”

John 14:20: “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”

After reading about Jesus’ focus on his Father in these verses, you can almost hear the yearning in Jesus’ voice when he says:

John 14:12: “I am going to the Father.”

He finally answered Peter’s and Thomas’s question about where he was going. He was going to the Father. Jesus has such a close relationship with the Father, and he knows that the time for his death is drawing near. He knows that on the other side of death is the best outcome: He gets to be with his Father again. And if we believe in him, then we also know the way to the Father. That’s where the next part of Jesus’ statement comes in.

I AM the Truth

Jesus knows that the world is filled with truth mixed with lies. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to believe. But over and over, Jesus asks his disciples to believe in him.

John 14:1: “You believe in God; believe also in me.”

John 14:10-12: ¹⁰ “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ¹¹ Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. ¹² Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

We can believe in Jesus because he is the Truth. We can believe him when he says that he is in the Father, and the Father is in him. We can believe him when he says that he is the way to the Father. We can believe him when he says that he is going to prepare a place for us. We can believe him when he says he will come back for us. We can believe him because he only speaks truth.

Not only is Jesus the truth, he also sends us the Spirit of truth.

John 14:15-17: ¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

If we believe in Jesus, he will send us the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and to help us discern the truth from lies.

I AM the Life

We’ve seen this one in a couple other I AM statements: I AM the Bread of Life and I AM the Resurrection and the Life. This life isn’t referring to life on this earth, although he also sustains that. This life is referring to eternal life. Where do we experience eternal life? When we are in the presence of the Father.

But that eternal life starts not after death but right now, when you believe in Jesus and have the Holy Spirit living in you.

John 14:19: “Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.”

Because Jesus lives, we can have eternal life starting right now. When we have that life, then we can also do the work that God has planned for us.

John 14:10: “Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.”

John 14:12: “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these.”

It is through the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that God does his work through us.

Fitting it All Together

These three claims, that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, all fit together. Because Jesus is the Truth, we can believe when he says that he is one with the Father and that he is the way to the Father. If we believe in Jesus, then he will show us the way—indeed, he IS the way to the Father. When we believe, we also gain eternal life, not only after death but starting here and now. Because Jesus lives, we also live.

To help us as we live, when we believe in Jesus, we receive the Spirit of truth and we are empowered to do his work. As we do his work, we glorify God with our lives.

4. How should we respond?

If Jesus is the way, will you walk down that path?

If Jesus is the truth, will you believe in him?

If Jesus is the life, will you receive that life?

Those are the choices we have to make. If you believe that Jesus is the truth, then you must also believe that he is the one and only way to the Father. The world would have us believe that as long as we believe in a “higher power” or as long as we follow any brand of religion, we will find God and go to heaven after death. Some people believe all you have to do is be a “good” person to get to heaven. But that’s not what Jesus’ I AM statement says. He says that he is the ONLY way to the Father, the only way to eternal life.

Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Jesus is the gate for the sheep, and he is the way that leads to life. The only way to enter eternal life is to believe in him. The only way to find the Father is to find Jesus.

So you can respond in one of two ways: You can reject the truth and try to find your own way. Matthew 7 says that choice will lead to destruction. Or you can choose truth and believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father. That choice leads to life.

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Last week, we read the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus had a resurrection here on this earth, which most of us will not have, but the story points to something even greater. It’s not just whether the resurrection is true that is important. It’s who has power over the resurrection. And that person is Jesus.

John 11:25-26: ²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Without Jesus, there would be no resurrection. There would be no life after death.

3. What do we learn about Jesus from this statement?

At the resurrection that brings people to the afterlife, there are two possible destinations: eternal life and eternal condemnation. We saw this last week in John 5.

John 5:28-29: [Jesus said,] ²⁸ “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.”

In order to determine which path a person will be destined to, there must be a judge. This judge is Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:10: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

When we are resurrected, we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Jesus will judge every person that stands before him. How will he decide whether they should receive eternal life or face eternal condemnation? There is only one qualification: Those whose names are written in the Book of Life will receive eternal life and enter eternity with God; those whose names are not written in the Book of Life will face eternal condemnation and separation from God in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-21:8). Revelation calls this eternal condemnation the second death.

How do we get our names in the Book of Life? That also depends on Jesus. After Jesus claims to be the resurrection and the life, he stated, “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” In other words, even though we must face the first death (death on this earth), if we believe in Jesus, we will be resurrected to the side of life, not the side of death. Then he said, “Whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” In other words, if we are resurrected to life after the first death, then we won’t ever face that second death. If we believe in Jesus, we will have eternal life.

John 3:16-18: ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Although Lazarus was resurrected on this earth, Jesus promises a much better resurrection. He promises a resurrection to eternal life, and that resurrection is possible because of Jesus’ own death and resurrection. Jesus paid the penalty for our sin with his death on the cross. If we believe in him, then our condemnation, our destiny of receiving the second death, is wiped away. Jesus paid that penalty with his life. But he didn’t stay dead. He proved his power over sin and death by his resurrection.

Acts 2:24: But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Romans 6:8-9: ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.

1 Corinthians 15:20-24: ²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. ²² For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. ²⁴ Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.

2 Timothy 1:9-10: ⁹ He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, ¹⁰ but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

At his resurrection, Jesus destroyed death. The result of his death wasn’t his defeat. It was, and continues to be, life.

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4. How should we respond?

If we continue reading after the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, we see two responses.

John 11:45: Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

Compare that to:

John 11:46-53: ⁴⁶ But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. ⁴⁸ If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

⁴⁹ Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰ You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”

⁵¹ He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, ⁵² and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. ⁵³ So from that day on they plotted to take his life.

Many who were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ power over life and death decided to believe in him. They chose the side of eternal life.

But there were others whose hearts were hardened against Jesus. They were more concerned with their own power and privilege than they were about the truth, so they looked for ways to kill Jesus. They didn’t yet understand the message. Jesus has power over life and death. If they were able to take his life, it would be because he willingly gave it. If they succeeded in killing him, he would rise from the dead—because he is the resurrection and the life.

You have the same two choices. You can choose to believe—you can choose the side of eternal life. Or you can harden your heart against Jesus—you can choose the side of eternal condemnation. If you want to choose life, then you must choose Jesus. Jesus is the only one who has the power to resurrect you to eternal life.

If you believe in Jesus and his power to resurrect you to eternal life, then you do not need to fear death. You can be confident that on the other side of death on this earth, you will see Jesus face-to-face.

1 Corinthians 13:12: For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Romans 6:5: For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.

Death no longer holds any power over us. We will be transformed to be like him, holy and righteous and forever in the presence of God.

Philippians 3:20-21: ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57: ⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

⁵⁵ “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:10-11: ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

With Jesus as the resurrection and the life, we have been given the promise of hope for eternal life with him. This should change your entire perspective on life. Your goal in life should be to focus on the eternal, to walk in obedience and live a life that honors God. It’s no longer about the here and now. It’s about what matters for eternity.

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1 John 3:19-20 (NIV, 1984 version):

¹⁹ This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence ²⁰ whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

Here’s the concept map I created for these verses:

Here is an image of my verse map for 1 John 3:19-20. I will also type out what I have written for easier reading.

Keep in mind that a lot of my writing is shorthand or bullet points rather than complete thoughts or sentences due to limited space in the journal. That shorthand is reflected in the content I have typed out.

1 John 3:19-20 (NIV 1984)

¹⁹ This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence ²⁰ whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

Translations (key differences bolded)

KJV: ¹⁹ And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. ²⁰ For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

NKJV: ¹⁹ And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. ²⁰ For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

RSV: ¹⁹ By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and reassure our hearts before him ²⁰ whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

NLT: ¹⁹ Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. ²⁰ Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

ESV: ¹⁹ By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; ²⁰ for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.

NASB20: ¹⁹ We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will set our heart at ease before Him, ²⁰ that if our heart condemns us, that God is greater than our heart, and He knows all things.

Context

Author: John

Date: Between 85-90 AD, from Ephesus

Audience: Gentile Christians, all believers everywhere

Purpose: The love we show others through our actions is evidence that we belong to the truth

Key Words

I’m studying Greek, so I’ve included the Greek terms for each key word.

Know

Greek: γινωσκω (ginosko)

Definition: to learn to know, perceive, feel, understand, have knowledge of

Truth

Greek: αληθεια (aletheia)

Definition: what is true in things pertaining to God and the duties of man, moral and religious truth

Hearts

Greek: καρδια (cardia)

Definition: the organ that is the seat of physical life; center of all spiritual life; the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors

Set at rest

Greek: πειθω (peitho)

Definition: persuade, to trust, have confidence, be confident, to be induced to believe

Presence

Greek: εμπροσθεν (emprosthen)

Definition: before him, in the presence of, in the sight of

Condemn

Greek: καταγινωσκω (kataginosko)

Definition: to find fault with, blame, to accuse

κατα + γινωσκω

κατα = according to, toward, against

γινωσκω = to know/understand

So condemn = according to what we know (we know our sins) but also against what we know (we are saved)

Greater

Greek: μεγας (megas)

Definition: things esteemed highly for their importance, for their excellence

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Cross References

1 John 3:14: We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.

We know we have passed from death to life.

John 18:37: “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

Jesus testifies to the truth. If we are on the side of truth, we listen to Jesus.

1 John 3:21: Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God

If our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God.

Hebrews 10:22: let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Draw near to God with a sincere heart. We can have full assurance of faith and be sprinkled to cleanse our guilty conscience.

Romans 2:14-15: ¹⁴ (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)

Requirements of the law are written on our hearts and accuse us.

Psalm 139:1-4: ¹ You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.

God knows us completely.

John 10:29-30: ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

God is greater than all and secures us in Christ.

View of God

God knows everything - he knows our hearts, our thoughts, our actions. He is the truth. He has made it possible to draw near to him, and if we belong to Jesus, he does not condemn us. His love is greater than our sin and guilt.

View of Man/Self

As humans, we are so quick to condemn ourselves for our sins and imperfections. But if we belong to the truth - if we belong to Jesus - then we can have peace in our hearts knowing that God will not condemn us when we stand before him.

Reflection and Application

God gave us the law and our conscience, and they often accuse us and remind us of all the things we’ve done wrong. But if we belong to the truth - to Jesus - we can know that we are forgiven and saved. We can have full confidence that we have passed from death to life. God has wiped away our guilt, so even when our hearts condemn us, it’s God’s view of us that really matters. And he sees us as clean because we are covered with the blood of Christ.

Prayer

Lord, thank you that we can KNOW that we belong to you. Thank you that we can be at peace and that we can approach you with confidence, knowing that you will do what you promised - you will cleanse us from our sin through the blood of Christ. When I lapse back into guilt, remind me of your redemptive work - a work that is greater than all my sin and guilt.

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Happy Easter! He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

God has an extraordinary way of timing things. I planned this study, not really thinking about how the lessons would fall. And it just so happens that Jesus’ I AM statement of “I AM the Resurrection and the Life” falls on Easter Sunday. Coincidence? Unlikely. But that’s all God’s doing, not my amazing planning skills.

Although this lesson doesn’t focus on Jesus’ resurrection story, it is a foreshadowing of Jesus’ power over life and death, and it gives us the promise of our own resurrection with him. It’s a story you may know well—the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.

John 11:17-44: ¹⁷ On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. ¹⁸ Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁹ and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. ²⁰ When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

²¹ “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

²³ Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

²⁴ Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

²⁷ “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

²⁸ After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” ²⁹ When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰ Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. ³¹ When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

³² When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ³⁴ “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

³⁵ Jesus wept.

³⁶ Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

³⁷ But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹ “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

The focus for this lesson is verses 25 and 26:

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

1. What is the story surrounding Jesus’ I AM statement?

After Jesus’ discussion with the Pharisees and Jews about the Good Shepherd, Jesus went back across the Jordan to where John the Baptist had been baptizing in the early days. The people recognized that everything John said about Jesus was true, and many people placed their faith in him.

Sometime after this, Jesus found out that Lazarus, one of his friends, was sick. Lazarus had two sisters, Mary and Martha. When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, he said:

John 11:4: “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

Jesus purposefully stayed where he was for two more days, during which time Lazarus died. He told his disciples:

John 11:11-14: ¹¹ After he [Jesus] had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

¹² His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” ¹³ Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

¹⁴ So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵ and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

Jesus knew that Lazarus was sick, and he knew when Lazarus had died. He timed his arrival in Bethany (where Lazarus and his sisters lived) not so that he could heal Lazarus from his sickness but so that he could raise Lazarus from the dead, proving his power over life and death.

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2. What would this statement have meant to the original audience?

Different groups of religious leaders in the Bible had different ideas about the resurrection, and thus the people had different beliefs about the resurrection. The Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead and an afterlife. However, the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead or the afterlife. Therefore, this was a subject of debate that most Jews of the time would recognize.

Acts 23:8: The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.

What does the term “resurrection” mean? It means that after you have died, you become alive again in the afterlife. In the afterlife, your body is typically transformed in some way, although you still retain your identity. All people will be resurrected, whether they are good or evil, and each person’s destiny in the afterlife depends on their actions here on earth.

John 5:28-29: [Jesus said,] ²⁸ “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.”

By saying “I AM the resurrection and the life”, Jesus is clearly saying that the resurrection of the dead is a true principle. In this regard, the Pharisees were correct (even though they were wrong about so many other things). However, the focus of the Pharisees and Sadducees related to the resurrection was solely on the afterlife. Although Jesus is concerned about the afterlife, as we see in his frequent statements about eternal life, Jesus also is concerned about life on earth. By raising Lazarus from the dead, he is showing that he not only has power over the resurrection that results in people moving on to the afterlife, he also has power over life and death here on this earth.

Next Week

For lessons that are split into two parts, Part 2 is the most important part! Come back next week so you don’t miss it! We will answer the questions “What do we learn about Jesus from this statement?” and “How should we respond?”

Go to Part 2

Expedition Bible

Expedition Bible also has an episode about Lazarus’ tomb. Here’s the link if you want to watch it!

Sources:

https://study.com/academy/lesson/early-critics-of-christ-pharisees-and-sadducees.html

https://www.openbible.info/topics/resurrection_of_the_dead

https://www.gotquestions.org/Sadducees-Pharisees.html

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In Part 1 of this lesson on “I AM the Good Shepherd,” we looked at the characteristics of sheep and shepherd. They tend to be the opposite. The shepherd is everything the sheep are not. The shepherd knows where to find good pasture and water; the sheep do not. The shepherd is a leader; the sheep are followers. The sheep are easy prey; the shepherd defends the sheep against predators. Sheep are known to wander away and get lost; the shepherd goes after the sheep and finds it. The one thing the shepherd and sheep have in common? They know each other. The shepherd knows the sheep by name, and the sheep know the shepherd’s voice and follow.

This week, we will look at the last two questions from our series related to Jesus’ I AM statement in John 10 that “I AM the Good Shepherd.” I’m going to post the whole passage again here for reference.

John 10:1-18: 10 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. ² The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” ⁶ Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

⁷ Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. ⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷ The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

3. What do we learn about Jesus from this statement?

This passage in John 10 tells us several characteristics about the good shepherd. We’ll look at each one and see how that relates to Jesus as the shepherd and us as the sheep from a spiritual perspective.

The Shepherd Knows the Sheep

John 10:14 says, “I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” This is a reciprocal relationship. Because the shepherd knows the sheep, he knows which sheep belong to him and which ones don’t. John 10:3 says that “he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” The shepherd doesn’t just know the flock in general. He knows each sheep by name. He can distinguish one from the other. He knows when one is missing. He knows the tendencies and habits of each one so that he can be there to step in to keep the sheep out of trouble. He knows when a sheep is acting out of character, and he checks to see if something is wrong and then takes care of it.

Because the sheep know the shepherd, they recognize his voice when he calls to them, and they follow him. In contrast, they don’t recognize the stranger’s voice, so they don’t follow the stranger. If the sheep know the shepherd’s voice, that means that the shepherd regularly talks to the sheep. Because the sheep trust the shepherd to lead them, this means that the shepherd’s words aren’t cruel or harmful. Harsh words tend to lead to harsh actions, and this would lead to the sheep not trusting the shepherd. The sheep trust the shepherd and follow him because they know that the shepherd has their best interests at heart.

Now think of Jesus as the good shepherd, and us as the sheep. This is supposed to be a reciprocal relationship. Jesus knows us, and he calls us by name.

Isaiah 43:1: But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”

Jesus knows us by name. He knows our tendencies and habits. He knows where we are likely to get into trouble, and he provides ways to escape temptation.

But are we doing our part in this? Do we really know our shepherd’s voice? In order for us to know our shepherd’s voice and to distinguish it from other voices, we have to spend time with Jesus. We have to read his word. We have to listen for his voice. We have to be willing to follow where he leads us rather than go our own direction.

The Shepherd Leads the Sheep to Green Pastures

John 10:9 says, “They [the sheep] will come in and go out, and find pasture.” How do the sheep find pasture? John 10:4 says, “When he [the shepherd] has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” The sheep find pasture because the shepherd leads them there. The shepherd is the one who knows where to find the nourishment the sheep need—the food and water—but the shepherd also knows where the danger is and can lead the sheep away from it. If the shepherd does need to lead the sheep through danger, the shepherd’s presence is often enough to scare away any predators.

Jesus does the same for his sheep. He has given us his word to lead us to a full and abundant life. John 10:10 says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” A shepherd doesn’t give the sheep a bunch of boundaries just to show his power and control over the sheep. He does it to keep them safe and healthy. In the same way, Jesus gives us commands to live by in his word to guide us into places of abundant life. He doesn’t give us commands just to show his power and judgment over us. He does it because he loves us and he wants to keep us from harm. And if we follow him, he will lead us to places where we can flourish and bring honor and glory to him.

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The Shepherd Lays Down His Life for the Sheep

John 10:11 says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” This is the underlying key point that Jesus is making in this passage. The shepherd cares for his sheep so deeply that he is willing to give his life for them. Jesus contrasts the good shepherd with the hired hand and the thief. The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10). The hired hand runs away at the first sign of danger rather than protecting the flock (John 10:12-13). The good shepherd does the opposite. He lays down his life to save the life of the sheep.

This is exactly what Jesus did for us. Jesus knew that as sheep, we had no capability to save ourselves from the enemy. If it was going to be us vs. sin, or us vs. the enemy, we would lose every time. As we learned in the previous lesson, the only way to salvation is through the gate—Jesus. Jesus gave us the ability to be saved, to be called his sheep, by dying for us to pay the penalty for our sins.

But Jesus says something very interesting when he talks about laying down his life for the sheep. The good shepherd doesn’t just lay down his life for the sheep. He also takes it up again.

John 10:17-18: ¹⁷ “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Do regular human shepherds have the ability to come to life again if they give their life for their sheep? No. So what is Jesus saying here? Jesus is claiming to have authority over life and death. Even if he dies, even if he lays down his life for his sheep, he has the ability to conquer death and come back to life. This is the resurrection. This is what gives the gospel power. Even before his death, Jesus is predicting his resurrection. And this is one of the things that triggers the Jews to say that Jesus is crazy.

The Shepherd Gathers All of His Sheep

John 10:16 says, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” I don’t know how common it is in Israel and the surrounding area for one shepherd to have more than one flock of sheep. But here, Jesus is claiming that he has more sheep that are not of “this” sheep pen. What is “this” referring to? Jesus was saying that the Jews are of “this” sheep pen, but there are others who are not of “this” sheep pen. With this statement, Jesus is opening the door for non-Jews to be a part of his flock. And he knows these sheep just as well as he knows the Jewish sheep, and these sheep also know his voice.

Interestingly, Jesus also knows which sheep are not his. The Jews asked Jesus if he was the Messiah, and they wanted Jesus to respond clearly. This was how Jesus responded:

John 10:25-29: ²⁵ Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, ²⁶ but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

Jesus clearly knows his own sheep, both those who are Jews and those who are Gentiles, and he clearly knows which sheep are not his. What is the distinguishing characteristic between these groups of sheep? Jesus’ sheep listen to his voice and follow him. Those who are not his sheep do not believe in him. Jesus will gather all of his sheep from all the ends of the earth, and he will give them eternal life. He will guard them and keep them safe from the enemy.

4. How should we respond?

The first choice we have to make about how to respond is whether we want to be one of Jesus’ sheep. The sheep in Jesus’ flock believe in him, know his voice, and follow him. The sheep outside of Jesus’ flock do not believe, do not know his voice, and do not follow him. Which one do you want to be?

If you decide you want to be in Jesus’ flock, if you place your faith in him, then your job as a sheep is to get to know your shepherd’s voice and follow him. How do we do that?

This might sound like a Sunday school answer, but read your Bible and pray. But it’s not just about putting in the time so you can check it off a list and say you’ve done it.

If you really want to know Jesus’ voice, you have to—deep down in your heart—really want to hear from Jesus as you are reading his word. You have to be listening for his voice when you pray. You have to take the time to meditate on his word and apply it to your life. You have to spend time learning about who Jesus is and what it means to follow him.

You should spend your day with him, even in the midst of all your other daily tasks. You should carry on a conversation with him all day every day. Losing awareness of the fact that Jesus is with you is what leads you astray. But by staying focused on him, you can listen for his guidance and follow him. This is what it means to know your shepherd’s voice.

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My sister and I always played with the bottle lambs growing up, but one particular year, we spent a lot of time with them and made them our friends. Eventually, it was time to wean the lambs, so the bottle lambs got put in with all the other lambs. The barn where they had shelter was in the pasture next to our house, so we would go out and visit our bottle lamb friends. And I have this very vivid memory of going out there one time, and all the bottle lambs came running to us, while all the other lambs ran away.

This is the picture I have in my head when the Bible talks about the sheep knowing their shepherd. The sheep know their shepherd’s voice and follow him, but sheep run away from a stranger’s voice. To the bottle lambs, we were the voice that they knew—their “shepherd.” They knew they could trust us, and they loved us, so they came to us. To the other lambs, we were strangers. They were afraid of us, so they ran away.

Jesus tells us about the shepherd and the sheep in John 10. He is the good shepherd. His sheep know his voice, and they follow him. He tells us how sheep react to the shepherd versus a stranger. Let’s look at John 10:1-18 to see what Jesus has to say about the good shepherd.

10 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. ² The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” ⁶ Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

⁷ Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. ⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷ The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

In both John 10:11 and 10:14, we see the I AM statement for this lesson: “I AM the Good Shepherd.” Let’s look more closely at this statement.

1. What is the story surrounding Jesus’ I AM statement?

This story has the same context as the lesson on “I AM the Gate for the Sheep.” Jesus has just healed a man born blind, connecting to his statement that “I AM the Light of the World.” The Pharisees were angry that Jesus had healed the man on the Sabbath and that the man who was healed claimed that Jesus was from God.

In today’s passage, Jesus is again talking to the Pharisees. He’s making a bold claim that he is the shepherd, and he is going to lay down his life for the sheep. But then he also said that he will take up his life again. What does that mean? Many of the Jews who were listening, and I would assume this includes most of the Pharisees, claimed that Jesus was demon-possessed and raving mad, and no one should listen to him. But others were convinced that someone possessed by a demon could not be doing the things that Jesus was doing.

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2. What would this statement have meant to the original audience?

As we saw last week, shepherds and sheep were common in Jesus’ day and in Jesus’ area. What would the people have understood about shepherds and sheep?

Characteristics of sheep:

• Sheep follow the leader, even if the leader is taking them into danger. For example, if the lead sheep jumps off a cliff to its death, the other sheep would follow. They don’t understand the consequences of danger.

• Sheep do not have the knowledge to find good pasture or water on their own. Without someone to guide them, they will die of starvation and dehydration.

• Sheep do not have any defense mechanisms. They are easy prey for a predator. They don’t run as fast as predators, they aren’t smart enough to hide (and they have no camouflage), and they have no claws or other defense mechanisms to fight back.

• Sheep that wander away and get lost are unable to find their way back to the flock. They don’t have tracking senses or directional skills like dogs that would help them find their way back home.

Characteristics of a good shepherd:

• The good shepherd leads the sheep to safety. The good shepherd knows where the harm is or where the threats are and leads sheep away from those places and into a place of safety.

• The good shepherd knows the lay of the land. The good shepherd knows where the good pastures are in different seasons, and they know where to find adequate water for the sheep. The shepherd leads the sheep to the best food and water available.

• The good shepherd cares for his sheep. If a sheep is injured or sick, the shepherd takes special care of the sheep, keeping it close by and making sure it has food and water and medical care until it is well and can join the other sheep.

• The good shepherd protects the sheep. Because of the shepherd’s presence, many predators will leave flocks of sheep alone. If a predator does attack the sheep, the shepherd will defend the sheep, going to battle with the predator until the predator leaves or is killed. If needed, the good shepherd will even go so far as to give his own life to protect the sheep.

• The good shepherd knows his sheep by name, and he notices when one is missing. If he sees that a sheep is missing, he goes after it and searches until he finds it (see Matthew 18:12-14 and Luke 15:3-7). Then he celebrates when it is found.

In John 10, Jesus is equating himself to the good shepherd, and he is equating his people to the sheep. We’ll look more closely at what this means in a spiritual sense next week in Part 2 of this lesson.

Next Week

Now that we have some background into sheep and shepherds and what the Jewish people knew about them, next week we will look more closely at what Jesus meant when he said that “I AM the Good Shepherd.” If you haven’t subscribed yet, now’s a great time to do so!

Go to Part 2

Expedition Bible

As I was watching Expedition Bible episodes, I came across a great video on sheep and shepherds in the Middle East. They still care for sheep today in much the same way they did in Jesus’ time. This episode has insights into the Living Water, Gate for the Sheep, and Good Shepherd lessons. I encourage you to watch it!

If you want to receive Grounded in the Bible’s weekly Bible studies in your inbox each week, you can subscribe here! Join us as we "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

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I grew up on a farm with a lot of sheep. I loved the bottle lambs especially—they became my friends. So whenever I read Scripture that refers to sheep or shepherds, it always hits close to home. I can picture the sheep that wanders away and doesn’t know how to get back. I can imagine the care that the shepherd has for the sheep. I can see the shepherd protecting the sheep and going to find the one that was lost.

Jesus was familiar with sheep and shepherds, and the people he was speaking to were too. That’s why he used them as an illustration for salvation.

John 10:7-10: ⁷ Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. ⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Notice verse 7:

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

What is the gate for the sheep, and what did Jesus mean by this statement? That’s what we will find out in this lesson.

1. What is the story surrounding Jesus’ I AM statement?

This story follows the story of the blind man that we talked about in the lesson on Jesus’ statement “I AM the Light of the World.” In that story, the Pharisees were angry that Jesus had healed a man born blind—not that he had healed him, necessarily, but that he healed him on the Sabbath, and that the man who was healed claimed that Jesus was from God. The Pharisees refused to believe in Jesus, and Jesus called them blind because of this.

In today’s passage, Jesus is again talking to the Pharisees. He’s trying to teach them a point about the difference between the thief and the true shepherd. We’ll talk more about the shepherd in the next lesson. In this lesson, we want to focus on what Jesus has to say about the gate.

2. What would this statement have meant to the original audience?

In Jesus’ time and in Jesus’ area, shepherds and sheep were common. Shepherds were often looked down on by society, but they were given a huge responsibility—they were the ones who would guard and protect the sheep and lead them to pastures with good grass and water.

At night, the shepherd would lead the sheep to the sheep pen. Sheep pens in Jesus’ day were typically made of stone walls with a single entrance. Sheep pens close to town were usually large enough for several shepherds to place their sheep in it for the night. This type of pen usually had a gatekeeper who knew the shepherds and would let the shepherds in and out of the sheep pen to care for or call out their sheep. This allowed the shepherds to go home at night while still having their flock protected.

However, if the shepherds and sheep were out in the countryside and were not close to town, shepherds would use smaller sheep pens. These pens were similar to the ones close to town, but they did not have a separate gatekeeper. Instead, the shepherd would lay down across the entrance to the pen at night. This served two purposes. The shepherd would be aware if any of the sheep tried to escape at night—and he would also be aware if a predator or thief tried to get in to steal away a sheep.

When Jesus talked about being the gate for the sheep, the people listening would have understood the role of the gate and the role of the shepherd in being the gate.

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3. What do we learn about Jesus from this statement?

Jesus Is the Only Way to Salvation

Jesus himself clarifies what he meant by his statement, “I AM the gate for the sheep.” He says in John 10:9:

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

With this statement, Jesus is making the claim that he is the only way to salvation. Let’s look at a few other verses that support Jesus’ claim:

John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:36: Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

John 14:6: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Acts 16:30-31: ³⁰ He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” ³¹ They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

Romans 10:9: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

1 Timothy 2:5-6: ⁵ For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.

1 John 5:11-12: ¹¹ And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

So many verses throughout the Bible support that Jesus is the one and only way to salvation. That’s what Jesus is claiming when he says, “I AM the gate for the sheep.” We are the sheep. We are the ones who are lost and in need of someone to save us. If we want to go from outside the fold (i.e., outside of God’s family) to inside the fold (i.e., inside of God’s family), the only way we can enter is through Jesus.

Others Are Not the True Shepherd

What else do we learn about Jesus from his claim to be the gate for the sheep? We learn that anyone else who claims to be the way to salvation is really a thief or a robber.

John 10:8: All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.

They do not have the truth, and they do not have the sheep’s best interests at heart. Those whom God has chosen as his sheep will not listen to the voice of the thief but will instead only listen to the shepherd.

Jesus Provides a Full Life

We also learn that Jesus is the one who provides a full life for those in his flock. He leads his sheep to pasture, representing provision and guidance. As humans, we don’t always know what is best for us, and we don’t always know the way to go. But if we trust our shepherd, he will tell us when to go in and go out of the sheep pen. He will tell us where to go to find pasture. And if we follow him and listen to his voice, we will be fulfilled. We will be satisfied. We will be safe. We will have life, and have it to the full.

John 10:10: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

The only path to salvation, the only path to fullness of life, the only path to eternal life, is through Jesus. He is the only gate. With Jesus as our gate, we can be confident that Jesus will protect us from the enemy. We can rest knowing that we are safe in him and that he won’t let anything come in to steal our salvation.

4. How should we respond?

With his statement, “I AM the gate for the sheep,” Jesus lays down an ultimatum for the Pharisees, and for us. He says that in order to be saved, in order to have eternal life, in order to spend eternity in heaven with God, we must go through him. He is the only way to salvation.

The Pharisees and the Jews who heard Jesus’ statement were divided:

John 10:19-21: ¹⁹ The Jews who heard these words were again divided. ²⁰ Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”

²¹ But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

You are given the same choices: You can dismiss Jesus, or you can believe in him. You can be inside God’s family, with Jesus keeping watch over you, or you can be outside God’s family, on the side of the enemy. You can have abundant, eternal life, or you can be with the thief, who comes to kill and destroy you.

With Jesus as the only way to salvation and eternal life, we don’t have room for many of the common ways that society says you can reach heaven. You can’t get to heaven by being “good enough.” You can’t get to heaven by whatever religion you choose. You must choose Jesus. If you don’t, you are on the wrong side of the gate.

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Sources:

https://www.gotquestions.org/I-am-the-door.html

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Have you ever thought that Jesus said, “I am the living water”? Well, this is not one of the 7 “I AM” statements in the book of John. But we’re going to talk about it anyway.

Twice in the book of John, Jesus says that he is the source of living water: Once in John 4, when he’s talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, and once in John 7 during the Festival of Tabernacles. Why didn’t he say “I am the living water”? Let’s take a look at these two stories and find out.

1. What is the story surrounding Jesus’ statements about living water?

In John 4, Jesus was going through Samaria in order to travel from Judea to Galilee. As he went through the Samaritan town of Sychar, he found a well and sat there because he was tired from his journey. A Samaritan woman came to draw water from the well, and Jesus asked her for a drink. The Samaritan woman was surprised. Let’s take a look at their conversation.

John 4:9-14: ⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

¹⁰ Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

¹¹ “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? ¹² Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

¹³ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

The story goes on, and eventually the woman and many in her town believed in Jesus. They were convinced that Jesus was the Savior of the world.

Now let’s look at John 7. Jesus is at the Festival of Tabernacles, as we talked about in the lesson on “I AM the Light of the World.” If you want more context on the festival itself, go back and re-read that lesson. On the last day of the festival, the eighth day and a special Sabbath, Jesus made this statement:

John 7:37-38: ³⁷ On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

Once again, we see this idea of living water, but not the claim that Jesus is the living water.

2. What would these statements have meant to the original audience?

Again, let’s look at John 4 first. In this story, Jesus is sitting at Jacob’s well, which has been providing water to the people living in the area since Jacob first dug it over 1,500 years earlier. That’s a long time for one well to be providing water without drying up! What a great picture of a spring of living water. But Jesus says that as great as this well is, it does not provide living water. Everyone who drinks from this well will have to keep coming back for more water. Only Jesus can give the living water that leads to eternal life.

Then in John 7, Jesus is at the Festival of Tabernacles, which has a light ceremony and a water ceremony. We talked about the light ceremony previously in the “I AM the Light of the World” lesson, so let’s look at the water ceremony now.

Each day of the Festival of Tabernacles, a priest would exit the Water Gate of the temple and lead a procession to the Pool of Siloam. This pool and the Gihon Spring that feeds it was Jerusalem’s only water supply. The priest would then plunge a golden pitcher into the pool, fill it with water, and recite Isaiah 12:3:

With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.

Once the priest and all the people returned to the temple, that priest and another priest carrying wine as a drink offering would go up to the Great Altar and pour out their offerings on the altar. The people would gather in the Court of Women and sing praises together.

Because of the importance of this source of water to the people in Jerusalem, the water was seen as a source of life and refreshment. When mixed with the wine on the altar, it symbolized the life and joy associated with the Holy Spirit.

It was along with this water ceremony that Jesus made his statement, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:37-38). But we see some additional context in verse 39, firmly tying living water to the Holy Spirit.

John 7:39: By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

So why didn’t Jesus say that he was the living water? Because the Holy Spirit is the living water.

3. What do we learn about Living Water from this statement?

Based on the explanation we are given in John 7:39, living water is referring to the Holy Spirit. If we go with that understanding, does that make sense when we see living water mentioned in the Bible?

Living water is mentioned a few times in the Old Testament. One of these places is in Jeremiah 2:13:

“My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

This connects to the only unforgivable sin mentioned in the Bible: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 12:31-32: ³¹ And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. ³² Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

People who forsake the living water, who reject the Holy Spirit, and who instead seek other sources of water will not receive the eternal life that the Holy Spirit brings. They will not be able to drink of the living water.

Then when Jesus talks about the living water with the Samaritan woman in John 4, Jesus says that if she would have asked, Jesus would have given her living water. What gift did Jesus promise to leave his disciples after his death? The Holy Spirit.

John 14:26: But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

John 16:7: But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

Acts 1:4-8: ⁴ On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵ For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

⁶ Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to the disciples after his ascension, and they do indeed receive the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. This is what John 7:39 was referring to when it says that those who believed in him were later to receive the Holy Spirit.

4. How should we respond?

Do you want living water? If the living water is the Holy Spirit, how do we receive the Holy Spirit? We are told in Acts 2:38:

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

If we believe in Jesus, if we repent of our sins and receive forgiveness through Jesus Christ, if we are baptized into his name, we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Note that some people received the Holy Spirit before they were baptized, such as Cornelius and those with him in Acts 10, so baptism is not necessarily required to receive the Holy Spirit. But this is a discussion for another day.)

Read the New Testament (or even limited places in the Old Testament), and notice what happens when people receive the Holy Spirit. It totally changes their lives. They receive power to witness about the gospel of Jesus Christ to those around them. They receive power to endure persecution. They receive power to keep their faith until the end. They have joy and hope of eternal life.

This is the living water that Jesus promises to those who believe in him. That living water flows into us through the Holy Spirit and then flows out from us to reach those around us for his kingdom. But first, you must believe in Jesus. That is the choice you have to make.

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Sources:

https://jewsforjesus.org/learn/jesus-and-sukkot-feast-of-booths

https://israelmyglory.org/article/the-feast-of-tabernacles-in-the-days-of-jesus/

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Last week, we looked at the context of what Jesus meant when he said, “I AM the light of the world.” Jesus was standing in the Court of Women at the temple, right next to where the huge lamps were lit during the Festival of Tabernacles. These lamps had recently been extinguished at the end of the festival, and his declaration of “I AM the light of the world” would have made connections in the people’s minds related to the Great Light that God promised to send. This week, we’ll explore more closely what Jesus meant by this statement.

John 8:12: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

3. What do we learn about Jesus from this statement?

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah declared that God would send a Great Light:

Isaiah 9:2: The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

Jesus as the Light in John 1

John sets us up to see that Jesus is the light that Isaiah was talking about:

John 1:1-14: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The characteristics of this light line up perfectly with Jesus.

• Jesus was with God in the beginning, which he claimed with his statement of “Before Abraham was born, I AM!” (John 8:58).

• This light brought life, which we see in Jesus’ statement, “I AM the bread of life.”

• The world did not recognize Jesus as the light, which was obvious by their unbelief when Jesus claimed to be sent by God.

• Jesus’ own people did not receive him, which we also saw in the Bread of Life lesson. They rejected him because they knew his family background and because he was asking them to accept teachings that were outside their comfort zone.

• Jesus came to give eternal life to those who believe in his name, which we see in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

• Jesus is the Son of God, who came down to earth to live among us. We saw this in the Bread of Life lesson as well. Jesus claimed God as his Father, and he claimed to be sent by God.

• With his claim to be the light of the world, Jesus was claiming to be a representation of God’s glory.

By claiming to be the light of the world, Jesus was saying that he is the Light that God promised, the light that would bring the people out of the darkness. He’s claiming that he was with God in the beginning, that he is the Son of God, and that he was sent to earth by God to be the representation of God’s glory on earth.

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Light and Darkness

Let’s look at this concept of the light that brings people out of the darkness a little more. We’ll start by looking at the connection between sin and darkness.

In John 9, Jesus is still trying to help people see the reality that Jesus is the light of the world. First, he heals a man born blind. When he was asked who sinned, the man or his parents, that he was born blind, Jesus answered:

John 9:3-5: ³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

When the Pharisees confronted the man to see who healed him (Jesus had healed him on the Sabbath), they were furious that the man claimed that his healing was from God, and Jesus was the one who healed him. They threw the man out of the temple!

When Jesus heard this, he sought the man out again. The Pharisees were also there, and when Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind,” (John 9:39), the Pharisees asked, “What? Are we blind too?” (John 9:40). To this, Jesus responded, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” (John 9:41).

Jesus is equating darkness, or spiritual blindness, with sin. Those who sin are in darkness because they don’t see the light that God has sent. In fact, those who are still living in sin hate the light because it exposes their evil deeds:

John 3:19-21: ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Those who do evil and live in sin stumble around in darkness. This is contrasted by the brightness that lights the path of the righteous.

Proverbs 4:18-19: ¹⁸ The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
¹⁹ But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.

John 11:9-10: ⁹ Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. ¹⁰ It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

Jesus draws a clear distinction between those who follow the light and those who stay trapped in darkness. And Jesus is the only light that can bring people out of the darkness.

Jesus Is the Light That Brings Us Out of Darkness

As the Great Light that God promised, Jesus is the only one who can bring us out of this darkness of sin.

John 12:46: [Jesus said,] I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

When Jesus appeared to Saul (Paul) at his conversion, he said this:

Acts 26:17-18: ^{17 “}I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them ¹⁸ to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”

Jesus wants people to no longer be blind to their sin. He wants to open their eyes, to let the light in, so that they will turn from their sin into the light of life that Jesus brings. Jesus is the only one who can rescue us from the power of Satan and forgive our sins. He is the only one can who sanctify us and give us a place in heaven. He calls us out of the darkness and into the light.

1 Peter 2:9: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

He is the one who pulls us out of the darkness of our sin and into the light of God’s forgiveness and healing. He is the one who can open our eyes to see our need of a Savior and to see our sin for the filth that it is. He is the one who can light our path to salvation.

4. How should we respond?

Jesus calls us to believe that he is the light of the world and to follow him:

John 8:12: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

How should we respond to this? Let’s look at John 8 again to see the possible responses.

1. We can reject him.

Immediately, the Pharisees rejected Jesus’ claim:

John 8:13: The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”

We see throughout the gospels that the Pharisees constantly challenged Jesus about his claims, and most of them refused to believe. In fact, the Pharisees and other religious leaders were the ones who arrested Jesus and spurred the Roman leaders and the crowds to have Jesus crucified.

2. We can ask for more information.

Although the Pharisees rejected Jesus outright, the people continued to question him.

John 8:25: “Who are you?” they [the Jews] asked.

They didn’t understand what Jesus was claiming or what he was teaching. But they continued to tag along after him and listen to his teachings to try to understand.

3. We can believe in Jesus.

As the people followed along after Jesus to continue to listen to his teaching, many people placed their faith in him.

John 8:30: Even as he spoke, many believed in him.

So these are our three choices: We can reject Jesus, we can continue to seek him and ask questions, or we can believe in him and receive the light and salvation that he has promised.

But what happens when we do receive the light? Then we are called to shine that light for others to see.

Matthew 5:14-16: ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

How will you respond today? Will you reject Jesus and continue to live in darkness? Or will you receive him, let his light shine in your own life, and let his light in you shine for others to see? It’s your choice.

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Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be blind? To just see total blackness all the time? To not be able to see the beauty around you in the world God has created? To not be able to see the faces of your loved ones? To not know how to navigate well because you can’t see the obstacles in your path?

Being lost in total darkness is exactly how we would all be spiritually without the light of Jesus Christ in our lives. We would be trapped in our sin, with no way out. We would have no hope of anything other than the horror of eternal separation from God.

But Jesus came to bring light to the world. In John 8:12, he makes the claim,

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Let’s take a deeper look at this statement.

1. What is the story surrounding Jesus’ I AM statement?

The story surrounding Jesus’ I AM statement in John 8 takes place in John 7-9. At the beginning of John 7, we learn that it is time for the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles, which takes place in Jerusalem every year. It is one of the big three religious festivals that the Jews celebrate (Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles). Jesus decides not to go to the festival with his brothers, but goes later secretly.

About halfway through the festival, Jesus goes up into the temple courts and begins to teach. The people are amazed at his teaching. When the people begin to question him about how he became such a knowledgeable teacher, Jesus says that his teaching is from God. Through all of this is the undercurrent that people are trying to kill Jesus. Jesus knows it, the crowds know it (eventually), but Jesus is able to slip away because his time to die had not yet come.

The day after the festival is over, Jesus makes this statement, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Now, the Pharisees, one sect of religious leaders, question the validity of Jesus’ testimony, and Jesus states that his testimony is valid because God the Father is his witness that his testimony is true. Once again, the religious leaders failed to seize him even though they were angry at his claims.

It is within the context of this conversation that the people begin to dispute who Jesus is and what authority he has to teach and to claim to be from God, and where Jesus makes his statement, “Before Abraham was born, I AM!” (John 8:58) that we talked about in Lesson 1 of this series.

After this, Jesus healed a man born blind, using this as an object lesson to connect the man’s physical blindness with our spiritual blindness. Jesus is the light that comes to bring us out of our blindness.

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2. What would this statement have meant to the original audience?

The Festival of Tabernacles (also called Sukkoth or Sukkot today) is first mentioned in Leviticus 23:33-42. It lasts for 8 days:

• Day 1 is a sacred assembly, a special Sabbath.

• For 7 days, the Israelites were supposed to offer food offerings to the Lord.

• Then on the 8th day, they were to again present food offerings and have a sacred assembly, another special Sabbath. The food offerings included burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings, and sacrifices.

This festival took place along with the agricultural harvest and was intended to help the Israelites remember God’s provision for them in the wilderness. In addition, the people were to live in temporary shelters for 7 days—tabernacles, if you will—to remind themselves of the temporary shelters they lived in when God brought them out of Egypt.

By Jesus’ day, the Jews had expanded this festival to include traditions involving light and water. We’ll focus on the light traditions here, and I’ll discuss the water traditions in a special bonus lesson after this lesson.

The light ceremony took place in the Court of Women at the temple, with four large oil lamps illuminating the courtyard. Some sources say that each lamp had four branches, for a total of 16 light sources. These lamps stood 75 feet high and were lit at the end of the first day of the festival. Due to their height and size, and the location of the temple on the top of a hill, the light from these lamps could be seen throughout the entire city at night.

The lights from the temple had several different symbolic meanings.

• The lights were a reminder of the pillar of fire that led the Israelites in the wilderness at night, which was a symbol of God guiding them and giving them light (Exodus 13:21). Interestingly, the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire first appeared to the Israelites before they had even crossed the Red Sea when fleeing the Egyptians. One of the places they camped was called Sukkoth (Exodus 13:20), and it was after leaving Sukkoth that the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire first appeared.

• The lights were a reminder of the Shekinah Glory, the visible presence of God filling the temple (1 Kings 8:10-11). God’s glory that filled the temple was considered the light of all lights.

• The lights reminded the people of God’s promise in Isaiah 9:2 to send a Great Light: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”

At the end of the eighth day, these lights were extinguished. It was in this context that Jesus made his statement “I AM the light of the world.” It was a declaration that he was the Light that would never be extinguished.

Next Week

Now that we have some background into what “light” would have symbolized to the Jewish people, next week we will look more closely at what Jesus meant when he said that “I AM the light of the world.” Subscribe so you don’t miss out!

Go to Part 2

Sources:

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/feast-of-tabernacles/

https://jewsforjesus.org/learn/jesus-and-sukkot-feast-of-booths

https://www.icej.org/understand-israel/biblical-teachings/why-we-celebrate-the-feast-of-tabernacles/

https://israelmyglory.org/article/the-feast-of-tabernacles-in-the-days-of-jesus/

If you want to receive Grounded in the Bible’s weekly Bible studies in your inbox each week, you can subscribe here! Join us as we "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

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Last week, we looked at the context of Jesus’ claim that “I AM the bread of life.” Jesus had just fed a large crowd with only 5 small loaves of bread and 2 fish. After the crowds searched for him the next day, Jesus accused the crowds of following him not for who he is but only because he can fill their stomachs.

Jesus then started talking about bread from heaven, and immediately the people equated this to the manna that God sent to the Israelites in the wilderness. They want this bread from heaven! Yet they don’t appear to really understand what this means. This week, we’ll explore more closely what Jesus really meant by his statement, “I AM the bread of life.”

3. What do we learn about Jesus from this statement?

Jesus made several statements throughout John 6 that lead to some very clear conclusions. Let’s see if we can draw some lines between the dots that Jesus gives us.

John 6:27: “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

• There is food that leads to eternal life.

• The Son of Man will give that food.

• God the Father has placed his seal of approval on the Son of Man.

John 6:29: “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

• God is sending someone.

• Our responsibility is to believe in the person God sends.

John 6:32b-33: “It is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

• The Father gives bread from heaven, also called the bread of God.

• This bread that comes from God gives life to the world.

So Jesus is making connections: Now we know that whoever God is sending is this “bread,” and it is this bread that gives life.

Then Jesus hits them with:

John 6:35: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

There’s no ambiguity here. This bread from heaven, the one that Jesus says God is sending, the one who will bring life—that’s Jesus. That also means that Jesus is the Son of Man, he has come from heaven, and God the Father has placed his seal of approval on him. If all this is true, then Jesus is calling them to believe in him as the one the Father has sent. This is what Jesus is saying with this statement.

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What does Jesus say next?

John 6:37-40: ³⁷ “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰ For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

• God has a plan for who will believe in Jesus, and Jesus will accept those.

• Jesus came down from heaven to do God’s will.

• God’s will is that Jesus will not lose any that God has given to him.

• God’s will is that Jesus will raise up all who believe on the last day.

• God’s will is that everyone who looks to Jesus and believes in him will have eternal life.

This is quite the claim. Look at the authority and power that Jesus is claiming here. He’s talking about having a role in giving eternal life to those who believe in him and raising them up on the last day. This isn’t just providing food or healing sickness. This is real power for eternity.

After the Jews express their disbelief that someone they know could have this type of power, Jesus reiterates his claim.

John 6:44-51: ⁴⁴ “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. ⁴⁶ No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. ⁴⁸ I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹ Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. ⁵⁰ But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 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 will give for the life of the world.”

• Jesus repeats that God the Father is responsible for choosing who believes in Jesus and who Jesus will raise up on the last day.

• Jesus says that only the one who is from God has seen the Father, and we already know that Jesus has claimed that God has sent him. This means that Jesus is claiming that he has seen the Father.

• Jesus repeats that the one who believes in this one that God has sent—Jesus—will have eternal life.

• Jesus repeats that he is the bread of life—the living bread—and anyone who eats this bread will live forever.

• Then Jesus throws one more nugget of truth their way: Jesus will give his flesh—which he calls the bread—for the life of the world.

This throws up all kinds of red flags for the Jews. If they are supposed to eat the bread, and the bread is Jesus’ flesh, that’s a little disturbing. Are they really supposed to eat his flesh?

Then Jesus goes on to drive his point in even further.

John 6:53-58: ⁵³ Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. ⁵⁵ For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. ⁵⁶ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. ⁵⁷ Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

• Jesus tells them they must eat his flesh and drink his blood. This is what will give them eternal life and will cause them to be raised up on the last day.

• Jesus sneaks in a little of the concept of remaining in him—we remain in Jesus as we eat his flesh and drink his blood. If we feed on him, we will live forever.

This sounds really gross. It sounds like cannibalism. And I’m sure the Jews were even more disturbed, because the Law commanded them not to consume blood (Leviticus 17:10-14, Deuteronomy 12:23-25).

Also, we never have any record in the Bible of people literally eating Jesus’ flesh or drinking his blood. So what does this really mean?

Jesus was using this as a metaphor: What we eat and drink spiritually should be Christ and his Word. This is what nourishes our souls and draws us closer to him. He clarifies that for his disciples later in the story.

John 6:63: “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.”

If we eat bread, it will fill our bellies. In the same way, if we eat the bread of life—if we believe in Jesus and listen to his words—we will be filled with the Spirit, who gives us eternal life.

We also see this picture of flesh and blood given in the practice of communion, when we remember the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26: ²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

4. How should we respond?

What will you do with the claim that Jesus is the bread of life? Will you be like the Jews and grumble in disbelief? Will you turn away and no longer follow? Or will you believe that Jesus is who he claims to be?

Jesus gives us the call to believe in him—in the bread of life that God Himself has sent. Jesus came to give his life so that everyone who “eats his flesh and drinks his blood”—everyone who believes in him and who listens to his words—will receive the Spirit and have eternal life.

What will your choice be?

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1 John 3:18 (NIV, 1984 version):

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Here’s the concept map I created for these verses:

Here is an image of my verse map for 1 John 3:18. I will also type out what I have written for easier reading.

Keep in mind that a lot of my writing is shorthand or bullet points rather than complete thoughts or sentences due to limited space in the journal. That shorthand is reflected in the content I have typed out.

1 John 3:18 (NIV 1984)

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Translations (key differences bolded)

KJV: My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

NKJV: My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

ASV: My little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.

RSV: Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.

YLT: My little children, may we not love in word nor in tongue, but in word and in truth!

NLT: Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

ESV: Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

NET: Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth.

NASB20: Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

Context

Author: John

Date: Between 85-90 AD, from Ephesus

Audience: Gentile Christians, all believers everywhere

Purpose: Continuing to describe how to love each other

Key Words

I’m studying Greek, so I’ve included the Greek terms for each key word.

Children

Greek: τεκνιον (teknion)

Definition: a term teachers use to kindly address their disciples

Love

Greek: αγαπαω (agapao)

Definition: to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly

Words

Greek: λογος (logos)

Definition: a word that embodies a conception or idea, the act of speaking, what someone has said, doctrine, teaching, may also refer to thinking and reasoning

Tongue

Greek: γλωσσα (glossa)

Definition: speech, talk, the tongue as an organ of speech, the language ore dialect of a people

Actions

Greek: εργον (ergon)

Definition: deeds, something accomplished by hand, business, employment, something that requires work

Truth

Greek: αληθεια (aletheia)

Definition: what is true, what is true pertaining to God and religious truth, truth as personal excellence

Cross References

1 John 3:1: See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

We are children of God because of his love.

Matthew 25:31-45: ³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

We will be judged by our actions toward the least of these.

1 Corinthians 13: If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Love is shown by action - patience, humility, etc.

Ephesians 4:15: Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

We should speak the truth in love to help our fellow believers grow.

1 Thessalonians 1:3: We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our actions should flow out of faith and love.

1 Peter 1:22: Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.

If we obey the truth, we will have love for one another.

James 2:17: In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Faith without action is dead.

View of God

God is the source of truth. He has called us to be his children because of his great love for us.

View of Man/Self

As humans, it’s easy to say the right thing but often hard to do the right thing. As Christians, our actions should follow what we say, and what we say should be truth and should be formed by love.

Reflection and Application

So many things are easier to say than to do. As Christians, our speech should be backed up by what we do. Our actions should flow out of what we believe about who Jesus is and who we are because of what he has done for us. If we understand that, then our actions will flow from love and gratitude, and we will see others through his eyes. This will transform the way we think and act.

Prayer

Lord, we might look at this verse and come to the conclusion that only our actions matter, and our words don’t. But Lord, our love for you and for others should be shown both in what we say and in what we do. Help my words to be consistent with your truth, and help my actions to follow my words. And that includes not only spoken words but also my thoughts.

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Bread. It’s one of those things that most people have an opinion about. Everyone has their own favorite bread they buy at the store. Or maybe you refuse to eat the store-bought bread and only bake your own. Do you like rye bread? Or sourdough? Or pumpernickel? White or whole wheat? Or gluten free? What about banana bread or pumpkin bread? Or cinnamon bread?

When a big storm is coming, what do people buy at the store? Bread, milk, and eggs. Why is bread always on the list? It’s a staple. You can do so many things with it. In Bible times, bread was as much a part of everyday life as it is now, if not more so. Everyone knew that bread was a necessary part of their diet. So when Jesus calls himself the bread of life, that caught their attention.

Let’s take a closer look at John 6. I really would encourage you to read all of John 6 to understand the context for this passage, but these are the key verses.

John 6:35-51: 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. ³⁶ But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. ³⁷ All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰ For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

⁴¹ At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴² They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

⁴³ “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. ⁴⁴ “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. ⁴⁶ No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. ⁴⁸ I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹ Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. ⁵⁰ But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 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 will give for the life of the world.”

1. What is the story surrounding Jesus’ I AM statement?

At the beginning of John 6, Jesus fed a crowd of 5,000 men, plus women and children, with a little boy’s lunch of 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Jesus’ statement about being the bread of life took place the very next day, with the same group of people who had experienced that miracle, so you know the people had to have been thinking back to the miracle Jesus did with the bread and the fish.

Jesus was concerned that the people who were chasing after him were just looking for more miracles, not because they truly wanted to follow him. Jesus encouraged them to work for food that endures to eternal life, not for food that spoils.

John 6:26-27: ²⁶ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. ²⁷ Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

When the people asked Jesus what this work was that they needed to do, Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29). This goes back to the Remain in Christ study we did: The mark of remaining in Christ is that we are obedient to follow God’s commands. And God’s command is to believe in the one he sent—Jesus.

But the people didn’t really want to believe that Jesus was the one that God sent. They just wanted eternal life. They wanted the reward without doing the work. When the people asked Jesus to give them bread from heaven, Jesus responded with, “I am the bread of life.” And instantly, the people began to grumble. How can he be the bread from heaven? They know him, they know his family. They don’t believe that he is the one who came down from heaven.

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2. What would this statement have meant to the original audience?

In their discussion, Jesus and the Jews referred to the bread from heaven. To the Jews, this would immediately make them think of the manna that the Israelites were given each morning in the wilderness.

Exodus 16:4-5: ⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. ⁵ On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”

The people knew that this manna was a gift directly from God, and it was used to sustain them in the wilderness. This was a sign of God’s provision for his people as he brought them out of slavery and to the Promised Land. It was a sign that God’s salvation was at work. So when Jesus claimed to be the bread of life, the bread from heaven, the people would have understood that Jesus was claiming to be from God in order to bring salvation and eternal life to them. Yet they didn’t want to believe that this claim was true.

Next Week

Now that we have some background into what “bread” represents to the crowds that followed Jesus and to the Jews in particular, next week we will look more closely at what Jesus means when he says that “I AM the bread of life.” Subscribe so you don’t miss out!

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This series is about the 7 I AM statements of Jesus in the book of John. But the significance of I AM doesn’t begin with Jesus in the New Testament. It goes all the way back to the book of Exodus, when God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush.

God Identifies Himself to Moses

In Exodus 3, Moses is tending his father-in-law’s sheep many years after fleeing Egypt when he killed a man. Suddenly, Moses saw a bush on fire, but the bush wasn’t burning up! From that burning bush, God called to Moses and told him to go back to Egypt because God was going to free his people from slavery and oppression.

Moses isn’t too sure about this plan. He questions his own authority to be the leader of the Israelites, and he questions whether the Israelites will accept him as a leader. The conversation then goes like this:

Exodus 3:13-14: ¹³ Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

¹⁴ God said to Moses, “I AM who I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

I AM is how God chose to identify himself to Moses, just like later in Exodus 34:6-7 God chose to describe himself to Moses as

“The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ⁷ maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

I AM Meaning

Although the words “I am” can be used in many situations, the way that God uses it, I AM as a stand-alone name, conveys his eternal and self-sufficient nature. He is, he always has been, and he always will be. No matter when in history you study, God is there. No matter how far you go into the future, God is there. He doesn’t need anything to sustain him or support him. He is completely sufficient in and of himself. An article from Bible Study Tools describes these verses this way:

This eternal nature of God is echoed in Revelation 1:8:

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

The Tetragrammaton

The name God used in Exodus 3 became so revered by the Israelites that they refused to even pronounce or write the name fully. Therefore, it is commonly condensed to four consonants: YHWH. This is called the Tetragrammaton.

This name for God appears over 6,000 times in the Bible, and it is usually identified by LORD in all capital letters. Significantly, this name has also been found through archaeology on many scrolls, inscriptions, and texts (see video at end).

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Jesus Identifies Himself as I AM

Now that we understand the significance of the phrase “I AM” from the Old Testament, let’s look at how Jesus uses this phrase. Of course, he uses this phrase in the 7 I AM statements we will look at in the remaining lessons of this study. But he also uses it once as a stand-alone phrase in John 8.

Jesus is having a dispute with the Jews about who he is and who they are. The Jews refer to Abraham as their father, but then they also say that the only Father they have is God himself. Jesus stated that if God was their Father, then they would love Jesus, because God sent him. When Jesus claims that anyone who obeys his word will never see death, the Jews are outraged. They felt that Jesus was claiming to be greater than Abraham and the prophets. They asked him, “Who do you think you are?” I imagine this was not asked out of curiosity but out of spite, with great sarcasm. The rest of the conversation goes like this:

John 8:54-59: ⁵⁴ Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. ⁵⁵ Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. ⁵⁶ Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

⁵⁷ “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

⁵⁸ “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” ⁵⁹ At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

Did you see that statement in verse 58? “Before Abraham was born, I am!” This is the same way that God used I AM in Exodus 3—as a stand-alone statement about who he is. In this statement, Jesus proclaims his eternal nature and identifies himself with God.

Of course, the already outraged Jews become even more furious at this and attempted to stone Jesus. Why would they have this response? It goes back to the Law of Moses, given in Leviticus 24:15-16:

^{15 “}Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who curses their God will be held responsible; ¹⁶ anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them. Whether foreigner or native-born, when they blaspheme the Name they are to be put to death.’”

To the Jews, Jesus was claiming to be God, which would be blasphemy. And the Law says that anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death by stoning. This is exactly the reaction the Jews had—they picked up stones to stone Jesus. What they didn’t realize was that Jesus was telling the truth—he IS God.

Conclusion

As we go through the rest of this study, keep in mind this background information, especially the attitude the Jews had toward Jesus claiming to be God. All of the I AM statements of Jesus in the book of John are different ways that Jesus claimed to be God. What evidence do we see that these claims are correct? Can we really trust that Jesus is who he claims to be? I hope you’ll come along and find out.

Expedition Bible

Recently, I ran across a recommendation for Expedition Bible, Joel Kramer’s YouTube channel, from David Roberts of Simple Christianity. I’ve been watching Expedition Bible videos lately and came across this one that talks about the Tetragrammaton being found in an early tomb. I’d encourage you to watch it (and many of the other videos he has). Knowing more about the archaeology from Biblical times helps bring these ancient stories to life.

Next Lesson

Sources:

https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/why-does-god-call-himself-i-am-that-i-am.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetragrammaton

https://www.gotquestions.org/I-AM-WHO-I-AM-Exodus-3-14.html

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I’ve always been fascinated by God’s “I AM WHO I AM” statement in Exodus 3, and anytime the phrase “I am” is said, especially as a complete statement, it always catches my ear. (And, I have to admit, it bothers me a bit when “I am” is said on its own and it’s not referring to God, like in Hillsong’s song “Who You Say I Am.”)

God used the name “I AM” to identify himself to Moses, and Jesus used that same phrasing in John 8 to identify himself to the Jews. This did not sit well with the Jews—Jesus was claiming to be God! Throughout the book of John, Jesus uses 7 “I AM” statements to explain who he is and how that supports his claim to be God. In this study, we are going to look in depth at those 7 statements by answering these questions about each statement:

1. What is the story surrounding Jesus’ I AM statement?

2. What would this statement have meant to the original audience?

3. What do we learn about Jesus from this statement?

4. How should we respond?

As we look at each statement, our goal is to discover who Jesus is and why we should have faith in him. We’ll look at each statement over one or more weeks (the goal is one week per statement, but if a lesson gets too long, I might split it over multiple weeks). The lessons will be:

1. Lesson 1: The Significance of I AM (Exodus 3:14, John 8:58)

2. Lesson 2: “I AM the Bread of Life” (John 6:35), Part 1 / Part 2

3. Lesson 3: “I AM the Light of the World” (John 8:12), Part 1 / Part 2

4. BONUS: Is Jesus the Living Water?

5. Lesson 4: “I AM the Gate for the Sheep” (John 10:7)

6. Lesson 5: “I AM the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11, 14), Part 1 / Part 2

7. Lesson 6: “I AM the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25), Part 1 / Part 2

8. Lesson 7: “I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6)

9. Lesson 8: “I AM the True Vine” (John 15:1), Part 1 / Part 2

10. Summary: What We Learned About Jesus from the I AM Statements

I hope you join me on this journey of discovery! And invite a friend to come along with us!

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This week, we continue our mission to transform our hearts and minds by focusing on gratitude and thanksgiving. Gratitude is something we are often intentional about in November (along with the Thanksgiving holiday) but then completely forget about the rest of the year. But we have so much to be thankful for every day of our lives. That’s the positive that I want to focus on this year.

As Christians, we should have a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving.

Old Testament

1 Samuel 12:24: But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.

Psalm 34:1: I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.

Psalm 136:1-3, 26: ¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
² Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

²⁶ Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.

Psalm 100:4-5: ⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 9:1-2: ¹ I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
² I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

Psalm 118:24: The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.

Psalm 103:2-5: ² Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalm 95:1-2: ¹ Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
² Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.

Psalm 92:1-2: ¹ It is good to praise the Lord
and make music to your name, O Most High,
² proclaiming your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night.

Psalm 89:1-2: ¹ I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
through all generations.
² I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

The Psalms are filled with words of gratitude and thanksgiving to God, often focusing on God’s characteristics. This focus causes the writer, and us, to worship God for who he is and for what he has done for us.

New Testament

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:11-13: ¹¹ I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:4-6: ⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

James 1:2-4: ² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Colossians 2:6-7: ⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Ephesians 5:20: …always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 2:14: But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.

2 Corinthians 9:11: You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Hebrews 13:15: Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

Hebrews 12:28-29: ²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, ²⁹ for our “God is a consuming fire.”

1 Corinthians 10:30-31: ³⁰ If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? ³¹ So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Verses about gratitude and thanksgiving in the New Testament often focus on the hope that we have because of what God has provided and what Jesus has done on the cross. Sometimes we feel that our circumstances aren’t worthy of gratitude or thanksgiving, but these verses tell us that our heart of thanksgiving shouldn’t depend on our circumstances. Because of the hope that we have in Christ, we can rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances, we can stand firm in our faith, we can share generously with others, and we can worship God with all our hearts.

Join me on my transformed mind journey!

Don’t forget that I’m posting transformed mind verses each day over on Substack Notes. You can access my notes through the Substack app, or you can see them on Grounded in the Bible’s Notes tab.

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I hope you’ll join me as we transform our minds to be more like Christ!