I Am

“I AM”

   Today, I will be taking my lesson from The Gospel of John, mainly from Chapter 6 through Chapter 15.

   But, first, I will quote a verse from “Be still, and know that I AM GOD: I will be exalted among the heathen (nations), I will be exalted in the earth.”

   Throughout the Bible, in both the Old and New Testament, we find the Term “I AM” used over 719 times.

   In the Old Testament we find God first used the term with Moses, when He said, “I AM who I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”

   In this lesson, I will be concentrating on the “I AM” in The Gospel of John.

   Jesus said “I AM” on seven occasions in the Gospel of John and this is a description Jesus gave of Himself. The seven “I AM” sayings help us better understand the Divinity of Jesus Christ. Each one elevates Jesus to the level of Creator, Sustainer, Savior, and Lord—titles that can be claimed only by God.

   The seven analogies are in the Gospel of John are:

I. Bread

“I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger”.

II. Gate

“I am the gate; if anyone enters through me, he shall be saved and shall go in and out, and find

III. Good Shepherd

“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep”.

IV. Resurrection And Life

“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me shall live even if he dies”.

V. Way, Truth, Life

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me”.

VI. Light

“I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of light”.

VII. True Vine

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser (Husbandman).

   In this verse, John refers to Jesus not simply as the vine, but more specifically as the “true” vine. The implication is that in contrast to Israel which became unfaithful and incurred the judgment of God, Jesus remains faithful and thus fulfills Israel’s calling to be the vine of God. Remember the story of Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt and then not obeying God. In we see where God brings the vine (Israel) out of Egypt and planted it in the promised land. But because of disobedience, the vine yielded “wild” grapes. Jesus is called the “True Vine” because He remained faithful. Jesus is not the trunk or the root, He is the vine. He is the true vine, who fulfills the destiny to which Israel was called.

   Mentioned more than any other plant in the entire Bible, the grape vine was very important culturally and economically in Biblical times. Because of its centrality in everyday life, it is often used symbolically in scripture.

   A fruitful vine was a symbol of obedient Israel, while “wild grapes” or an empty vine spoke of Israel’s disobedience.

   This woody vine is only cultivated with effort and hard work. records part of the process.

   Typically grown on a hill, a vineyard needed to be cleared of many stones, which are common in Israel. Only then could vines be planted.

   In the same verse, God says, He takes away every branch that bears fruit, so that it will bear more fruit.

   The pruning process helps us to bear more fruit. The fruitless branches that are pruned or cut off are useless. Since they do not burn well, they cannot even be used to warm a house. They are thrown into piles and burned like garbage.

   As verse 2 says, they are “taken away”. He doesn’t repair them; He removes them. The Father removes them to preserve the life and fruitfulness of the other branches.

   If there is no fruit in your life; if there is no genuine connection to Jesus Christ, you are in danger of being removed and cast into the fire.

   If there is fruit in your life, you can rejoice that the pruning knife has been effective and that the vinedresser’s ultimate goal is that you bear much fruit.