THE “I AM” OF JESUS – Part 1 of 2

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

The Gospel of John gives us a series of seven breathtaking declarations from Jesus -- statements that don’t just describe what He does, but reveal who He is. Each “I Am” pulls back the curtain on His divine identity, echoing the name God spoke to Moses at the burning bush: “I AM WHO I AM.”  In Jesus, the eternal God steps into human history and says, “This is who I am for you.” Take time with each statement. Let these words draw you closer to Him as we approach Holy Week.

1. “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35):  Jesus meets our deepest hunger -- not with something, but with Himself. We chase satisfaction in a thousand places, but only Christ can fill the emptiness within us. Where are you hungry today? Bring that hunger to the One who satisfies.

2. “I am the Light of the World” (John 8:12):  In a world clouded by confusion, fear, and darkness, Jesus shines with truth, hope, and clarity. He doesn’t just show the way -- He is the way. Invite His light into the places where shadows still linger.

3. “I am the Gate” (John 10:7):  Jesus is the doorway into safety, rest, and abundant life. He guards, guides, and welcomes all who come to Him. Are you trying to live life out there through your own strength? Walk in through His grace instead. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

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FIRST THINGS FIRST

“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them…  ‘But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow…”  When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”  (Matthew 5:1-2, 6:33-34, and 7:28-29 NIV)

During the height of Jesus’ popularity in Israel, crowds followed Him everywhere, hungry for a word of insight or a touch of compassion. At that time, Jesus spoke at length the words of what has come to be known as the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Seated on a hill, Jesus shared practical lessons based on spiritual principles relating to everyday concerns. Jesus spoke about anger, revenge, and greed; the importance of building strong relationships; and God’s provision for everyday needs, such as food and clothing.

Just like people today, the people of Jesus’ time must have struggled to put all this into perspective. They must have longed to “get their priorities straight.” Jesus’ answer was simple: Put God first and everything else will fall into place. This life principle is as powerful today as it was back then. Relationships, goals, responsibilities, and desires are constantly competing for your attention. Only by looking at them from God’s perspective can you make wise decisions on how to use your time and energy in the way that makes the most positive and effective difference.

By constantly choosing to live out your life in a way that reflects the priorities of God’s kingdom in heaven, your concerns about things that are out of your control lose their grip on your heart. Your dependence on material provisions is transformed into a deep dependence on God. That’s when you discover that whatever God provides is enough. 

-- From “100 Favorite Bible Verses”

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YOKED WITH JESUS

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  (Matthew 11:28–30 NIV)

At our home in Door County, Wisconsin we have a yoke that my great-grandfather used on his farm in the late 1800’s. Seeing that yoke I have always been curious about Jesus’s use of that term in Matthew 11. There’s a reason Jesus doesn’t simply say, “Come to Me and rest.” He goes further. He says, “Take My yoke upon you… and you will find rest for your souls.”

A yoke is an instrument of work, not leisure. It joins two animals together so they move in the same direction, at the same pace, sharing the same load. At first glance, it seems strange -- why would Jesus offer rest by giving us a yoke?

Because His yoke is not a burden. His yoke is a relationship.

To be yoked to Christ means we no longer walk alone. We no longer pull the weight of life by ourselves. We no longer guess which direction to go or strain to keep up. When we take His yoke, we step into a life where He sets the pace, He bears the weight, and He guides the way.

When we are yoked to Him our striving becomes steady, because His strength steadies us. Our direction becomes clear, because His wisdom leads us. Our burdens become lighter, because His shoulders carry what ours cannot. Our souls find rest, not because life is easy, but because He is near.

Jesus doesn’t promise a life without burdens. He promises a life without weariness. A life where we move in step with the One who is gentle, humble, patient, and strong. A life where we learn from Him -- not by listening from afar, but by walking right beside Him.

Seeing my great-grandfather’s yoke is a good reminder to me to be yoked with Christ. And today, Jesus invites you again: Come. Take My yoke. Walk with Me. Let Me carry what you cannot.  In His presence even the heaviest loads become light.

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry™

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FOLLOWING JESUS

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?’”  (Matthew 16:24-26 NLT)

To follow Jesus Christ, who was betrayed, wept, bled, and died before He rose again, is to be at high risk of being taken where we had not intended to go. Eugene Peterson pinpoints the trouble with prayer: “We are often asked to respond in ways that we never intended when we first began to pray.”

It matters little where or in what century we are called to live out our Christian life. The witness of those who have gone before informs my own experience, telling me that we are often taken to places where we receive unwarranted accolades and to other places where we receive unwarranted suffering and pain. A disciple, one who chooses to be a student and follower of Jesus, is not a “self-made person” and is not on a personally designed journey… We choose to follow Jesus and then Jesus chooses where we will go. It is that simple.

The saving truth here is not that we are taken where we do not want to go, rather the saving truth is that we are not alone. There is One who leads us and who goes with us… While we may not choose the places to go, we can choose to remain with the One who sends us and there find comfort, companionship, grace, peace, and joy in Christ. 

-- Adapted from Rueben P. Job in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

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JESUS WEPT

It was customary in ancient Israel to bury someone on the day of death. After death, the Talmud prescribed seven days of deep mourning and thirty days of light mourning. So [after Lazarus died] Jesus shows up right in the middle of their deepest sorrow and grieves with them. John 11:35 simply says, “Jesus wept.”

It’s one of the shortest verses in the Bible, but it speaks volumes. And I’m not sure the English translation does it justice. The force of the Greek verb tense suggests that Jesus bursts into tears. This was not a measured response. Jesus literally lost it. It reveals how much Jesus loved Lazarus. It also reveals a God who sheds tears! And He doesn’t just cry over us, He collects our tears in a bottle (see Psalm 56:8).

Your tears are precious to God. Whether they are tears of joy, tears of sorrow, or tears of pain -- not one teardrop is lost on God.

If you’ve endured the type of loss Mary and Martha experienced [in losing their brother], you know that sometimes you need a shoulder to cry on. I’m grateful for those friends who seem to show up when everybody else disappears. Jesus is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (see Proverbs 18:24), and His broad shoulders can bear any burden. 

-- Mark Batterson in “The Grave Robber: How Jesus Can Make Your Impossible Possible”

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