Throughout Scripture, God reveals His character through
encounters with His people.
Jesus’ I AM
statements in John’s Gospel give a three-dimensional illustration of God in the
person of Jesus Christ.
Our previous I AM encounters have included Jesus as the Bread of Life, Living Water, Light of the World, The Door and the Good Shepherd.
Today we meet Him as the Resurrection and the Life in John
11:25.
Jesus heard news that His friend, Lazarus was sick and then
died. After a delayed arrival, He raised Lazarus from the dead calling him out
from the tomb. This event was more than a miracle.
Everything Jesus did had a deeper purpose.
Everything Jesus did had a deeper purpose.
He wanted His followers (and us) to know that HE IS the
resurrection. It’s as if Jesus is saying, I
am the reason, the cause, and the power in the resurrection.
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Jesus is the
source of life. He gives life. He restores life. He is life.
Soon after He raises His friend, Lazarus from the dead, Jesus
also died and then rose again on the third day. His followers began to
understand that He would do the same for them as followers who proclaim Him as
Savior and Lord.
It's easier for me to understand these I AM statements this way:
The King or President of a nation
represents an office—they
have authority to fulfill what they say because of WHO they are. When we hear
one say, I am the President of the United States, we understand they carry out
this authority in all their actions. They embody the position in everything
they say and do.
Jesus is the bread because He is everything we need; fresh
for our daily needs. He is the Word—daily food for our spiritual growth.
He is the Living Water that flows from His Spirit – Fresh
water, not the stagnant puddle of water that the world makes available. He
gives all that satisfies and refreshes.
By saying I AM…Jesus is the fullness and authority of these attributes. They are part of His identity. God's identity. This name goes back to Exodus when God told Moses to tell the Israelite slaves in Egypt, I AM had sent him.
By saying I AM…Jesus is the fullness and authority of these attributes. They are part of His identity. God's identity. This name goes back to Exodus when God told Moses to tell the Israelite slaves in Egypt, I AM had sent him.
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Jesus is the resurrection because without Him there would be no chance of life after death—no deliverance from the stranglehold Satan has on our earthly presence. Jesus died and rose again to break the fetters that hold us spiritually captive. He broke the bonds of death for eternity and gives us life in its place.
Without His death and resurrection, there would be no hope
for life after death for us. So, He is truly the Resurrection and the Life. Life
abundant here and life everlasting are ours. All because of HIM.
How has Jesus been the Resurrection and Life to you?
Jeanne
Tweetables:
He is the resurrection because without Him there would be no chance of life after death (Click to Tweet)
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