From Pastor Rod - Who is this Jesus? -from Newsletter October 2018

The title of a recent message I gave was “Who Is This Jesus?”  In the gospel of John, Jesus gives us seven "I am" statements about Himself, helping us to answer this question.

 1. "I Am the Bread of Life" Jesus said, "I am the bread of life" on three different occasions.  That was the first "I am" statement and it was the one repeated most often. Jesus did not say he was like the bread they had just eaten.  He compared Himself to bread.  He was emphasizing that He wasn't just bread to fill someone's hungry stomach, but He was the bread that sustains, the living bread and the bread of our communion that represents his body, given up for our salvation.

 2. "I Am the Light of the World."   Jesus is the Light of the World to brighten up our dark places.  Simply put, this means that Jesus brings light into any dark situation.  Jesus is the very embodiment of light. Wherever He is, nothing is dark because He is the light of the world.

 3. "I Am the Door." Jesus said He is the door that we can enter. Doors provide an entrance in and an entrance out of something.  Jesus let people know that He was the entrance into their good things and exit out of their bad things.

 4. "I Am the Good Shepherd." Jesus is the Good Shepherd that provides for us and protects us.  A good shepherd cares for His sheep no matter what. Jesus as our shepherd provides for us by giving us everything we need.  He protects us and keeps us out of harm's way.

 5. " I Am the Resurrection and the Life."  We can live again because of Jesus who is the resurrection and the life.

 6. "I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life."  John 14:6 records these three metaphors that Jesus used to emphasize who He was.  In doing so, he told us that “no one comes to the Father except through me."

7. "I Am the True Vine."  The entire chapter of John 15 is about the true vine.  He was emphasizing in general that He is the vine and we are the branches. In order to bear fruit, we must remain in Him.

             So who is this Jesus?  He is Bread, Light, Door, Good Shepherd, Resurrection and Life, Way, Truth and Life, and the True Vine.

 God bless,

Rod Seel