I Am - In the Storm
Notes
Transcript
I want to take the next three weeks to look at the three times Jesus referred to himself as “I Am” in the book of John.
Now Jesus has a lot of “I am” Statements especially in John,
The Seven Metaphorical “I Am” Statements - which i will do a separate series on these later
Bread of life (John 6:35)
Light of the world (John 8:12)
Gate for the sheep (John 10:7)
Good shepherd (John 10:11)
Resurrection and the life (John 11:25)
Way, truth, and life (John 14:6)
True vine (John 15:1)
But there are three statements where Jesus simply says “I Am” without comparing himself to anything.
And in these statements he is claiming to be God.
If anyone ever tries to say that Jesus never claimed to be God they are wrong.
Lets start by looking at Exodus 3, When Moses first encounters God in the Burning Bush.
Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.
Moses asks God for his name, and he tells him in Hebrew “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh” - I am who I am - or more accurately, I will be who I will be.
Tell the People “I Am” “Ehyeh” Sent me to you.
Tell the People “The LORD” - in Hebrew “Yahweh” - “He who is/was/will be”
That is quite the name!
So over the next few weeks when Jesus says “I Am” without any other qualifiers, he is claiming the name “Ehyeh”
Now to be most accurate I should point out that in Greek, the language of the New Testament, the phrase is translated “Ego Emmi” - “I Exist”
This is how the Septuagint translated God saying “I Am who I Am”
And there are Three places where that phrase “Ego Emmi” is used by Jesus.
The first is in a place where we usually do not expect it.
When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
So lets set the scene a little bit. This is just after Jesus fed the 5000, and the people were ready to start a revolution and make him a king, which would have meant fighting both Herod and Rome. So Jesus removes himself from them and sends his disciples ahead of him.
and now they are in the boat, they waited for Jesus until it was dark, Earlier in the chapter it says it was around Passover, so sunset is at roughly 6:30 PM during that time of year.
they decided to go without him, and then they get stuck in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. in a storm
the sea of Galilee is roughly 7 miles from east to west, 3-4 miles is exactly in the middle.
In Mark it says that Jesus came to them “In the fourth watch of the night” Which is early morning - between 3 and 6 AM
They were rowing for roughly 9 hours and only got halfway across
the entire trip should have taken 2-3 hours.
So they are tired, they have been rowing all night after a long day. they are wet, they are cold. The boat is probably starting to sink, the waves are crashing over them, they are in fear for their lives.
and Jesus comes walking on the lake.
And they are frightened - In Mark it says the disciples thought he was a ghost - literally a phantom.
But Jesus says “Its is I, do not be afraid.”
Now in Greek, Jesus says “Ego Emmi” - I AM, do not be afraid.
But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
We miss this huge connection because in English it makes more sense to say “It is I,” rather than “I am” in this context.
And ass soon as Jesus steps foot in the boat, they are transported the last 3-4 miles to the dry land and out of the storm.
But what is Jesus claiming here when he says “I Am - Do not be afraid” ?
Well what is Jesus doing when he says this? He is walking on water.
If we go back to the very beginning of the Bible
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
The Spirit of God hovers over the waters.
In this passage water represents chaos, and God spends the first week of creation bringing order out of the chaos of the waters.
He separates the waters, then he causes land to come up out of the water.
But God himself is over the waters.
And here comes Jesus walking over the water.
And When he lets his disciple know who he is, he claims the Divine name for himself.
In Short Jesus is showing himself to be God,
Now there are numerous Old Testament scriptures that talk about God reigning in the sea, calming storms and waters, or bringing order from chaos, but there is one that stands out to me here.
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Says the LORD - all caps, Thus says Yahweh - thus says he who is, “Fear Not”
When you pass though the waters you will not be overwhelmed.
and this passage continues
I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.
I am Who I am, He who is. - I Am your savior and I am God,
Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
The Lord makes a path in the sea in the waters
swallowing Chariots and horsemen,
This is referencing Exodus, and the Red Sea when God parts the waters, and Israel walked through on dry land.
But then it says I am doing a new thing!
In the Old Testament there are 4 times when God parts water so that people can walk through on Dry land
In Exodus - with the parting of the Red Sea
In Joshua - When the People cross the Jordan River and enter into the Promised Land
And in 2 Kings, When Elijah crosses over the Jordan to be taken up into Heaven, and when Elisha his successor travels back into the Promised land.
But Jesus never once parts water.
He does a new thing.
He walks on the water,
Because He is God, the god who hovers over the waters at Creation,
Because he is a savior who makes a way for his people even through seas and storms
And in Matthew, we see that he Invites Peter to Join him,
And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Because Now Jesus is doing a new thing! He is no longer parting the sea, making a way for people to cross through the waters,
He is inviting us to join him above the waters, above the chaos.
To become reunited with God,
How? Sin has separated us from the Love of God, but Jesus invites us back to be with God.
“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.
I am who I am - the one who blots out your sins.
For My sake.
Not for your sake, not for the sake of God’s people, for his own sake,
Because he wants to.
