CHRIST AND HIS CLAIMS Pt 2~

“CHRIST AND HIS CLAIMS”

Part 2

Introduction:

1. What does I AM mean?
1. Yahweh-which we translate Lord.
2. What were the four I AM’s which we looked at this morning?
1. Bread of life 6.35

                                                              i.      The sustainer of life

                                                            ii.      A necessity in our lives

1. Light of the world 8.12

                                                              i.      Light is a symbol of God.

                                                            ii.      Christ is God

                                                          iii.      Opens the eyes of the blind

1. The Gate (door) 10.7                                                               i.      He is the way to the father

                                                            ii.      He is in charge.

1. Good Shepherd 10.11                                                               i.      He is our guide

                                                            ii.      Our life giver and our sacrifice.

Now we will look at the remaining three “I AM’s” of Christ from the Gospel of John.

I         John 11.25  “I am the resurrection and the life.”

A      If we were to read ahead of this verse and past to get the whole story…

1        It is the story of Lazarus’s death.

2        And how Mary and Martha couldn’t understand why Christ had let him die.

3        But he did it so that there would be glory brought to Himself.

4        Had Lazarus not died this teaching would not have fit into the circumstances.

a         But this gave him the perfect opportunity to teach this wonderful truth.

b        Christ has the power over death/life.

B       Christ had the power to bring Lazarus back from the dead.

1        He could have saved him from death but chose to wait and raise him.

2        God/Christ has a plan for everything.

C       This verse could be confusing to some in the sense that it seems to contradict itself.

1        “…He who believes in me will live even though he dies…” Vs. 25

2        But it is not contradicting it is a wonderful promise, which is very encouraging.

a         We do not have to fear death.

b        The grave is not something to be afraid of.

c         Christ has the power over the grave.

i          The death of a believer simply ushers in the New Life that we will one day get to enjoy in Heaven, upon our death.

a)      We will inherit eternal life, spiritually.

i)        So then when he says in Vs. 26, “…whoever lives and believes in me will never die…”

ii)      He is not lying we will live forever with him in heaven.

b)      Physically, Yes, we will die.

i)        Unless Christ comes back first.

c)      But spiritually we will live forever.

ii        If that isn’t encouraging I don’t know what will encourage you!!!

D      He is the giver and restorer of life.

1        Before you were ever born God knew you and knit you together in your mothers womb.

a         David wrote that in Psalm 139.13

b        God gave each of us life and can take and give it whenever he wants.

E       No one else can claim to have that kind of power.

1        Others have tried to make such claims but when they die they are dead

a         Christ came back from the grave and is alive and well today.

F        He is the Resurrection and the Life!!!

II      John 14.6  “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

A      “Neither is there salvation in any other:  for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”  (Acts 4.12)

B       Against popular thinking

1        There is no other way to get to heaven.

a         Christ is the only WAY!!!

2        People have tried to come up with all kinds of ways to get to heaven and that is why we have so many different religions, today.

a         They will even use parts of the Bible and to make it sound good and get others to follow their way of thinking and get many followers.

3        Eph. 2.8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

a         No matter what anyone may tell you there is NO way in which you can EARN your way into heaven.

b        It is by GRACE ALONE. Christ died for you and me graciously, he didn’t have to, he chose to obey the father and do it!!!

C       Jesus is the only access to the Father, because he was the only one from the Father.

1        He is God’s only Son.  John 3.16

a         “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

D      The world has tried to find eternal life through man-made methods, but here in John 14.6 the answer is clear!!!  THROUGH CHRIST!

III   John 15.1,5  “I am the true vine.”

A      For Jesus to use the illustration of a vine, he was not introducing something new to them

1        The vine was something that was important to their way of life.

a         They had vineyards as one thing that would be an income for them and also a source of food and drink.

b        It was a common thing and most people would have at least worked in a vineyard if they did not own their own. 

c         They were very familiar with the way in which you take care of them and help them to produce fruit.

2        Jesus uses the vine and the branches to teach them about growing and producing fruit in their own lives in these 11 verses

a         He teaches them what it means for them to followers of Christ.

B       Jesus is the one true vine.

1        He starts of here in verse one with the statement “I am the Vein!”

2        He is the one that we need to be Grafted into.   (Explain)

a         Grafting is taking a branch that would die on another root system and making it stronger by giving it something better.

b        You graft fruit trees so that they will produce better fruit and be a better tree for you.

C       “Apart form me you can do nothing” Vs. 5 

1        Now, if you are not grafted into Christ then you are useless to him.

a         He can’t produce fruit through you because you are dead.

b        If you cut a branch off of a tree it dies but if you graft it just right it will strive and produce fruit for you.

D      If we are cut off from the vine we are helpless.

E       That is exactly what Jesus said.

F        We are completely dependent on Christ for spiritual life.

Conclusion:

1. The “I AM’s” Of Christ: 
1. Bread of Life, #. Light of the World,
2. The Gate,
3. The Good Shepherd,
4. Resurrection and the Life,
5. The Way the Truth and The Life,
6. The True Vein.
2. Each of these 7 claims not only established the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, but also helps us to understand more about God as well.
3. These are some of Christ’s claims.  God revealed himself to Moses by the name I AM (Jehovah). 

4.      Rev. 1.8 says,  “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and is to come, the Almighty.”

1. We must understand that when Jesus used the name I AM he was claiming to be God.  Whether you believe this or not does not change the truth. 
2. Jesus is the Son of God nothing can change that.
3. Do yourself a favor and accept his claims as the truth, b/c they are!!!