To begin this series lets allow the question Jesus asks his disciples in Matthew 16 to provide the jumping off point into this series.

Matthew 16:13–17 NIVUK84

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.

This is an important question that we need to allow Jesus to ask us often. The question shouldn’t offend us but rather allow God to search our hearts to determine what position He holds in our hearts and lives.

This question should help us to reflect whether our answer is genuine.

Over the next few weeks, we are going to look at 7 of the “I am” statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John.

Before we jump into the first statement, context and purpose for the writing of the Gospel of John is important.

John tells us this important information in John 20:30-31

John 20:30–31 NIVUK84

30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Throughout John’s account, he is trying to get us to think about and understand these two inferred questions:

Who is Jesus?

What do I do with his words/teachings?

Come back to this passage often as we work our way through these “I am” statements of Jesus.

Another important idea to keep in mind would be to understand what came to mind to the Jews and Jewish leaders every time Jesus made an “I am” statement.

In the Old Testament, God refers to himself as “I AM” to Moses.

Exodus 3:13–15 NIVUK84

13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘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 for ever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.

Yahweh comes from the Hebrew word for “I AM”. God is reminding Moses of his covenant promises he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. His “I AM” statement is a reminder of this unchanging nature of God and commitment to his promise.

This “I Am” statement is a pivotal statement in the redemption story of Israel. A “forgotten” God reveals himself to to his people and comes to lead them out of exile and into a new life. God’s name discloses who he is and what he is like.

He is the I Am - the eternal, unchanging, self-existant one, infinite and glorious, and above all created things.

When Jesus applies the title “I Am” to himself, he claims to be God

John 8:58

John 8:58 NIVUK84

58 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

He is not a helper to God or a great teacher, but the divine, eternal, pre-existent, infinite, perfect Being.

He is Israel’s God.

He is greater than Moses because he is the God of Moses.

He has life in himself and he can give life to us.

The Jews knew taking on this title was making such a claim, which is why they “grumbled” and “argued sharply.”

These “I Am” statements in John might best be understood as falling under and echoing this initial, ultimate claim of Jesus: He is God, and he is the God of Israel.

All the OT and God’s redemptive acts were pointing to the coming of Jesus as the God-in-flesh, the true and better Israel, and the fulfillment of all the OT types and shadows.

“I am the bread of life.”

This first statement of Jesus is found in John 6. This statement is found in the section after Jesus has begun performing several miracles and some key encounters:

The woman at the well with the result of many Samaritans who believed based on her testimony

The healing of the Official’s sone

The healing at the pool

Jesus feeds the five thousand

Jesus walks on the water

These miracles and signs testifying about Jesus come to pivotal interaction with the crowd, the Jews and Jewish leaders and his disciples.

Again, we need to remember the questions that John is trying to get us to understand...

Who is Jesus?

What do I do with his teachings?

Jesus is the source and sustainer of our life

Lets begin in John 6:25-36

John 6:25–36 NIVUK84

25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” 28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” 30 So they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.

Not just the source…but now identified with him

Jesus is famous for “one-upping” these statements and truths of God as we will see in the next part of this passage. Jesus double-downs on his claim as the bread of life. This claim forces us to consider the place Jesus really holds in our life.

John 6:41 Some of the people grumbled in disagreement because they could not accept Jesus’ claim of divinity.

John 6:41 NIVUK84

41 At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”

They saw him only as a carpenter from Nazareth. They refused to believe that Jesus was God’s divine Son, and they could not tolerate his message.

Many people reject Christ because they say they cannot believe he is the Son of God. In reality, the demands that Christ makes for their loyalty and obedience are what they can’t accept. So to protect themselves from the message, they reject the messenger.

In verses 47 and 48 Jesus is setting the stage for us to consider him differently.

John 6:47–48 NIVUK84

47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life.

As used here, believes means “continues to believe.” We do not believe merely once; we keep on believing in and trusting Jesus.

This isn’t a once and done consideration or choice. This choice of believing who Jesus is and the position he holds in our lives may need to be made daily and sometimes even moment by moment.

The double-down challenge Jesus presents to us, comes next. In verse 51 he begins,

John 6:51

John 6:51 NIVUK84

51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live for ever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

Then if that wasn’t enough to cause the Jews to “sharply” argue, he really messes them up when he says,

John 6:53–58 NIVUK84

53 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live for ever.”

How can Jesus give us his flesh as bread to eat and his blood to drink?

To do this means to accept Christ into our lives and become united and identified with him. This happens in two ways:

(1) by believing in his death (the sacrifice of his flesh) and resurrection and

(2) by devoting ourselves to living as he requires, depending on his teaching for guidance, and trusting in the Holy Spirit for power.

Consuming Jesus in this way forces us to see and experience him differently. He HAS to have a different place in our life.

We must now ask, how much Jesus do I really want?

In this passage we can see the progression that Jesus makes in where he wants to be established in our lives.

He begins telling the crowd, those unfamiliar with who he is and why he came, that he is the source and sustainer of their spiritual life. He wanted them to look beyond their physical state and the physical needs. He is presenting himself to them as the one who saves, the one who redeems and restores them back to God. He is the source of restoring this right relationship with God. This is an invitation to new life.

Jesus then addresses the Jews & Jewish leaders. He wants them to not only accept himself as the bread of life that establishes this renewed relationship with God, but to also be changed and identified in Christ. He tells them that consuming him means that cannot remain the same. Life and the way they live it must change. Jesus will affect every part of who they are. Consuming Jesus does not leave us unchanged. It compels us to be identified in Christ.

It is far easier and much less disruptive to our lives when we remain just a consumer of the bread rather than how Jesus ultimately intended it to impact us.

What do I do with his teachings?

Remember this second question that we are to keep in mind as we encounter John’s Gospel?

John 6:66–69 NIVUK84

66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

The disciples, even though they did not fully understand, knew enough to respond with full assurance in what they did know -

“You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Son of God.”