Pastor's Corner

 

March 31, 2021



I Am

By the time this comes out in the paper, it will only be a few days before Good Friday and then Easter. To me, it is the most significant time that we as Christians celebrate. If you have been following along, it is the focal point of God's plan that started way back in Genesis 3. Jesus is at the center of it all, and it is to Him that we bow in honor and worship Him as our Lord and Savior. I want to share a few thoughts with you from the Gospel of John. They center on statements that Jesus made concerning Himself and explained much about Him. Through the Holy Spirit's inspiration, John records seven statements that Jesus made that start with the words, "I am.”

The first one is found in John 6:35, and says, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." Obviously, this is not said in the physical realm, at least not in the degree that it is in the spiritual. There is a spiritual emptiness that can only be filled by God. Jesus says that He can fill you up so that you will never hunger again after anything to fill that void.

Second, in John 10:7, He says, "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life." I dare say that many people are stumbling around in this world because they cannot see the truth found in Jesus. They are in darkness, and the only hope they have is to have the light shine in front of them. That light is Jesus. Suppose you are ever really going to experience the reality of a God who wants to have a personal relationship with you. In that case, you must allow the light of Jesus to shine into your life.

Third, it says in John 10:7, “I am the door of the sheep.” Protection of the sheep was of primary importance to the shepherd. The shepherd would often take his flock far enough away that it might be impractical to take them home at night and put them in an enclosure to keep them safe. So he would put together a make-shift corral. Maybe around some rocks with some trees and limbs were thrown in. There would be an opening for sheep to go in and out, but when it got dark, they needed to stay in to keep safe. The shepherd would sleep in that opening; he was the door. To get to the sheep, the predators had to go through him. Jesus is that door.

Fourth, John 10:11 He calls Himself the Good shepherd. It is the same narrative and connects that door to the shepherd himself.

Fifth, John11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies.” This is what Easter is all about. It has been said that nobody gets out alive. While that is basically true, there is still hope. Jesus said that even if we die, we shall live. After His friend Lazarus had died and just before He brought him back to life again, he spoke these words. Because of Jesus going to the cross and dying for our sin and then returning to life again, we have that same hope. He died that we might live a resurrected life even after we die.

Sixth, John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through me.” It says what it says. It is through Jesus and Jesus alone that you can approach God, have your sin forgiven, and have an eternal relationship with Him.

Last, John 15:1, "I am the vine…." The trunk or the vine, in this case, is what sustains life to grow fruit. You can't be and do what I have created you to do unless you rely upon me for water and nutrients, the source of life. This, of course, is again spiritual. We try our best to sustain our physical bodies with the right food and exercise. We might try and do the same with our spiritual part, but we can't do it without Jesus at the core of our lives. He is the one who feeds and nourishes us and gives us life that can be far greater than our greatest expectations. If you have never given Jesus an honest look before, then why not now. He doesn't force Himself into your life, but He wants you to know "that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved." Romans 10:13

Pastor Lynn Rettig

Musselshell Community Bible

Church

 

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