I am: The Life
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I am: The Life
I am: The Life
Review the series - Jesus talking about going home...
Review of The Truth
Talk about The Life
Anecdote of living in Ohio/Georgia - longing for home
I used to sleep when I would come home to visit my mom....I didn’t nap at home, but I get to my momma’s and honk shew - I was out. Why is that? Because home is easy, home is safe....we all long for home.
Talk about Jesus longing for home and knowing that we longed for that, too. We all long for a time where we can just relax.
I used to sleep when I would come home to visit my mom....I didn’t nap at home, but I get to my momma’s and honk shew - I was out. Why is that? Because home is easy, home is safe....we all long for home.
We are talking about the disciples - and Jesus. It’s his last 2 days and he is telling them what’s about to happen. starts off:
Don’t be troubled. Trust in God, Trust in me, too…I’m going home soon, and I’ll be with you until you join me there. I’ll come back to get you, you know where I’m going.”
Good old Doubting Thomas, “Say what? We don’t know what your talking about, how can we possibly know how to get there?”
I am the way, the truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Review of The Way
Review of The Truth
Talk about The Life
Jesus as Life - The sacrifice
Many people paint Christianity as this singular path to save you from your debauchery and they point to this verse to show how exclusive our club is....
Listened to a sermon this week on this verse - and that was his message - and I quote, “All of you are awful at being good.” He was telling his church - Being good isn’t possible for you. This sacrifice was the only thing that could possibly save you from your wickedness.”
Do you guys here sermons like this and just think....I better go read the bible again, because we are so not on the same page. How do we get so far off? Because I do. I have a hard time reconciling this message of being awful on one hand, but greatly loved on the other.
Jesus as Life - The Example
If you get nothing else today - hear this. You are not filled with evil. You are not victims of an uncontrollable sin. You are children of the most high God. You were created in the very image of the creator. Your life is beautiful and should be cherished.
But what about all those warnings in the bible? What about all that talk of us being sinners?
Let’s talk about that....it is hard to be an awesome person 24/7! My kids - they are 7 and 9 and they can fight, and lie, and pout, and just drive me crazy! But they are, at their core, spectacular.
We’ve talked before about sin being an archery term - missing the mark. They often miss the mark. And I expect them to get to a point where they can come to me and say - I missed the mark, I’m sorry, can I try again? And I’m going to say yes, every single time, and help them find the right path.
There is a reason that Jesus came down as a son and referred to God as the Father. There is a reason that Jesus lived a life among those who felt unworthy and time after time showed them that they were more than worthy, they were his brothers and sisters, they too, were children of the Father.
When Jesus says, I am the Life - he is calling out to our most base instinct - and it is a pure and lovely creation, made in the image of our Father. His Life is a reminder of what is possible in our own life. Who he spent time with, how he loved, how he lived, what made him angry (fig trees and religious leaders), and finally his ultimate demonstration on the cross was The Life we are called to emulate.
We are talking a particular I am statement - there are actually 8 in the book of John that are attributed to Jesus:
I am the bread of life - sustaining
I am the light of the world - illuminating mysteries
Before Abraham was, I am - eternal
I am the door - safety
I am the good shepherd - provider
I am the resurrection and the life - hope
I am the way, the truth, and the life - our example
I am the true vine - life giving
in Jesus says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
I don’t believe Jesus came to tell us that we are horrible people who are going to burn in hell. I believe he came to show us that we live in the Kingdom of God and we are fully capable of living in and revealing this Kingdom in our day to day lives. Then He showed us how to do so and culminated this incredible revelation by dying in complete surrender to the choices that man makes when they choose to not believe what He had spent his life revealing. His resurrection was the last lesson that we need not fear death if we live this life of peace and love, because death has no hold on a person who lives in love....
Pray
Next week we will wrap up our series talking about the most controversial part of this verse - No one comes to the Father except by me. I have a homework assignment for you....over this next week, I would really appreciate it if you would send me a message via text or facebook and tell me what that means to you.