The Promise Of 'I AM'
Sermon
About A Loving God
For many people, the gospel according to John is at the heart of the whole Bible. I’ve known people who have read it over and over again, several times a year, and each time they have found God’s blessing and God’s comfort.
And so do I. ‘‘I am the Resurrection and the Life ...,' Jesus says, and that alone is comforting enough, but for me there’s something even more comforting in those words.
I guess we all know most of the 'I am ...' statements of the Master.
'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am,' Jesus says in John 8:58.
'I am the Bread of Life,' Jesus says in John 6:35, 'he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.'
'I am the Light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life,' he says in John 8.
'I am the Door of the sheep ... (10:7).'
'I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life ... (14:6).'
'I am the Vine, and you are the branches ... (15:5).'
And of course, there is the passage that I read today, 'I am the Resurrection and the Life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.'
What comfort those words bring! Because of them and words like them throughout the gospels, we have hope, not just for ourselves, but for * too.
So that’s the first thing which needs to be said today. Though we grieve, and our grief is surely real because death is difficult and terrible, we grieve in hope knowing Jesus has promised victory over death for all who come to him.
We grieve in hope because we know Christ’s promises are real, and we know Christ’s promises are real because Christ is 'I AM.'
Did you listen to the passage from Exodus? 'Who am I that I should go to the Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?' Moses asks, and God tells him, 'You’re not going to bring them out, I am.'
But still, Moses can’t believe. He’s been asked to face down the most powerful man on earth, and he can’t believe he can convince his own people.
'If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ ' Moses says, 'and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?'
And God replies, ' ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ '
God’s name is 'I AM.' When Jesus calls himself, 'I Am,' he is expressing his own special relationship with the Father.
'I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,' God says in Isaiah (43:25), 'and I will not remember your sins.'
That’s a promise for the restoration of the nation Israel, of course, but now that we know Jesus, the one who is 'I AM,' we can see those words as touching us as well.
We can’t earn our own salvation. Only God saves. And we needn’t worry about the transgressions of our friend, though no one’s perfect.
For all who put their faith in God’s 'I AM,' there is hope — no, more than hope, assurance — of salvation and of resurrection.
Did you listen to the story of Jesus at the wedding feast at Cana? He turned water into wine, and the new wine was much better than the old.
Jesus is new wine. He embodies the full expression of God’s hope for all of us. Jesus makes it clear who 'I AM' is, and even more, he makes clear exactly what it means to put our faith in God through Jesus.
'This is the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him,' the Scripture says.
And so today, we trust ourselves and our friend *, to the one who is 'I AM' and the promise which he brings:
'I am the Resurrection and the Life,' he said; 'he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die.'
Let Us Pray
Loving Savior, what a comfort it is to know that you are one with God and that through you we have the hope of resurrection.
Now as we go forth from this place to say good-bye to our friend **, we go forth in faith, knowing that through you, we have new life now and always. Amen.
*Person’s first name
**Person’s full name
And so do I. ‘‘I am the Resurrection and the Life ...,' Jesus says, and that alone is comforting enough, but for me there’s something even more comforting in those words.
I guess we all know most of the 'I am ...' statements of the Master.
'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am,' Jesus says in John 8:58.
'I am the Bread of Life,' Jesus says in John 6:35, 'he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.'
'I am the Light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life,' he says in John 8.
'I am the Door of the sheep ... (10:7).'
'I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life ... (14:6).'
'I am the Vine, and you are the branches ... (15:5).'
And of course, there is the passage that I read today, 'I am the Resurrection and the Life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.'
What comfort those words bring! Because of them and words like them throughout the gospels, we have hope, not just for ourselves, but for * too.
So that’s the first thing which needs to be said today. Though we grieve, and our grief is surely real because death is difficult and terrible, we grieve in hope knowing Jesus has promised victory over death for all who come to him.
We grieve in hope because we know Christ’s promises are real, and we know Christ’s promises are real because Christ is 'I AM.'
Did you listen to the passage from Exodus? 'Who am I that I should go to the Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?' Moses asks, and God tells him, 'You’re not going to bring them out, I am.'
But still, Moses can’t believe. He’s been asked to face down the most powerful man on earth, and he can’t believe he can convince his own people.
'If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ ' Moses says, 'and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?'
And God replies, ' ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ '
God’s name is 'I AM.' When Jesus calls himself, 'I Am,' he is expressing his own special relationship with the Father.
'I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,' God says in Isaiah (43:25), 'and I will not remember your sins.'
That’s a promise for the restoration of the nation Israel, of course, but now that we know Jesus, the one who is 'I AM,' we can see those words as touching us as well.
We can’t earn our own salvation. Only God saves. And we needn’t worry about the transgressions of our friend, though no one’s perfect.
For all who put their faith in God’s 'I AM,' there is hope — no, more than hope, assurance — of salvation and of resurrection.
Did you listen to the story of Jesus at the wedding feast at Cana? He turned water into wine, and the new wine was much better than the old.
Jesus is new wine. He embodies the full expression of God’s hope for all of us. Jesus makes it clear who 'I AM' is, and even more, he makes clear exactly what it means to put our faith in God through Jesus.
'This is the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him,' the Scripture says.
And so today, we trust ourselves and our friend *, to the one who is 'I AM' and the promise which he brings:
'I am the Resurrection and the Life,' he said; 'he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die.'
Let Us Pray
Loving Savior, what a comfort it is to know that you are one with God and that through you we have the hope of resurrection.
Now as we go forth from this place to say good-bye to our friend **, we go forth in faith, knowing that through you, we have new life now and always. Amen.
*Person’s first name
**Person’s full name
