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Over the next few weeks our Church is going on a spiritual journey together. In our daily readings, small groups, and sermon series we will focus on the message of the Gospel of John, and in particular, the outrageous “I am” claims and statements that Jesus makes. One of the peculiarities of the Gospel of John is Jesus’ repeated use of a formula name applied to Yahweh in the OT: “I AM” (Greek: ego eimi). In the Gospel of John, Jesus make seven outrageous claims that no one has ever made before or since, and each statement He verifi es with a miraculous sign. The seven miracles found in the Gospel of John (which are mostly excluded from the other gospels) are often referred as the “signs” pointing to Jesus’ divine qualities. Each miracle verifies Jesus’ I AM claims. In the Gospel of John these “divine quality” I AM statements become the expressions of what Jesus has to offer. The future salvation that was promised by God in the Old Testament has now been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Thus, to accept Jesus and to be in a relationship with him is to have, by faith, the abundance of the future kingdom now. |
