I love Jesus’ I am statements in the book of John.
When someone says, “I am…,” it reveals something about their identity. About the core of their being. About what is most important to them and about them.
For example, when I say, “I am a Christian,” I’m making a big, bold statement that my identity in Christ is what’s most important to me.
So when Jesus says I am statements, we should pay close attention. He’s pulling back the curtain on his glorious character. He’s telling us something profoundly important – something we don’t want to miss.
With that in mind, let’s spend some time savoring Jesus’ I am statements.
1. I Am The Bread of Life
I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst (John 6:35).
The original hearers of this one of Jesus’ I am statements would have had two things in mind:
- They had just seen Jesus miraculously feed a massive, teeming, ravenous crowd using nothing but a few loaves and fishes.
- God had miraculously provided bread in the desert for the people of Israel.
You could say that had bread on the brain.
But here’s the thing:
Both the feeding of the crowd and the manna in the wilderness were intended to point to a greater reality.
Jesus tells them not to long for physical bread, even if that bread is provided by God himself. Rather, they are to long for and live for the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.
What is this bread of life? It’s Jesus himself.
Just like physical bread satisfies our deepest hunger cravings, so Jesus satisfies the longings of our hearts. He is the one who “fills us,” our deepest joy and most satisfying pleasure.
Without Jesus, even the most sumptuous pleasures of the world are empty and unsatisfying. With Jesus, we can be content even in the midst of poverty.
Charles Spurgeon said:
I have heard of some good old woman in a cottage, who had nothing but a piece of bread and a little water. Lifting up her hands, she said as a blessing, “What! All this, and Christ too?”
