6. I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life
I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6).
Jesus is gloriously inclusive and wonderfully exclusive.
Jesus invites everyone to come to the Father so that they might receive eternal life, experience the power of the resurrection, know God as their shepherd, and walk in the brilliant light that Jesus provides.
But Jesus also offers himself as the only way to experience these incredible realities. There are not many paths to God, not many roads up the divine mountain.
Jesus, and only Jesus, is the way, truth, and life.
Salvation runs exclusively through him, and he offers it freely to all. This makes Jesus infinitely worth of praise. He is God’s ONLY solution for our sin problem, and for that reason deserves all praise and honor and glory.
7. I Am the Vine
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5).
Has there ever been a clearer statement about the life-giving power of Jesus and our absolute dependence on him? Just as a branch can’t survive if it’s not connected to the vine, so we can’t survive if we’re not connected to Christ.
Spiritual life courses through Jesus, and as long as we’re connected to Christ, his spiritual life also flows through us. Isn’t that an absolutely mind-boggling thought? Because we are in Christ, the life of Christ himself flows to us and through us. We truly do have access to the divine, world-changing power of Christ.
The opposite reality is also true, in that apart from Christ, we can do absolutely nothing of true spiritual value. It’s only in and through Jesus Christ that we can honor God.
The implication is that we absolutely must stay close to Christ. We must regularly draw near to him through prayer, Bible reading, fellowship with other believers, and the other spiritual disciplines he has given us.
Jesus is the true vine, and when we abide in him, we bear much fruit. If we neglect to abide in him, we’ll shrivel up spiritually.
Savor The I Am Statements of Jesus
Jesus’ I am statements are not intended to be received as mere intellectual knowledge. Rather, they should motivate us to worship Jesus for who he is. They reveal his glorious character to us.
He is the bread that satisfies our deepest longings.
He is the light that shines on the path of righteousness.
He is the door into the people of God.
He is the good Shepherd who cares for the people of God.
He is our hope of a resurrection.
He is the only way to God.
He is the vine through which we experience the power of God.
This article about Jesus’ I am statements originally appeared here.
