|
Date
|
Theme
|
Scripture & Class Exercises
|
|
March 9
|
“I Am” Sayings
|
EIGHT I AM SAYINGS OF CHRIST
John 6: 35, 48 I am the bread of life
John 8: 12, 9:5 I am the light of the world
John 8: 58
Before Abraham was, I am
John 10:9
I am the door
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd
John 11:25
I am the resurrection and the
life
John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life
John 15:1 I am the true vine
|
John 8:
58 Before
Abraham was, I am (DVD one; chapter 12)
Think
of how the Gospel of John opens.
How
does this saying relate to what was said there?
Class
Discussion
“Children of God” were considered to be only
Abraham’s descendants
Jesus
tells us that everyone is God’s child
We become God’s Child by being born again in
Spirit
Believing
in Christ is the beginning to know about the possibility of God
Abraham is the start of the chosen people of God
and the beginning of the covenant
Believing
in Jesus allows everyone to join the chosen people
John 6:
35, 48: I am the bread of life John 8:12: I am the
light of the world
John 10:9:
I am the door John 10:11: I am the
good shepherd John 15:1: I am the true vine
What do each of these images say to
you?
How
do each of these images help you to see or understand Christ?
Which
images are you drawn to?
Do
you have an image other than these that you use for Christ in your life?
Class Response/Discussion: All these meanings can be used to describe Jesus
Bread of Life: sustaining, nourishing, our basic food
Light of the World: against darkness, purity, positive, healing,
guidance
Door: Let’s you in and out, opening to something,
welcoming, new possibilities
Shepherd: Takes care of creatures. Brings in prays,
protection, has knowledge of creatures
True Vine:
A
vine that has growth and nourishment: Christ is vine, We are the branch.
Fruit
is what we
produce. We need to be fed by Christ to
produce good fruit.
John
11:25 I
am the resurrection and the life (DVD; one chapter 18)
How
does this statement and story alter the way we think about life and death?
LIFE (in the body with the
spirit) -Moment of death – Spirit
continues into ETERNAL LIFE
Christ as the means to show us how to make the
transition from LIFE to ETERNAL LIFE
John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life (DVD two; chapter 4)
How
does this saying culminate or bring together all the other I AM sayings in the
Gospel?
EIGHT I AM SAYINGS OF CHRIST
John 6:35,
48 I am the bread of life
So
they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see
it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors
ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from
heaven to eat.’” Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you,
it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who
gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which
comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to
him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am
the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever
believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you
have seen me and yet do not believe. Everything
that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will
never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my
own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of
him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but
raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father,
that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will
raise them up on the last day.”
John 8:12,
I am the light of the world (9:5 in the story of the Blind Beggar)
Again
Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me
will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Then
the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your
testimony is not valid.” Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my
own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and
where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You
judge by human standards; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge,
my judgment is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who
sent me. In your law it is
written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. I testify on
my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.” Then
they said to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me
nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” He
spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no
one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
John
8:58 Before Abraham was, I am
Are you greater than our
father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?” Jesus
answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who
glorifies me, he of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’ though you do
not know him. But I know him; if I would say that I do not know him, I would be
a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. Your
ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.” Then
the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen
Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, before
Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but
Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
So again Jesus said to
them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All
who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to
them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will
come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal
and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
John
10:11 I am the good shepherd
“I am
the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The
hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf
coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and
scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does
not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and
my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.
And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do
not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my
voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
John
11:25 I am the resurrection and the
life
Martha
said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will
give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your
brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will
rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to
her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die,
will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never
die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe
that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
John
14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the
life
“Do
not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In
my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I
have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go
and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so
that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to
the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not
know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to
him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
John
15:1 I am the true vine that bears no fruit.
Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have
already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide
in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless
it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I
am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear
much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does
not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are
gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me,
and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for
you.
No comments:
Post a Comment