March 24 – I AM

John 8:21-30

Jesus said to the Pharisees, “I go away, and you will seek me and die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.” Then said the Jews, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” He said to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I AM.” They said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Even what I have told you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge; but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” They did not understand that he spoke to them of the Father. So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.” As he spoke thus, many believed in him.

Jesus once again has to reiterate how little time there is left for us to follow Him. We are required to live in this world, but we must not live of this world. What is the difference? We live in this world because this is the time and place that the Lord has given us to live our lives. Living of this world is forgetting who gave us life, and focusing on and worshipping the things in this world. Focusing on ourselves, work, or money blurs our focus on God. This is like using the selective focus on a digital camera. We pick a point to focus on and everything but that object goes blurry. If we focus on the things of this world, God fades into the background. We must believe and set our focus on Jesus upon the cross. There is no time to waste.

If we do not believe that He was sent by the Father, that He is working in the Father’s will, and that Jesus Christ is the Great I AM, we will die in this world, die in our sin, and not be raised to eternal life. I AM is the name that God gave Moses to give to the Israelites when they would ask who sent him (Exodus 3:14). It was a name to prove that He was God alone who created them, that He would save them from their enemies, and that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is the name which is above all other names. The Jews knew when Jesus said these words, He was equating Himself to God. God promised in the desert that He would be with them on their journey, and Jesus is also saying God is with them and with Him. God is the Great I AM! Jesus is the Great I AM! One cannot be without the other. One cannot live outside the will of the other. If we believe in I AM, we will not die to our sins but have eternal life.

Lent In Action:

Ponder the greatness of God and Jesus.

Pray:

My Lord and Savior, I believe that you are I AM. I believe you have come to save me from my sins. I believe you are with me always. Help me to always focus on You alone, and to only act in your will and not mine. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.