John • #5 of 7 "I AM" Statements

Along with the 7 signs that John emphasizes in the Gospel of John, he also presents 7 "I AM" statements, that also give us a window into the character of Jesus. Each of these statements are uttered by Jesus Himself, and each also tells us specifically of something we need to know about Him.

For a review of the names of God, and the significance of His name "I AM", click here... NAMES

• Here is a list of all 7 of the I AM statements.

They are...

► I AM #1 • I AM the Bread of Life - Jesus ELIMINATES HUNGER → John 6:26-58

► I AM #2 • I AM the Light of the World - Jesus ELIMINATES DARKNESS → John 8:12-9:5

► I AM #3 • I AM the Door of the Sheep - Jesus ELIMINATES DEATH & DESTRUCTION → John 10:1-10

► I AM #4 • I AM the Good Shepherd - Jesus KNOWS US → John 10:11-19

► I AM #5 • I AM the Resurrection and the Life - Jesus is the SOURCE OF ETERNAL LIFE → John 11:24-27

► I AM #6 • I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Life - Jesus is THE WAY TO THE FATHER → John 14:1-6

► I AM #7 • I AM the True Vine - Because of Jesus WE WILL BEAR FRUIT → John 15:1-11

• I AM #5 • I AM the Resurrection and the Life - Jesus is the SOURCE OF ETERNAL LIFE

John 11:24-27 → 24Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

• While this section is only a few verses, it's smack in the middle of the lengthy portion dealing with the death and resurrection of Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha of Bethany.

• We see these events leading up to today's portion...

→ John 11:1-4 ♦ This sets the stage. The purpose of Lazarus' sickness is so that the glory of God will be manifested.

→ John 11:14-15 ♦ Jesus clarifies some confusion on the part of the disciples - Lazarus is dead.

→ John 11:16 ♦ Thomas, and probably the other disciples, assumed that by going to Lazarus’s tomb, he might as well be going to his own, and that of Jesus.

→ John 11:17 ♦ By the time they get there Lazarus has been dead for 4 days.

→ John 11:21 ♦ Martha, “Lord, if You had been here my brother would not have died.”

→ John 11:23-24 ♦ The concept of being raised is brought up by Jesus, but Martha only sees the future resurrection.

25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

• Jesus reveals to her that He is “the resurrection and the life” and that anyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. 

• He then queries her, “Do you believe this?”

• Up to this point, Martha's understanding is that, yes, there is a resurrection, but it will be at the end of time.

• Jesus is trying to communicate with her that He Himself holds the power of life and death and is waiting for her to understand and accept this truth.

27She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.”

• Martha confesses that Jesus is "the Christ", the Messiah, and "the Son of God".

• Jesus has revealed to Martha, that He is the source of eternal life; that He is our Savior.  That death is not an end for those who believe in Jesus for who He really is.

• Jesus goes on to validate His statements to Martha when He raises Lazarus from the dead in John 11:38-44, where Jesus comes to the tomb, and with a "loud voice" (Greek - loud = megas - voice = phone - ergo "megaphone"), and Lazarus, being the obedient man that he is, comes waddling out of the tomb, still wrapped in his grave clothes. You can just imagine the shock on everyone's faces.

• Except maybe for Martha. I wonder if she kept looking back and forth, from the risen Lazarus, with great joy that he is alive again, to Jesus, whom she can in no doubt at this moment fully understand exactly who Jesus is. The Creator God, her Savior and Lord.

• The sad part of all of this, is that even with seeing this undeniable miracle, that some would still not believe.

→ John 11:45-46 ♦ Right on the heals of Lazarus being healed, the camp is divided into two groups – those who believe (v45) and those who don’t (v46).

→ John 11:47 ♦ The leaders had no doubt that Jesus was performing miracles.

→ John 11:53 ♦ So their decision, rather than to honor and worship Him, is to kill Him.

→ John 11:54 ♦ Jesus retreats to Ephraim

• It's hard for me to understand how someone could see something so miraculous, and not believe. At least you would think that they might still be undecided, but to so blatantly refuse to acknowledge that something significant has happened, at the command of Jesus, and to seek to kill Him, if for no other reason than to just shut Him up, just blows my mind.

• I hope that when we all peruse the Scriptures, that at least, we will keep an open mind. What Jesus did for Lazarus, He has said He will do for all of us at the end of time. Only our sin gets in the way of us being able to expect to see Jesus in His glory. But He has solved that issue by taking our punishment on Himself on the cross, that we, by trusting in Him and that work that He did on our behalf, can anticipate being in heaven with Him.

“Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995

by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org”