The 7 "I AM"s

In the book of John, Christ gave 7 analogies of Himself -- "I am .....". By studying these "roles", we try to understand the nature of Christ, so that we can better imitate Him.

1. John 6:35 "...I am the bread of life...."
The characteristics of bread: portable, perishable and filling. Without food, we will be weak. Similarly, without eating the word of God, our spirits will be weak and we will be easily overcome by Satan. But he who believes in Christ will never go hungry and thirsty. (John 6:35). Note that in Matthew 4:4, Jesus quotes that "man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Deut. 8:3)"

2. John 8:12 "...I am the light of the world...."
The function of a light is to light up the way so that we can see. Jesus light shows our sins, so that we know that we are sinful and will repent and receive salvation. He promises that if we follow Him, we will never walk in darkness but have the light of life (John 8:12).

3. John 10:9 "...I am the gate..."
A gate is an entry to another place. It protects people who are inside the gate by preventing outsiders from stealing in. Those who believe in Christ have entered the gate and will be saved. Those outside the gate will be "stolen by thieves".

4. John 10:11, 14 "I am the good shepherd ...."
A good shepherd leads the sheep, protects them from the thieves and wolves. He knows the voice of his sheep, his sheep knows him and he knows his sheep (v.14). When a sheep is missing, he will go and find it (Luke 15:4). He is even willing to lay down his life for his sheep. In contrast, when disaster strikes, a hired hand abandons his sheep and runs away (v. 12).

5. John 11:25 "...I am the resurrection and the life..."
Those who believe in Christ will never die, but be resurrected.

6. John 14:6 "...I am the way and the truth and the life ...."
Truth -- constant, does not change. Just like God's nature.
Way -- The only way to get to God is through Christ, i.e. believe in Him.

7. John 15:1 "I am the true vine ..."
A gardener will trim branches that do not bear fruit. Branches grow from the vine, they need the nutrients from the vine to live and grow. Jesus is the true vine, and we are branches. When He is in us, we will bear much fruit. Apart from Him, we can do nothing.