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Tuesday 6 July 2021

Christology: The 'I AM's' Of Jesus Christ

1. Moses meets the ‘I AM’. When Moses (the ‘Lawgiver’) on Mt. Sinai asked the mysterious Being speaking to him from the burning bush who He was, the answer he got was a blunt, “I AM”, or a step further, “I AM that I AM!”

2. The Apostle John’s Christology. John, the ‘beloved apostle’, elaborates on a wonderful ‘Christology’ in the narrative of the Gospel of John, for instance, Jesus Christ has said:

2.1 “I AM the Bread of life … For the bread of God is He who comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world.” [John6:48,33].

2.2 “As long as I AM in the world, I am the Light of the world. I have come as a Light into the world, so that whoever believes on Me should not remain in darkness.” [John9:5; 12:46].

2.3 “Then Jesus said to them again, Truly, truly, I say to you, I AM the door of the sheep. I am the door. If anyone enters in by Me, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture.” [John10:7,9].

2.4 ”I AM the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep … I am the Good Shepherd, and I know those that are Mine, and I am known by those who are Mine.” [John10:11,14].

2.5 "Jesus said to her, 'I AM the Resurrection and the Life! He who believes in Me, though he die, yet he shall live'." [John11:25].

2.6 “Jesus said to him, 'I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me'." [John14:6].

2.7 “I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” [John15:1,4].

2.8 "I AM the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." [Revelation1:8].

2.9 "... saying, I AM the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. Also, What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea." [Revelation1:11].

2.10 "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying to me, Do not fear, I AM the First and the Last, and the Living One, and I became dead, and behold, I am alive for ever and ever, Amen. And I have the keys of hell and of death." [Revelation1:17-18]. 

2.11 "And He said to me, It is done. I AM the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who thirsts I will give of the fountain of the Water of Life freely." [Revelation21:6].

2.12 "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each according as his work is. I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last." [Revelation22:12-13].

2.13 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify these things to you over the churches. I AM the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright and Morning Star." [Revelation22:16].

3. The Divine Paradox. A remarkable paradox that illustrates the true cosmic mystery of the august Trinity is that, notwithstanding the fact that Jesus had stated that His Father was ‘greater than He’, He nevertheless not for a moment considered it fraudulent to put Himself on par with God: 

   "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me [JESUS].  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." [John14:1-3]. 

   “For let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." [Philippians2:5-7].


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