The church is currently doing a sermon series on the I AM sayings of John. The reason is because we will be celebrating this year's Christmas season from the perspective of John. Jesus is the "Word became flesh". He fully manifests the glory of the one and only.
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
4In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.
The Prologue of John explains clearly how Jesus the Word fully manifested the glory when he became flesh. He is the true light, life, glory, grace and truth.
This is therefore the reason we are doing the I AM series as the Advent messages for this year's Christmas season. The I AM sayings placed throughout the gospel of John explains how the ministry of Jesus is the revelation of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us.
i) 我是生命粮 I am the Bread of Life (6:35,51)
ii) 我是世界的光 I am the Light of the World (8:12; 9:5)
iii) 我是门 I am the Gate (10:7,9)
iv) 我是好牧人 I am the good Shepherd (10:11,14)
v) 我是复活生命 I am the Resurrection and the Life (11:25)
vi) 我是道路真理生命 I am the Way, the Truth and the Life (14:6)
vii) 我是真葡萄树 I am the True Vine (15:1)
Related to this point is also how there are "signs" performed by Jesus throughout the gospel.
a) 2:1-11 Water into Wine at Cana - "Jesus did this, the first of his signs ... and manifested his glory" ( 2:11 )
b) 4:46-54 Official's son near death at Capernaum - " the second sign that Jesus did" ( 4:54 )
c?) 5:1-9ff Healing of a sick man at Pool of Bethesda - called a "work," not a "sign" (7:21; cf. 5:17)
d) 6:1-14ff Feeding of the 5000 - "When the people saw the sign which he had done..." (6:14 )
e?) 6:16 -21 Walking on water ( never called a "sign", and does not function as one! )
f) 9:1-7ff Healing of a man born blind - "How can a sinner do such signs ?" (9:16)
g) 11:1-45 Lazarus raised from the dead - "they heard he had done this sign " ( 12:18 )
Jesus didn't just performed miracles to show his power (unlike in the Synoptic Gospels). These signs were done to reveal Jesus' unique identity.
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