JESUS IDENTIFIES HIMSELF

When a person accepts Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, rarely does he fully comprehend the awesomeness of the One upon whom he has placed his faith. And to be quite honest, none of us will until we enter into the presence of the Son of God. 1 John 3:2, my favorite Bible verse, says this: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." Oh what a glorious day that will be!

Today, all that can be known of Jesus begins with the Word of God. There are hundreds of Old Testament references to Him which helped His disciples recognize Him when He ministered here on earth (Lk. 24:25-26). And now that the Bible is complete, born again believers have the four Gospels, the witness of Paul (1 Cor. 15:8), the witness of the Holy Spirit (1 Jn. 5:6), the witness of the Father (1 Jn. 5:9), and we even have the witness in ourselves (1 Jn. 5:10)! Within the Gospels, we have the testimony of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Jesus Himself (Jn. 8:18).

Jesus said, "I Am: meek and lowly in heart (Matt. 11:29); come in My Father's name (Jn. 5:43); the Bread of Life (Jn. 6:48); sent to you by My Father (Jn. 7:28-29); the Light of the World (Jn. 8:12); from above, not of this world (Jn. 8:23); before Abraham (Jn. 8:58); the Door (Jn. 10:9); the Good Shepherd who gives His life (Jn. 10:11); the Son of God (Jn. 10:36); the Resurrection and the Life (Jn. 11:25); Master and Lord (Jn. 13:13); the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn. 14:6); in the Father (Jn. 14:10-11); the True Vine (Jn. 15:1); glorified in them (His disciples - Jn. 17:10); King (Jn. 18:37); etc.

Of course, there is so much more we do not know about Jesus, than the comparatively little that is revealed about Him in the Bible. The Bible is a single volume composed of sixty-six individual writings, or books. But according to John's Gospel, it is merely "a drop in the bucket." John wrote: "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen" (Jn. 21:25). The Apostle Paul wrote: "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known" (1 Cor. 13:12).

But the most important "I AM" a person must know is "I am a lost sinner and I need a Savior." John wrote: "Then said Jesus again unto them, I go My way, and ye shall seek Me, and (ye) shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. And He said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I AM HE, ye shall die in your sins" (Jn. 8:21-24).

He died as the Savior; He rose as King of kings and Lord of Lords!