I AM THE LIFE
JOHN 14:1-6
Introduction:
In verse 6 of our text the Lord declare that He is “ the way, the truth, and the life.” In previous messages I have dealt with “the way” and with “the truth.” Now we consider the Lord as “the life.” In Matthew 16 the Lord asked the disciples “But whom say ye that I am?” Peter responds in verse 16: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” If Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and He is, than He has all power at His disposal and controls our very life. According to our text He is life and gives it to whom He will. Consider the Scriptures.
I. JESUS IS THE LIFE
A. He is the Bread of God, John 6:33-35, “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
B. He is the Water of Life, John 4:14, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
C. He is the Light of Life, John 1:4, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” John 8:12, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
D. Jesus has the “Words of Life,” John 6:67-69, “Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68-Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69-And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”
II. JESUS HAS POWER OVER LIFE
A. To call from the grave…
1. The case of Lazarus, John 11:1-44.
a) Dead four days, John 11:39, “Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.”
b) There is not limit to His power, John 11:40, 43-44, “Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? 43And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.”
2. The case of the resurrection of the dead, John 5:25, 28-29, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
B. To call to Life the Spiritually dead, Ephesians 2:1, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”
1. The PURPOSE of His coming was to give life, John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
a) We were dead in our sins, Colossians 2:13, “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;”
b) We were alienated from the life of God, Ephesians 4:18, “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:”
2. His great love and mercy moved Him to saves us, Ephesians 2:4-5, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”
3. He showed the “exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us,” Ephesians 2:6-7, “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”
C. He is not only the Giver of life, but the Sustainer of that life, John 10:27-28, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”
1. The life He gives is eternal life, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
a) Our iniquities are forgiven, Romans 4:7-8, “Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”
b) The Unbeliever is under condemnation, John 3:18, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
2. We are secure in His hand, Psalm 37:28, 40, “For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. 40And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.”
Conclusion:
The conclusion of this matter is that Jesus Christ is the life. Outside of Him there is no life. The last phrase of the verse 6 declares: “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Jesus is the only way to Heaven. The next message will deal with that subject.