For the last several weeks we’ve been going through the ‘I am’ sayings of Jesus on Sundays. Every week we get to see one of these sayings, repeat it, then again later with some words missing, then lastly with a few more missing in the hope that we will remember them. I have no doubt that memory retention varies among us, and if I studied them often enough, I’d remember them, so I include them here (I think I’ll try and create a Memrise course if there isn’t one already available). I pray that in creating this page, I will do better at remembering them.
[Note: I use Memrise for learning languages, and there are other subjects on there too; including biblical Hebrew and Greek. Some are site managed courses, and some created by students as an aide-memoire to accompany various textbooks and courses, so the quality varies, but the method of learning is the same whether you’re trying your hand at Klingon or French, Russian or Swahili and it works well for me. For instance, I learnt the alphabet for British Sign Language using Memrise during lunch one day.]
All of the ‘I am’ sayings are recorded in the Gospel of John (all NIV).
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The Vine and the Branches
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
I like this last one a lot (I do like them all). They were heading off towards the Garden of Gethsemane, so it’s one of the later lessons, but it’s massive in its implication. That we are part of the vine, part of the process and part of everything that Jesus has taught. That we need to pass that on to others, to plant the seed of hope in people’s hearts and give them hope. To share the word of God and not horde it, bottle it up or steal it for ourselves. I think all of that is a beautiful thing, that our lives can mean something, to be something for others; that we can have an impact just as significant on the lives of others as Jesus has on us by sharing in His word, in His wisdom and in His love.
God bless everyone,
may the light of Gods love shine upon us all
on this day and all those to follow.
Open our hearts, be open to the will of God,
let the Holy Spirit wash us clean
as Jesus set us free from sin on the cross
and bathe us in the love of God,
we go in fellowship with Jesus
from this day forward
to be a part of the vine,
branches that support one another,
to create and nurture the fruit of the word of our Lord
and create light where there is darkness.
Amen.
PrayBee 