Messiah Archives - Paula Wiseman

The Seven I AM Statements: The Bread of Life

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. John 6:35

In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes seven emphatic I AM statements, each employing a vivid metaphor to describe His salvation work. But in each of the conversations or discourses, He also exposes us.

In John 6, the crowds catch up to Jesus in Capernaum the day after He has miraculously fed a multitude with just a small lunch. He cuts to the chase.

He calls them out for tracking Him down because He met their superficial needs. “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.” John 6:26 Notice, He begins with “most assuredly,” the one the KJV renders, “verily, verily.” This is an authoritative pronouncement, not just a casual observation. He recognized their true motivation. It was to have their bellies filled on the cheap, no effort, no cost on their part. In short, they wanted a Messiah who would make their lives easier.

Why do we follow after Jesus? Is it so our lives will be easier?

But He doesn’t stop there.

“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, …” John 6:27a Don’t spend your time and energy satisfying yourselves. Instead, focus on eternity, on everlasting life. And notice, that everlasting life is something the Son will GIVE you. They missed that. Their next question proves it. “What must we do…?” They wanted a Messiah who needed their contributions. And they wanted to be recognized for their work.

Likewise, we are uncomfortable having our weaknesses pointed out. We prefer to think we somehow earned God’s favor or provision or salvation. Or we believe we can’t hang on to it unless we perform. God gave us one job (v. 29) – Believe in the One He sent, which means embracing our own inadequacy.

What sign will you do, that we might believe? John 6:30 The crowds wanted more proof, more demonstrations, more favors. Jesus tried to make them see the greatest sign was salvation. The fact that a holy God made became flesh in order to make a way for sinful man to be forgiven and cleansed was enough of a miracle and demonstration. They wanted a Messiah who performed for them.

Jesus responded, “I AM the Bread of Life.”

We don’t need signs. Our most basic need, the need we cannot fulfill, is a restored relationship with God. All the other things are a distraction. It’s no accident that Jesus chooses bread for this metaphor. Bread is common, familiar, basic. So is our need for salvation.

Too often though, once we have received that Bread of Life, we become like this crowd and like the Israelites after receiving manna. We become jaded, entitled and unimpressed with the wonder of Christ’s sacrifice and the gift of eternal life.

If you want a God who acts when you snap your fingers, who needs your help to accomplish his mission, which is primarily to give you what you want and make your life easier … you have Jesus Christ confused with someone else.

If we are following Him so He can make our material lives better and more comfortable … we have Jesus confused with someone else.

However, if we understand that we have nothing except what He freely gives and what He gives is more about eternity than the here and now … we might be catching on.

Another Time When God Told David ‘No’

By Paula

Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: “You shall not build Me a house to dwell in.’ 1 Chronicles 17:4

We’re continuing our look at some times when God said no. We’ve learned some heavy lessons about God’s holiness and that sin is not something to be trifled with. Today the no comes with an overwhelming outpouring of grace.

In the parallel account in 2 Samuel 7 we learn that David was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from his enemies. No longer having to fight off threats to the nation or to his own rule, David was finally able to catch his breath and his first thoughts were of the God who had made him king. He wanted to build a temple, a real, permanent place for the Ark of the Covenant. He wanted to show that God’s presence with His people Israel was tangible and fixed, representing the eternal promises God had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

It was a worthy thought, a well-placed desire and Nathan the prophet gave his blessing. “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.” (1 Chronicles 17:2).

Except that God had other plans.

He said no to the temple. (At least to David building it.) But then God said He would build DAVID a house, a heritage, an eternal dynasty. The Messiah, the King of Kings would come from David’s and he would forever be associated with the Chosen One of God. He would be called the Son of David. He would sit on the throne of David.

And David said, “Whoa.” (That’s a paraphrase.) You can read his actual response in 1 Chronicles 17:16-27 or 2 Samuel 7:18-29. It’s good stuff.

Here are some takeaways from this no.

God rejected the notion of David building the Temple. He didn’t reject David. In fact, He CHOSE David for a particular honor and distinction that went far beyond that of building the Temple. It’s important for us to remember that a ‘no’ is not personal.

God’s plan was greater than David’s. By promising to build David a “house,” God invited David to take a step back and see a bigger picture, to see a plan drawn out on an eternal canvas. When God tells us no, let’s resolve to look for the greater purpose God is working out in our lives.

The most important thing to build is not a monument but an intimate relationship with God. Since the time that God called Abraham out of Ur, He was calling a people for His name’s sake. On Sinai, He promised to be Israel’s God and they promised to be His people. There had never been a people whom God had met with the way He met with Israel. Today He chooses to dwell not just WITH us, but IN us.

It’s all about Jesus. When God responds to David, He immediately draws the focus to the coming Messiah who will rule over His kingdom forever. If that’s God’s perspective, then that should be ours as well.

Next week we’ll look at a New Testament example when God told Paul no.

Study Tip: Isaiah and the Messiah

By Paula

There are over 300 distinct prophecies in the Old Testament that point to the coming Messiah and His atoning work. Isaiah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the other prophets.

His first mention of Christ comes in 7:14 and is a favorite, especially at this time of year.
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel

Isaiah has over two dozen prophecies about Jesus. Here are a few to get you started. Check them out and see what they tell you about Jesus.

9:6
28:16
29:18 and 35:5
42:1-3
42:7
50:6
53:1,
53:7-8
62:11

Keep in mind that Isaiah made these predictions 700 years before Christ’s birth.

If you want to dig a little deeper, do a quick read of Matthew’s gospel and notice how often he refers to fulfilled prophecies. His whole purpose in writing his gospel was to demonstrate that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. You can even cross-reference them against the list I gave you. Matthew refers to several of those same prophecies.

Consider for a moment – Knowing these prophecies were fulfilled, how does that impact the ways you read God’s other promises?

The Seven I AM Statements: The Bread of Life

Another Time When God Told David ‘No’

Study Tip: Isaiah and the Messiah

Encounters Series

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