I am the way, the truth, and the life

John 14:6

The Truth

Jesus is utterly other-centered and loving. Before He was to be betrayed and die a humiliating & painful death, He told his disciples not to be troubled. He is the truth about God. He is God in flesh. Perfectly loving. During troubled times, we usually search for reasons. God comes to us in humble love.

The Way

Jesus is the way for the wayward. We can barely keep New Years resolutions till March. But our faith is not dependent upon us. We have sinful hearts. We cannot live the life required by God. So Jesus lived this perfect life for us... And then died for us. He didn't show a way. He became the path to the Father.

Life

Jesus speaks of making place for His disciples. He will take the disciples into a house with many rooms. A place where we would be with Jesus and the Father. Eternal life without God would be meaningless. Security, joy, love, fulfillment, meaning, and hope is ours forever... In Him.

I am the Light of the World

John 8:12

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Rev. David Skinner

We use time. We don't like to take the time to read things that aren't immediately clear. Like poetry, which takes several readings to understand before the light comes on and we understand it. 

A brass bowl by Wendell Berry

It talks of the life of Saul/Paul of Tarsus.

Philippians 3:4-8 speaks of personal glory. The point is not our own credentials, but being empty so God's glory can fill us. That is glorious.

Answering God by Eugene Peterson

Following Jesus is not about another item to put onto our agenda. Discard the agenda, be filled with the Spirit, and simply walk.
Resting in the Lord is simply laying down in the Father's arms. Surrender to God and wait for Jesus to meet you there.

The application is not now to go out and evangelize to the world. I don't want you to even try. I know that sounds stark but there is a reason for that. Jesus, the light, has come into the world.  He had lived the life righteously that we could not live. Then He gave it to us. The Israelites saw the face of Moses through a veil. We don't have to contend with a veil. We see Christ directly. 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 says so. He will make our faces shine.

I am the Bread of Life

John 6:25-35

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, iyou are seeking me, not because you saw jsigns, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which mthe Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing pthe works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, qthat you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

Pastor Won Ho Kim

Jesus as giver
This view sees Jesus as the one who provides what we want. He is an means to an end. We ask for things from God just so we can get what we want. We follow Jesus to get what we want... But here's the catch. We are not submitted. Our own desires are top priority. Follow Jesus this way and we won't last, we will end up deserting Jesus. God is not king, our desires are.

Jesus as miracle worker

Miracles are a sign. They are not simply what we need. They are supposed to point to something. We aren't supposed to desire the sign, we are supposed to desire the reality that these miracles point to.

Is our faith based on signs? Are we going to be shaken when a miracle does not happen? Will we doubt God's presence when the miracles stop?

Jesus as bread

To both these, Jesus offers himself. He offers Himself, God incarnate. A frail human yet god. He is a person with whom we can relate. Jesus does not offer a business relationship or contract. It is not that we pray and study the bible and obey Jesus, so that He will give success, friends, career does, power, and riches. It is not tit for tat.

Eternal life is more than just for heaven...it is also for the here and now. Knowing Jesus is life. Believing in Jesus is the work of God.

Bread is used in the following way. It is broken, chewed, and digested. That is Christ. He became our bread. He was broken for us. When we find the hunger for things overwhelming us, we need to come to Christ. We need him continually.