I Am the Life

In this lesson we will look at the third part of the sixth I AM in which Jesus claims to be the source of Life. In John 17 we find Jesus praying, saying, “^1b Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, ² since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him” (John 17:1b – 2 ESV). In verse two we find three gifts that are given. First, the Father has given authority over all flesh to the Son. Second, the Father selects people (1 Peter 1:1 – 2)* and gives them to his Son. Third, the Son gives eternal life to those given to him by the Father. If the Son can give eternal life to those people given to him by the Father then he is the source of eternal life. Since Jesus is the Son of God his claim then would be true.

At this point in our study this lesson is difficult and what I am going to say now will become clearer in later lessons. When a person comes to Jesus Christ in belief several things happen in the same instant of time. The Father causes the person to be born again, Jesus gives eternal life to the person, and the person accepts the gift of eternal life through faith. We will learn later that at this time our enslavement to sin is broken and we are seen as righteous in the sight of God. As a person learns about salvation and experiences it through daily living he or she comes to understand what an amazing thing God has provided for those who believe.

Jesus is the way, the only way, to the Father. As creator Jesus is the source of truth. Since Jesus has always existed as the Son of God and spoke life into the universe, he is the only source of life.

We have one more I AM to look at and we will do that is the next lesson.

* “To those who reside as aliens . . .  who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit” (NASB).