John chapter 18. John gives us several clear truths. To who Christ is, to what Christ
did and for who he did it for. We heard the first hour in John
10, you cannot hear because you are not my sheep. My sheep hear
my voice. The only hope that we have this
morning is that the Lord causes us to hear. Salvation is, as
we heard the first hour, by His choosing, by His doing. It's
all by His saving, isn't it? It's all by His calling. It's
all by His keeping. He gets all the glory for it.
It's the same as we see here in our text in John 18. Every
time that is declared, when men hear that it's all His choosing,
it's all His saving, it's all His calling, and it's all His
keeping. When men hear that, they say, kill Him. Kill Him. exactly what they said about
him when he was on the earth. Many times they tried, they would
have taken him, it says, but he escaped. Many times they took
up stones to stone him and it wasn't his time to die, was it?
We just see that the man could not thwart God's purpose, but
they did want to kill him and they finally The Lord finally
permitted it, didn't he? In Acts chapter two, verse 23,
it says, Him, it's Christ, being delivered by the foreknowledge
and determinate counsel of God, you have taken and with wicked
hands have crucified and slain Him. When men hear that it's all about
Him, it's offensive to our flesh. Only the Lord's people rest.
Only the Lord's people worship. Only the Lord's people believe,
and He is the doer of it. Now this is a exact continuation
from John 17 that we had. Now the translators put in chapters. The original text didn't have
chapters in it. It was a continual flow. They put verses in it.
They put chapters in it so that would help us understand the
context. It would help us be able to find
it whenever the Lord did that. It's good. we see that it's immediate continuation.
And let's read this in John 18. When Jesus had spoken these words,
the prayer of 17, he went forth with his disciples over the brooks
Kidron, where was a garden into which he entered in his disciples.
And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place, for Jesus
oft times resorted thither with his disciples. Judas then, having
received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and the
Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
Jesus, therefore, knowing all things." I love that. Jesus, therefore, knowing all
things. that should come upon him, went
forth and said unto them, Whom seek ye? That's what I've titled
this message, Whom Seek Ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. He said unto them, I am. You'll
notice that word he is in italics. It was entered by the translators
in order to hopefully help us understand the context, but I
don't believe they got it right this time. He said, I am. I am. Judas also, which betrayed him,
stood with them. As soon as then he had said unto
them, I am, they went backwards and fell to the ground. Then
he asked them again, who seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you
that I am. If therefore you seek me, let
these go their way, that it might be spoken, might be fulfilled,
that the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake of them, which
thou hast given me. Have I lost? None. Here we have
Christ revealed as the eternal I am in the flesh. All power,
all authority. He knew all things. He was omnipotent,
omnipresent. And yet he was in a body of flesh.
He was completely sovereign. This is the same I am that spoke
to Moses out of the burning bush. Do we remember that account?
Moses saw a burning bush afar off. He said, I must go and see
this great thing. And as he approaches, the Lord said, Moses, remove
your sandals, remove your shoes for the place that you stand
on His holy ground. Moses approached the burning
bush, because the Lord told him to. And he said, you're going
to go to Pharaoh and tell him, let my people go. I've seen the
affliction, the captivity of my people, and their cries have
come up to me. So I'm going to settle free. God's going to settle
free. Moses didn't settle free, did
he? Moses just was the instrument. He was just the shovel the Lord
chose to dig with. He was just the broom the Lord
chose to sweep with. He was just a man. And we see
that Moses says, who am I to lead these people? The Lord said,
who taught the lame to walk? Who taught the blind to see,
the dumb to speak? Who's healed the sick and raised
the dead? Did not I? Now go, for I will be with you,
Moses. Whenever my wife and I were praying
about moving up here to be with you, that was my prayer. That
was my continual prayer. Lord, if you're not with me,
I don't want to go. I do not want to leave. I want you to
be, you've got to be with us. You've got to be, if you're not
with me, then everything is against me. But if you're for me, who
can be against us? Told Moses to go to Egypt and
he did. But before Moses left, he said, they're going to want
to know the God of the, I tell him the God of your father's
called into me, told me to come and, and, uh, and speaking to
Pharaoh to let my people go. He said, what am I going to tell
him your name is? What is your name? He said, I am. I am that
I am. And there is so much in that,
whereas my little brain, I keep saying that, but it's just true.
I can't comprehend. His isness is just eternal. His
being is so different than ours. He's sovereign. He's holy. We don't know anything about
holiness other than what he's told us. Nothing we do is holy,
but everything he does is. Nothing we do is perfect, but
everything he does is. And so he's just, I am. He is
our God. He is our Savior. He's everything
to the Lord's people, isn't He? And so, I Am is a wonderful title
to the Lord's people. I Am is what He told these. He had all the power in this,
in His words. He's the great I Am. He says,
He is which was, which is, and which is to come. He's the King
of kings. He's the Lord of Lords. He's the sovereign creator of
everything. I'm talking about Jesus Christ
right here in John chapter 18. That's who I'm referring to.
He's the creator of everything. He's the same I am as the one
that spoke in the burning bush. By him, all things consist. By
his will, everything is done. Everything bows to him. Everything
bows to him, either in this life or in the life to come. Everything
is at His disposal. Everything by His choice remains
or it doesn't exist anymore. He does that which whatsoever
He will. And who can hinder Him or say unto Him, what doest thou?
He inhabits eternity. He's not subjective to anything.
All things are made by Him and for His glory. it's amazing he chose to become
a man in time to redeem his lost sheep what mercy there is in
that what grace that he chose to redeem that he chose to become
a man chose to elect his lost sheep his lost people those that
he loved he chose to elect them he chose to redeem them and he
chose to bring them all the way all the way home He chose to reveal all of this
that I just said in two words, I am. That's how he reveals it,
I am. Now, the unbeliever don't understand
that. There's no way you can, but when the believer hears that
I am, we say, truth, Lord, you are. You are everything, everything
in salvation, everything. He said, I am, and they all fell
backwards, didn't they? I love the thought that they
had to pick themselves up off the ground. They might have started second-guessing
themselves at that point. I mean, you just got knocked
over by a man saying, I am. They literally went backwards.
They literally fell on the ground. They had to pick themselves up,
and they stood up. I mean, I'm thinking I'm running away. I
mean, I'm not thinking about trying to lay hands on him still,
but the scripture doesn't say that, does it? That's amazing,
isn't it? They heard him say, I am, they fall backwards. And
that's so us by nature, isn't it? We can see all kinds of things
with these eyes, but nothing can change the heart of a man,
save the Lord Jesus Christ by his spirit, by his gospel. That's,
it's what's going to have to happen. Lord, you're going to
knock me back and I'm just going to get back up and rebellion
against you again. You're going to have to, you're going to have
to give me a new nature. You're going to have to give me a new heart.
That's exactly what we're being taught here, isn't it? Of all
of them that were there, that should have started second guessing
their decision, Judas should have been on the top of the list.
Think about everything he saw God do. I mean, all the miracles,
all the messages, everything that Judas saw. I mean, everything
that Christ did, Judas saw it. I'm sure there's a few things
that he didn't see, but you understand they spent three and a third
year together. They were his shadow following
him. That was by definition his disciple.
They were following after him, everything that he did. And here
Judas comes and gets knocked over with the rest of them. Judas
cast out demons like all of them did on the authority of Christ.
He saw all these things happen and yet it was not enough for
him to believe God. Salvation is not a choice that
man makes. It's a choice that God makes.
Aren't you glad for that? We see that so clearly here in
our text. You would think that they would
second guess their decision to take him, but the scripture is
silent on it. The scripture doesn't say that
at all, does it? It doesn't speak on that matter. It tells us what
they do. They come and take him after
that, after he says, you can't have these, let these go. You can't have these. Can't have
me and them. It's a picture of the law, isn't
it? The law coming to us and the Lord saying I am and standing
in between us and the law says you can't have them and me both.
And he stood in our stead, didn't he? We know why the scripture
signing on this, because Christ had purpose to go to the cross
and this was his appointed hours. He said in John 17, the second
reason would be. They hated him. They hated Christ. Their hate outweighed their reason.
Man's hate and his will will never choose God because of what
he is. Our will hates God. The flesh's
will hates God, even right now. The flesh wanted to kill him.
Our flesh still does. Regardless of the consequence,
regardless of the consequence, we have a deceived heart, don't
we? And we will lay hold on him by force, just like these men
do, except the Lord give grace. and teach us the truth that no
flesh, no flesh can choose him, but it's not us that do the choosing,
it's him. And we bow to that, don't we?
Lord, I don't wanna lay hold of you by force, I want you to
lay hold of me. Lord, come to where I'm at, give me eyes, give
me sight. Now we'll end up back in this
chapter in closing, but, and I told the men in the study,
I don't want this to seem, rush, but I don't want it to seem to
linger, and I pray the Lord gives us the ability to get through
this, but I have seven I Am's that are found in John. John
gives us seven I Am's, and I want to look at all seven of them,
and each one I want to look at briefly. We're going to end up
back here, but I love these seven glorious sayings. The first one,
if you want to turn, is found in John chapter 6. I could have titled this many
different things, but I titled it, Whom Seek Ye? And I thought
it was important because these men came to him seeking Jesus
of Nazareth. We come seeking Jesus Christ,
the God-man, that's who we come to seek. They came to seek the
man, couldn't see who he was. We come because we have eyes
of faith that see him. And this is what we see him as. John 6, 35, 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. Now look in verse 51. I am the
living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of
this bread, he shall live forever. And the bread that I will give
is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. He
is the bread of life. He is the living bread. He is,
the scripture says, He is the light. And that light is the
life of men. Now He's the very source of all
life whatsoever. Everything exists because of
Him. I can't, we can't over-exaggerate
that. There's nothing that exists that
has life. That he is not the doer of, he is life. And to his
people, he is the bread of life. He's the one that gives spiritual
life. Now we know this account because
we heard it Wednesday night, but just briefly, I want to remind
us that these Jews had came to him. He had just fed the 5,000.
They came to see the miracles he was doing. And when they got
finished, they were just looking for a show. They were just looking
for, uh, uh, Hey, have you seen, have you seen Jesus healing people
over here doing all these miracles? That's something to see. We got
to go see this. And that was their mentality when they came. We
know that Lord tells us about that. Well, they had found him
later on. Whenever the Lord had departed,
they had came to him again after they had received the bread,
after he had fed the 5,000, they found him again. And when they
came to him, the Lord said, you're not here for miracles. You're
here for another loaf of bread. You're here for more bread. You're
here to get your bellies full. That's what he told them. And
they said, well, okay, since we can't have the bread, then
show us a sign. Give us a sign. They were, we
can't have it this way. Then we want to see something,
do something. I mean, come on. If we're gonna believe, you're
gonna have to give us a show or show us something. This is
the Lord's response. Look in verse 33 to all this.
For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven. That
is so clear, isn't it? The bread of God is he that cometh
down from heaven and giveth life unto the world. Then said they
unto him, Lord evermore give us this bread. Now they're interested. Now they're interested in this
bread, but it's still just with the fleshly mind, isn't it? It's
not, they don't want spiritual. It's the same as the woman at
the well. You remember the woman at the well, she said, uh, he
said, if you knew who was speaking to you, he said, you would have
asked of him. He'd have given you living water. Need to sprung
up into you under everlasting life. Isn't that what he said?
She said, well, give me this water. I'll yeah, I'll take that.
I've got a bucket right here. We can, I mean, right now I'll
take it. That's what the mentality is, isn't it? It's all in the
flesh. What happened? The Lord corrected her out of
love because he was hers and she was his by his doing. She
was elect and he had to reveal that to her. And so she begins,
he said, go call your husband. And she said, well, I have no
husband. He said, you well-spoken, you've
had five. And the one that you have now is not your own. She
said, sir, I perceive you're a prophet. Well, I worship in
this mountain. So she got religious real quick,
didn't she? And he said, you worship you know not what. The
hour is coming and now is that you will not worship there nor
in Jerusalem. God is a spirit and they that worship must worship
in spirit and truth. She said, okay, well, when Messiah comes,
he's going to set everybody straight. He's going to wrong all the right. He's going to answer all the
problems. He said, I am. That's what he said to her. He
that speaketh to you. am he? He said, I am to her. See, when the Lord says I am,
it does one of two things. It either enrages us or we want
to kill him. or we leave our water pot behind
and we say, come see a man that told me all things ever I did
is this not the Christ. See, that's the revelation of
Christ, isn't it? He chose to do that to her and he chose to
do that to every single one of his sheep in time. He does it
as the fountain of living water. He does it as the bread of life.
He becomes that necessary substance that we've got to have to live.
We see that Bread is a representation of life-sustaining nutrition,
isn't it? Whenever you read of bread, we
eat many different things. I understand that, but it's typically
broken down in the scripture by being two things that are
necessary for life, and it's bread and water. He simplifies
it like that. So if we don't have his bread
and he is life, we have no life. If we don't have his water, we
have no life. We'll die, won't we? Well, we
have to have this living water, this bread of life. We must have
him. What he's telling these Jews,
he said, your needs not your belly. Your need is not your
belly, it's much deeper than that. It's much deeper than that.
You're empty on the inside. You're a whited sepulcher full
of dead men's bones. You need to be given the living
water, be given the bread of life, which quickens us. One
taste of that spiritual bread, one drink of that water, that's
eternal life, isn't it? We're drinking him, we're eating
in him. Do we see that it's all through the eyes of faith? It's
not a physical thing that we do. If you're the Lord's and
he's allowing you to, right now you're feasting upon the Lamb
of God. This is what we're talking about. It's looking to Christ.
It's all the same action that we don't do, he does. He causes
it through faith. Look in verse 40. This is the will of Him that
sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on
Him may have everlasting life, and I will raise Him up at the
last day." That's what I just said, wasn't it? About looking unto
Him, about seeing Him, feasting upon Him. He's saying, whosoever
does that, it's the will of the Father, that everyone which seeth
the Son and believeth on Him may have everlasting life. Well,
these men saw Him, didn't they? These Jews saw Him and then the
Pharisees and high priests that saw Him in our text back in John
18, they all saw Him with the natural eye, but they didn't
believe on Him, did they? See, it's not a natural eye that
we see Him with, it's through the spiritual eye, it's through
God giving life. It's Him revealing our need and
revealing who He is. We don't need manna anymore,
do we? We don't come here to see miracles. Our hope is that
the Lord would call us, call our children. That's a miracle.
But that's the only one that we're praying for. We're not
praying to see a magician's trick. We're not playing games or churches
that have clowns that walk around them. I mean, everybody's looking
for a show. They're looking for, it's a wow factor. Their music
is upbeat and it's not of the Lord. We need the bread of life.
We don't need to see manna fall from heaven. Think about all
the Jews that saw manna fall from heaven. Every day they went
out there, there's more manna. There's more manna. It rained
bread. And yet not all of them believe. Not all of them believe. Only God can make Christ the
necessary requirement. Only God can give the soul the
longing for that true manna, which is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Only his spirit can say, live. and only His Spirit can say,
believe. And what is it we believe? We believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ as the fullness of the bread of life that is the only
life-giving source whereby God calls sinners to repentance and
gives them faith to believe. God's people aren't hungry for
anything else, are we? Can't go back to the old husks
of the swine. You're talking about false religions,
Steve. We can't go back there now. No, that's not the same
God as we're serving. That's not the same fountain
I'm drinking from. Lord, give me this water. Give me this bread.
Sheep are very particular in their diet, aren't they? Goats
will eat anything. I've seen a goat eat a can before.
Not a sheep. No, a sheep needs those green
pastures that God gives. God's sheep stay with Christ,
their shepherd, and eat whatever he feeds them, and they're satisfied.
They're satisfied with the bread of life. The believer just says,
give me Christ lest I die. The title is whom do we seek? That's who we seek, isn't it?
That's who we're seeking, the bread of life. Every time we
come here, that's who we're seeking, the bread of life. The second place is found in
chapter eight, verse 12. Second I am. Then spake Jesus again unto them,
saying, I am the light of the world. I am the light of the
world. He that followeth me shall not
walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Christ is
the singular source of light. There is no other light source.
He is the one, he is the only. He's the only one that can choose
to illuminate because he's the only one that has the ability
to do so. He is light and in him is no
darkness. Now we're the opposite of that,
aren't we? We're darkness and in us is no light. There is none,
but in him, there is no darkness. There's just light. Everyone is born in this darkness
and cannot find their way. But in the fullness of time,
Christ arises unto his people as the son of righteousness.
You remember that message in Malachi chapter? Well, it's in
Malachi. I can't remember the chapter
right now, but it says he's going to arise as the son of righteousness.
Well, that's what he does for his people, isn't it? Every single
one that was given him to redeem, he did successfully, and in time,
his spirit causes that son of righteousness to arise, and it
just, it melts our icy hearts, doesn't it? It gives us a new
one, and it gives us life. I was, I think even then when
I preached that message to us, I talked about a garden. I was
amazed that the little seed, dead seed I put in the ground,
all it needed was light and water. And it had those two things and
the Lord gave the increase and it caused it to germinate. Now
it's sprouted up and some of them are taller than I am. How'd
that happen? God did that. And that's what
he does for his people. How does he do it? By the water,
his word, and by the son of righteousness, his darling son, the one that
produces all light, all light. This light causes his people
to see themselves as filthy, to see themselves as vile, to
see themselves as unholy, to see themselves as unable to please
God or get to God. But you know what else it shows
his people? He traded places with us. He traded places with
his people. That's what causes his sheep
to flee to Christ. He is the only one that is salvation. The others he leaves in darkness
forever. It's all by mercy, isn't it? If he calls us, it's all
by mercy. Let's read a few verses here in this chapter, chapter
eight, verse 21. Then Jesus said again unto them,
I go my way and ye shall seek me and shall die in your sins.
Whether I go, you cannot come. Then said the Jews, will he kill
himself? Because he saith, whether I go, you cannot come. And he
said unto them, ye are from beneath, I am from above, ye are of this
world, I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you that
you shall die in your sins. For if you believe not that I
am he, now you notice that word he is in italics again, right?
If you believe not that I am, you shall die in your sins. Then said they unto him, who
art thou? He just told them, didn't he? He just told them,
I am, and they didn't hear it. They couldn't hear it. Who art
thou? And Jesus said to them, even the same that I said unto
you from the beginning. I have many things to say and
judge of you, but he that sent me is true. And I speak to the
world, those things which I have heard of him. They understood
not that he spake to them of the father. Then said Jesus unto
them, when you have lifted up the son of man, then shall you
know that I am and. I do nothing of myself, but as
my father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent
me is with me. The father hath not left me alone,
for I do always those things that please him. And he spake
these words, many believed on him." Many. Doesn't say everybody,
does it? Many. Many believed on him. Well, how did they believe? He
shone the light of the truth into their heart, revealed the
truth of what they was, what they were, what they were, and
who he is. Who he is. He's I Am. Has He revealed that to you?
I hope He's revealed that to me, that He is I Am. If He has,
that's salvation. It's that simple. If we're looking
to Him as the eternal I Am, the sovereign, successful Redeemer
of His people, not the God that tried to do something, but the
God that did something, that truly redeemed His people, He's
the I Am. If you believe that, you're a believer. You're a believer. These people were talking to
God, talking to the I Am, and they would not believe. They
could not believe. He tells them, he said, you're
going to die in your sins. You're going to die in your sins. He
said, you're not my sheep. I came to put away the sin of my people,
came to put away the sin of my sheep and those sheep, they will
believe on me. And that's the miracle here that some of them
were hearing. They didn't believe a single thing he said. And then
some of them heard. They said, truth, Lord, truth,
Lord, you're you're you're the light. I'm darkness. You're the
bread. I'm I'm I'm polluted. I'm corrupt. Twice he clearly declares he's
the I Am. But if he doesn't choose to reveal
this truth, if he doesn't choose to shine his light, we'll be
in darkness, won't we? We'll die in our sin. We'll be
in utter darkness. Scripture tells us that the God
of this world hath blinded their eyes lest the light of the glorious
gospel should shine into them. He's the one that does it. This
is whom we seek. This is whom we seek. The call
goes out, come to the light. Lord, I can't, I don't know how,
I'm in darkness. I can't come to the light. The
Lord says, come to the light. Come to the light, and he brings
you. He brings us to the light. He says, believe, and we believe.
That's who we seek, Christ, the light of the world. He's our
only hope. Now, the third I am is found in John chapter 10. Look at verse 6. This parable spake Jesus unto
them, but they understood not what things they were which he
spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them, Again,
verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All
that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the
sheep did not hear them. I am the door. By me, if any
man enter in, He shall be saved and shall go in and out and find
green pasture. The thief cometh not but for
to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come, I am come that they
might have life and have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his
life for his sheep. Now understand the word be here.
I love this word because it implies singularity. It makes it known
that he is the only single door of the sheep. He's the only single
door, which is found verse seven again. Then said Jesus unto them
again, verily, verily, truly, truly, I say unto you, I am the
door of the sheep. Now, what a glorious thought that
so many that the Lord have left in darkness. They stumble about
in that darkness and they believe that there's many different ways
that you can do this, or you can do this, or you can do that.
And the Lord said, no, I am the door. This is the only way to
enter in. It's his way. I love the fact
that people, I think I mentioned this recently, but say it's my
way or the highway that you've heard that. I think I said that
recently, but That's how it is with God. It's either his way
or it's hell. It's that simple. And the Lord
Jesus is the door whereby we escape. And he's the one that
has to not only open the door, but to kick us through it because
we won't enter into it unless he causes us to. He's provided for his sheep.
He's provided for his sheep. He is the only door. If he doesn't
open it, we're doomed. You know, the good news is, is
if we can enter, if we can believe, we will. If we can, he's the
doer of it. Our comfort, our comfort is found
in verse nine. I am the door by me, if any man. Now the scripture is not sexist,
that's man or woman. We understand that any, any human,
if any human will. If any man enter in, he shall
be saved. But I want you to understand
what it says right before that. By me, if any man enter. Do we see the difference there?
This isn't a choice that you're making. This is the Lord causing
us to enter in. By me, if any man enter in. It
doesn't say, well, it says by me. He's the doer of it, isn't
he? He has to be. Lord calls me to enter. Don't
leave me to myself. Is being left to yourself your
biggest fear? Being found outside of Christ,
is that your biggest fear? It is mine. It is mine. And if it's not, we don't, we
really don't understand who God is then because there's no way
that we can be found outside of him and live. We have to be
found in Christ, the door, the door. Now look in verse 10 with me
again. This is why the Lord's people
seek him because he's the only door. And the fourth thing is
found in verse 10. The thief cometh not, but for
to steal, to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have
life. They might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd,
and the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep, for these
sheep. But he that is an hireling, and
not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf
coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf catcheth
them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because
he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good
shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even
so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. What
a precious thought of the office of our Lord being our shepherd.
A shepherd's job is very simple. I mean, I say simple, but I'm
not trying to make it sound easy, I'm just simply implying that
a shepherd tends to the sheep, doesn't he? That's what the shepherd's
job is, to ensure that the sheep has food, that the sheep has
a covering, that the sheep is protected. It's the shepherd's
job to protect and provide for the sheep. And is that not what
our Lord has done for us in every way, immeasurably? Immeasurably,
he's protected his sheep. He's provided all for them. He
tended to every detail. No wonder David said, the Lord
is my shepherd. I shall be in want of nothing.
I don't have any want because the Lord's my shepherd. Because
he maketh me lie down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside
the still waters. That's the bread and the water
right there, isn't it? That's why he restores my soul. Now
I don't have to fear death, even though I walk through the valley
of it. I don't have to fear any evil. Why? Because he put away
the sting of death, his own death for his people. That's our prayer, as the Lord
would cause us to lie down in green pasture, isn't it? Lord,
cause me to lead me, cause me, make me, make me come through
the door, Lord, and cause me to rest in the good shepherd.
I love the thought of this question. Lord, would you allow this dead
dog sinner into your fold? And the Lord says, you're not
a dead dog sinner anymore. You're a sheep. I've come to
seek and to save that which had lost. I come to save sinners
and I've turned the dead dog sinners into my sheep. Isn't
that glorious? Everyone that comes to him asking,
he says this, look in verse 25. Jesus answered them, I told you
and you believe not the works that I do in my father's name.
They bear witness of me, but because you believe not, But
ye believe not, because ye are not my sheep, as I said unto
you. My sheep hear my voice, and I
know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than
all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
I and my Father are one." Now look at this next part. Then the Jews took up stones
to stone him. He just told them, I am. I am the door. I am the shepherd. I am the,
I am. And me and my father are one.
They took up stones to stone him. We're not, no, we're not
having that. You know, you're not, we're not having this man
reign over us. You're not God. You're no better than we are.
We can make our own decision. We have our own will. We can
make our own choice. Not the Lord's people. They hear
his voice. And what do they do? They follow him. Now, is following
after Christ a work? No, it's passive, isn't it? That's
what we do because of what he's done. He's causing us to be led. That's what David said. I would
not have sought your face, O Lord, except you said unto my heart,
seek you my face. Because you said that, now thy
face will I seek, Lord, thy face will I seek. What says you've always been
in the fold. There's never been a time that I haven't had you.
I got you. I'm going to keep you. That's
what he does for his people, isn't it? God's the doer of it. And
all that he does is perfect. Cannot be tarnished or messed
up in any way. His work is finished. That's why we seek him is because
he's our good shepherd. Now the fifth I am is found in
chapter 11. John 11 verse 21 says, Then said
Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had
died. But I know that even now whatsoever
thou will ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus said unto
her, thy brother will rise again. Martha said unto him, I know
that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Jesus said unto her, I am. the resurrection and the life.
He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest
thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord,
I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should
come into the world. Christ Jesus said, I am the resurrection
and the life. Nothing is alive without him
doing it. If we believe that we are dead and trespasses and
in sin, what I mean by that is we have no life in us whatsoever,
no hope of being brought back to life. We've always been dead.
That's what people don't understand in false religion is that it's
not that we were alive, then we die, and then we're resuscitated.
We were born dead. We're lifeless, no heartbeat,
no brain activity. We were born dead. So what has
to happen? Christ has to resurrect us. Christ
has to give us life. What is the good news of the
gospel? He's going to do that to every single one that he died
for. He's going to resurrect them. He's going to give them
life because that's who he is, the resurrection and the life. Being dead and trespasses and
in sin make it impossible to come to him, doesn't it? We can't
come to him. Can't get to him, what about Lazarus? That's who
we're talking, that's who this accounts about is Lazarus. That's
what Martha was saying, my brother, that was Lazarus. Later on in
here, she says, he says, roll the stone away. She says, Lord,
he's been four days, he stinks. By this time he stinketh. He
stinks, that's us, isn't it? It's us, we're rotten. Being
born that way, we're dead, we're polluted. Lazarus had no hope
of doing anything, Lazarus had no, if the Lord would have opened
a stone and said, Lazarus, if you take the first step, I'll
take the rest. What hope is there in that? There's
none, is there? Lazarus, if you just do this,
do your part, I'll do the rest. That's not what he said, is it?
But because of him being the resurrection, all he has to say
is come forth. Come forth. I am. Come forth. And his sheep are bound. Now,
I want us to notice that. I don't want to miss this. Verse
43, and when he had thus had spoken, he cried with a loud
voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth.
Now look at this, bound hand and foot with grave clothes.
And his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said to
him, loose him and let him go. He's bound. He's wrapped up like
a, well, in these grave, he couldn't move. How did he come forth?
Because God said so. I don't need to imagine what
it was like. There's no need. We just know
he came forth. But it's impossible. He's bound. That's exactly right.
God had to do it. God had to do it. And he did.
And Lazarus came forth. He said, loose him, let him go.
This is why we come to him. This is why we seek him, because
he is the resurrection and the life. That's the only one that
can say, live, and we become alive. He's the only one that
can say, come forth, and has the power and authority to do
so. I can go out here to this cemetery and say, come forth
all day long and nothing's going to happen. We know that. Why?
I don't have any power. He has all the power. He has
all that he does for his people. He comes and he says, come forth.
He says, live. I am the resurrection and alive.
You believe that? Martha said, yes, thou art the
Christ. Thou art the son of God. Lord,
you're the I am your God. I believe that. Now the six I
am is in chapter 14. I'm gonna try to get through
these quickly. Chapter 14, verse one. Let not
your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also
in me. In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not
so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you unto myself that where I am, there you may be
also. "'And whether I go, you know
not. "'Whether I go, you know, and the way you know.' "'Thomas
saith unto him, Lord, "'we know not whether thou goest, "'and
how can we know the way?' "'I love this.' "'Jesus saith unto
them, "'I am the way. "'I am the truth. "'I am the
life. "'No man cometh unto the Father
but by me. "'If you had known me, "'you
should have known my father also. "'And from henceforth you know
him. and have seen Him. The Lord caused them to see Christ,
and therefore they saw the Father. From this time forward, you've
seen the Father. They believed Him after that, didn't they?
I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the life. There's no
other way. It's singular. There's no other
truth but this truth. It's singular. There's no other
life to be given but that which is of Christ by His doing. This
is obviously another echo of everything I've already spoken
of, but he's the only way. He's the only door. He's the
only truth. He's the only bread. He's the I am, period. It's who he is. It's what he's
done. It's all about him. He by himself is life. Men foolishly
say that God made a way of salvation. I try not to read articles online
for that very reason, I start getting frustrated pretty quickly,
and I don't mean to do that to myself, but every time I start
reading something from somebody, if they have a bit of truth in
there, and I'm getting kind of excited, they always just jerk the rug
right out from underneath me, and I obviously click off of
it. But every time, it's always something
about Jesus made a way for salvation to be possible. That's not true. He is the way. He is salvation. He is life. Believe on Him. Period. That's it. Believe on
Him. If you can, you will. If I can't, I will. It's our
only hope. Christ is salvation and seeing
Him is life. That's who we seek. That's why
we seek Him, isn't it? For life. He's the way, the truth,
and the life. Now, the last one is found in
chapter 15. All of these are glorious, so
I can't tell you which one's my favorite, but I'll just tell
you all of them's my favorite. I love this one too. Chapter
15, verse one. I am the true vine, and my father
is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth
not fruit, he taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit,
he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are
clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Sometimes
we talk about that word now, and I want to bring that to our
attention. Now, are you clean? I can't enter into that, but
what you were reading in 2 Peter, it's just, right now, now we
are the sons of God. Right now we are clean. Right
now we are perfect. Right now we are holy. I don't
see it. Look to Christ, because it's what he said. It's the truth,
isn't it? Now you're clean through the word which I have spoken
unto you. Abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear
fruit of itself except it abide in the vine. No more can ye except
ye abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in
him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me you
can do nothing. Without me you can do nothing.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch and
is withered. And men gather them and cast
them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in me and
my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall
be done unto you. What is it that we ask of our
Lord? Continually, Lord, save me. Is that not true? Lord, have
mercy upon me. Lord, I've messed up again. Lord,
I can't think right. Everything about me is wrong.
Lord, save me. Lord, save me. And he said, ask what you will. No, it ain't a new car I'm praying
for. I mean, I'm sure that sometimes there's things that we need according
to the flesh that we pray for. And He tells us to come to Him
with all the petitions. Ask and it shall be given unto
you, everything. But what do we really pray for when we cry out?
Lord, save me. Lord, have mercy upon me. Lord,
call me. Don't leave me to myself. Calls
me to see that I have been grafted in to your vine. Calls me to
bear forth fruit. Give me faith to believe you.
That's what that fruit is, isn't it? It's faith. We now, because
of him, he bestows this faith upon us. The father sees the
son's fruit in us and he's well-pleased. There's my beloved son in whom
I'm well-pleased. He is the true vine. The picture
here is a bunch of dead, dried branches being grafted in. We know what grafting in is,
right? You take one tree. and a branch off of another tree
or a bush, and you put it together and you have to wrap it, you
have to secure it, and that branch then has life from the vine that's
coming underneath it, giving it life. That's how different
fruits and things are made. They do hybrids and different
things like that. Well, we were dead all the way. We don't produce
any fruit in of ourself, do we? But because he's grafted us in
because in the picture is we've been born again. We've been made
alive and we produce his fruit now before the father. Does it make sense to the natural
flesh to take a dead branch and put it on a lively bond? Because
a dead branch can't really be made back to life according to
natural things. That's exactly what God does.
He takes the deadest, driest, broken to pieces branch and makes
it produce his fruit, his faith into glory of his father. Now
go back to my text and our text here in John chapter 18. Look at verse four with me. Jesus,
therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went
forth and said to them, whom do you seek? They answered him,
Jesus of Nazareth. He said unto them, I am. Judas
also which betrayeth him stood with them. And as soon then as
he had said unto them, I am, they went backward and fell on
the ground. And he asked them again, who seek ye? They said,
Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said, I have told you,
I am. If therefore ye seek me, let these go their way, that
the saying might be fulfilled which he spake of them which
thou gavest me, have I lost nothing? This is the picture that the
Lord's given us of the law coming to claim us. This is a picture
of the Lord showing us that we are full of sin, that we are
guilty, that we are deservant of death, and they're coming
for us. The law's demand is death. The
law's demand is justice. The law's demand is wrath must
be poured out. And yet, instead of them laying
a hold of us, our adversary, trying to lay a hold on us as
well. But instead of them being able
to do that, the Lord Jesus Christ stands in the way, doesn't He?
And He says, I am. And what happens to every single
one of them? What happens to the law? What happens to Satan?
What happens to the world? What happens to our flesh? It
all falls down. There's nothing to stand on anymore.
Why? Because he has fulfilled every
bit of it. He has lived it perfectly. He
has done all that was necessary for the salvation of his people.
Conquered death, hell, and the grave. Saved us from wrath, sin,
self, and Satan. Successfully redeeming us. I love the thought that the law
just bows to him. And the Lord says, you can't
have these, they're mine. You can't, you have no claim
on these. Death and hell can't say anything against the Lord's
people. He says, they're mine. They're my sheep. I've bought
them by my own blood. I've paid for them. They're mine. Either we see him as the sovereign
I am now, or we will, when we enter eternity, I have to bow
there. Thank the speed of God because of mercy and grace, he
calls us to bow now. Because he is the bread of life,
we never hunger. Because he is the fountain of living water,
we never thirst. Because of his glorious light shining into the
hearts of his people, we don't stumble in darkness anymore,
do we? We have the light of the Lord. We see the truth and we
believe. We rest in his finished work.
Because he is the door, we have hope of entering in and being
found in him. Because he is our good shepherd, nothing can harm
his sheep. He cannot lose a single one of them. We believe that,
don't we? Lord, you're going to keep every single one of them you
got. Because he is the way, the truth, and the life, his people
are made to rest. Because he is the true vine,
his elect truly bears his fruit. And the father's pleased with
it. As we see the mob of sin, this represents coming towards
them. As we see the law demanding, that's what this all represents.
This is a picture of Satan accusing us before God. God's holiness
demanding justice. That's what all this represents.
We have the one that stands in the way, says, you can't have
these. Let them go. Let them go. That's
our hope, isn't it? That he would say that about
you, that he would say that about me. I love the declaration that
he's he's he's our bread. He's our water. He's our light.
He's our life. He's our way. He's our truth.
He's the I am. He's our resurrection. He's everything
to the believer. And it's all summed up in two
words, I am. I am. Because of who he is, we
cannot die because he died in our stead. The law says satisfied. Okay, we're satisfied. Death
can't reply. Hell can't say anything. The
Lord says perfectly righteous. That's what God did. The Lord
Jesus Christ did this. Who is the I am? That's why we
seek him. That's why we seek him.