When Jesus says, "I Am"

  Where it seems as if there is no reprieve from the pressure or stress of our day – there is Jesus! Jesus is God’s answer to a world gone wrong. As the world crowds in and there is so much noise…Jesus. Everyone is looking for a reprieve from the stress and pressure of the current day when we should be looking to Jesus. He is the stability of our times! (Isaiah 33:6) (John 8:58 The Message Bible)
  It is time, again, to fix our gaze on the eternal and matchless Son of God, to feel our hearts burn with passion and devotion for our God and King. When Jesus walked the earth during His earthly lifetime, He released tremendous revelation about Who God, The Father is, Who God, the Holy Spirit is, and Who He is.
    One of Jesus’ greatest points of contention or opposition was the religious contingent of His day. They challenged Him on every front; assaulted His character and tried to destroy His ministry and finally His Person. If we are truthful, religion is our ultimate enemy as well. It keeps us from knowing God truly and hinders us in living our Christian life and witness in a multitude of ways. Let’s look into a particular day when Jesus was being confronted by these religious leaders. (John 8:48-59 TPT)
  It was absolutely horrific how the religious leaders of Jesus’ day treated Him! They claimed to know God, and yet, the way they treated His Son was appalling. They expressed no love – no honor – but resorted to name calling and demeaning speech. Jesus responded to this ill-treatment by releasing the revelation of “I AM!!” This really made them mad! Their anger was a symptom of a much deeper issue – religion had replaced revelation knowledge of God. And their minds were desperately darkened. (Romans 1:21-22 TPT)
   They became blinded due to an errant posture of their hearts towards God. This is a serious place to find one’s self in – especially as there is a confession of knowing God and yet, they didn’t really know or recognize Him at all. In our text from John’s Gospel Jesus was equating Himself with I Am, this was a reference back to God’s revelation to Moses. (Exodus 3:13-14 NKJV)
  All of the religious leaders should have been quaking with the fear of the Lord, knowing that the “Burning Bush” was right in front of them in the form of their Messiah! However, religion can dull your hearing and darken your mind. Jesus, throughout His time here on earth, taught us 7 different I Am statements. These precious revelatory gems are burgeoning with Truth that will strengthen, sustain, and keep us today! (John 6:35 TPT)
   Jesus is the Sustainer of our lives!!! (John 8:12 NKJV)
   Jesus is the Light in the darkness, in our darkness! (John 10:7-9 NKJV)
   Jesus is our Entry Point for salvation and our safety. (John 10:11 NKJV)
   Jesus is our Shepherd! (John 11:25 NKJV)
   Jesus is our Resurrection, our Life, and our Revival! (John 14:6; 15:1 NKJV)
   Be encouraged by these eternal and unchanging Truths! Jesus’ activities are eternal and these things that He said that He is – He has always been and will always be!!!!! It is time for us again to discover the treasure that knowing Jesus in reality provides. He doesn’t want us on the outside looking in but invites us into a life overflowing with His joy and the pleasure of His provision! Much love from all of us at WILD!