...I who speak to you am He
Session 6: …I who speak to you am He
We will precede where we left off in session one on the story of Jesus and the woman at the well. We stopped the lesson at John 4:22-24, where Jesus is explaining to this woman that a time is coming when true worshipers of God will worship Him in spirit and truth. What does this mean? Well, the exhilarating revelation is about to be made. But before He does, He explains to her the worship that will be accepted will be worship to the Father through the Son. This worship must be done in spirit, with a changed inward heart attitude that has been touched when it has acknowledged the truth. When Jesus states this truth of acceptable worship, the woman replies with a knowledge she has been taught. She says to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Then Jesus says, “I WHO SPEAK TO YOU AM HE”.
This short encounter had forever changed this woman, she instantly ran to town to tell others of Jesus. The woman knew that the promised Savior would return as the scriptures foretold. However, when He was right in front of her it took some time with Him for her to realize who He truly was. Jesus said “an hour is coming” when everyone will hear Jesus say in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. That worship to God will be through Him. It is clearly depicted that Jesus is not speaking to this woman as a rabbi, nor a prophet; but as God Himself. This brings us to another attribute of God, the Trinity.
Let us think of a triangle for a moment. A triangle has three distinct points, right? Although the triangle has three distinct points it is still and always will be one shape. The same is true with the Trinity when it comes to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All are three persons, but all are one God. The Trinity can be a mystery because the supernatural ability for God to be one in three distinct persons seems impossible. However, as we have studied, anything and everything that is impossible for us is not for God.
A quote from Knowledge of the Holy goes like this: To meditate on the three Persons of the Godhead is to walk in thought through the garden eastward of Eden and to tread on holy ground. Our sincerest effort to grasp the incomprehensible mystery of the Trinity must remain forever futile, and only by deepest reverence can it be saved from actual presumption. Colossians 2:8Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. |
This is when we simply say, “God is who He says He is”, and there is a supernatural mystery to Him, as He is like no other. However, there is an abundance in the way He reveals to us in a deep personal and relational way. God demands to be known. He graces us with His Word to depict this. He provides a redeeming way to know Him through His Son. He has sent the Holy Spirit to guide, intercede, and teach us His knowability. What it comes down to is that we need to know nothing else but Him. Just like Jesus revealed to the woman, He is the living water that will cause us to thirst for nothing else, as well. Jesus says: There are dark forces that will do everything in their power to keep us from knowing Jesus. Satan does not want man to receive abundant life that comes from knowing Him.
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When Jesus said that He gave us life to live abundantly, it is meant for us to live a life of wanting nothing. That life comes from Him that gives us grace and eternity, when we believe in Him. We should allow nothing to distract us from feeling content, making sure we are not living in a way that the world is constantly taking our attention away from Him. We should not be looking at self and others for satisfaction and wondering why we do thirst, why do we hunger. The Psalmist said like this, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk though the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever”. The writer knows the Shepherd (God) and knows His character. He trusts Him during times of darkness. He finds comfort in His correction. He believes that all He does is out of love and mercy. He knows that He has prepared a place for him, and he knows that there is nothing else that he wants.
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HEBREW/GREEK CONTEXT:
I am (yhwh)- 1. To be 2. I was 3. I will be |
Doctrine of the Trinity 1. God is three persons 2. Each person is fully God 3. There is one God -Systematic Theology |
When we talk about God, we are using the word Person to show that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each have personhood or personality. That is, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each have intellect, emotion, and volition… When we speak of God existing in three Persons, we mean that God’s existence is comprised of three distinct centers of intellect, emotion, and will. Each Person of the Trinity has a unique role in creation and in salvation of mankind. The Holy Spirit is unique and is not the Father or the Son (He proceeds from the Father and the Son, John 15:26). The Father and the Son are also unique (when Jesus prayed to the Father, He was not praying to Himself, Luke 23:34). Each is God, but each is a separate “Person”. All three Persons of the Trinity comprise the one, perfectly unifed God. They share the same nature and essence, and they are all the same God, but each individual Person of the Trinity is distinct and unique. -Gotquestions.org |
Hebrews 13:20-21 informs us that today Jesus is the Great Shepherd who cares for the sheep. We are His sheep, and as we follow Him He ministers to us. Christ did not simply die for us; He rose again and lives for us. He is the Great Shepherd, the Great High Priest. “I shall not want” for: rest and refreshment, restoration and righteousness, protection in trouble, provision in the wilderness, and a home to go to at the end of the day. -Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines |
