John 14:6
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” 

What does Jesus mean?

This is a cornerstone claim for Christians. The only way to reach God is by accepting Jesus Christ. Jesus’ promise to those who believe in Him is eternal life. 

This is the claim, broken down:

The WAY:

Jesus was saying that he is the only way to heaven. He is not a way – which would indicate that there are other ways – He is the way, as in the one and only. The only path to eternal life is through Jesus.

It is important to take note that this was said out of love. Jesus chose to step down from glory to bear our sins on Him as He died on the cross, because that is the only way that we could ever hope for eternal life. So anything He says is always out of love, never to condemn.
Jesus is a two way street. Through Him, God can come to meet & fellowship with us. And through Him, we have intimate access to God. So intimate that we can call Him Father.

The TRUTH:

All truth is found in Jesus. Though circumstances may change with time, God remains the same. He is unchanging, and His words and ways will always remain true. Over time, people have had blurred impressions of God. Even today, people have false ideas about who God is. Some think He is mean, others think He is judgmental. But Jesus is God and He is a representation of who the Father is. When Jesus was on Earth, He was never mean. He was never judgmental. In fact, the Bible is filled with stories of Jesus healing people of their physical and emotional needs, showing immense love and care for everyone around Him. A mean, judgmental God would never choose to die for you. Through the life of Jesus on Earth, we see the TRUTH of who God really is and what He is all about: love. 

The LIFE:

Jesus is the source of all life. Through the connection we build with Jesus, we find the meaning and purpose of life. Jesus died for us to save us from eternal damnation and restore the connection God had with us. The connection that was smeared by our wrong actions. In Christ, there is no condemnation because Jesus paid the brutal price for us. Are you overwhelmed by the weight of your sin? Do you think that you’ve done too many bad things to ever be worthy again? Well, there is good news for you! Jesus wants you to know that no matter the state of your life, He wants you. In Jesus, you will find new life. You will find purpose and true joy. 

No one comes to the Father but by me:

The Godhead is 3 in 1 – Father, Holy Spirit, Jesus. The Father is only revealed through Jesus. If you do not know Jesus, you will not know who the Father is. If you do not know who the Father is, you do not know God. We come to the Father in Jesus’ name, and He guides us (through prayer) to the Father. The first step to eternal life is through receiving and believing Jesus Christ. 

What does this mean for us?
This is great news for us! None of us are perfect – we have all sinned. But Jesus still loves you deeply and wants you to experience His great love. If we accept Him in faith, believe in Him and surrender our lives to Him, He will mould us into His image. You will then see God working in your life in a beautiful way!

God desires to have a relationship with you. You are His child and He loves you more than anyone else ever could. His love is so deep that we call Him ‘Father’. No one can force you to accept Jesus into your heart. The choice is in your hands. But let me just say that having Jesus in your life, is better than any other beautiful treasure. You find eternal life, hope and friendship.

Want to learn more about God? Here are some useful links: Gospel of Jesus & Jesus Film

John 11:25-26
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”

What does Jesus mean?

Context of the statement:
When Jesus made this statement, He was comforting a weeping sister (Martha) who had just lost her brother (Lazarus). Martha told Jesus that if He had been with her, Lazarus would have never died. Jesus replied by assuring Martha that her brother would rise again. Martha responded: “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” This is when Jesus makes His 5th “I am” statement. 

The RESURRECTION and the LIFE

The statement Martha made before Jesus’s 5th claim implied that she thought that resurrection was an event on its own. However, Jesus did not claim that He can resurrect (although He can). He said that He is resurrection. For without Jesus, there is no life. He alone has the power to grant life after death.

Life – the very essence of it – flows through Jesus. He is the creator of life and all that there is – immortality belongs to Him. There is no eternal life apart from Christ. At this point, Jesus was talking about His divine nature. If He is the creator of life and it belongs to Him, death has no power or triumph over God.

If you’re now thinking: But didn’t Jesus die on the cross? Yes, He did. But that was a deliberate choice He made to save us from eternal damnation. If Jesus had not died for us, we would all be doomed to eternal suffering. Because of His great love for you and me, He wore our shame and took our punishment so that we can be set free.

“Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die”:

Our physical bodies will decay (death) but if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, our spirits will live in triumph with Him. It is our spiritual state that matters to God. If we’re young and healthy and yet we’re spiritually void, it is as good as being dead. However, if we are on our death beds, yet our spirit is intertwined with God’s, we will live on for eternity. Then one day, when Jesus comes again, our bodies will be resurrected and we’ll have imperishable bodies for all of eternity. 

Following this statement, Jesus asked Martha “Do you believe this?”. Ultimately, it is our faith and belief in Jesus Christ that activates God’s great power in our lives. Without belief, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Martha’s beautiful answer to Jesus’ question let her witness a life-changing miracle right before her eyes – “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who was to come into the world”. And with that, Jesus raised her brother to life after 4 days of death. 

 

Want to learn more about God? Here are some useful links: Gospel of Jesus & Jesus Film

John 10:11;
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:14
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

What does Jesus mean?

Context of the statement:

When Jesus made this 4th claim, He was having a conversation comparing and contrasting Himself with the unrighteous religious leaders at that time. 

Any shepherd watches over the sheep. However the true shepherd, a good shepherd, will go the extra mile – they will protect, guide, nurture and care for the flock.

Who are the sheep? We are His sheep.

Why ‘good shepherd’?

The religious leaders were meant to lead people to God. Instead, they were judgmental hypocrites. Jesus likened them to a “hired hand”. They were “hired” to guide the sheep (God’s people), but because they were “hired”, their care for God’s flock was superficial – they only cared about wages.  So when danger presented itself, these superficial shepherds would abandon the defenseless sheep.  

By contrast, Jesus who is the good shepherd, cares so deeply for His sheep that He gave up His life for them. His love for the sheep is deep and genuine because they belong to Him. 

In the face of danger, a shepherd could easily save himself. However, for the sake of his sheep who are defenseless and vulnerable, a good shepherd runs into danger to protect their flock. Similarly Jesus, who had all the power and authority to save Himself while being crucified, chose not to do so and sacrificed Himself for the sake of you and me (His Sheep).

Why did Jesus use the term ‘shepherd’? 

In ancient times, shepherding was common. However, it wasn’t an easy job. Due to the lack of industrialisation, sheep were subjected to danger frequently. One of the most common threats was wolf/animal attacks. 1 Samuel 17:26 tells of how David (who later went on to defeat Goliath) killed a lion and a bear while defending a flock of sheep.  

Because dangers were many, shepherds had to constantly be on guard and keep watch. Likewise, when we commit our lives to Jesus who is our good shepherd, He will always be looking out for us. Satan and demons are always looking for ways to attack God’s children. But Jesus is always swiftly there to protect, love and save His children from the snares of evil predators. 

When we commit our lives to Jesus, He vows to never leave our side (Deuteronomy 31:6).

He knows each of His sheep (His followers) by name, and loves us more than our minds could ever comprehend. As a good shepherd, He chases after every lost sheep – He would leave the rest of the flock just to find the one that is lost because every sheep is precious in the eyes of the good shepherd (Matthew 18:12).

“..I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father”: 

The Father knows Jesus deeply and Jesus knows the Father deeply. Similarly, Jesus longs to have a deep and intimate relationship with each of His believers. Those who choose to accept Jesus into their hearts can expect Jesus to be 100% invested in them. They won’t be anonymous or lost in the flock. However, Jesus also expects us to be 100% invested in Him (“I know my own and my own know me”). Jesus’ true disciples have a desire to grow closer to God. 

It is an extreme privilege to be known by name by God. His love is greater than our minds can ever fathom and to experience that is a slice of heaven on Earth. His promise to us if we choose to know Him more is that He will always have our back. 

Want to learn more about God? Here are some useful links: Gospel of Jesus & Jesus Film

John 10:7

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.”.

John 10:9

^” I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”

The sheep pen:

Imagine a sheep pen. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the door, you know he’s up to no good – he’s a sheep thief! The true shepherd of the sheep walks right up to the door. The doorkeeper opens the door to him and the sheep recognise his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out to fresh grass and water. When he gets them all out, he leads the sheep and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. They wouldn’t follow a stranger’s voice. Instead, they would scatter because they’re not used to the sound of it. (John 10:1-5)

Why did Jesus use the imagery of sheep? Reading this will tell you why and will help you to understand this claim better. (link “this” to claim 6)

Jesus told this simple story, but what was he was talking about? The door for the sheep represents Jesus. Anyone else who claims ownership of the sheep is up to no good – they are sheep stealers, every one of them. The sheep shouldn’t and don’t listen to them. But Jesus is the door. Anyone who goes through Him will be cared for. They can freely go in and out – they’re free from the shackles of guilt and shame. They will find fresh nourishing pasture. A thief is only there to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus is there so the sheep can have real and eternal life. A better life than they ever dreamed of. (John 10:6-10)

The true DOOR:

Jesus did not say that He is a door but that He is the door. Choosing to accept Jesus will make you one of His sheep. You can only enjoy the nourishing pastures of heaven and experience eternal life in abundance if you follow Jesus’s voice. There is no other way, no other door. With this statement, Jesus emphasises that there is no eternal fulfilling life without Him, and eternal life can only be found through Him. Why did Jesus make this statement? So we can see that we should not be placing our trust in anyone but Jesus. Take religious leaders for example. Although they may reach out to and care for us, they are not the door to salvation. Even the purest of all religious leaders can never give you salvation. Only by placing your full trust in Jesus and believing in Him will you find salvation.

The dangers Jesus warns us about: the false door & the false voice:

Jesus warns that the world is full of predators (Matthew 7:15). There will be false teachers/leaders who claim to know the way to heaven. They are like ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing, who will only rip the sheep to shreds. It is important to always keep your eyes set on the shepherd (Jesus), because only by following Him can you find the heavenly pasture.

Those who do not find the true door find themselves trapped in a life without purpose. They are unable to be led to the heavenly pasture. Finding Jesus and inviting Him into your heart is like finding a door after being trapped in a hopeless life for so long.

Jesus knows that there are many other apparent doors and apparent shepherds around, but those are all facades and thieves. Through them, you find nothing but desolation and lies. Through Jesus – the true door – you will receive abundant life and can rest knowing that you are in God’s safe hands till the end of time. 

Want to learn more about God? Here are some useful links: Gospel of Jesus & Jesus Film

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.”

What does Jesus mean?

The light that Jesus is speaking of in this claim is spiritual light. Many go through life not knowing their purpose – feeling hopeless constantly. When we receive Jesus into our hearts, our spiritual eyes are opened and we finally realise our true reason for being. We receive joy, love and purpose.

The LIGHT

When you walk in darkness, you’re vulnerable to danger. You can knock into things or trip over. You will immediately feel less safe when you’re walking alone in darkness. Why? Because you feel insecure – you never know who is lurking in the shadows. However, imagine if your surroundings were suddenly lit up, and you could see everything. You know where you’re heading and you’re able to see who is around. When you look up, you see your strong friend ahead of you. Suddenly, you’re not afraid and alone anymore. You’ve got your friend with you and you can see.

Spiritual light is the same. Satan is constantly at work, trying to destroy our lives. The bible says that the devil comes to kill, steal and destroy. There is so much darkness around us – if your spiritual eyes were opened, you would realise this. Jesus came to restore, heal and give us peace. Darkness cannot stay when a light enters. When you walk into a dark room, all you must do is switch on a light and the darkness vanishes. Similarly, in the presence of Jesus, Satan is powerless. When you accept Jesus as your Lord, saviour and friend, a shield of protection comes upon you. You no longer must live in fear, because Jesus defeated the darkness when He died on the cross for us. He is not a light of the world, but the light – all authority on Heaven and Earth belongs to Him and only He can dispel the darkness. If we follow Jesus, we have His light shining onto our paths. Without Him, we will not have this light, this truth, this eternal life.

Jesus is described as both the lamp for our feet and the light for our path. That means that He helps us to see any hazards that might be lurking around us, and He also helps us to see where we’re going – our destination. Knowing and following Jesus means that He alerts us when the devil or anything else is trying to hurt us, or convince us to do things that will hurt ourselves. It also means that we have a purpose and a reason to live every moment fully. Jesus illuminates to us that life is not hopeless, that there is an incredible hope and a future for us and we do not have to live in darkness.

Following Jesus

As long as you choose to follow Jesus, you’ll never be walking in darkness. Plus, you’ll have an all-knowing guide – Jesus!
If you’re following someone, it means that you’re following their direction. With ‘following’, you are not ‘tagging along’, you are being lead.

God knows everything. He is the beginning and the end. So, He already knows what’s ahead of us. As long as we keep our eyes set on Him and follow closely behind Jesus, we will have ‘the light of life’.

Even though you may stumble into darkness from time to time, you will never have to ‘walk’ in it. Keeping your eyes focused on Jesus ensures that darkness can never engulf you. Like a good shepherd (insert link to shepherd claim), Jesus will come to your aid to banish the darkness!

Want to learn more about God? Here are some useful links: Gospel of Jesus & Jesus Film

John 6:35

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.”

What does Jesus mean?

Bread is an important food. It is a fundamental dietary item. We have phrases such as “someone’s bread and butter”, which means someone’s livelihood. In general, bread is often used as a symbol to represent all food.

By saying that He is the “bread of life”, Jesus is saying that He is essential for livelihood. Like how you cannot live without food, without Jesus you have no real life, no eternal life. People are often so caught up with their physical life. They forget that in the grand scheme of eternity, their physical life is less than a blink of an eye. What good is it if you excel in your earthly life – you have all the material things you want, you live in a huge mansion, you earn big bucks – but when you die, you live in desolation and pain without love and joy for the rest of eternity? 

In this claim, Jesus also explains further about His deity and the kind of life we can have if we believe in Him. If you make a choice to come to Jesus, your spirit will be fed. People are constantly searching for a higher being and a deeper meaning to life. What is the point of your existence? Jesus fills these voids. He created us to build a relationship with us. All of us have a spirit and it cries out for God. Many search their whole life, never to be filled – because they search in the wrong places and/or accept wrong beliefs. With Jesus, a great sense of peace and assurance will come upon you. Inviting Jesus into your heart is the greatest life decision you can make. Your spirit will be revived, your spiritual needs will be fed. No longer will you feel a deep starvation to fill a void inside of you. Jesus is the answer.

How do you consume food? You must make a choice to pick it up and feed it to yourself. Similarly, you must make a personal choice to accept Jesus into your heart. No one can force you to do it. All through history, people have been creating ideas about what comes after death. Why? Because God created us with a longing for eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  

Many falsely think that they can earn their way to heaven. This is wrong. The bible explicitly states that you cannot earn your way to heaven because we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Hence, you cannot fill this desire for eternal life yourself – no one is righteous enough to save a place for themselves in heaven. However, with Jesus, this desire can be met. When we accept and believe in him, our hunger and thirst for God and eternal life is filled. 

We need food to survive. Eating is not a one time thing. You cannot eat tomorrow’s food today. You need to make a conscious effort to feed yourself in order to survive. Imagine you stuffed yourself with so much food today. You ate everything your heart desired and you’re so full. But I bet you’ll never say “I’m so full today, I think I’ll skip eating for the next 10 days.”. You can’t do that. You know as well as I know that that is silly! Stop eating food and you’ll start to starve, slowly withering.
This is the same with your spiritual life. You cannot purchase salvation. It’s not a one time acceptance deal. God will always look at the state of your heart. You cannot say “I will accept Jesus today and then I’ll take a break from Him for the next 10 days.”. Believing and following Jesus is a daily choice. 

Walking away from Jesus, is like walking away from food. After a while, you’ll feel hungry again. You’ll start to feel empty and then you’ll start to wither. Not long after, if you do not eat, you lose your life – physical life without food and eternal life without Jesus.

Want to learn more about God? Here are some useful links: Gospel of Jesus & Jesus Film

John 15:1-2
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

What does Jesus mean?

This is the claim, broken down:

The TRUE VINE:

The Vine is the source of life for the branches. Without the vine, the branches cannot be fruitful. For grapes to be produced, the vine needs to be present to provide nourishment to the branches. Similarly, if we remain close to Christ, He is our nourishment and eternal hope. He is the root of eternal life and those who put their faith in Him will be constantly sustained and supported.

Why did Jesus say He is the true vine?
Jesus is the truth and the giver of life. God’s work as the great gardener is initially demonstrated in the nation of Israel, described as His vineyard and His delightful plants (Is 5:7). Israel was watered and pampered by the hands of its generous gardener. It was given everything it needed to flourish in an abundant promised land. But as time went on, God’s garden did not flourish as it could have done. The nation of Israel repeatedly turned away from the one true God and turned it’s face towards other, impostor gardeners. To redeem His people, God our loving father planted a true vine, Jesus Christ. He cleared the ground for the new vine and it took deep root and filled the land. And the whole world, extending throughout history from the first disciples to every one of God’s people alive today, is covered under His shade of grace (Ps 80:9).

The GARDENER:

The Father, like a gardener, is very watchful of His vineyard. He cares immensely for it, working day and night to provide sustenance for the branches to bear fruit. With the amount of love and care the vine and gardener provides for the branches, Christians are expected to fruitful. The gardener is also the owner of the land. He cares about every branch and fruit because they are His. 

The BRANCHES:

The branches are believers who are supposed to be connected to Christ. Those who are connected well produce good ‘fruits’. The word ‘fruit’ is a concept used to describe the conduct of someone’s heart – often manifested through thoughts, words and deeds. 

Though a branch (a person) may seem connected outwardly, the true source of the fruit they produce is in the state of their heart and spirit – things that only God can see. A genuine believer attached to the true vine (Jesus), will bear good fruits. A false believer may seem attached outwardly but their connection to Jesus does not run deep; they do not have a genuine and pure relationship with Jesus. These ‘branches’ will not bear fruits, which is the evidence of their spiritual state.  

In this verse, Jesus says that those who are surface Christians (fakes), will be removed. You cannot trick God. Ultimately, God only knows the true state of your heart. Merely calling yourself a Christian isn’t the same as truly knowing God.
Those who are fruitful and genuine will experience God’s amazing guidance and blessing.

Want to learn more about God? Here are some useful links: Gospel of Jesus & Jesus Film