The Gospel of John: “I AM… Going Away”

John 8:21-30

Pastor Brian Petak

August 17, 2025

Last week (John 8:12-20):

Only one thing shatters the darkness we see all around us and have inside us - and it comes not from something we own or experience, or from a substance, a set of rules, or a religious system – but the true light is a person: Jesus.

This week:

·    People have always wanted to kill Jesus because he claimed to be God, and it’s no different today. I have to decide whether I want to kill him, follow him or ignore him. And this decision has eternal consequences.

·   There are two things that Jesus is constantly calling us to: believe and follow.

So What?!

Base Camp Questions for Deeper Discussion:

1. The enemies of Jesus were wasting a lot of their time arguing with him rather than trusting him. How have you fallen into that same trap? Why is it so hard sometimes to trust who Jesus is and what he says?

2. When Jesus said “unless you believe that I am…”, you will “die in your sins”, they would have heard him use the Greek words “ἐγώ εἰμι” which means “I AM”. Why is this significant? What part of the Old Testament would they be thinking about, and what is Jesus claiming?

3. I have to decide whether I want to believe Jesus and follow him, or ignore Jesus and go about life independently. What gets in the way of believing and following?

4. What needs to change in my life for me to say that I truly follow Jesus?