Jesus, the I AM: Jesus taught that everyone who sins is a slave to sin. But the truth of his teaching brings freedom. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. Authentic disciples remain in the truth of Jesus' teaching and are set free by the truth of Jesus' identity — the great I AM. Recorded on Nov 19, 2023, on John 8:31-59 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’re working our way through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And today, we’re finishing John chapter 8. And we’re considering the root of all the “I AM” statements of Jesus in John’s gospel. If you’ve been with us so far, you might realize we’ve covered several of the “I AM” statements of Jesus. There are actually seven metaphorical “I AM” statements in John’s gospel. So far, we’ve seen Jesus claim, “I am the bread of life.” and “I am the light of the world.” Well, today, Jesus claims to be “I AM.” What does that mean? Why is that so significant? It’s actually one of the most significant claims of Jesus in all of the Bible. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 8:31.

John 8:31–36 (NIV), “31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to [remains/abides in] it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Ok, let’s pause here. So last week, we saw the interaction between Jesus and a large crowd of people who were in the temple in Jerusalem for the Festival of Tabernacles as well as the Pharisees and religious leaders there. And Jesus made the big claim to be the light of the world. And we saw the division his teaching was causing as some believed him while others didn’t understand his teaching or flat-out rejected it. In a similar way, our passage for today starts out with another big claim: that if you hold to (or remain in or abide in) his teaching, you are not only truly his disciples, but then you’ll know the truth, and the truth will set you free. This is a very positive statement, right? Who doesn’t want to be free? But instead of taking Jesus at his word, the people need some clarification. What do you mean, Jesus, that we will be set free? Do we need to be set free? Now, on one level, the Jewish people did indeed need to be set free. They needed political and social freedom from the Roman Empire. And the Romans were just the latest in a long line of foreign rulers. So, the people here must not be referring to political freedom. More likely, they mean moral or spiritual freedom. “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” And it is here that Jesus articulates the main problem with the world and with every one of us: “Very truly I tell you [meaning, pay attention,