Jesus tells people who he is, using seven dramatic one-liners-each pointing to God. Every statement begins with “I am.” That’s God’s name.

When Moses asked who he should tell the enslaved Hebrews in Egypt had sent him, God replied, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14).

I am . . .

• “The bread of life” (John 6:35). The source of every believer’s spiritual life.
• “The light of the world” (John 8:12). The source of spiritual insight and direction
• “The gate for the sheep” (John 10:7). The doorway into the kingdom of God.
• “The good shepherd” (John 10:14). The one who knows his sheep and lays down his life to save them.
• “The resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). The one who not only gives people life after death, but is the source of eternal life.
• “The way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). The one who not only shows people the way to God and salvation, but is the way. No one can reach the Father except through Jesus, the bridge between heaven and earth.
• “The true grapevine” (John 15:1). The source of spiritual nourishment for everyone connected to him in faith, just as a grapevine feeds water and nutrients to the branches.