"For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins." (John 8:24)
and Jesus said, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me." (John 8: 28)
Who is Jesus of Nazareth?
Is he the Messiah? Is he Emmanuel, "God is with us"? Is he The Savior of the Israelites?
For 2,000 years the ancestors of the Israelites talked about, wrote about, and read scrolls about the promise of a Messiah, the One who would free them from slavery.
What does it take for someone to believe in something that doesn't seem to fit their model or idea of what they have been expecting? Would it take signs or miracles? Or just simply straight out saying, "I AM".
God told Moses from the burning bush his name. Moses asked, "What is your name?" And God answered "I AM WHO AM." (Exodus 3:14) Every Israelite knew about their forefather, Moses, and how he encountered the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They knew that Moses' mission was to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. It is remembered at the Seder supper at Passover every year. So when Jesus said. "I AM" did that set off an alarm in the heads of some and did they realize he is the Son of God?
Would we recognize Jesus as the Son of God if he appeared to us today?
Pray that you are like those who did trust and believed in Jesus.
We study God's Word at FACE ZBS (Face-to-Face Zoom Bible Study). We listen and learn about what Jesus taught and the things he revealed about himself. We get to know who Jesus is. His words are so carefully chosen and more meaningful than reading over without knowing the Biblical context of what he is teaching. It is also helpful to have a theologian there to answer our questions.
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