Jesus Promises He Is Messiah

John 4:26 Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”
 
ONE way John teaches us of Jesus is through what is normally regarded as seven “I am” statements. They are, “I am the Good Shepherd. I am the Way, Truth and Life. I am the Light of the world. I am the Gate. I am the Resurrection and the Life. I am the Bread of Life. I am the True Vine. Jesus used these images to define the ways God character personally transforms your life. But perhaps there are more than seven “I am’s”.  
   For example, let’s consider the one in this verse: “I who speak to you am he.” We can easily understand Jesus is saying, “I am he.” Perhaps, though, this is one we should put first.
   In one of Jesus’ most well-known conversations, he is talking with a Samaritan woman at a well near her village, Sychar. We’ll examine this more in the next lesson. But to the point here, the woman needs to know who has come to her. Who does Jesus say he is when he proclaims, “I am he.” He’s announcing he is Messiah, the one long expected.
   John conveys Jesus’ self-confession for two very important reasons. First for the Jewish reader, John was separating Jesus from John the Baptist. The prophet said in John 1:20b “I am not the Christ.” John the Baptist and John the apostle point to Jesus as the Savior. Jesus wanted the woman at the well to know that. He wants everyone to know that now.
   Second, John used this conversation between Jesus and the woman to teach us how to teach the gospel. She had said to him in John 4:25 “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”  When Jesus said, “I am he.” he is proclaiming the Messiah has come. He reveals the good news of life, love, grace and forgiveness. The Lord wants the woman to know that God has come in person to explain everything to all people. What better way to give authority to his message than to declare, “I am he, the Messiah, who has come to redeem Israel.”
   It’s true, isn’t it, that we can only know Jesus as the Light of the world, the Resurrection and the Life and the Good Shepherd if we know him as “Messiah.” Jesus cannot be the Way and the Truth, the Bread of Life, the Gate and the True Vine if we deny or compromise he is God in the flesh come to explain everything to us.
   People need Jesus. They need a Savior – a Messiah –  to rescue them from the pit of Destruction into eternal Life. Only the Messiah can light the path of life for the dark soul. Only the Messiah will close the gate against sin and death. Only the True Vine and Bread of Life will prepare your cup of grace for the eternal feast of joy with him in heaven. Be a true good-news evangelist. Tell people that there is no other name by which they will be saved. People must know eternal life. Otherwise, they will know eternal Hell – forever agony.