Here we are, with just 3 days until Christmas.  We race from party to party, cooking, hosting, eating, cleaning, then we go from events to concerts to the malls and back. Sometimes we get so caught up in the rush of the season we forget to slow down and spend time with Jesus. The question is, this Christmas, what have you come to worship?  What has captured your attention?  In order to worship Jesus at Christmas, we must look at him, not at the cultural expressions that have come to be associated with Christmas.  Let’s look at Psalm 84 and look at a few ideas about spending time in God’s presence

·       “How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may have her young--
a place near your altar,
    Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
    they are ever praising you.[c]
·       5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place of springs;
    the autumn rains also cover it with pools.[d]
7 They go from strength to strength,
    till each appears before God in Zion.
·       8 Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty;
    listen to me, God of Jacob.
9 Look on our shield,[e] O God;
    look with favor on your anointed one.
·       10 Better is one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
    from those whose walk is blameless.
·       12 Lord Almighty,
    blessed is the one who trusts in you.
 
This lovely Psalm is written by the sons of Korah.  The sons of Korah were the gatekeepers and custodians of the temple (1 Chron 9:19-21) Essentially, they were the church janitors.  Rather than being upset at their relatively humble station, they rejoiced at the blessing of being in the temple constantly. They rejoice that they got to spend time in the temple, the symbolic location of God’s presence on earth.  This psalm overflows with the joy of relationship with God.  In the Bible we notice that from the very first, God is relational.  The promise of Christmas is found in the very name that was given to the saviour Jesus – Immanuel – meaning ‘God with us’ (Matt 1:23, Isa 7:14).  Jesus came to earth to dwell with people because he desires a relationship with people. 

Just as the sons of Korah found joy in their relationship with God through their work in the temple so we can find joy in a relationship with Jesus no matter what we are doing this Christmas or throughout the year. At Christmas, we celebrate Jesus, the one who came to dwell with people, the one who we can have a relationship with right now

The sons of Korah worship God and the psalmists express that they can’t live without desiring to be with God.  The Psalmist declares: “How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out
   for the living God.” (Psalm 84:1-2).  What a beautiful cry!  His very soul desires to be with God.  There is a deep cry and a deep desire found there.  Though the Psalmist surely recognizes the physical beauty of the temple he most desires the ‘living God.’  The Psalmists desire the living God because of the opportunity to dwell with Him. As verses 10-12 show it is better to spend one day dwelling in the presence of God than a thousand days somewhere else, doing something else.

The Psalmists are constantly looking at God and because their focus is on him, their priorities are shaped by their relationship with God.  If this season (or any season) is threatening to overwhelm you, you can take comfort in knowing that anyone can go to God and find rest with him.  “Have you found rest in God, or are you still wandering and restless, as so many people are? God offers you peace. Even the swallow found “a nest for herself, where she may have her young—a place near your altar.”[1]  Jesus doesn’t have any prerequisites - we don’t have to have a big party, expensive gifts, or eloquent Christmas letters to approach him.  All we need is an open heart and a willingness to be in relationship.

So, this Christmas what are you looking at?  Where is your heart steering you this season?  The essential element of Christmas is relationship – with Jesus and with people.  Inevitably if you look to the externals and cultural aspects of the Christmas season for fulfillment you will be disappointed.  Only relationships will endure, and only Jesus can satisfy.  Only in a relationship with God can we find contentment, peace and refreshment.  CS Lewis said in Mere Christianity “But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else…””[2]  When you experience a taste of dwelling with God, it is a place you want to go back to again and again.  Just as the sons of Korah looked to God and found joy in dwelling with Him, so too can we.  This Christmas look to Jesus and you will find him, and you just may find that he is what you were looking for all along.


[1] Boice, J. M. (2005). Psalms 42–106: An Expositional Commentary (p. 691). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
[2] CS Lewis Mere Christianity pg 227

We’ve finished looking at the 7 I AM statements of Jesus in the gospel of John, but we have one more statement in this series.  This statement is found in John 8:58 “Before Abraham was, I am.”  This statement is not considered one of the 7 I AM statements because the 7 I AM statements are called the statements with predicates; meaning that each statement describes something about the subject of the sentence, namely Jesus.  This statement does not have a description of the subject.  There is no metaphor or analogy to elaborate on.  Yet, this statement is no less profound than the others.  In many ways, though we are stepping back in the gospel of John to look at this statement, it both summarizes and introduces the rest of the I AM statements.[1]

“Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” 52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’[c] 55 But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”[d] 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.” (John 8:51-59)

The key phrase is “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”  As we can see, this statement provoked a strong response.  The Jews picked up stones intending to kill Jesus.  The reason this statement was so offensive to the Jews is that by saying I AM, Jesus is referring to the divine name of God.  This goes back to the Old Testament and how God revealed himself to Moses (Exodus 3).  As God was calling Moses to lead his people through the burning bush incident, Moses is doubtful about his abilities to lead the people and the credibility of the message that God has spoken to him.

13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”  14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.[c] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (Ex 3:13-14)

God assures Moses that this will be enough to convince the people. This phrase is significant because it is revealing more about God. In Old Testament times, the name of a person revealed much about who that person was; specifically, their personality and characteristics. In the Bible, there are many names used for God each revealing something about his character and nature.  The name I AM is revealed here in Exodus for the first time in the Bible.  This name is the root of the name Yahweh.   

“Unlike previous names, ‘Yahweh’ does not limit God’s nature to any particular characteristic: he is what he is. Furthermore, his nature does not change. He is the God worshipped by earlier generations (the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob) and generations yet to come (this is my name for ever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation).”[2]

Because this is the core name used for God, Jews would not pronounce the name, in order to avoid the possibility of misusing the name of God as per the 10 commandments.

With this background, we can start to see why this usage by Jesus was so significant.  “…when Jesus said to ‘the Jews’, ‘before Abraham was born, I am’, he was identifying himself with God. He was not only pronouncing the name of God, which Jews normally did not dare to utter, but, even worse, he was claiming to be God.”[3]

For an orthodox Jew, this was blasphemy, punishable by death.  Many rejected Jesus’ claim outright.  For those who are familiar with the Bible and Christian teaching, this does not seem so far fetched, as it is understood that Jesus is God and as God has existed in the Trinity for all time.  However, for the Jews present that day it surely seemed to be a fantastical statement. How could this ordinary looking man be God?  Yet, is this not the challenge we face today?  Can we take the Bible at face value?  Do we believe the statements that Jesus gives? Both in Exodus as God reveals his name, and here in the gospel of John as Jesus reveals that he is God; people are challenged with the revelation of God.

What does this passage mean for people today? First, we see that the name of God reveals that he is the same throughout all of history. He is eternal and unchanging. He is the steady foundation.

Secondly, we see that Jesus reveals himself to be God.  Jesus is not ‘a god’ he IS God. By identifying himself with the divine name of God, Jesus reveals that he is God, eternal and unchanging. John reveals this in the very first words of the gospel “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)

The rest of the I AM statements make sense as we view them through this lens. Jesus is not directly using the divine name in the 7 I am statements, but he is making clear reference to God and revealing more of who he is. Understanding this, we can see that each of the I AM statements is filtered though the revelation of Jesus as God. 

As only God can be the I AM, so Jesus who is himself God, is the only one who can be:

• The Bread of Life: The spiritual food that leads to eternal life.  (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51)
• The Light of the World: The light that reveals the meaning and purpose of life.  (John 8:12; 9:5)
• The Door of the Sheep: The door to security and fellowship (John 10:7,9)
• The Good Shepherd: The guide and protector (John 10:11,14)
• The Resurrection and the Life: The power over life and death (John 11:25)
• The Way, and the Truth and the Life: The only way to the Father (John 14:6)
• The True Vine: The vital connection for life (John 15:1,5)

Who is Jesus?  I AM.


[1] Arrington and Stronstad eds, Life in the Spirit New Testament Commentary, 1999 pg 55
[2] Alexander, T. D. (1994). Exodus. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 97). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
[3] Kruse, C. G. (2003). John: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 4, p. 140). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.