Jesus and the Father - Part 3

 Jesus and the Father

August 12, 2026

John 14:6-7 (NKJV) 

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except  through Me. 7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”

John 14:9-11 (NKJV) 

9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own [authority;] but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. 11 “Believe Me that I [am] in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

Who is Jesus? In this discourse with his disciples, Jesus is trying to explain who He is in relation to Father God. He said He is the way to the Father. He is in he Father and the Father is in Him, and if you have seen Him you have seen the Father. This is a mystery, and the disciples didn’t seem to understand at that time. It’s no wonder as the human mind can not comprehend some spiritual truths. We can make analogies and describe them in parables, but the full truth is beyond human comprehension. That being said, we know from this conversation that Jesus and the Father are one. And a little later, Jesus also talked about the Holy Spirit.

John 14:16-17 (NKJV) 

16 “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with  you forever-- 17 “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

So the rudimentary elements of the Trinity are laid out in this chapter; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Therefore, to understand who Jesus is you need to understand His relationship to the Father and to the Spirit. I’m not enough of a theologian to explain it any better than Jesus did. We just need to take Jesus at His word that He is the way to the Father and He is in the Father and the Father is in Him. We believe in One God, and He is Jesus the Son, God the Father and the Holy Spirit and are one. Amen.

Who is Jesus - 2

 Who is Jesus? 2

August 11, 2026

John 4:21-26 (NKJV) 

21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 “But the hour iscoming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 “God [is] Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am [He.]”

Yesterday, we started a discussion of who Jesus is. Today we will look at the first passage in the gospel of John where Jesus clearly says that He is the Messiah. The discourse is with the woman at the well in Samaria. They discuss several topics, from water to marriage to worship. After Jesus reveals some uncomfortable truths about the woman’s marriage, she  gets all spiritual and turns the topic to worship and says that the Messiah is coming to explain these things. Jesus’ reply plainly says “I AM is speaking to you.” This clearly reflects the conversation between Moses and the Lord when He says that his name is “I AM who I AM”

Exodus 3:14 (NKJV) 

AndGod said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

Anyone familiar with the writings of Moses would have immediately understood what Jesus was claiming. One interesting thing about this passage is that Jesus makes this statement to a woman of Samaria. He did not start out with the high priest in the temple at Jerusalem, he made his first claim to a humble woman, a sinner, and an outcast of Israel. Why start here? That’s an interesting question that reveals Jesus’ approach to ministry. The Jews were expecting Messiah to be a king coming to conquer the Romans, but Jesus comes quietly, as a baby in Bethlehem, and then starts to reveal Himself in a backwater of the nation, to a humble outcast. This was not at all what the people were expecting. 

Jesus comes into each of our lives in unexpected ways. He meets us were we are, even if we are an outcast with five failed marriages and many other personal problems. But when we encounter Jesus, we need to listen to Him when He says who He is. When we accept Him as the Messiah, the great I AM, sent from the Father, then we find salvation. This is the living water that Jesus was speaking about, so now it is our job to carry this living water to others and tell them who Jesus is that they too may accept Jesus, drink the living water, and worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Who is Jesus?

 Who is Jesus?

August 10, 2026

Mark 8:27,29 (NKJV) 

Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?”

…

29  He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”

The question of the ages is “Who is Jesus?” He asked his disciples “Who do men say that I am?” And then more pointedly “Who do you say that I am?” Both are important questions, but the answer lies in what Jesus said about himself. So who did Jesus say that He is? The Apostle John records many instances where Jesus clearly spoke about himself and His relationship with the Father God. Let us look at some of them:

Messiah

John 4:25-26 (NKJV) 25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am [He.]”

Bread of life

John 6:35 (NKJV)

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

John 6:41 (NKJV)

The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.”

John 6:48 (NKJV)

“I am the bread of life.

John 6:51 (NKJV)

I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

I Am

John 7:29 (NKJV)

“But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.”

John 8:24 (NKJV)

“Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am [He,] you will die in your sins.”

John 8:58 (NKJV)

Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

John 13:19 (NKJV)

“Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am [He.]

Light of the World

John 8:12 (NKJV)

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 9:5 (NKJV)

“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

I am with the Father

John 8:16 (NKJV)“And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I [am] with the Father who sent Me.

Witness

John 8:18 (NKJV)

“I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”

Not of this world

John 8:23 (NKJV)

And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

John 17:14 (NKJV)

“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

The door

John 10:7 (NKJV)

Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

John 10:9 (NKJV)

“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

The good shepherd 

John 10:11 (NKJV)

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

John 10:14 (NKJV)

“I am the good shepherd; and I know My [sheep,] and am known by My own.

Son of God

John 10:36 (NKJV)

“do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

Resurrection and Life

John 11:25 (NKJV)

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

Teacher and Lord

John 13:13 (NKJV)

“You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for [so] I am.

The way, truth and life

John 14:6 (NKJV)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

In the Father

John 14:10 (NKJV)

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own [authority;] but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.

John 14:11 (NKJV)

“Believe Me that I [am] in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

John 14:20 (NKJV)

“At that day you will know that I [am] in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

Vine

John 15:1 (NKJV)

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

John 15:5 (NKJV)

“I am the vine, you [are] the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

King

John 18:37 (NKJV)

Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say [rightly] that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

John 19:21 (NKJV)

Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.” ’ ”

The Good Shepherd

 John 10:7-11 (NKJV) 7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 “All who [ever] came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have [it] more abundantly. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

John 11:25-26 (NKJV) 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

I Am the Light of the World

 I Am the Light of the World

Aug 7, 2026

John 9:3-5 (NKJV) 

3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it isday; [the] night is coming when no one can work. 5 “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

John 9:39-41 (NKJV) 

39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do notsee may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” 40 Then [some] of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.

In this passage, Jesus heals a blind man and gets into a discussion about sin and judgement, and what it truly means to see. Healing the blind man so that he could see was a simple thing for Jesus, but opening the spiritual eyes of the Pharisees so that they could see the truth was much more difficult. There are many today who also refuse to see the truth. Jesus is still the light of the world, but those who refuse to believe in Him continue to walk in darkness. In this time, we see an increase of evil and darkness all around, and seeing that is the first step in seeing the truth. We need a revival of light, a revival of Jesus. It is time that the men born blind begin to see and come to know who Jesus is. So pray that many will see the light. The world needs Jesus, the light of the world.

Though the Fig Tree

 Though the Fig Tree

August 6, 2026

Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NKJV) 

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls-- 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s [feet,] And He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.

This verse reminds me of the orchestra leader we had back in the early days of Covenant Church of Mobile (or probably Gulf Coast Covenant Church back then). Frank Longeno was a great musician who played trombone and piano and taught me a great deal about worship music. Oftentimes, while we were waiting for practice to begin, Frank would sit at the piano and play “Though the Fig Tree Doesn’t Blossom”. It was one of his favorite tunes and he played it in a folksy, blues, jazz style. I still remember how it was a calming melody that set a laid back atmosphere for the practice session. You just couldn’t help but relax while singing about how all your troubles just didn’t matter. In the end, the only important thing is rejoicing in the Lord. When you think about it, these lyrics are a lot like our modern blues and country music; the crops failed, my dog died and my wife ran off with my truck, but I’m ok and can sing about it! 

The following verse was made famous by the inspirational book, “Hinds Feet in High Places”. That also talked about spending time with the Lord and rejoicing in Him in the midst of your daily struggles. All this reminds us that this life is short and is just a training ground for our eternal life with Jesus in His kingdom. One day, we won’t have to worry about about laboring to earn a living and all the things that can go wrong. In this world, lots of things can threaten our sustenance. Thus, Jesus taught us to pray “Give us this day our daily bread”. In Him, we have sustenance and life, and we can cast all our burdens on Him, and rejoice in the Lord.

 

Bread of Life

 Bread of Life

August 4, 2026

John 6:35 (NKJV) 

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger , and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

Matthew 6:11 (NKJV) 

Give us this day our daily bread.

Bread is life. Bread is sustenance. We need to eat every day so that we can live. So then, what are we to make of Jesus’ statement, “I am the bread of life”? Taken literally, this saying was a great offense to the Jews who heard it as it sounded like  canabalism and also was a claim of divinity. Both Interpretations were offensive to their understanding of the law of Moses. But what did Jesus really mean? First of all, it was a claim to divinity as He went on to say that He was sent from heaven:

John 6:38 (NKJV) 

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sentMe.

It was also a proclamation that belief in Him was essential for spiritual life. Only by accepting Jesus as the bread of life can we enter into eternal life:

John 6:40 (NKJV) 

“And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son andbelieves in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

The Jews were thinking in the physical and legal realms, but Jesus was speaking in the spiritual realm. Our physical bodies need to eat bread every day but our spiritual bodies need to abide in Jesus every day to enter into eternal life. Therefore, “give us this day our daily bread”. Give us our portion of Jesus today that we may live in him and with Him forever.