Issue 533
Time management, dealing with your before, gaining clarity. These are all issues which find deep nourishment from the words coming out of the mouth of the Son of Man.
There is only one moment where Jesus just stops, and leaves the words “I AM” hanging in the air.
The middle-eastern air had not held these words like this since Moses heard a voice coming from a bush that wouldn’t burn, and a fire that would not die.
In this moment, the Son of Man makes no apology, hides no reality, nor pulls any punches. It is a stark “I AM”.
In his case he is saying, out loud, an astonishing truth. He is making himself equal with God. Everyone who heard him knew exactly what he was saying.
Anyone doing that today would provoke a strong, maybe even violent reaction.
Make no mistake, Jesus did not understand himself to be merely a teacher, a prophet, or a wise man. He is not just conscious of God, he is conscious that he IS God.
On its own, this statement may be debated, but when other statements that he made about himself are added, he was crystal clear in the absolute. I AM God.
Please be equally clear, this was a statement that only he could make after an immense amount of work. It is a statement only he could make, because it applied only to him. To reach this point, he had to read the words of God, learn the languages of humans, listen to the voice of God, pray for many hours. He had to travel the journey from womb to world, obey his parents, absorb the culture, and grow in wisdom. This is extremely hard work.
And he did it whilst being a son, a brother, a friend, and holding down a job as a full-time carpenter.
The work of knowing who you are takes place within the life you lead, BUT, not automatically, that’s why it’s work.
So are you doing it? I hope this year is professionally successful for you. I wish you achievement of your goals, passing your exams, earning your money.
But the Son of Man shows you that your life’s work must include working out what “I am” means for you.
Can you look in the mirror right now and say “I am” knowing exactly what it means? It is so important, that I am confident enough to tell you that if you don’t do that work, all your other work will be diminished.
For Jesus, the Son of Man, his “I AM” was a declaration of divine truth. He IS the divine.
For you it will mean agreeing that he is God, so that when you say “I am”, you are standing within his truth.
For the Son of Man, everything he did, flowed from this “I AM”.
Everything you do this week can flow from that same truth.
What will that look like? I am working on that for next week.
Work well.
Geoff Shattock
BIBLE SECTION
John 8:57-59
57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
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Work well
Geoff Shattock
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