From the Sacred Scripture of the Bible, Jesus Christ makes it unmistakably clear that He is the sole way into Heaven , not merely a way, but the one and only path that leads us to eternal life.

When the doubting Saint Thomas asked Him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" , a question still asked by millions today , Jesus answered with words that asserted His divine nature and declared with perfect clarity that He is one and the same as God (John 14:5).

That answer is part of a body of seven "I Am" affirmations of His divinity, each beginning with the words "I am".

In the Gospels, Jesus Christ declared:

1. "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35 48)
2. "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12; 9:5)
3. "I am the door" (John 10:9)
4. "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11 14)
5. "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25)
6. "I am the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6)
7. "I am the true vine" (John 15:1 5)

1) "I am the Bread of Life"

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:35)

The Bread of Life is not the bread of this earth but the bread of Heaven , the nourishment that satisfies our spiritual hunger and our thirst to be made righteous in the sight of God.

A meaningful note on Scripture: the city of Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus Christ, means in its very name "House of Bread."

View the carved image of The Lord's Last Supper

2) "I am the Light of the World"

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

The light of Christ leads us out of darkness in every one of its forms , the darkness of ignorance, of impurity, and even of sorrow.

3) "I am the Door"

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 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. (John 10:9 10)

View "Jesus Knocking at the Door" sculpture carved in Bethlehem

In this third declaration, Jesus affirms that there is no other gateway to Heaven but through Him. He is the only door through which we may enter and be saved.

4) "I am the Good Shepherd"

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. (John 10:11)

By calling Himself "the good shepherd," Jesus speaks of His own inherent goodness , especially toward His sheep, which is to say toward us, His followers.

The Lord goes further, assuring us that the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep, unlike the hired hand who abandons the flock at the first sight of wolves (John 10:12).

View the Good Shepherd carving collection from the Holy Land

5) "I am the Resurrection and the Life"

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die." (John 11:25 26)

This resurrection unfolds in those who believe in Jesus Christ, who is the source of both resurrection and life. Jesus is our resurrection and our only path to eternal life. He does more than give life , He is life. And so death has no power over Him, as He revealed when He rose from the dead on Easter Sunday.

6) "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life"

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:6 7)

As we saw in the first affirmation, Jesus uses the definite article "the" to distinguish Himself as "the only way." He uses it again in "the truth" and "the life," echoing the unbroken claim of His divinity.

View the "Jesus' Forgiveness" statue from Bethlehem

7) "I am the True Vine"

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (John 15:1 5)

On the night before His death, Jesus told His disciples: "I am the vine." The vine is the source and sustenance of life for the whole tree and the branches that bear its fruit.

So it is with Christ. He is our vine, and we are His branches, called to bear fruit that declares the goodness and strength of the vine.

Taken together, these seven "I Am" affirmations are extraordinary metaphors that teach us about the relationship of Christ to the world, the truth of His divine nature, and His unity with God the Father.

And God 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.'" (Exodus 3:14)

Thank you for visiting. Blessings.

Our team at Bethlehem Handicrafts is blessed to put the Holy Land in your hands by giving you a variety of the finest original Christian carvings, statues, rosaries and gifts , made from Grade A olive wood grown in the Holy Land and hand sculpted in Bethlehem.

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