People say that you can tell a lot about someone when you listen to his or her iPod. Whether or not you own an iPod, there must be some truth in what people say. For example, we can tell if the person is from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s, etc. We can also tell if the person is more mellow or hyper. Perhaps, we can tell if the person is a male or female. We can tell if the person is a little bit country or a little bit rock and roll…
Listening to someone’s iPod in order to get to know him/her! Crazy idea, huh? Here’s another idea for you. How about if we were invited to listen to Jesus’ iPod? No, Jesus didn’t have an actual iPod. But the Bible actually tells us a lot of things about Jesus that we could explore. But what I would like for us to do is to listen to what Jesus has to say about himself through his iPod called “Jesus’ I AM statements” found in the Gospel of John.
There are number of I AM statements that Jesus uses to reveal Himself and that are registered in the Gospel of John. Each one of them reveals powerful truths about the person of Jesus Christ. One of them is found on John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life…” John 14:6.
“I am the way…” is a statement with powerful implications not only in John 14: 6 but throughout the Gospel of John. I believe one of the implications of “I am the way…” statement is found in John 10: 1 – 16.
i-Way! Jesus speaks in a context in which spiritual blindness, lack of understanding, and chaos seem to be dominant themes. In fact, in the whole Gospel of John, the same themes of blindness, lack of understanding, and chaos are prevalent. Jesus reveals himself through his words (statements), miraculous signs, and wonders yet a number of people didn’t quite get it. It is in this environment of chaos, misunderstanding, and blindness that Jesus uses specific words to reveal himself once again. Interestingly enough, despite the themes being chaos and blindness, Jesus neither talks about the gift of sight nor about light in chapter 10. Jesus talks about a gate (door, way). Moreover, Jesus talks about listening and voice. After indicating that He is the gatekeeper of his flock, Jesus asserts,
“After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice” (v. 4).
I wondered: why did Jesus talk about listening and voice instead of sight and light in this situation of blindness and chaos? Perhaps, Jesus missed the boat when answering to the situation. Perhaps, he ran out of illustrations when trying to reveal Himself. Perhaps, John mixed up the story of blindness and chaos with the story of listening and voice. Or, perhaps, Jesus’ words reflect one of the most powerful realities of Jesus’ revelation about himself. Perhaps, John 10: 1 – 16 reflects one of the most powerful realities of Jesus as the way. The reality is that Jesus is the God of Genesis 1:2 when the earth was formless and empty and darkness covered the deep waters. It reflects the powerful reality that Jesus is the God who spoke in Genesis and continues to speak in the midst of darkness (blindness) and chaos. Perhaps, Jesus mentioned listening and voice because, while in this world, blindness and chaos are always going to be difficult realities of our life.
What are some of the voices speaking chaos and darkness into our life right now? Job loss, broken relationships, loss of high self-esteem, depression, addiction, anxiety…
Jesus implies that there are voices trying to keep us in chaos and darkness. Actually, Jesus implies that the voice that causes confusion and misunderstanding (a deceiving voice) is the voice of the one who comes with the purpose to, “…steal and kill and destroy” (v. 10). You see, I am not blaming everything on the Devil. But the reality is, while here on this earth, we live in a broken world.
Until this earth comes into full redemption, there are many broken situations that the enemy takes advantage of to speak darkness and chaos. He takes advantage of our own brokenness and sinfulness to steal, kill, and destroy. The lack of peace, turmoil, words that kill a dream and/or our high self-esteem, words that destroy relationships, gossiping, and unforgiveness. These are the words of darkness and chaos and are not from the One who is the Way. What are some of the voices that are stealing, killing, and destroying our lives today?
Jesus implies that the voices that cause chaos and blindness (darkness) place us in a box. Those voices want to convince us that we are stuck in chaos and blindness (darkness). But Jesus implies, however, that chaos and darkness shouldn’t prevent us from walking in life. More importantly, it shouldn’t prevent us from listening to the voice of the one who is the Way.
“They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice…I have other sheep, too, are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd” (v. 5; 16).
People didn’t understand what Jesus was revealing about himself. The story says that he explained it again. Furthermore, Jesus implies that his voice will lead us to good pastures,
“Yes, I am the gate [way]. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures” (v. 9).
i-Way! Jesus didn’t promise that the voices of darkness and chaos would stop. But, as we listen to his voice, he promised to offer good pastures in the midst of darkness and chaos. Jesus implies, if there are voices whose purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy, there is His voice as the God who speaks in the midst of chaos and darkness saying, “’Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). Moreover, there is His voice as the good Shepherd. The One whom,
“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid [fear no evil], for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
What are the voices that causing darkness and chaos in our lives?
Today is the day that we must learn how to run in the midst of chaos and darkness into the arms of the One who is the Way.
