I Am He
A Sermon on John 4:25-26
Originally preached Dec. 25, 1966
Scripture
25The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
Sermon Description
Who is Jesus? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches from John 4:25–26 that Jesus reveals His identity to a Samaritan woman as the long-awaited Messiah. Here Jesus tells that He is not just another prophet or religious teacher, but He is God’s appointed Messiah that has come to bring salvation. Furthermore, He is not simply the savior of the Jewish people, but of all who believe. This is the message of all of Scripture – who Jesus is and what He has come to do. He was born in a lowly place to normal people, but He was born as the Son of God. He lived and preached the kingdom of God as the very one who would inaugurate the new heavens and the new earth. He died so that all who believed in Him might be saved. Many people have had false ideas about who Jesus is but Scripture is clear about who He is – He is the Savior of humanity. This sermon calls all to ask the vital questions: “Who do you say Jesus is? Is He your only hope in this world?” Salvation comes only by believing in Jesus Christ and His work.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon begins by establishing that Jesus is the most important person in history who has changed everything.
- Jesus' birth is the most momentous event in history, even recognized by non-Christians in the calendar.
- However, many people do not realize the significance of Jesus and his birth. They pay lip service to Christmas but do not understand its meaning.
- The world was troubled when Jesus was born, much like today. People were selfish and did not care about Mary and Joseph's situation. This illustrates how the world still does not understand Jesus.
- The Jews and Samaritans were expecting the Messiah but did not recognize him when he came because they had false ideas about him. They expected a political and military leader, not someone born in a stable.
- The Jews and Samaritans should have known the prophecies about the Messiah's birth and recognized him, but they did not study and believe their Scriptures. This is still why people do not believe in Jesus today.
- Jesus can only be known through revelation as people are spiritually blind. The Holy Spirit reveals the truth about Jesus to those who become Christians.
- Jesus revealed to the Samaritan woman that he is the Messiah, the savior, the prophet, the priest, the king - the all in all. He is the fulfillment of God's promises and shows God's love.
- Jesus' birth proves that God keeps all his promises. His promises are sure and will not fail.
- Jesus willingly reveals himself to all people, even sinners, not just the religious and self-righteous. There is hope for everyone.
- All Jesus requires is honesty, a willingness to admit our need for him, and belief in what he says.
- The question for all is whether Jesus has revealed himself to them. Have they heard him say "I am he" - the one they need?
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.