I AM - Part 4 | David Insell

Jesus refuses to stay abstract. The I AM steps into human lack and says, I am what you need me to be. When Jesus tells the Pharisees, before Abraham, I am, he identifies himself with the God of the Exodus, the One who named himself I AM THAT I AM. That name carries a living promise. If a life lacks bread, the I AM says, I am the bread of life. If a life is lost, he says, I am the light of the world. If a soul asks how to know God, he says, I am the door. If a heart asks who will care for it, he says, I am the good shepherd.

John 14 opens with, Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. The I AM promises a prepared place and then speaks the sentence that narrows and frees at once. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. That claim is not new. The tabernacle already preached it. God says, Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. The holy desire of God is to be with his people. Sin complicates that nearness. When the Shekinah filled the tent, even Moses stood back. Nadab and Abihu learned that strange fire in a holy place meets a consuming fire.

The tabernacle maps the gospel. The brazen altar bleeds with substitution. The laver mirrors the need for cleansing and whispers the perfect humanity of Christ who alone can approach God without dying. Inside, the golden lampstand lights the holy place. The table holds bread for every tribe. The altar of incense images a mediator with one hand on God and one on man, just as Job longed for.

Psalm 22 had already sung the crucifixion. Hands and feet pierced. Garments divided. And that startling line, I am a worm and no man. Not a maggot, but the crimson tola whose crushed body dyed the veil scarlet. That mother climbs a tree, fixes herself, gives her life so her young live on her for three days, stains wood and children crimson, then turns white like wool. Isaiah 1:18 fits right there. At Calvary the true veil is torn. Matthew reports the temple veil split from top to bottom. Hebrews calls his torn flesh the veil and welcomes boldness to enter by a new and living way. So John 14:6 sits right inside the tent. The first curtain is the Way through blood. The second is the Truth by Spirit light on the bread with a mediator. The last is the Life, open access to the face of God. The I AM stands alive now, not on a page, but in the midst.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Jesus is I AM today Jesus does not live in the past tense. His name carries present power that meets present need, whether lack, confusion, or fear. The I AM turns doctrines into bread, light, a door, and a shepherd for an actual life. He stands near and says, I am that for you now. [04:44]
• 2. God wants to dwell near The heart of God is not distance but nearness. Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them reveals a Father intent on presence, not mere performance. Holiness never cancels desire, which is why God Himself provides a holy way to come close. That desire still defines eternity and today. [08:38]
• 3. The tabernacle preaches the gospel From brass to gold, from blood to incense, the tent is a living parable of substitution, cleansing, mediation, and access. Every step in is a step through Christ, from altar to lamp to bread to presence. When his flesh was torn, the true veil ripped from top to bottom, and the way home stayed open. Boldness now rests on blood, not bravado. [29:25]
• 4. The crimson worm foreshadows Calvary The tola climbs a tree, fixes herself, feeds her young for three days, stains wood and offspring scarlet, then turns snow white like wool. Creation whispers the logic of the cross long before Golgotha. Scarlet becomes white, because a life is given and a people are marked. The cross does not decorate sin; it dyes it out. [25:33]
• 5. Way, Truth, Life open access The first curtain declares the Way through sacrifice. The second unveils Truth by Spirit light on the Word with a Mediator who has a hand on God and man. The last grants Life, a face-to-face fellowship once barred, now welcomed. John 14:6 is not a slogan but the map of the sanctuary fulfilled in Christ. [30:08]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [15:00] - Arlington tribute and gratitude
• [157:00] - Before Abraham, I AM
• [284:00] - Bread, Light, Door, Shepherd
• [351:00] - Let not your heart be troubled
• [427:00] - The Way, the Truth, the Life
• [495:00] - Make me a sanctuary
• [660:00] - Shekinah fills the tabernacle
• [837:00] - Strange fire and holy fear
• [934:00] - Layout of the tabernacle
• [1053:00] - Incense altar and the Mediator
• [1258:00] - Laver and brazen altar meanings
• [1340:00] - Psalm 22 and crucifixion prophecy
• [1533:00] - The crimson worm on the tree
• [1673:00] - Veil torn from top to bottom
• [1808:00] - Mapping Way, Truth, Life
• [1974:00] - Call to respond and prayer

1. In John 14:6, Jesus makes a bold claim about being the only way to the Father. What specific imagery from the Old Testament tabernacle (mentioned in the sermon) helps explain why this claim is both exclusive and hopeful?
2. The sermon describes the crimson worm (tola) as a symbol of Christ’s sacrifice. What details about the worm’s life cycle (e.g., climbing a tree, staining wood scarlet) mirror Jesus’ actions on the cross? [25:33]
3. How does the tearing of the temple veil (Matthew 27:51) connect to the idea of “open access” to God mentioned in the sermon? What did the veil originally symbolize? [27:53]

1. Why do you think Jesus’ statement “I am the way, the truth, and the life” is often seen as controversial in today’s culture? How does the tabernacle’s design (e.g., altars, veils) reinforce the necessity of His claim?
2. The crimson worm’s sacrifice turns scarlet stains into white wool (Isaiah 1:18). How does this imagery challenge the idea that we can “decorate” or hide our sin instead of letting Christ’s sacrifice remove it? [25:33]
3. The sermon says, “Holiness never cancels desire” when explaining God’s longing to dwell with us. How does the tension between God’s holiness and His desire for nearness shape the way we approach Him?

1. Jesus says, “I am what you need me to be.” What specific lack or struggle are you facing right now (e.g., fear, confusion, loneliness)? How could you actively invite Him to be your “bread,” “light,” or “shepherd” in that area?
2. The torn veil means we can approach God “with boldness” (Hebrews 10:19). How might your prayers or worship change if you truly believed you have direct access to God’s presence, without needing to earn it?
3. The crimson worm’s sacrifice was costly but life-giving for its young. Is there a situation where God is calling you to sacrificially love others, even if it costs you comfort or reputation? What would that look like?
4. The tabernacle’s layout required step-by-step movement toward God’s presence (altar, laver, holy place). What “next step” do you need to take in your relationship with Christ to draw closer to Him (e.g., repentance, trust, surrender)?
5. The sermon emphasizes that Jesus is “I AM today.” How can you remind yourself daily of His present nearness, rather than treating Him as a historical figure or abstract idea?