There is a moment early in John's Gospel that quietly sets the tone for everything that follows. Two men have just started following Jesus, and He turns and asks them a simple question: "What do you want?" They don't have a great answer — they just want to know where He's staying. And Jesus responds with two words that would become the foundation of an entire study:
"Come and see."
Not "believe first, then follow." Not "here's a list of requirements." Just an invitation. Come and see for yourself.
That invitation is the heart behind Come and See, our 10-week journey through the Gospel of John — and it's the same invitation Jesus extends to every person who opens this Gospel today.
Why John Is Different
Of the four Gospels, John stands apart. He doesn't organize his account chronologically the way the others do. Instead, he structures his Gospel around signs — seven miraculous works that reveal who Jesus really is — and seven "I AM" statements, where Jesus makes some of the boldest claims about His identity found anywhere in Scripture.
John tells us plainly why he wrote it:
"These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." — John 20:31
Everything in this Gospel exists to answer one question: Who is Jesus? And Jesus answers it Himself, over and over, in seven unforgettable declarations.
The Seven "I AM" Statements
Each of these statements uses the same phrase God used to identify Himself to Moses at the burning bush — "I AM WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:14). When Jesus says "I am," He isn't being poetic. He is making a divine claim.
1. "I am the bread of life." (John 6:35) Spoken after Jesus fed 5,000 people, this statement moves past physical hunger to the deeper hunger every person carries. Bread sustains the body for a day. Jesus sustains the soul forever.
2. "I am the light of the world." (John 8:12) In a Gospel full of contrasts between light and darkness, sight and blindness, Jesus declares Himself the source of true light — the one who exposes what is hidden and leads people out of darkness.
3. "I am the gate." (John 10:9) Using the image of a sheep pen, Jesus describes Himself as the only entrance to safety and salvation. Not one way among many — the way.
4. "I am the good shepherd." (John 10:11) A shepherd who knows His sheep by name and lays down His life for them voluntarily. This isn't a hired hand who runs at danger — it's total, sacrificial love.
5. "I am the resurrection and the life." (John 11:25) Spoken at the tomb of Lazarus, moments before Jesus raised him from the dead. He doesn't just promise resurrection — He claims to be resurrection itself.
6. "I am the way and the truth and the life." (John 14:6) Perhaps the most exclusive claim in all of Scripture. Not a way. Not a truth. The way, the truth, the life — and the only path to the Father.
7. "I am the true vine." (John 15:1) The final "I AM" statement, given the night before the crucifixion. Jesus describes the relationship every believer is invited into: abide in Him, and you will bear fruit. Apart from Him, we can do nothing.
Why This Study Matters
Walking through John slowly — week by week, sign by sign, "I AM" by "I AM" — does something a quick read-through can't. It lets the weight of these claims settle. It's one thing to skim past "I am the resurrection and the life." It's another to sit with it long enough to ask: Do I actually believe this? What would it mean if I did?
That is exactly what Come and See was built to do. Not to rush you to the end of the Gospel, but to slow you down long enough to actually meet the Jesus John is writing about.
Because in the end, that is the whole invitation of this Gospel — not to convince you with an argument, but to show you a Person, and let you come and see for yourself.
That has certainly been true for the women in our own Come and See study. As an absolutely phenomenal group of women closes the last week of this study, I am truly honored to reflect on all of the pivotal moments we have experienced over the last 9 weeks together.
We have watched women show up honestly with their doubts. We have wept together, laughed together, and wrestled with hard questions together. We have watched what happens when a group of women simply commits to coming and seeing, week after week — and I don't think any of us will read the Gospel of John the same way again.
And I already find myself looking ahead. There is a real pull in my heart to walk through John again with a new group of women who haven't yet had this experience — because a study like this deserves to be repeated, not shelved. At the same time, I am also sensing it may be time to open a different book of Scripture entirely and see what God wants to teach us there.
Whichever direction it takes, one thing is certain: this is not the end of the story. It is simply the next "come and see."
Stay tuned — because there is more ahead.
