Behind the Jesus, Je Suis... collection

Jesus, Je Suis…

Behind these three words lies a reflection that has matured in me over time, centered on an expression found several times in the Bible: I am.

In meditating on the seven "I am" declarations of Jesus in the Gospel of John, I noticed that it echoed an older declaration mentioned in the book of Exodus when God introduced Himself to Moses by saying, "I AM WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:14).

Then, in the Gospel of John, Jesus uses this same expression several times: I am. I have already had the opportunity to listen to sermons around this expression. All of this has nurtured my personal reflections, and throughout these reflections, I also understood that this expression could refer to the fact that God is the One I need. He is there in every season, and He reveals Himself to us in a particular way depending on what we are going through. When we need healing, He is Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals. When we need provision, He is Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides. When storms rage in our lives, He is the one who brings us peace. And so on. The same God whose new dimension we discover according to the seasons in which we find ourselves.

When Jesus declares in the Gospel of John, "I am the bread of life," "I am the light of the world," "I am the gate," "I am the good shepherd," "I am the resurrection and the life," "I am the way, the truth, and the life," and "I am the true vine," He lets us discover the different facets of His person and what He represents for those who follow Him. Beyond these declarations, there is another one that is particularly strong: "Before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58). These words directly echo God's declaration to Moses in Exodus 3:14. Jesus is not simply saying that He existed before Abraham. He uses the expression "I AM," the one that had been used to reveal God's identity. That is where the title "Jesus, I Am" takes on its full meaning.

Furthermore, there is another little nuance in this concept that I really like. In French, the expression "je suis" can have two different meanings. It can come from the verb "to be" (être), but also from the verb "to follow" (suivre). And that is where I began to see something interesting in this concept: Jesus is the great "I AM" and I, I am called to follow Him (je suis appelée à Le suivre).

This proximity between the two meanings creates a real wordplay in French, but it also expresses the spiritual reality concerning the fact that Jesus calls us to follow Him as He often declared: "Follow me." And so, this "Jesus, I Am" design comes not only as a declaration, but also as a response, and is in reality meant to convey two messages: "Jesus is the great I AM" and "it is Him that I follow."

The words "the way, the truth, and the life," which appear under the design, are taken from John 14:6 when Jesus declares, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." For me, this declaration brings many things together; I find that it summarizes the other "I Am" declarations. It reminds us that God is the One who is, the One who remains, and the One who reveals Himself to us in all seasons. But it also reminds me that Jesus calls us to follow Him. Because if Jesus is the way, then He is not only the One to whom we go; He is also the One we are called to follow.

As I say, my creations represent for me one of the ways to share the Good News, and therefore, "Jesus, Je Suis..." with the ellipses left intentionally, which can lead to a beautiful discussion that allows us to talk about who God is, who Jesus is, and why Jesus came, to talk about Jesus' declarations in John, and then to arrive at these words: "I am the way, the truth, and the life," the essence of which represents the heart of the Gospel: God gave us Jesus so that we could come to the Father through Him.

Thus, it can be a declaration of faith for the person wearing it, but also an invitation to ask questions for the one who sees it. That is ultimately what I wanted this design to express.

If you were wondering what the meaning behind this design was, now you have your answer.

Discover the Jesus, Je Suis collection

— HH