What’s the best way to get to know someone? You can browse social media profiles, read professional bios, or even ask the person’s friends or family what she is like. But if you really want to know who someone is, listen to what she has to say about herself.
The same is true for Jesus! We could browse popular opinion or crowdsource the question Who is Jesus? and we’d get a lot of answers. You’ve likely heard some of them—a good teacher, a prophet, or maybe even the Son of God.
But what if instead of forming our understanding of who Jesus is around the perceptions and opinions of others, we could sit down with him and hear from him ourselves? Through the Bible, we have the opportunity to do just that—to see what Jesus said about himself. And in Scripture, Jesus says a lot about who he is.
What if, instead of forming our understanding of Jesus around the opinions of others, we could sit down with him and hear from him ourselves?
At The Gospel Coalition’s 2024 Women’s Conference—Behold and Believe: Encountering Jesus as the Great I AM—we’ll look at the seven “I am” statements in John’s Gospel. We’ll gather together in Indianapolis, Indiana on June 20–22, 2024 to hear Jesus answer the question of who he is in his own words:
I am the bread of life (John 6:22–59)
I am the light of the world (John 8:12–30)
I am the door (John 10:1–10)
I am the great shepherd (John 10:11–18)
I am the resurrection and the life (John 11:17–44)
I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:1–14)
I am the true vine (John 15:1–11)
Our keynote speakers—Melissa Kruger, Jen Wilkin, Vanessa Hawkins, Courtney Doctor, Nancy Guthrie, Ruth Chou Simons, and David Platt—will explore and explain each of these “I am” statements. We’ll consider Jesus’s own words about himself in order to behold the truth and beauty of who Jesus is and then believe with our whole hearts.
In our breakout sessions, over 60 other speakers—including Ann Voskamp, Blair Linne, Gretchen Saffles, Rebecca McLaughlin, Amanda Bible Williams, and many more—will offer topical sessions to help you grow in a variety of areas of Christian life, ministry, and mission. Make sure you check out our new workshops, too! These are smaller, more interactive sessions to help with practical skills.
We’re also releasing a 7-week Bible study in partnership with Crossway, written by Courtney Doctor and Joanna Kimbrel, to accompany the women’s conference. You can pre-order Behold and Believe: A Bible Study on the I Am Statements of Jesus (Amazon or TGC Bookstore) and get it when it’s available on November 14. Gather and study with your friends, sisters, neighbors, or co-workers to discover first-hand how Jesus defines himself and prepare your hearts for our in-person conference.
We don’t have to guess who Jesus is—he tells us! Come and behold the one who drew near and made himself known, so that “by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).
Join us June 20–22, 2024 in Indianapolis for Behold and Believe: Encountering Jesus as the Great I AM.
The Gospel Coalition