Bulletin Articles
Jesus: I AM
Jesus made several “I am” statements. “I am the light of the world.” “I am the good Shepherd” “I am the bread of life.” “I am the resurrection and the life.” These statements, and others like them, would have been shocking enough to those who heard. Yet none would be more controversial than the affirmation, “I am.”
Jesus was speaking to some Jews who had believed Him, telling them to abide in His word because the truth would set them free (John 8:31-32). They claimed Abraham as their father, yet they were not acting according to Abraham’s example. Instead, they were following the ways of the devil (v. 44). Some then accused Him of having a demon, but then Jesus said that those who keep His word would not taste death and that Abraham rejoiced to see His day. “Who do you make yourself out to be?” they asked. How could Jesus speak this way about Abraham? He was long gone. Here Jesus made HIs boldest claim: “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). To their ears, this was blasphemy, and they tried to stone Jesus.
Jesus had already said it. Earlier, He claimed, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” (John 8:23-24). His claim in verse 24 is identical: “unless you believe that I am…” This claim is directly tied to His statements, “I am from above,” and, “I am not of this world.” Who is He claiming to be? To say, “I am,” and be truthful, one would have to be divine. Jesus is claiming to be God, and the response was to try to kill Him for it.
Those who heard Jesus make the claim could not mistake the reference to God’s appearing to Moses in the burning bush (Exod 3). God was sending Moses back to Egypt to go before Pharaoh to tell him to let the people (Israelites) go. Moses was concerned with what to tell his own people when they ask who sent him: “What is his name?” Then “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you” (Exod 3:14). This was related to His covenant name Yahweh, and it is an amazing statement. Likely, it entails more than we can express, but think about the implications.
To be the I AM is to be eternal, self-existent, self-sufficient and ever in the present. He is the Creator of all, the sustainer of all, or, as other passages affirm, the alpha and omega, the first and last. God made it clear elsewhere: “I am he; I am the first, and I am the last” (Isa 48:12). “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god” (Isa 44:6). Jesus shared the same claim: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Rev 22:13; cf. Rev 1:8; 21:6).
To make a claim that only God could legitimately make would be blasphemy if it were not true (read again Isa 44:6). Jesus did make the claim, but He did not stop there. He demonstrated over an again that He was whom He claimed to be, and the resurrection vindicates HIm. This fits with John’s purpose in writing his gospel account. He affirms that Jesus is the Word, was with God, and was God through whom all things were made (John 1:1-5). His divine nature is displayed through HIs works, and John affirms the purpose of his writing: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).
Jesus is God the Son who tabernacled in the flesh in order to give His life as a ransom and be raised up again to sit on His throne and demonstrate victory over the forces that oppose Him (and us). By claiming, “I AM,” He identifies Himself as the One who not only created all things and sustains all thing (cf. Col 1:15-18; Heb 1:1-3), He is also showing that He is the eternal One who can bring life and light, reconciliation and resurrection.
Jesus was not a created being who was given divine power. He was God in the flesh coming into HIs own creation to rescue people out of the corruption that came because of sin. He is ever present, ever near, and wants us to draw near to God through Him as our great Mediator and Intercessor. Will we see Jesus for who He is and draw near to God? Jesus made that possible.
