What did Jesus mean when He said 'I AM'? | GotQuestions.org

Today's question is, what did Jesus mean when He said,.

I am?

In this video I'll answer that question from a biblical perspective.

Then afterwards, as always, I'll share some helpful resources, so stick around until the end.

Jesus, in response to the Pharisees' question, Who do you think you are? said, Your father Abraham

rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day.

He saw it and was glad.

You are not yet fifty years old, the Jews said to him, and you have seen Abraham.

I tell you the truth, Jesus answered, Before Abraham was born, I am.

At this they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

John 8, verses 56 -59.

The violent response of the Jews to Jesus' I am statement indicates they clearly understood what He was

declaring—that He was the eternal God incarnate.

Jesus was equating Himself with the I am title God gave Himself in Exodus 3, verse

14.

If Jesus had merely wanted to say He existed before Abraham's time, He would have said, Before

Abraham I was.

The Greek words translated was in the case of Abraham and am in the case of Jesus are quite.

Different.

The words chosen by the Spirit make it clear that Abraham was brought into being, but Jesus

existed eternally.

See John 1, verse 1.

There is no doubt that the Jews understood what He was saying because they took up stones to kill Him for

making Himself equal with God.

John 5, verse 18.

Such a statement, if not true, was blasphemy, and the punishment prescribed by the Mosaic Law was

death.

Leviticus 24, verses 11 -14.

But Jesus committed no blasphemy.

He was and is God, the second person of the Godhead, equal to the Father in every way.

Jesus used the same phrase, I am, in seven declarations about Himself.

In all seven, He combines I am with tremendous metaphors which express His saving relationship towards the

world.

All appear in the book of John.

They are, I am the bread of life, I am the light of the world, I am the door of the

sheep, 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.

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