I Am Statements
Notes
Transcript
Divine Name
Divine Name
13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 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.’ ” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.
YHWH - the Divine Name - adonai -
Translates to I AM WHO I AM, or I AM WHAT I AM, or I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE.
The Lexham Bible Dictionary “I Am” in Exodus 3:14
יהוה
Septuagint renders this as
εγώ είμί literally meaning I am.
Now if you’re familiar with Spanish you might know that when you conjugate a verb it implies it’s subject. So in many cases one can just state the conjugated verb - example: if you are introducing yourself in Spanish I could say “Soy Brian” which means I am Brian, rather than Yo Soy Brian which also means I am Brian.
Greek is the same way.
So if Jesus were just saying I am the door… and not intending to draw the focus to the divine name - he would have used a simpler construction.
There are two other instances in the NT where someone says εγω ειμι where they are simply saying “It is me” or “I am he” but context sets those apart.
But in these I AM Statements that we will be looking at today and next Sunday Jesus is specifically identifying himself as divine.
The “I Am” Statements of Jesus
The “I Am” Statements of Jesus
Absolute “I am” statements
20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
In several of these phrases that I will bring up today they add in the 3rd person singular pronoun where it wasn’t present in Greek. So I AM He is actually just I AM. But they added he to the translation to make it smoother.
In the above Jesus has just walked on water. The sea was rough, a strong wind was blowing. They disciples are terrified and they see Jesus stroll up next to the boat… and he said “I am; do not be afraid.”
Do not fear or do not be afraid is a very commonly repeated command/comfort from the Lord in the Scriptures. Isaiah 41 is one of many examples of this.
10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
3 times in this text.
We’ll talk about John 8 more in just a moment. 8:12 Jesus that that he is the Light of the world. There are 4 uses of this construction by Jesus in chapter 8. v. 12, 24, 26, and 58.
24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
Pretty straight forward on that one - if you do not believe that Jesus
28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
Jesus applies the title of the Son of Man, see Daniel 7, to himself.
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
Jesus speaking of his pre-eminence. Jesus is saying that he existed before Abraham, and the covenant of Abraham, and before the foundation of the people of Israel.
Further evidence of the impact of this statement is how the Jews respond to him.
59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
If Jesus wasn’t claiming to be God as some wrongly argue - why would they pick up stones to throw at him?
5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.
At Jesus’ arrest,
6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
This is a pretty significant event - and seemingly speaks for itself. Why else would they draw back in this moment? It is the moment of Jesus betrayal and soon after here he will demonstrate for all of them who he is, why he came, and then after his death he will rise again.
Metaphorical “I am” statements
There are 7 metaphorical statements that Jesus makes in the Gospels.
These are metaphorical meaning that Jesus is not literally bread, nor photon particles, he is not literally a door,
We will look at three of them today, and Jim will finish the remaining 4 next Sunday.
The Bread of Life
The Bread of Life
John 6 is one of Jesus’ more controversial teachings in the gospels - both in the sense of how the original audience received it, as well as how the church has historically interpreted it.
After Jesus teaches this many disciples walk away… Jn 6:66.
For context, Jesus has at the beginning of chapter 6 fed the 5000.
Read John 6:31-34
31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
They are still thinking about their stomachs and not their souls. They see that Jesus is capable of feeding many people (v.26-27). Jesus tells them that they have the wrong focus. Then he also takes the example of Moses in the wilderness - but it wasn’t Moses would gave them bread from heaven, it was the Father - but Jesus then states that he is better than Moses, and he is better than Manna.
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
48 I am the bread of life.
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
So this is not about literal bread. It is about the deep spiritual longings that only Jesus satisfies.
It is ultimately about salvation - to eat Jesus flesh and drink his blood - it to believe in Christ Jesus as Lord and savior and to
Similar to what Jesus tells the woman at the well in John 4:14
14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The Light of the World
The Light of the World
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
This language of light is specifically divine. Who said let their be light? God. So Jesus as the light of the world.
Spoken on the last day of the feast of booths. An interesting connection to that is that God by pillar of fire led the Israelites through the wilderness.
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
In verse 1-4, Jesus has a blind man brought before him to ask him why he was born blind? Because of his mom or his dad’s sin…
Jesus answers telling them - you got it all wrong- that’s not why he was born blind - but rather so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.
This man was born blind and though he will see light for the fire time - he will also see the light of the world.
Jesus has open the eyes of the blind man - and shown him true light.
The Door of the Sheep
The Door of the Sheep
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
In this same account jesus also states that he is the good shepherd.
Concerning the metaphor that Jesus is the door to the sheep is the explanation that Jesus is the only way to God. John 14:6 -
No one believes that Jesus is literally an 8 foot tall 3 foot long chunk of wood that keeps the sheep in. Jesus lets them in, and then he holds them in.
Jim
4. I am the good shepherd10:11, 14
5. I am the resurrection and the life11:25
6. I am the way, the truth, and the life14:6
7. I am the true vine15:1