God Has a Name

Today we’re embarking on a 9-week journey together through the gospel of John and into a deeper understanding of who Jesus is and what that means for us. What’s in a Name is a comprehensive look at the I AM statements of Christ in the New Testament, which like most things, traces its roots back to the Old Testament.

In Greek, the language of the New Testament, “I am” is “ego eimi”—and that’s the way each of the seven statements begins in John’s gospel. But, as I mentioned, the roots of this phrase go back to Exodus 3:14, where God introduces himself to Moses with the expression “I am who I am.” It is rendered in Hebrew—which has no vowels in its alphabet—as YHWH, usually pronounced Yahweh.

Later in Israel, the name Yahweh was considered too holy to even pronounce, so God was simply referred to as “The Name,” in Hebrew “Ha Shem.” Some rabbis taught that the name could not be pronounced, only breathed. In keeping with the tradition, English translations of the Bible usually render Yahweh as “The LORD,” in all caps.

The name also became a way to connect with God personally—yes, God has a name—and it was used throughout Israel’s history to convey that God always was, always is, and always will be. But the name is not just about God’s stoicism, his “is-ness” sitting silently and passively like a giant, cosmic statue impervious to what’s happening around him. “I am” also denotes action as the “First Cause,” the One for whom there is no prior cause, the One who makes things happen according to our deepest needs. This becomes clear in the story of Moses’ encounter at the burning bush. Which is where our journey begins today.

Exodus 3:1–14 CSB

1 Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed. 3 So Moses thought, “I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?” 4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered. 5 “Do not come closer,” he said. “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he continued, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God. 7 Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors. I know about their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the territory of the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 9 So because the Israelites’ cry for help has come to me, and I have also seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them, 10 therefore, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I am the one who sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.” 13 Then Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what should I tell them?” 14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”

Imagine standing barefoot on holy ground, before a bush that burns but is not consumed. Moses, once a prince, now a fugitive shepherd, asks the most basic yet profound question: “Who are You, really? What is Your name?”

In that moment, God does not give a title drawn from creation — not “Creator,” not “Almighty,” not even “God of the Covenant” (though all are true). He declares something far deeper: “I AM WHO I AM.” And then simply, “I AM.”

This is not evasion. This is the fullest possible revelation. In Hebrew, the phrase Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh comes from the verb hayah — “to be.” God is saying:

I exist by Myself.

I depend on no one.

I am not becoming — I simply AM.

He is the self-existent One, the uncaused Cause, the eternal reality from whom everything else receives its being.

Today we meditate on this sacred name — I AM — because it anchors our faith when everything else shifts.

"I AM" Means God Is Self-Existent — He Needs Nothing

All of us are contingent beings. We were brought into existence. We need air, food, relationships, purpose. Our existence is borrowed.

But God declares “I AM WHO I AM” — pure, unborrowed existence. He is not a link in a chain; He is the source of the chain itself.

This truth humbles us. The God who spoke to Moses needs no one’s permission, no one’s help, no one’s approval. He simply is.

Yet amazingly, this self-sufficient God chooses to enter into relationship with needy people. He does not need Israel — but He wants them. He does not need you — but He pursues you.

Application: In a world obsessed with self-made success, remember: only God is truly self-made. Rest in Him. You don’t have to prove your worth to the One who already IS.

"I AM" Means God Is Unchanging — He Remains Forever the Same

The name Yahweh (the LORD) is closely tied to this “I AM.” It speaks of timeless being. God does not evolve, improve, or decline. He does not get better with age or wiser with experience — because He is already complete.

Malachi 3:6 CSB

6 “Because I, the Lord, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.

In a culture of constant change — new trends, new morals, new identities — we find stability in the God who says, “I AM.” Yesterday, today, and forever, He is the same faithful, holy, merciful God.

Illustration: Think of the burning bush — fire that consumes nothing. That is a picture of God’s unchanging nature: intense, powerful, holy — yet never diminished, never exhausted.

Application: When life feels unstable — job loss, health crisis, broken relationships — cling to the unchanging I AM. He is the same God who parted the Red Sea, raised Jesus from the dead, and will carry you through.

"I AM" Means God Is Present — He Is Here, Now

“I AM” is not “I Was” or “I Will Be.” It is present tense. God’s name declares immediate, active presence.

When Moses asked for a name to give the people, God essentially answered: “Tell them the One who is has sent you. The ever-present One is with you right now.”

This reaches its climax in the New Testament. Jesus takes this divine name upon Himself in the Gospel of John:

“I am the bread of life” (John 6:35) — the sustainer you need every day.

“I am the light of the world” (John 8:12) — the one who banishes darkness.

“I am the door” (John 10:9) — the only way in.

“I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11) — the one who lays down His life.

“I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25) — victory over death.

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) — the exclusive path to the Father.

“I am the true vine” (John 15:1) — the source of all fruitfulness.

And supremely, in John 8:58, Jesus declares, “Before Abraham was, I am.” The religious leaders understood exactly what He meant — and picked up stones. He was claiming the name of Yahweh.

Jesus is I AM in the flesh — God with us, Emmanuel.

The theological term is Incarnation, “enfleshment,”

Application: You are never alone. The I AM who met Moses in the wilderness meets you in your ordinary Tuesday, your hospital room, your anxious night. He is present — right now.

Conclusion and Call

Friends, the name “I AM” is not abstract philosophy. It is God’s personal invitation.

Because He is self-existent, you can stop striving to be enough.

Because He is unchanging, you can trust Him when the world shifts.

Because He is present, you can come to Him today.

Moses was afraid. Inadequate. Full of excuses. Yet the I AM said, “I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12). That promise holds for each of us.

Perhaps today you need to hear the I AM say:

“I AM your forgiveness.”

“I AM your strength.”

“I AM your peace.”

“I AM your Savior.”

Will you trust Him? Will you let the eternal I AM define your identity instead of the shifting opinions of the world?

Let us pray:

Great I AM, You who need nothing yet give everything, we stand in awe of Your name. Forgive us for looking to created things to do what only You can do. Anchor us in Your unchanging presence. May we live as people sent by the I AM — bold, humble, and hopeful. In the name of Jesus, who said “I AM” and proved it by rising from the dead, we pray. Amen.

Benediction (from Hebrews 13:8)

“Now may the God of peace… equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

The I AM is with you. Go in His name.