From Exodus to Revelation, both God, the Father, and Jesus reveal who they are to us humans. These “I AM” statements are important. They are found in Exodus, the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation. God is simply revealing Himself to us so that we get to know Him intimately. Moreover, since He knows your every thought and action, doesn’t it make sense that we learn who He is and what this all means for our salvation?
Exodus 3
Moses banished himself to the desert after killing an Egyptian. No matter how much he tried, he could not hide from God — and neither can we.
God appears to Moses in the burning bush. Nothing like a little fire to catch someone’s attention! As Moses approached the bush, God said….
5 “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 6 I AM the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.
Exodus 3:5-6 NLT
God then tells Moses that He wants him to help free His people — the Jews — from slavery in Egypt. Moses actually protests!
“If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”
14 God replied to Moses, “I AM who I AM. 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: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.”
This is my eternal name,
Exodus 3:13-15 NLT
my name to remember for all generations.”
This is an important teaching for Jews. They knew the phrase “I AM”. Now, let’s go to the Gospel of John and see how Jesus uses the same phrase 7 times to get the attention of the Jews in Israel….
The Gospel of John
The “I AM” statements only appear in the Gospel of John, not any of the other Gospels. The first one is…
Bread of Life
35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
John 6:35 NLT
Jesus makes this declaration because the crowd of people wanted Jesus to show them a miraculous sign, like when Moses gave the Jews manna or bread from heaven to eat while they were in the desert. He corrects them saying the bread came from God and that He is the “true bread” that gives life to the world. The manna in the desert kept the people alive while they were wandering. However, they still died. Jesus is saying that believers will have everlasting life if they “consume Him”, that is, believe in and follow Him.
Light of the World
12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I AM the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
John 8:12 NLT
John started his Gospel proclaiming that Jesus is the Light. When the Jews were wandering in the desert, God led them with a pillar of fire at night, so they would not walk in the darkness. Appropriately, Jesus makes this statement at the Festival of Tabernacles, which commemorates the 40 years that the Jews spent wandering in the desert because they wouldn’t trust God. Jesus’ light is eternal. If you follow Jesus, you will NEVER walk in darkness!
The Gate
9 “Yes, I AM the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.”
John 10:9 NLT
Salvation is THROUGH Jesus alone. Not with Jesus so that you think you have to do any good works or pay a price.
The people of Jesus’ day understood that the job of the shepherd was to guard and take care of the sheep. Sheep tend to wander seeking greener pastures. The shepherd would sleep at night across the opening of the sheep pen so that they couldn’t get out and wolves couldn’t get in.
The next phrase is related…
The Good Shepherd
11 “I AM the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.
14 “I AM the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.”
John 10:11-15 NLT
He says it twice. He knows His sheep and they know Him. He sacrifices His life for His sheep. Here He really reiterates the fact that He knows YOU and you are to KNOW HIM!
The Resurrection and the Life
The next one is found in John 11 where Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Without the Resurrection, Christianity is worthless. Everyone will die, but Jesus stayed dead only 3 days, then He defeated death!
25 Jesus told her, “I AM the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
John 11:25-26 NLT
Martha was upset because she had sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was sick and dying. Jesus didn’t drop what He was doing and run to save him. No, Jesus had a greater purpose. He was there to show that He was the Resurrection and the Life. The major point here is that EVERYONE who lives in Jesus and believes in Jesus will NEVER DIE! That is everlasting Life — Eternal Life! The important question is…
Do YOU believe this?
The Way, the Truth and the Life
This next declaration is part of the promise Jesus makes to His disciples in the Upper Room. He promises that there’s room for you in His Father’s Home, and He’s going there to prepare a place for YOU! When it’s ready, He’ll come back for YOU, for US — all believers — in the Rapture, so that we can be where He is! That’s so cool!
Doubting Thomas has to ask, “How can we know the way?”
6 Jesus told him, “I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
John 14:6 NLT
This statement is also very important as many other false religions THINK they are the way to Heaven and God. Not so. The ONLY way is again, THROUGH JESUS!
The True Grapevine
This last one in the Gospel of John is for believers. We are the branches of the True Vine and we are supposed to produce fruit — that is, tell other people the Good News of Jesus’ Salvation and make disciples who will in turn, make more disciples who go and spread the Good News all over the World.
“I AM the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.”
John 15:1-2 NLT
The First and the Last and He’s Coming Back!
The final “I AM” statements are in the Book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible. It’s in the first and the last chapters. Remember, whenever God repeats something more than once, it’s important.
8 “I AM the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I AM the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”
Revelation 1:8 NLT
7 “Look, I AM coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.”
12 “Look, I AM coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. 13 I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I AM the bright morning star.”
Revelation 22:2, 12-13, 16 NLT
Now, I ask YOU, do YOU KNOW Jesus?
You can only truly KNOW Jesus if you’ve invited Him into your heart…..
If you’re not sure if you’re saved or not, if you truly want to be born again and have the assurance of salvation, receive the Holy Spirit, feel His Shalom — a peace that surpasses all understanding, and get a 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven after you die, or that you won’t be left behind at the Rapture, which can happen at any moment, this is what you have to do…
Invite Jesus into Your Heart and Receive the Gift of Grace, Joy, Peace, and the Confident Hope of Eternal Life…
The Great I AM
Soli Deo Gloria! To God Alone Be the Glory!
Top image by Good News Productions International from FreeBibleImages.org. (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
