"I Am"

The great "I Am Who I Am" statement in Ex.3:6 shortened to "I Am" throughout the Old Testament, is continued in the New Testament with all the "I Am" quotes of Jesus.  (via the Hebrew language, this statement can also be rendered "I Shall Be As I Shall Be" referring to the coming of Jesus and again in the second coming.)

In essence, Jesus was continuing to state that He was/is God (in flesh).  This explains why the priests and Jewish leaders were so consumed with jealousy and venomous hatred.  He kept saying, "I Am".  This was the name of God in their books of Moses.  Jesus kept stating that He was God.  Absolute blasphemy for a man who was a mere carpenter from little ol' no nothing Nazareth.  They were waiting for the glowing son of God, in great majesty to descend from the clouds with a righteous flaming sword to slay all the enemies of Israel.  Am I clear here?

Take a look at the New Testament and circle every time Jesus said "I Am" in the gospel of John, who saw Jesus as the Son of God.  Amazing how many times He told people who He was and very few actually "got it".  The pharisees  understood what He was saying but were enraged with vile jealousy over such a statement. After all, they, as religious leaders, would certainly know the son of God if he were standing in front of them.

I Am:  The bread of life - Jn 6:35  I am reminded of communion and the broken  bread (His body) that heals us.
           The light of the world - Jn 8:12   I am reminded of the healing of the blind to bring them into the light of His truth and out of the darkness of lies and confusion.  I was blind, bur now I see.
           The Good Shepard - Jn 10:11  Jesus left the 100 to find the one lost.  Something unheard of among shepherds.
           The gate for the sheep - Jn 10:7   He said, "My sheep know me."  He brings us through that narrow gate that is a difficult journey to follow Him along the path to everlasting life.
           The resurrection and the life - Jn 11:25  Through His death and resurrection, we are now inheritors of eternal life.
           The way and the truth and the life - Jn 14:6  Belief in Him and what He did on that tree is the truth that leads us to life after death.
           The true vine - Jn 15:1  Jesus is the vine, believers are the branches that are to produce fruit/good in our lives.  Apart from the vine, we cannot function; we would die.
In Jn 7 people wanted to seize Jesus because He said, "I am".
* Each of these statements also refers to a side of God Himself.

I have heard it stated that Jn 7, at the Feast, is counted as the first time Jesus said, "I Am". Actually, In Jn 4:26 (three chapters prior to chapt. 7) Jesus says, "I Am He" to the Samaritan woman at the well.

You will find it very interesting to take the time to circle every time Jesus says "I am" in the gospel of John.

Let's go back to Ex 3:6 and 3:14  
Here the "I am" translates from the Hebrew "Yahweh" which translates into English as "I Shall Be As I Shall Be".  "Shall Be" as future tense here is a reference to Jesus coming.  ("Yahweh" actually translates more correctly, in other places of the bible, as "I Was, I Am, I Shall Be", which tells us a lot more about the plurality of God.  I will go into this another time.)

Note:  In Jn 1:21, John the Baptist stated, "I Am NOT" stating he was not the "I Am".  The Baptist had great anointed knowledge from the Holy Spirit.

In Revelation (NIV), I have counted ten "I am" statements with two places where I believe are mistranslated to leave out "I am" statements.  Considering this book is prophesy, the number 10 represents the law and the number 12 represents government, this is a very interesting issue.

Rev 4:8 concludes with the phrase, "who was, and is, and is to come."  This representing the Hebrew word "Yahweh".

Anyway, this study could be continued much deeper, if the reader is so disposed at this  time.  I am moving on.

May you be blessed anew today with a fresh anointing that will bless you with God's grace, health, patience and wisdom.
 Amen