{"id":31980,"date":"2024-12-01T13:49:21","date_gmt":"2024-12-01T19:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/?p=31980"},"modified":"2024-12-02T14:03:51","modified_gmt":"2024-12-02T20:03:51","slug":"jesus-the-great-i-am","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/jesus-the-great-i-am\/","title":{"rendered":"Jesus: The Great \u201cI AM\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It is no exaggeration to state that the central subject matter of the Bible is about Deity. Secondarily, the Bible is about Deity\u2019s desire to enable human beings to be forgiven of their sin so that they may spend eternity with Deity. The words \u201cChrist\u201d and \u201cChristianity\u201d accentuate the fact that the Christian religion is all about Christ. Christianity is the one and only religion through which human beings may approach God in order to enter into a right relationship with Him (Acts 4:12). Specifically, the central feature of the Christian religion is the Person of Christ, i.e., His divinity. The very nature of an infinite, divine Being is such that it was absolutely indispensable for Deity to assume human form, taking on human flesh, in order to atone for human sin. No other being could have achieved this mandatory requirement<\/strong> (Hebrews 10:4; Micah 6:6-8). Since all humans have sinned (Romans 3:9ff.), it was necessary for God to become human<\/strong> and die for human sin. It absolutely had to be God Himself\u2014a member of the Godhead<\/strong>. From eternity, it was the second Person of the Godhead Who was selected to fulfill this critical need: \u201cHim whom the Father sanctified<\/strong> and sent into the world\u201d (John 10:36). Jesus was \u201cset apart\u201d to achieve a specific task. This doctrine is of such paramount importance to the Christian religion that a person can become a Christian if and only if that person orally confesses that Jesus is, Himself, divine (Romans 10:9-10).1<\/sup><\/a> Indeed, the validity and legitimacy of virtually all other religions, including the Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses and Muslims, stands or falls on this one doctrine alone. <\/strong>For if God requires human beings to confess orally the deity of Christ before He can forgive them of their sins, and a person\u2019s religious beliefs deny that Jesus is divine, that person simply cannot be pleasing to God and, therefore, remains unsaved and unacceptable to Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moses Encounters Jehovah<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When Moses was being commissioned by God at the burning bush to return to Egypt, go before Pharaoh, and convey to him God\u2019s demand to let the Israelites exit Egypt, Moses manifested considerable reluctance and offered several excuses why he was not the man for the job. One of his excuses pertained to God\u2019s identity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Then Moses said to God, \u201cIndeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, \u2018The God of your fathers has sent me to you,\u2019 and they say to me, \u2018What is His name?\u2019 what shall I say to them?\u201d And God said to Moses, \u201cI AM WHO I AM.\u201d And He said, \u201cThus you shall say to the children of Israel, \u2018I AM has sent me to you\u2019\u201d (Exodus 3:13-14).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Extensive discussion has characterized Christendom through the centuries regarding God\u2019s response to Moses in this passage. Yet the bulk of Christendom generally agrees that the expressions \u201cI AM\u201d and \u201cI AM WHO I AM\u201d are allusions to the eternality<\/strong> of Deity.2<\/sup><\/a> No mere human being can make a comparable claim. All humans have come into existence. But not Deity. Deity is eternal in nature and infinite in divine essence\u2014with no beginning and no end. This passage pinpoints the one true God, the only Being that possesses Godhood. None of the gods conjured by the minds of mere humans through the millennia are real. But the God Who spoke to Moses really exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus Connects His Own Divinity With Jehovah<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Those who deny the deity of Jesus must attempt to explain away Jesus\u2019 repetitious conduct while He was on Earth. Since John\u2019s purpose in writing his Gospel account was to demonstrate that \u201cJesus is the Christ, the Son of God\u201d (John 20:31), he, in particular, \u201cwent out of his way\u201d to flag Christ\u2019s divinity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John 8:58<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It may well have been Moses\u2019 encounter with Jehovah in Exodus 3:143<\/sup><\/a> to which Jesus alluded on one of those occasions when He was verbally assaulted by the Jews:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMost assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.\u201d Then the Jews said to Him, \u201cNow we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, \u2018If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.\u2019 Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Whom do You make Yourself out to be?\u201d Jesus answered, \u201cIf I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, \u2018I do not know Him,\u2019 I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.\u201d Then the Jews said to Him, \u201cYou are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?\u201d Jesus said to them, \u201cMost assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM <\/strong>(ego eimi<\/em>).\u201d Then they took up stones to throw at Him (John 8:51-59).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

A perusal of 61 English translations revealed that all of them translate Jesus\u2019 words as \u201cI AM,\u201d without inserting \u201che\u201d afterwards. The translators apparently felt that Jesus was claiming affiliation with Jehovah. Without a doubt, Jesus surely identified Himself with the LORD<\/strong> [Jehovah]4<\/sup><\/a> of Exodus 3\u2014an identification that His critics no doubt considered blasphemy and deserving of the death penalty by stoning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what does the expression in both passages mean? The Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses\u2019 NWTrenders the sentence: \u201cJesus said to them: \u2018Most truly I say to you, before Abraham came into existence, I have been.\u2019\u201d5<\/sup><\/a> Compare this rendering with the NWT\u2019s handling of Exodus 3:13-14\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But Moses said to the true God: \u201cSuppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, \u2018The God of your forefathers has sent me to you,\u2019 and they say to me, \u2018What is his name?\u2019 What should I say to them?\u201d\u00a0 So God said to Moses: \u201cI Will Become What I Choose to Become.\u201d And he added: \u201cThis is what you are to say to the Israelites, \u2018I Will Become has sent me to you.\u2019\u201d6<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Are the renderings \u201cI have been\u201d and \u201cI Will Become What I Choose to Become\u201d legitimate renderings for the underlying Greek and Hebrew? What do the bulk of scholarly linguistic authorities through the centuries say on the matter?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the first place, the Greek words \u1f10\u03b3\u1f7c \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af [ego eimi<\/em>] in John 8:58 literally mean \u201cI am.\u201d The first term is the usual nominative first person singular pronoun \u201cI.\u201d The second term is the present tense active indicative first person singular verb \u201cto be.\u201d Hence, the words unquestionably mean \u201cI am.\u201d The Hebrew of Exodus 3:14 reads \u05d0\u05b6\u05bd\u05d4\u05b0\u05d9\u05b6\u0596\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05a3\u05e8 \u05d0\u05b6\u05bd\u05d4\u05b0\u05d9\u05b6\u0591\u05d4 which is literally \u201cI am who I am,\u201d \u201cwho\u201d being a relative pronoun, and the repeated term is a first person singular imperfect verb in the Qal. The Septuagint translates the three Hebrew words into Greek as \u201cego eimi ho on<\/em>\u201d which means \u201cI am the one who is.\u201d The idea of ongoing existence is the apparent thrust of the words: \u201c[T]he thought of eternal life is always present in the \u1f10\u03b3\u1f7c \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af.\u201d7<\/sup><\/a> Observe that when all is said and done on the subject, Jesus\u2019 allusion to Exodus 3:14 trumps linguists\u2019 evaluation of the Hebrew text, since He provided a proper understanding of the Hebrew by John\u2019s inspired rendering of His words.8<\/sup><\/a> Jesus said that the words mean, \u201cI AM.\u201d Morris insisted: \u201cIt is an emphatic form of speech and one that would not normally be employed in ordinary speech. Thus to use it was recognizably to adopt the divine style<\/strong>.\u201d9<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what did Jesus mean when He declared \u201cI AM\u201d? Some commentators assume that the expression is intended to imply an unstated predicate and so offer several hypothetical possibilities\u2014from the pronoun \u201cHe\u201d (\u201cI am He\u201d), to \u201cI am the Messiah,\u201d to \u201cI am the Deliverer,\u201d or some other identification. However, noted Greek grammarian A.T. Robertson explains that in John 8:58, the verb \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af [eimi<\/em>] \u201cexpress[es] existence as a predicate like any other verb\u201d and that \u201cin John 8:58, \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af is really absolute.\u201d10<\/sup><\/a> In other words, \u201cI AM\u201d is its own predicate. Commenting on Jesus\u2019 use of the same expression in John 8:24, he further explained \u201c\u2018that I am\u2019 without supplying a predicate in the absolute sense as the Jew (Deut. 32:39) used the language of Jehovah\u201d could have been Jesus\u2019 meaning, concluding that \u201cJesus seems to claim absolute divine being<\/strong>.\u201d11<\/sup><\/a> Marvin Vincent, classics professor and professor of New Testament Exegesis and Criticism at Union Theological Seminary, New York City, is not tentative about the meaning of verse 24: \u201c[t]he words are rather the solemn expression of His absolute divine being.\u201d12<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swiss theologian and textual commentator Fredric Godet explains Jesus\u2019 claim regarding Abraham:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

I am not only his contemporary, is the reply of Jesus, but I even existed before him<\/strong>. The formula, amen, amen, announces the greatness of this revelation concerning His Person. While \u03b3\u03b5\u03bd\u03ad\u03c3\u03b8\u03b1\u03b9, was born<\/em> (literally: became<\/em>), designates the transition from nothingness to existence, \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af, I am<\/em>, indicates a mode of being, not the result of such a transition: viz. existence (am) as an attribute of the personality (I). Jesus says: I am<\/em>, not: I was<\/em>. This latter expression would have designated mere priority with respect to Abraham, and would be strictly compatible with the Arian view of the Person of Jesus, while the former expression places the existence of the subject who thus speaks in the rank of the Absolute, the Eternal, the Divine<\/strong>. It recalls the words of Ps. xc. 2: \u201cBefore the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art, God!\u201d13<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Nineteenth century German Protestant theologian, historian, biblical commentator, and linguistic authority, August Tholuck, observed: \u201cAfter a usage of the Hebrew,\u2026the expression \u1f10\u03b3\u1f7c \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af is to be construed: \u2018I am that, I am who I am.\u2019\u2026 \u03b3\u03b5\u03bd\u03ad\u03c3\u03b8\u03b1\u03b9 and e\u03afnai mark the distinction between human existence limited by time, and eternal existence.\u201d14<\/sup><\/a> In other words, as a finite being, Abraham\u2019s existence was limited by time; but Jesus, being infinite, is eternal in nature. Tholuck continues: \u201cThe sense therefore is: \u2018In my higher Being, in a manner not restricted by time, I am who I am, before Abraham had existence.\u2019\u201d15<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, Heinrich Meyer, German Protestant theologian, member of the Hanover Consistory, known for his valuable 16-volume exegetical and critical commentary on the New Testament, added his confirmatory observations: \u201cAs Abraham had not pre-existed, but came into existence<\/em> (by birth), therefore \u03b3\u03b5\u03bd\u03ad\u03c3\u03b8\u03b1\u03b9 is used; whereas \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af denotes being per se<\/em>, which belonged to Jesus, so far as He existed before time, as to His divine nature, without having previously come into being.\u201d16<\/sup><\/a> Marcus Dods, 18th<\/sup>-century theologian, biblical scholar, Professor of New Testament Exegesis and Principal in the New College, Edinburgh, explains Jesus\u2019 words: \u201cBefore Abraham came into existence I am, eternally existent. No stronger affirmation of pre-existence occurs.\u201d17<\/sup><\/a> Kittel described it as \u201cthe pre-temporal existence of the Son.\u201d18<\/sup><\/a> And Warfield insisted: \u201cHe claims for Himself the timeless present of eternity as His mode of existence.\u201d19<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his popular Expository Thoughts<\/em> J.C. Ryle astutely observes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This famous verse, I believe, can only receive one honest interpretation. It is a distinct assertion of our Lord\u2019s eternity\u2014His existence before all creation\u2026. Let us carefully note what a strong proof we have here of the pre-existence and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. He applies to Himself the very name by which God made Himself known when He undertook to redeem Israel. It was \u201cI AM\u201d who brought them out of the land of Egypt. It was \u201cI AM\u201d who died for us on the cross. The amazing strength of the foundation of a sinner\u2019s hope appears here. Believing on Jesus we rest on divinity, on One who is God as well as man.20<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Cronin summarizes his review of centuries of commentary on Exodus 3:14: \u201cWe have seen ample evidence that the\u00a0Ehyeh<\/em>\u00a0[\u2018I AM\u2019\u2014DM] of Exodus 3:14b has been long recognised [sic<\/em>] in Judaism as the Personal name of God and YHWH as His proper name, where \u2018Personal\u2019 indicates the name by which God is known to Himself.\u201d21<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commenting on John 8:58, Edwin Abbott, English schoolmaster and theologian, explained: \u201c[T]aken here, along with other declarations about what Jesus IS, it seems to call upon the Pharisees to believe that the Son of man is not only the Deliverer but also one with the Father in the unity of the Godhead<\/strong>.\u201d22<\/sup><\/a> Buchsel agrees: \u2028\u201c[T]here is here ascribed what Scripture attributes to the Father.\u201d23<\/sup><\/a> C.K. Barrett, British biblical scholar and Professor of Divinity at the University of Durham, adds: \u201cThe meaning here is: Before Abraham came into being, I eternally was, as now I am, and ever continue to be.\u201d24<\/sup><\/a> Professor of theology at Princeton Theological Seminary, Charles Erdman likewise observed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jesus startles them by replying that, for him, life has been, and ever will be, an eternal state<\/strong>\u2026. This is a claim of identity with God in his changeless Being. No wonder that the Jews \u201ctook up stones\u2026to cast at him\u201d as a blasphemer. Such he was, or else he spoke the truth. The claims of Jesus are unmistakable. He was either a deceiver or the divine Son of God.25<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Vincent summarizes succinctly the meaning in John 8:58 voiced by all of these linguistic scholars: \u201cJesus\u2019 life was from and to eternity. Hence the formula for absolute<\/em>, timeless<\/em> existence, I am<\/em>.\u201d26<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

John 4:26<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On several occasions, Jesus used the same expression\u2014without a predicate\u2014in the presence of others to refer to Himself. When He encountered the Samaritan woman at Jacob\u2019s well, she assured Him: \u201c\u2018I know that Messiah is coming\u2019 (who is called Christ). \u2018When He comes, He will tell us all things\u2019\u201d\u2014to which Jesus responded: \u201cI who speak to you am He<\/em>.\u201d Again, \u201cHe\u201d is not in the original. The order of the Greek is literally, \u201cI am (\u1f10\u03b3\u1f7c \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af)\u2014the One speaking to you\u201d (John 4:26). Her subsequent actions show that she was grappling with the implications of Jesus\u2019 declaration: \u201cThe woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, \u2018Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?\u2019\u201d (John 4:28-29). Upon doing their own investigation, the Samaritans of her city exclaimed to her: \u201cNow we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world<\/strong>\u201d (John 4:42). They realized they were in the presence of deity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John 8:24<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In addition to verse 58, John chapter eight has two additional affirmations. In the first instance, Jesus interacted with hostile Jews:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Then Jesus said to them again, \u201cI am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.\u201d So the Jews said, \u201cWill He kill Himself, because He says, \u2018Where I go you cannot come\u2019?\u201d And He said to them, \u201cYou are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am <\/strong>He<\/em><\/strong>, you will die in your sins\u201d (John 8:21-24).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In the NKJV, \u201cHe\u201d is in italics as having been supplied by the translators. In keeping with the theme of the book of John, Jesus was undoubtedly emphasizing His deity to His enemies. He gives them several indications of His divine identity that they failed to grasp (\u201cWhere I go you cannot come,\u201d \u201cI am from above,\u201d \u201cI am not of this world,\u201d etc.). Then He drove home the point: \u201cIf you do not believe that I AM\u2026.\u201d The only way for any person to be saved and ushered into heaven into the presence of Deity is if that person acknowledges and confesses that Jesus is divine. The deity of Christ is the foundational platform on which the entire scheme of redemption rests. It\u2019s not an exaggeration to state that one cannot even talk about being right with God, saved, and forgiven of sin without understanding the divine Person of Christ as the sole means to that end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John 8:28<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Four verses later, Jesus made the same point to the same audience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Then they said to Him, \u201cWho are You?\u201d And Jesus said to them, \u201cJust what I have been saying to you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.\u201d They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father. Then Jesus said to them, \u201cWhen you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that<\/strong> I am<\/strong> He<\/em>, and that<\/em> I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him\u201d (John 8:25-29).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Once again, \u201cHe\u201d is in italics. Jesus declared His intimate relationship with the Father as the backdrop of His own divine identity and eternal role in the salvation of mankind. Indeed, He announced to them that they were the very ones who would participate in His death by \u201clifting him up\u201d\u2014an obvious prediction of His crucifixion. What\u2019s more, His resurrection would unquestionably cinch the point by proving His divinity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

John 13:19<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another instance is seen on the occasion when Jesus washed the feet of the apostles. His remarks foreshadowed the betrayal of Judas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, \u201cHe who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.\u201d Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am<\/strong> He<\/em>. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me (John 13:18-20).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Observe that Jesus was alerting the disciples to the fact that He knew<\/strong> that Judas was going to betray Him, even quoting Scripture that anticipated that fact\u2014all further proof of His divinity. He was pressing them with the fact that when it happened, they would have additional confirmation of His claim to Godhood. As if that were not enough to make the point, Jesus strongly accentuated the fact with a double \u201camen\u201d (rendered \u201cmost assuredly\u201d)27<\/sup><\/a> followed by a reiteration of the Godhead: the Holy Spirit Whom Jesus would send (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7), Himself, and His Father Who sent Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John 18:5-6,8<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Still another instance of the occurrence of ego eimi<\/em> in John is seen on the occasion of Jesus\u2019 arrest:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops<\/em>, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, \u201cWhom are you seeking?\u201d They answered Him, \u201cJesus of Nazareth.\u201d Jesus said to them, \u201cI am<\/strong> He<\/em>.\u201d And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Then\u2014when He said to them, \u201cI am<\/strong> He<\/em>,\u201d\u2014they drew back and fell to the ground. Then He asked them again, \u201cWhom are you seeking?\u201d And they said, \u201cJesus of Nazareth.\u201d Jesus answered, \u201cI have told you that I am<\/strong> He<\/em>. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,\u201d that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, \u201cOf those whom You gave Me I have lost none\u201d (John 18:3-9).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Again, observe that the NKJV inserts the word He<\/em> into the text. What was there in Jesus\u2019 demeanor or words that would have caused the Jewish troops and the many other Jews who came\u2014described by Luke as a \u201cmultitude\u201d (Luke 22:47,52)\u2014to draw back and fall to the ground? Surely not simple surprise that Jesus would admit to being the One for whom they were looking. If, on the other hand, being Jews, they were familiar with the divine identification associated with the words \u201cI AM,\u201d they would surely have been taken aback by His bold declaration\u2014particularly if they were at all familiar with Jesus\u2019 activities in and around Jerusalem in the recent days. Indeed, Jerusalem was abuzz with considerable talk regarding the Messiah (e.g., Luke 24:18-31). John had set the stage for this notoriety when he preached to people who \u201cwent out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan,\u201d including \u201cmany of the Pharisees and Sadducees\u201d (Matthew 3:5-7). The Complete Jewish Bible<\/em> renders verse 6: \u201cWhen he said, \u2018I AM,\u2019 they went backward from him and fell to the ground.\u201d For John to record this incident in his book\u2014which the other three Gospel writers did not record<\/strong>\u2014is yet another deliberate accentuation of Jesus\u2019 repetitious attempts to encourage the Jews to recognize what they, of all people, should have recognized: the arrival on Earth of the divine Messiah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observe that in all these situations,28<\/sup><\/a> Jesus was stressing to His contemporaries\u2014not merely that they must believe in Him\u2014but that they must believe in Him as the Son of God<\/strong>, even as the theme of John indicates. To become a Christian, one must \u201cconfess with your mouth the Lord Jesus\u201d (Romans 10:9). The essence of Christianity revolves around Christ\u2019s deity. That divinity must both be believed and confessed in order to sustain a saving relationship with God.29<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matthew 14:27; Mark 6:50; John 6:20<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Consider one additional incident that spotlights Jesus\u2019 divinity. Matthew, Mark, and John all report the same incident in which Jesus walked on water. In all three accounts, when Jesus approached the boat in which the disciples were situated, He reassured them with these words: \u201cIt is I; do not be afraid\u201d (Matthew 14:27); \u201cBe of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid\u201d (Mark 6:50); \u201cIt is I; do not be afraid\u201d (John 6:20). In all three of these accounts, the Greek is the same: \u1f18\u03b3\u03ce \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03b9; <\/strong>\u03bc\u1f74 \u03c6\u03bf\u03b2\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c3\u03b8\u03b5, which is rendered, \u201cI AM\u2014stop being afraid.\u201d The import and impact of His words on them is seen in Matthew\u2019s account: \u201cThen those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him<\/strong>, saying, \u2018Truly You are the Son of God\u2019<\/strong>\u201d (Matthew 14:33). The only reason for the disciples not to fear a life-threatening situation is if Jesus was more than a mere man Who, in fact, possessed the divine power to still a storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A host of additional scriptural evidence demonstrates the deity of Christ. The numerous indications that Jesus is to be identified with the LORD\/Jehovah of the Old Testament is ample proof that Jesus is God. Though He assumed human form in order to come to Earth and atone for human sin, He remained an eternal Being Who shares complete divinity with the other two Members of the Godhead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Endnotes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1<\/sup><\/a> In addition to the essentiality of the oral confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the other prerequisites to salvation include faith in Christ, repentance, and water immersion for the remission of sins into and in the name of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 13:3; John 8:24; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27; 1 Peter 3:21; et al). See these free books: https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/issue\/receiving-the-gift-of-salvation\/<\/a>; https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/issue\/baptism-and-the-greek-made-simple\/<\/a>; https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/issue\/surrendering-to-his-lordship\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2<\/sup><\/a> This is not to say that the words \u201cI am\u201d are always used in Scripture to refer to the deity of the one who articulates the words. As in everyday discourse, a person can respond, \u201cI am,\u201d to any number of possible scenarios wherein the person is asked concerning his identity, e.g., \u201cAre you the sister of so-and-so?\u201d \u201cI am.\u201d Instances of this ordinary use of the expression may be seen in John 8:18; 9:9. However, in contexts in which Deity is plainly under consideration and doing the speaking, the divine import is self-evident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3<\/sup><\/a> While some question whether Jesus was connecting specifically with Exodus 3, many scholars insist that He was. See, for example, Ethelbert Stauffer who affirms: \u201cThis emphatic formula rests ultimately on the \u2018I am that I am\u201d of Ex. 3:14\u201d\u2014(1964), e)gw\/, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament<\/em> (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans), 2:352. Also J.C. Ryle (1870), Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. John<\/em> (New York: Robert Carter & Bros.), 2:132.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4<\/sup><\/a> A word of clarification is in order. English translations typically capitalize every letter of the word \u201cLORD\u201d in order to alert the English reader that the divine name occurs in the Hebrew text. This name consists of four consonants (known as the Tetragrammaton): YHWH. Since the Jews resisted, apparently out of respect, pronouncing the name of God, the original pronunciation of the word is lost in antiquity. When read aloud, the Jews typically replaced the word with the Hebrew word for \u201clord,\u201d i.e., adonai<\/em>, even as the translators of the Septuagint inserted the Greek word for \u201clord\u201d (kurios<\/em>). Various suggestions have been made as possible pronunciation approximations, the most prominent being simply to insert the Hebrew vowel points from adonai<\/em> into the Tetragrammaton\u2014which resulted in \u201cJehovah,\u201d first appearing in the 14th<\/sup> century. The ASV standardized the term in 1901. Since that time, scholars have generally indicated that \u201cYahweh\u201d (pronounced yah-way or yah-vay) more nearly approximates the divine name. It is important to understand that the name \u201cJehovah\u201d is a concocted name that attempts<\/strong> to represent the divine name\u2014but no proof exists to verify this claim and, as indicated, the linguistic evidence is against it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5<\/sup><\/a> Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (2023), New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures<\/em> (Study Edition), JW.org, https:\/\/www.jw.org\/en\/library\/bible\/study-bible\/books\/john\/8\/.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6<\/sup><\/a> Ibid., https:\/\/www.jw.org\/en\/library\/bible\/study-bible\/books\/exodus\/3\/.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7<\/sup><\/a> Friedrich Buchsel (1964), \u03b5\u1f30\u03bc\u03af, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament<\/em> (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans), 2:399.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8<\/sup><\/a> It matters not that Jesus spoke Aramaic. He inspired the New Testament to be written in Koine Greek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9<\/sup><\/a> Leon Morris (1971), The Gospel According to John<\/em> (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans), p. 473, emp. added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10<\/sup><\/a> A.T. Robertson (1934),\u00a0A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research<\/em>\u00a0(Nashville, TN: Broadman Press), p. 394.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11<\/sup><\/a> A.T. Robertson (1960),\u00a0Word Pictures in the New Testament<\/em>\u00a0(Nashville, TN: Broadman Press), 5:146, emp. added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12<\/sup><\/a> Marvin Vincent (1905),\u00a0Word Studies in the New Testament\u00a0<\/em>(New York: Charles Scribner\u2019s Sons), 2:170.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

13<\/sup><\/a> Frederic Godet (1893), Commentary on the Gospel of John<\/em> (New York: Funk & Wagnalls), 2:122, emp. added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14<\/sup><\/a> August Tholuck (1836), A Commentary on the Gospel of St. John<\/em> (Boston: Perkins & Marvin), p. 229.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15<\/sup><\/a> Ibid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

16<\/sup><\/a> Heinrich Meyer (1891), Critical and Exegetical Hand-Book to the Gospel of John<\/em> (New York: Funk & Wagnalls), p. 293, italics in orig.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

17<\/sup><\/a> Marcus Dods (1902), The Gospel of St. John<\/em> in The Expositor\u2019s Greek Testament<\/em> (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co.), 1:782.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

18<\/sup><\/a> Gerhard Kittel (1967), le\/gw, lo\/go$: \u201cWord and Speech in the New Testament,\u201d Theological Dictionary of the New Testament<\/em>, ed. Gerhard Kittel and Geoffrey Bromiley (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans), 4:130.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

19<\/sup><\/a> Benjamin Warfield (1950), The Person and Work of Christ<\/em> (Philadelphia, PA: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company), p. 60.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

20<\/sup><\/a> Ryle, 2:132.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

21<\/sup><\/a> K.J. Cronin (2022), \u201cThe Name of God as Revealed in Exodus 3:14,\u201d https:\/\/exodus-314.com\/part-i-summary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

22<\/sup><\/a> Edwin Abbott (1906), Johannine Grammar<\/em> (London: Adam & Charles Black), p. 187, emp. added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

23<\/sup><\/a> 2:399.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

24<\/sup><\/a> C.K. Barrett (1978), The Gospel According to St. John<\/em> (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster), p. 352.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

25<\/sup><\/a> Charles Erdman (1922), The Gospel of John<\/em> (Philadelphia, PA Westminster), p. 82, emp. added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

26<\/sup><\/a> Vincent, 2:181, italics in orig. For more discussion on \u201cI AM,\u201d see James White (1990), \u201cPurpose and Meaning of \u2018Ego Eimi\u2019 in the Gospel of John,\u201d https:\/\/www.aomin.org\/aoblog\/general-apologetics\/purpose-and-meaning-of-ego-eimi-in-the-gospel-of-john\/.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

27<\/sup><\/a> For a discussion of the use of \u201camen\u201d in the Bible, see Dave Miller (1996), Piloting the Strait<\/em> (Pulaski, TN: Sain Publications), pp. 235ff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

28<\/sup><\/a> Vincent discusses yet another instance of \u201cI AM\u201d found on the occasion when the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Jesus by force. Here was Jesus\u2019 response to them: \u201cI shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am<\/strong> you cannot come\u201d (John 7:33-34). Vincent indicates that the phrase \u201cWhere I am\u201d refers to Jesus being \u201cin absolute, eternal being and fellowship with the Father\u201d since He used \u201cthe formula of the divine existence\u201d\u20142:162.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

29<\/sup><\/a> But let us suppose for a moment that \u201cHe\u201d should<\/strong> be inserted in each of these six occurrences of ego eimi<\/em>. We must still ask the question: With the possible exception of John 18, why would Jesus say, \u201cI am he\u201d? He who? The answer can only be that He was identifying Himself as the Messiah, the divine Son of God. He, Himself, declared this very fact before the authorities: Matthew 26:64; 27:11; Mark 14:61-62; 15:2; Luke 23:3; John 18:37; 1 Timothy 6:13. Even His enemies admitted that He made such claims (Luke 23:1-2; John 10:33; 19:7).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is no exaggeration to state that the central subject matter of the Bible is about Deity. Secondarily, the Bible is about Deity\u2019s desire to enable human beings to be forgiven of their sin so that they may spend eternity with Deity. The words \u201cChrist\u201d and \u201cChristianity\u201d accentuate the fact that the Christian religion is… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":31981,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,77],"tags":[],"kids-category":[],"people":[273],"bible-book":[],"language":[168],"age-group":[173],"publication":[248],"class_list":["post-31980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-deity-of-christ","category-divine-life-and-doctrine","people-dave-miller-phd","language-english","age-group-adults","publication-reason-revelation"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/LI-Jesus_the-Great-I-Am-DM-02.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31980"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31986,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31980\/revisions\/31986"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31980"},{"taxonomy":"kids-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kids-category?post=31980"},{"taxonomy":"people","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/people?post=31980"},{"taxonomy":"bible-book","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible-book?post=31980"},{"taxonomy":"language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/language?post=31980"},{"taxonomy":"age-group","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/age-group?post=31980"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=31980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}