Eternal God, Jesus, "I AM"

  

“God said to Moses, ‘I AM who I AM.  This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:14)

What or who is the oldest thing you know?  Our grands think we are older than dirt—but we have been priviledged to see ‘really old’ things: the mountains, the Sequois in America, Jerico- which vies for the oldest town, and the oldest living tree in Israel.  This tree was alive in the Arabah at the time of Christ and perhaps at an Oasis where Mary and Joseph stopped enroute to Egypt.   BUT none of these compare with Creator God and his Son Jesus! “In the beginning, GOD…”  (Gen 1:1)

In John 8 Jesus was telling the rulers/Jews that He was not of the devil, but of The Father.  The discussion then went to the death of Abraham and in verse 58 Jesus says of Himself, “Before Abraham was, I AM.”  They were riled at perceived blasphemy and picked up stones, but Jesus slipped away.

Blasphemy - being equal with God – was a capital offense.  At His trial before the Sanhedrin Jesus was asked,  “Are you the Christ, the son of the Blessed One?” Jesus said, ‘I AM.’ ”  (Mark 14:61-62) This perceived blasphemy caused the High Priest to tear his garments.

 Yes, the religious rulers were expecting The Messiah, a human who would rescue them from bondage.  They did not recognize the Son of David, Holy one of God, in human form.  They were also jealous of Jesus’ following and feared they might lose some control and treasury.  Time and space here does not allow a discussion of why these religious leaders were blinded when they were ‘the most learned in Scripture’.

Like us they were using human rational thinking rather than God inspired revelation thinking. Bottom line: they rejected Jesus as Messiah.

YHWH had become the Hebrew Covenant name for God. In the Old Testament Hebrew YHWH was considered ‘imperfect tense’ (for you non- language students that usually mean on-going or incomplete action). YHWH was accepted to mean- I WAS, I AM, I WILL ALWAYS BE – Eternal and complete_!  He is Awesome, Creator God, and my heavenly Abba!  He is a God of mysteries,  God of the impossible and source of all that is good.  There is no ‘time-limit’ or box for Jesus, uncreated and Eternal God.  Hallowed be thy Name.

Jesus used the term-I AM in other places as description of his character and purpose:

                John 6:35-           I AM the Bread of Life

                John 8:12             I Am the Light of the world

                John 8:58-           Eternal-before Abraham was I AM –now that caused stone throwing!

                John 10:7-           I am the Gate/door

                John 10:11-         I AM the Good Shepherd

    John 11:25-         I AM the resurrection and the Life –(probably the greatest promise; without                                        His resurrection all would end in human death.)

    John 14:6-           I AM the WAY (path not just guide) the Truth and the Life

    John 15:1-           I AM the true Vine (also a symbol of peace and prosperity to Jewish people)

    John 18:46-         I AM He  -to the soldiers who came to arrest him)

    Rev 22:13            I AM the Alpha and Omega, the First and Last, the beginning and the End.                                          He is  A-Z and  all in between. He is the center and circumference of all things.                                           (I had a whole section on this one, but would make this too lengthy.  You get to do the research yourself!)

Jesus IS last revelation of God himself, the human embodiment of God, who reached out and bowed down in grace and mercy to offer humanity redemption that we might have His peace on earth and share Eternity with Him.  He is all inclusive, all sufficient…….

Ann Spangler, in her book Praying the Names of Jesus, sums this up better than I. She concludes her discussion of Jesus, I AM/Ego Eimi  (Greek), like this:

            “By living and dying to save us, Jesus himself has become the Promise we live by.  He is the Truth we stand on, the Bread that nourishes us, the Shepherd who leads us, the Vine that makes us fruitful.  He is the Resurrection for which we hope and the Gateway to life eternal.  He is all of these things and more---- the Almighty, Everlasting God, the One who is the great I AM.”

He is Jehovah Lyrics

He is Jehovah, God of creation, 
He is Jehovah, Lord God Almighty!
The balm of Gilead, the Rock of Ages, 
He is Jehovah, , God of Messiah!
The son he sent to you, and testified of him,
He is Jehovah the God that healeth thee!

Sing Hallelujah, Sing Hallelujah, Sing Hallelujah
He is Jehovah, Lord God Almighty,
He is Jehovah, the God that healeth thee!

Jehovah Jireh, God of Messiah!
The Son he sent to, and testified of him, 
He is Jehovah the God that healeth thee!

He is your provider, Jehovah Jireh,
Jehovah Shalom, the God of peace I AM,
The God of Israel- the everlasting one
He is Jehovah, the God that healeth thee!

He is the great I AM, the God of Abraham, Jehovah Shalom,
the God of peace I AM,                                                                                                                                                  the son he sent to you, that testified of him,
He is Jehovah the God that healeth thee!

He's your provider, Jehovah Jireh! Jehovah Shalom! 
The God of peace I AM!
The God of Israel- the everlasting one- 
He is Jehovah, the God that healeth thee