The title "I Am" is one of the most profound and significant names attributed to Jesus Christ, deeply rooted in the theological and historical context of the Bible. This title is a direct reference to the divine name revealed to Moses in the Old Testament and is used by Jesus in the New Testament to assert His divinity and eternal existence.

Old Testament Background

The origin of the title "I Am" is found in the book of Exodus, where God reveals Himself to Moses at the burning bush. When Moses asks God for His name, God responds, "I AM WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:14). This name, often rendered as Yahweh, signifies God's self-existence, eternal nature, and unchanging character. It is a declaration of His sovereignty and presence.

New Testament Usage by Jesus

In the New Testament, Jesus uses the title "I Am" to identify Himself, thereby making a direct claim to divinity. This is particularly evident in the Gospel of John, where Jesus employs the phrase "I am" in several key statements, each revealing a different aspect of His divine nature and mission.

1. John 8:58 · "Truly, truly, I tell you," Jesus declared, "before Abraham was born, I am!" . Here, Jesus asserts His pre-existence and eternal nature, aligning Himself with the God of the Old Testament. This statement was understood by His audience as a claim to deity, which is why they sought to stone Him for blasphemy.

2. John 6:35 · "I am the bread of life." . In this declaration, Jesus presents Himself as the essential sustenance for spiritual life, emphasizing His role as the provider of eternal life.

3. John 8:12 · "I am the light of the world." . Jesus claims to be the source of truth and guidance, illuminating the path to salvation and dispelling the darkness of sin.

4. John 10:11 · "I am the good shepherd." . This title highlights Jesus' care, protection, and sacrificial love for His followers, drawing on the imagery of a shepherd tending to his sheep.

5. John 11:25 · "I am the resurrection and the life." . Jesus proclaims His power over life and death, offering the promise of resurrection and eternal life to those who believe in Him.

6. John 14:6 · "I am the way and the truth and the life." . This statement underscores Jesus as the exclusive path to the Father, embodying truth and life itself.

7. John 15:1 · "I am the true vine." . Jesus describes Himself as the source of spiritual vitality and growth, with believers as branches that must remain connected to Him to bear fruit.

Theological Significance

The use of "I Am" by Jesus is a profound assertion of His identity as God incarnate. It connects the New Testament revelation of Jesus with the Old Testament understanding of God, affirming the continuity of God's redemptive plan. This title encapsulates the mystery of the Incarnation, where Jesus, fully God and fully man, enters into human history to fulfill the promises of salvation.

In the conservative Christian tradition, the "I Am" statements of Jesus are foundational to understanding His divine nature and mission. They affirm the belief in the Trinity, where Jesus is recognized as the second person of the Godhead, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. These declarations invite believers to trust in Jesus as the ultimate revelation of God and the source of eternal life.John 8:58
Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Nave's Topical Index

On the Clause, and in one Lord Jesus Christ, with a Reading from ...
... Saviour; lest, therefore, His manifold appellations should make ... Christ: for though
the titles are many ... is called by two names, Jesus Christ; Jesus, because He ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/lecture x on the clause.htm

Acts XI
... Jesus makes use of this fact as the ground of a ... rank and authority in the Church
of Christ, which is ... such are the obligations implied in the names disciple and ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts xi.htm

Introduction
... thousands, of the loose-living members whose names are now ... by the grace of God through
the work of Jesus Christ. ... The "Law of Christ", then, is just the moral ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the law and the saint/introduction.htm

Hypocrisy
... him than by turning again to the words of Christ. ... As Jesus says, "they say and they
do not." The ... of Christians"that they have generally taken names of abuse ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/hypocrisy.htm

Cli. Letter or Address of Theodoret to the Monks of the ...
... define doctrine in both directions devise appellations for the ... the great God and
our Saviour Jesus Christ." [2228] And ... another place he uses both names at once ...
/.../theodoret/the ecclesiastical history of theodoret/cli letter or address of.htm

The Fifth Theological Oration.
... and little that He is declared by Jesus, as you ... the abundance of the titles, and
how many Names they outrage ... the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the Mind ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/the fifth theological oration.htm

Answer to Eunomius' Second Book .
... There are also many other things which Jesus did, the ... itself could not contain the
fulness of Christ's teaching about ... seek to glory in it by the names we employ ...
/.../gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/answer to eunomius second book.htm

The Life and Death of Mr. Badman,
... calling things by their most forcible and popular appellations. ... As for those whose
names I mention, their crimes or ... to know and love; for Jesus Christ's sake. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the life and death of.htm

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