Connecting the "I AMs"

I am the way and the truth and the life. -- Jesus in John 14:6.

With two little words in Gospel According to John, Jesus lets us know exactly what his relationship is to God the Father, the Creator - to God of the Old Testament. "I am," Jesus tells his disciples, recalling one of the most all-encompassing names given to God. God and Jesus are "I am."

The story of God's call to Moses to serve as the leader of his children of Israel is told in Exodus chapter 3, which features the famous exchange between Moses and the burning bush. The Israelites at that time were slaves in Egypt, working to build bricks for pharaoh and calling out for deliverance from their slavery.

When Moses is called by God, speaking in the form of a burning bush, Moses asks who should he tell the children of Israel is calling him to be a leader. God responds simply but powerfully. He tells Moses "I AM who I AM." Moses is to tell the Israelites that Moses is to say that "I AM" sent him. It is both a simple response, but one that almost takes the breath away when one considers how vast such a response is.

In the Gospel of John, in several different instances, Jesus responds to questions by replying "I am...(something)." In each of these instances, Jesus not only describes himself in some way, but is directly connecting himself as not only the son of God, but fully God as well. He is equally "I AM."

Generally, these sayings of Jesus are known collectively as the "7 I Am Sayings." It could be argued that by Jesus saying "I am the way, and the truth, and the life," as he does in John 14:6, he is just merely using a common verb to begin a sentence. This perhaps could have been true, but when the 7 I Am's are taken together, it seems a bit too coincidental that Jesus, an expert on the content of the Hebrew Scriptures based on his frequent comments and quotations of them, would have used this type of phrase by chance so many times.

The clincher that the "I Am" of Jesus is connected to the "I Am" of Exodus comes in an eighth incident where we see the phrase. In John chapter 8, Jesus is being quizzed by a group of Jews and responds to some of their questions by invoking the name of the patriarch Abraham. Jesus tells about remembering seeing Abraham rejoice and the Jews demand to know how Jesus could have seen Abraham, who had died more than 1,000 years previously.

Jesus replies: "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am." Note that Jesus uses the present tense verb here: not "I was," but "I am." Jesus is the great "I AM" of Abraham's day (and before) and continues to be the great "I AM." Jesus and God the creator are one and, with the Holy Spirit, make up the true Triune God. am... (something)" such as He does here by says "I am the way and the truth and the life." Just coincidence that Jesus replies using "I AM" language? Hardly. Jesus and God the Creator, the God of the Old Testament, are one. "I am the resurrection and the life," Jesus tells Martha in John 11 and then proves His power over death by raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus, the Great I AM. Amen!

Here are the 7 I Am Sayings of Jesus:

1. Bread

"I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger." John 6:35

2. Light

"I am the light of the world; he who fallows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12

3. Gate

"I am the gate; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." John 10:9

4. Good Shepherd

"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep." John 10:11

5. Resurrection and Life

"I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies." John 11:25

6. Way, Truth, Life

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me." John 14:6

7. True vine

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser." John 15:1