SCRIPTURE: John 8:48-59
“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58)
For these words to make sense, we need to remember the story of Moses.
“Moses said to God, ‘Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?’ 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 3:13-14)
This short name (‘I am Who I am’) is YHWH in the Hebrew (from where we get Yahweh or Jehovah).
It is the holy name of God for the Jews, who refuse to pronounce it out loud when they read their bible.
Modern bible translations spell it with capitols (LORD, see many of the Psalms).
It is not just a name, but a description, one that defies our understanding.
And yet it is open-ended enough to be mean many things.
Like ‘I am your helper’, ‘I am your protector, ‘I am your Judge’, I am your King, etc.
Now Jesus is identifying Himself with the Saviour God of Exodus 3, the LORD.
He also does this many other times when He uses the ‘I am’ Name.
I am the way, the truth, the life; I am the bread of life; I am the gate; I am the Good Shepherd.
I am the resurrection and the life; I am the light of the world.
This man Jesus, walking around in flesh and blood, reduced to a mere human form, is the great ‘I am’.
Our Saviour God, God with us (Immanuel), the LORD of all creation.
Instead of picking up stones to kill Him, they should have fallen on their knees.
Like Moses, they are standing on holy ground (Exodus 3:5).
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, or should I say LORD. You are God with us, God become like us in order to rescue us from our bondage and misery. You are everything I need, the great ‘I am’. With the stones I praise Your Name (Luke 19:38-40)