Who is Jesus Christ? In John's writings, we find at least eight claims Jesus makes which begin with the words 'I am'. These reveal who Jesus is, what Jesus can do for us, and what we can become through Him. But all of these 'I am' claims are predicated on the more basic, most controversial claim which Jesus makes. In John 8, we join a press conference in progress in which the Pharisees and religious leaders are plying Jesus with questions. Jesus has made two controversial statements which have generated questions. One is that He is going to a place where the Pharisees and religious leaders cannot come. They thought he was going to commit suicide and thus go straight to hell-- at least that is what they believed. But Jesus was speaking about going to His Father in heaven. The second controversial statement was that they would die in their sins unless they believed that I AM. I AM was the name of God who revealed Himself to Moses at the burning bush. As the I AM, God is self-existent, that is He has no beginning, no ending, the uncaused cause. He was, is, and always will be God! As the I AM, God is also independent, that is, He owes his existence to no one else. HE can do whatever He desires. I AM is the covenant-making, covenant keeping God of Israel-- Yahweh or Jehovah. Jesus Christ was thus claiming to be I AM-- the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. Jesus Christ makes this claim on more than one occasion and so do His followers. If not true, this is blasphemy and ludicrous. But if true, then Jesus Christ is indeed God in the flesh and we should bow at his feet and exclaim, 'My Lord and My God'!! |
