The I Am of Christ scriptures display God’s absolute omnipotence, sovereignty, and love. He spoke these words to leave no doubt of God’s undeniable presence. They show us that God placed Jesus as His new way into heaven.

I Am God

God first introduces us to the I Am when He chose Moses to rescue the Israelites from Egyptian captivity (Exodus 3:1-9).

God said:

God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14, ESV)

God unveiled this mighty truth to provide Moses with the authority to speak on His behalf. Moses questioned God about how he would convince the Israelites to trust in him (Exodus 3:13). To put Moses’s uneasiness to rest, God responded with I Am. And God carried out this reality (Exodus 4:31). Our Father always keeps His promises!

Christ’s I Am Deity

The revelation of Christ’s I Am deity unleashes God’s final salvation plan. When God announced Jesus as His Son (Matthew 3:16-17), Christ’s Deity took center stage. From this point forward and to this day, Jesus holds the key to God’s kingdom (John 14:6 “I Am”).

In the time when Christ lived with the Jewish people, they responded to Him with Old Testament truths. Their knowledge of God was apparent, but the Pharisees deceived them. So, Jesus included their references to scripture in His dialogue.

For example, Jesus preached on divine truth (John 8:31-32), and they shared their belief in Abraham. Christ’s truth sermon didn’t convict them to believe in Him. No, it stirred up resentment, and they called Him a demon (John 8:52).

Jesus ended His truth homily with:  

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. (John 8:58, KJV)

Christ’s Deity was already in place before Abraham’s birth. He was with God at the origin of creation (John 1:2-3), and this fact validates His existence before Abraham. This truth turned them away from Him, and they picked up stones to harm Him (John 8:59).

Another significant I Am proclamation of Jesus’s Deity is His power of resurrection. When Christ arrived at Martha and Mary’s home to heal Lazarus he already died. Martha demonstrated her faith in Him by believing Lazarus (her brother) would rise on the last day of Jesus (John 11:24).

Christ responded:  

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. (John 11:25, NKJV)

Here Jesus reaffirmed her trust in Him. He tells us we die a physical death but that He is the reason for our everlasting life with God. Christ resurrected Lazarus (John 11:43-44), showing those witnessing this unprecedented miracle and His authority to raise people from death.

Summary

In essence, the I Am of Christ is the epiphany of God’s final salvation with humanity. We know this truth because God uses the Holy Spirit to give us divine wisdom to this remarkable truth. This is only a brief conversation about Jesus’s I Am ministry, and many more are in the Gospels.

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