WHAT DID JESUS MEAN WHEN HE SAID - "I AM"
1) INTRO-KNOWING GOD & JESUS
(a) Knowing God thru Jesus:-
One of the most important duty of ours is to Worship God. Before we worship Him, we must know whom we worship. Most people assume to know God. In Acts 17:22 Paul told the men of Areopagus that the UNKNOWN God that they worshipped was the One he wanted to proclaim. Even in John 4:22 Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that they do not KNOW whom they worship.
John 14:7 says we can know God by knowing Jesus. 1 John 2:3 says we know Him, if we keep His commandments. So by knowing Jesus and the Gospel we can know God. Let us see what the Gospel says about Jesus.
(b) 4 types of people who knew Jesus:-
Jesus can be was known thru his disciples, the healed, and most importantly from His own words. Even the devil knew him which puts to shame the ethist.
1) The disciples - The disciples at the boat (Mat 14:33), Simon (Mat 16:15), Nathaniel (John 1:49), Martha (John 11:27) and Thomas (John 20:20) all knew Jesus and proclaimed him as the Son of God. With the below 2 verses (Phil 2:6 & Col 1:15) the disciples, strongly describe Jesus.
Phil 2:6 He, being in the form of God' equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 10 at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Col 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
2) The sick - The sick, leper, centurion (Mat 8:2-5), 2 blind (9:27 & 20:30), the Canaanite (15:22) and Epileptic (17:15) were healed by Jesus since they proclaimed that they knew him.
3) The devil - Christians believe in Christ. Jam 2:19 Even the demons believe and tremble!
Mat 8:29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, 'What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?'
Mark 1:24 'Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!'
34 Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.
Mark 3:11 the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, 'You are the Son of God.'
Luke 10:17 Even the demons are subject to us in Your name.
4) Jesus - Jesus is the best source to determine who He really was, described in detail below.
2) JESUS SAID - "I AM"
Exo 3:14 God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.' And He said, 'Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’'
In the below two verses we see that Jesus not only saw Satan fall, he says that before Abraham was, 'I AM'.
Luke 10:18 Jesus said 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
John 8:58 Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.'
Let us look further to see what Jesus meant when he said 'I AM':-
I AM THE source of LIVING WATERS
John 4:14 whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.'
7:37 Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'
Rev 21:6b I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
48 I am the bread of life. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.'
I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
John 8:12 I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.
I AM THE DOOR
John 10:7 Then Jesus said to them again, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
I AM THE RESSURECTION
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE
John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, & the life. No one comes to the Father except thru Me.
I AM OF GOD
John 8:24 You will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He (Who I said I am), you will die in your sins.(Ref 4:26)
John 10:30 I and My Father are one.
John 14:10 I am in the Father, and the Father in Me
I AM THE TRUE VINE
John 15:1 'I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
I AM THE ROOT
Rev 22:16 I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright & Morning Star.
I AM THE FIRST & LAST
Rev 22:13/21:6 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. (1:17)
I AM COMING
Rev 3:11 Behold, I am coming quickly! ...
Conclusion:- Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life. He is the source of Living Water, Everlasting Life, the Bread of Life, the Light of the Word, the Door, the Good Shepherd, the Ressurection, the True Vine, the Root, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. He is in the Father and one with the Triune God