What are the seven I AM statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John? (2023)

The book of John contains seven significant moments in which Jesus reveals part of His character using the phrase "I AM". This sentence is important because it is aGod usedto identify with Moses, and the Jews accepted it as a name for God. When God revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush, He told Moses, "'I AM WHO I AM.' And he said, 'Say this to the children of Israel: 'Who I AM has sent me to you'" (Exodus 3:14). This name for God means that God is the existent. He had no beginning and no end: He is. He is. it is completely self-sufficient and its existence does not depend on anyone or anything, which emphasizes its divinity and holiness.

The expression "I am" usually requires something after it, like "I am love" or "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob", but in this case God does not give anything after the fact, nor does He need to define Himself. But you could fill that gap with attributes of God. Jesus fills in some of those gaps for us in John, showing us that he is not just God, but the God who supplies all our needs.

I am the bread of life
“Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35; cf. John 6:41-51). Jesus is speaking to the crowd that was there when he multiplied the bread and fed the 5,000 men, plus the women and children. Jesus was trying to convey that, unlike the bread people ate, He would indeed satisfy our hunger for all eternity. Like the manna from heaven and the bread he multiplied, his abundance does not fail, but is sufficient for the whole world.

I am the light of the world
“And Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. . Jesus is the light of the world. not only does it light up good and evil, but it also brings life. Jesus called himself the light of the world before giving blind sight to a man who was born and proving the truth behind his words with his power and authority over this world (John 9).

I am the door
"Then Jesus said to them again, Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door if anyone enters through me. , he will be saved, and he will go in and out and find pasture'" (John 10:7-9). In this passage Jesus creates a metaphor: We are the sheep and the kingdom of God is the fold. Jesus is the way to the sheepfold. Sheep fold. Those who offer other means of salvation are thieves and robbers (John 10:1). Through him we find pastures, as the psalmist says, "He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores the soul. my soul” (Psalm 23:2-3).

I am the good shepherd
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep... I am the good shepherd. I know mine and mine know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for sheep" (John 10:11-15). Immediately after revealing that he is the door to the kingdom of God, Jesus adds a new component to his metaphor. Jesus is not only the door that leads to life in abundance, but he is also the shepherd who guides and directs us. He is a personal Shepherd who knows each of His sheep individually, and each of the sheep knows and recognizes Him. He is a shepherd willing to lay down his life for his sheep, the ultimate expression of love and care (John 15:13). Here Jesus not only claims to be God using the expression “I AM”, but also connects to the role of God's shepherd recognized in the Old Testament: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).

I am the resurrection and the life
"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, even if he dies, he will live" (John 11:25). Jesus has power over life and death. He conquered death and will raise his people from the dead in the last days , so we need not fear death (Revelation 1:18; 2 Timothy 1:10). As the gate of the pasture, Jesus is the only way to eternal life in abundance. Jesus said this just before raising Lazarus from the dead , proving the truth and power of his words, and encouraging our faith.

I am the way and the truth and the life
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'" (John 14:6). Jesus claims to be the exclusive way to God the Father. it is stable, immovable and singular. Jesus is the logic and power by which God created all things (John 1:1-3, Psalm 119:160). There are not many truths or personal truths, but there is truth. And the truth gave his life for the world. Outside of Christ there is only death and confusion, instability and wandering. Even people who claim to be followers of Jesus try to minimize Jesus' claim here to be the only way to be the truth and the life, but the The Bible continues to support this message (Galatians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 11:1-4).

i am the true vine
“I am the true vine and my father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that bears fruit he prunes to bear more fruit... I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing” (John 15:1-5). Here, too, Jesus creates a metaphor: He is the vine that gives life to his people, the branches. In him we have received all that we need for life and fruition, but unless we trust him for our life and strength we will not bear the fruit of the Spirit as a separate branch of the vine cannot bring forth its own fruit. Jesus is theTRUEtendril. Anything else or anyone else that we depend on for sustenance and sustenance is a false vine and will lead to a fruitless life. Abiding in Him puts our hearts in alignment with God's will (John 15:7), helps us walk in obedience (John 15:10), and brings a fulness of joy (John 15:11).

There are two additional "I AM" statements in the Gospel of John. The Jews once claimed that Jesus had a demon. They asked Jesus, "Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! (John 8:53). Jesus partially answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." Here Jesus evidently used the name Yahweh to refer to himself. He says that AbrahamGuerra, but that before the life of Abraham ErAND. Obviously, Jesus identifies himself here with the eternal God. We see that the Jews understood his claim to divinity because of his violent reaction (John 8:59).

Finally, Jesus claims to be God just before he dies. When the soldiers were looking for Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest him, Jesus approached them and asked, "'Who are you looking for?' They answered him, 'Jesus of Nazareth.' Jesus said to them, 'I am he.'" (John 18:4-5) Our modern English translations add a word here, but the original Greek simply includes "I am." Interestingly, when Jesus said this, "the group of soldiers retreated and fell to the ground" (John 18:6).

Jesus and Godto incorporate. He came to this earth to live a perfect life, to die a sacrificial life and to be resurrected to life. He came to this earth to offer us salvation, something he did willingly. Philippians 2:5-11 explains: “Christ Jesus, who, although he was like God, did not have the likeness of God as a tangible thing, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in human form. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”