I Am’s of the Gospel of John
Posted on Jul 6, 2014 in Published Articles by John, UGP | 0 comments
by John B. Metzger
We cannot fully understand the significance of the I AM statements of Yeshua without going to the background of this I AM statement. It all starts in Exodus 3:14 when Moses asks the Name of the one speaking to him from the burning bush. Three Names are used to describe who the speaker is from the burning bush. In verse 2 and 4 the speaker is called the angel [messenger] of the LORD, the LORD [Yahweh] and God [Elohim]. God who spoke to Moses, said His Name was I AM THAT I AM, meaning He is the eternal present existent One.
The theme of the Gospel of John is to present Yeshua the Messiah [Jesus the Christ] as God incarnate. John uses the I AM statements of Yeshua not 7 times but 9 times in his gospel. We will go through each of the I AM’s giving the Jewish background of the Hebrew Scriptures as we present each of the I AM’s.
I Am the Bread of Life. In John 6:35 (vs. 22-59) Yeshua equates Himself to the Bread of Life that came down from heaven to mean the spiritual needs of Israel. Throughout the wilderness wandering God gave them manna to meet their physical need. If you study the Hebrew Scriptures carefully you will find that it was the Second Person of the Godhead who was interacting with Israel, not just in the wilderness but throughout the Hebrew Scriptures.
I Am the Light of the World. In John 8:12 (vs. 12-59) Yeshua equates Himself as the light of the world. As John records this passage he is referencing a sub-theme throughout his gospel of light and darkness. But the context of this passage also has a direct connection to Exodus 3:14. The context in the gospel was at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. During this feast there were two festivals: one of the pouring out of the water and the other the festival of lights (not Hanukkah). During this festival the religious leaders would erect in the temple compound four large lampstands and in the evening they would light them and say that at the lighting of those lampstands symbolized the Shechinah presence of the LORD. During this period you have Yeshua saying I AM the Light of the World, He is the Shechinah Glory of God, the One who met with Moses on Mt. Sinai and gave the Law. This is a powerful statement.
I Am the Door. In John 10:9 Yeshua is also using the context of a shepherd and a sheep fold. He is the Door to the sheepfold. The shepherd becomes the door as he inspects the sheep as they return from grazing as well as a protector for the sheep at night. You cannot enter the sheepfold unless you go through Him. You cannot get to the Father except through Him, the Door.
I AM the Good Shepherd. In John 10:11 Yeshua is stating that He is the Good Shepherd. He is the one who shepherds Israel. The Prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Zechariah all reference the God of Israel as their Shepherd. Once again you have the Second Person of the Godhead who pictures Himself as Israel’s Shepherd. The Shepherd of Zechariah 11 who is betrayed for 30 pieces of silver is the same Shepherd in Zechariah 13:7 who is equal to the Father and the Father tells the sword to slay the Shepherd. The Shepherd of Israel became the vicarious volunteer sacrifice for sin (Isaiah 53). He truly did give His life for the sheep.
I AM the Resurrection and the Life. In John 11:25 Yeshua said to Martha that He is the Resurrection and the Life. You have two things here: first He is resurrection, when He calls the dead to come forth as He did to Lazarus, they come. He is the One who is involved in all the future resurrections of all the righteous saints both from the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament saints. The second aspect of this statement by Yeshua is that He is the Life. Notice the reoccurrence of this word in I AM the Bread of Life, I AM the Good Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep and now He is the I AM the Resurrection and the Life. We will also see this in the next I AM.
I AM the Way, and the Truth and the Life. In John 14:6 Yeshua gives three aspects of His person. He is the Way, the only Way and no one can approach the Father accept through Him (Acts 4:12). Picture the Tabernacle entrance: there was one way in to make the offering for sin and there was only one way for the priest to enter the Tabernacle building itself where His presence dwelt as the Shechinah glory of God. Secondly, He is the Truth; there is no falsehood or unrighteousness in Him at all (Jeremiah 23:5-6). He is the embodiment of Truth. Thirdly, again He is the Life, the One who breathed into mankind life and made us living souls (Genesis 2:7; 7:21-22; Isaiah 2:22; Zechariah 12:1, 10).
I AM the True Vine. John 15:1 Yeshua presents Himself as the True Vine. Notice again the word True as in truth from the previous I AM. Here again Yeshua is relating to the Hebrew Scriptures when He references the Psalmist, Isaiah and Jeremiah. Israel was the vine of God but failed on their part, whereas, the Messiah of God, the Second Person of the God-head He is the True Vine, He will fulfill everything that Israel failed to do.
Before Abraham was I AM. Back in John 8:58 Yeshua makes a statement that infuriates the Pharisees by saying before Abraham was I AM. They understood clearly what He was saying and they took up stones to stone Him to death because from rabbinic Judaism’s perspective He was blaspheming God by making Himself equal with God. They clearly understood the term and its reference from Exodus 3:14.
I AM, and they fell to the ground. In John 18:6 Yeshua asked the cohort of Roman soldiers who they wanted and they said Jesus. He responded by saying I AM, not I am he, but I AM. The he is not in the text. The I AM statement was a statement of deity. Notice the response of the Roman soldiers: they all fell backwards to the ground by His power, not forward to worship. He forced them to the ground by the power of His word just to let them know that He was in control and He was only permitting them to arrest Him to accomplish the plan of God.
The nine I AM’s of John all point to the Hebrew Scriptures and a foundation and basis for showing the deity of Yeshua as He taught biblical truth. He is the one who created all things into existence according to Isaiah 44:13 (see verses 12-16), Zechariah 12:1, 10 as well as John 1:1-3 and Colossians 1:15-18. He is the great I AM THAT I AM of Exodus 3:14. Yeshua is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just as He said of Himself in Matthew 23:37.