I AM
Being commissioned by the LORD to lead Israel from the land of Egypt, Moses asked who he should say sent him. The LORD answered, "I AM WHO I AM. Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" (Exodus 3:14). The English "I AM" here translates from the Hebrew word hayah, meaning to exist (Strong's). It speaks of God's eternal existence.
When we get to the New Testament, it is interesting to notice Jesus' use of "I am" in the gospel of John. Seven times, He makes statements of His role as our Saviour, and on seven other occasions, He simply refers to Himself as "I am".
I am the bread of life (John 6:35)
A day after feeding the 5,000, some tracked Jesus down, seekng another meal. Through the process of their conversation, Jesus admonished:
Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him. (John 6:27)
The people, still focussed on food mentioned the manna which their fathers ate - bread from heaven. Again, Jesus encourages them to turn their thoughts from physical food to spiritual:
...Moses did nto give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. (6:32-33)
The people declared their interest in this bread (6:34), so He revealed that He is the "bread of life" (v 35, 41, 48, 51). Unfortunately, the people in His audience that day were not interested in receiving true bread from heaven, for they "went back and walked with Him no more." (v 66). May we receive Jesus, the bread of life!
I am the light of the world (John 8:12)
Jesus' teaching at the temple early one morning was interrupted by the scribes and Pharisees, as they brought the woman found in adultery to Him. Overcoming their challenge, He began teaching again. What was His topic? He spoke,
I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. (John 8:12)
“I AM... speaks of God's eternal existence.”
Some time later, Jesus stated:
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. (John 9:5)
Jesus seeks to give us direction. He desires for us to follow Him - to turn from darkness and walk in the light. In fact, the Lord states of those who do follow Him, that they too "...are the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14) If we will receive of His life, we will have life in us; and if we will follow Him as the light of our lives, then He promises that we too will become lights in this world of darkness. The light of the world was in the presence of the scribes and Pharisees, but they chose to remain in darkness. Let us turn to the light!
I am the door of the sheep (John 10:7)
Jesus emphasized to His hearers the importance of entering the sheepfold by the door. Those who do not enter by the door are described as "a thief and a robber" (10:1). He then identified Himself as the door. There is but one way to enter the fold of God's people - only through Jesus Christ.
Of the religious leaders who competed with Him for the people, Jesus plainly stated:
All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. (John 10:8-9)
Let us enter the fold through the door - through Jesus Christ!
I am the good shepherd (John 10:11)
In the same context where Jesus said He is the door of the sheepfold, He also referred to Himself as the good shepherd. The Lord reveals two things about the character of the good shepherd:
1) He gives His life for the sheep (10:11), and
2) He is known by and knows His sheep (10:14).
Here, we've looked at four of the seven "I am" statements which speak of the Lord's role as our Saviour. Next week, we will consider the three which remain,
5) I am the resurrection and the life;
6) I am the way, the truth, and the life; and
7) I am the true vine.
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Answering The Atheist
The Atheist's Complaint:
Were the men with Paul knocked to the ground? Acts 26:14 says that they did fall to the ground, but
Response:
In Exodus 3, we read of Moses who came upon a bush which was burning with fire, but was not consumed. Moses, not understanding what was going on decided, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn." (v 3). Basically, Moses decided that he was going to approach the bush and find out what was going on. Then, the LORD spoke to Moses, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground." (v 5).
Did Moses approach the burning bush or not? Both. At one moment, he was approaching the burning bush with curiosity; the next, he ceased his approach and was taking off his sandals.
What is my point? The questioner asks regarding Paul's companions, did they fall to the ground or did they remain standing? The scenario is no different than Moses' approach to the burning bush. At one point, he was approaching; at another moment, he was not.
It is evident by each account of the event that Paul, seeing the light which shone fell to the ground (Acts 9:4; 22:7; 26:14). Only in the Acts 26:14 account does Paul mention that his companions also fell to the ground.
By the time that Paul's conversation with the Lord was finished, he was the only one who was still on the ground. His companions had all returned to their feet. They stood nearby speechless, for though they heard the sound of a voice, they did not see anyone (Acts 9:7), nor did they hear what had been said (Acts 22:9).
They saw the light, fell to the ground, heard something but saw no one, and stood up again before Saul rose from the ground.
There is no contradiction.
This article is in response to Skeptic's Annotated Bible.