" Why Does Jesus Use The Phrase "I AM " ?"

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Why Does Jesus Use the Phrase “I Am”?

2 Weeks of studying, please give feedback if you feel differently about anything and we can
have a discussion about it.

One of the most stunning scenes in the Gospel of John is when Jesus debates the Jewish leadership at the end of chapter eight and declares, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (8:58). There is little doubt that this constituted a claim of divinity because in the very next verse we read, “So they picked up stones to throw at him” (8:59).

While there is little doubt that the Jews understood Jesus to be claiming a divine identity, there is some doubt regarding why they believed this. What is the background of Jesus’ “I am” declaration? Most of the time, it is assumed that Jesus is alluding to Ex 3:14 when Yahweh expresses his own name as “I am who I am.”

This is certainly a possibility. But the Greek constructions are not precisely the same. There is another possibility that is more likely the background of Jesus’ “I am” declarations, namely the book of Isaiah, particularly chapters 40-55. Not only are these chapters formative for early Christian theology (e.g., Is 40:3/Mark 1:3), but they contain some of the most direct declarations of God’s identity as the only true God. And many of these declarations use precisely the same “I am” construction (ego eimi).

A few examples:

Isaiah 41:4 Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he (ego eimi).
Isaiah 43:10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he (ego eimi). Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.
Isaiah 48:12 “Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he (ego eimi); I am the first, and I am the last.

These instances show that Isaiah uses the “I am” language to emphasize God’s exclusive status as the one true God. The phrase, in essence, means “I am [He]” or “I am [the One]” or “I am [the LORD].”

If so, then this brings insight into how John uses the “I am” language outside of John 8:58. For instance, when Jesus is arrested in the garden, he declares in 18:6: “I am he (ego eimi).” While most readers would miss the connection here, the response of the soldiers gives us a clue to what is meant: “When Jesus said to them, ‘I am he (ego eimi)’ they drew back and fell to the ground” (18:6).

The falling back is a contextual clue that Jesus is speaking like God speaks in Isaiah. Thus, there is likely a double entendre here in 18:6. On the one hand Jesus is simply answering the soldiers’ question by saying, “I am he [the one you are looking for].” But, on the other hand, he is saying, “I am he [the one true God].”

In the end, the “I am” language in John is a likely reference to God’s self-declarations in Isaiah, and thus a dramatic claim by Jesus to be the one true God of Israel. By appealing to Isaiah, Jesus is not portraying himself as another God, but the one and the same God of the Jews.

Love and Peace.....................

" Having The Mind To Suffer Pt 2 "

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1Pet 4:1  Since Christ therefore has suffered in the flesh,
you also arm yourselves with the same mind (because he who
has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin),
2:21  For to this you were called, because Christ also
suffered on your behalf, leaving you a model so that you may
follow in His steps;

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Words of Ministry~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Part 2 of 2)
A great many Christians think that as long as we belong to
God, are the people of God, love God, and do God's will,
everything concerning us will be fine. According to this
concept, we shall be blessed and may have a good job, a nice
house, and an excellent family life. This concept of a
Christian life is altogether contrary to Peter's teaching in
this Epistle. Peter knew that the more we love the Lord, the
more we shall be deprived of things. He also knew that the
more we do the will of God, the more trouble we may have. We
may have trouble with our job, with our finances, and with
our family life.

If we have the mind of Christ, we shall realize that we are
living in a rebellious age and in a crooked, perverted
generation. Because the age is rebellious and the generation
is perverse, the more we love God and do His will, the more
we shall suffer. We shall suffer because we cannot go along
with the trend of this age. We care to do the will of God,
but the will of God is absolutely contrary to the trend or
tide of this age. We would love the Lord Jesus, but this is
utterly against the trend of this corrupted world. Therefore,
if we love the Lord and do God's will, we are bound to
suffer. This will be our outlook if we have the mind of
Christ.

We need to arm ourselves, equip ourselves, with the mind of
Christ. This indicates that the mind of Christ is a weapon, a
part of the armor needed in fighting the battle for God's
kingdom. If we arm ourselves with the mind of Christ for
suffering, we shall be willing to endure suffering.
Therefore, knowing that Christ suffered in the flesh, we also
need to arm ourselves with the same mind.



Love and Peace.................

" Infiltrate Not Isolate "

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Infiltrate, Not Isolate

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. - (1 Peter 3:9)

Far too often it seems that Christians don’t want to have any contact with unbelievers. Maybe they don’t want to talk to them for fear of being polluted spiritually. But the church needs to infiltrate, not isolate. And to reach our culture, Christians must go where people are.

I am not saying that we should spend time around unbelievers and stay silent about our faith. We should speak up for Christ when the moment is right. At the very least, we should live a godly life as an example of what it is to follow Jesus Christ.

We see Jesus demonstrating this as He adapted His approach with the people He spoke to. With Nicodemus, who was powerful and affluent, Jesus told him that he must be born again (see John 3:1–17). With the immoral Samaritan woman, He reached out to her and engaged her in conversation (see John 4:1–26).

Before we can reach people, we first have to care. And I think one of the reasons we don’t share our faith more often is because we don’t care. We might think another person’s eternal destiny is their problem. If an unbeliever argues with us, we tend to think, Forget it then. I am going to heaven. You can go to hell if you want to. It is not my problem.

But actually, it is our problem, because they need someone to engage them. They need someone to share the gospel accurately with them. So we need to pray that God will give us a burden for people who do not yet know Him.

" God's Dynamite "

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God’s Dynamite

Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News — and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power. - (1 Corinthians 1:17, NLT)

There is explosive power in the message of the gospel because Paul says, “It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes . . .” (Romans 1:16, NLT). The word power that Paul used in this verse originates from the Greek word dunamis. It is the same word Jesus used in Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power [dunamis] when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere” (NLT). The English words dynamic, dynamo, and dynamite also have been translated from this word dunamis. Paul was saying the very message of the gospel is the dynamite and dynamic of God.

We often underestimate the raw power of the gospel in reaching even the most hardened heart. We think we need to add to it, dress it up, make it ultracontemporary, gloss it over, or even complicate it. But there is distinct power in the simple message of the life, words, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Never underestimate its appeal. Never be ashamed of its simplicity. Never add to it or take away from it. Just proclaim it, and then stand back and watch what God will do. As Paul said, “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18, NLT).

" Jesus Is The Primary Message "

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" Making Jesus The Primary Message "

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. - (Acts 17:16)

To be able to reach our culture, to be able to reach our unbelieving friends and family, to be able to reach someone who doesn’t believe in Jesus, we must first have a genuine concern for them.

While the apostle Paul was in Athens, “his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols” (Acts 17:16). Another translation of this verse says that Paul “was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city” (nlt).

Have you been angered by something in spiritual way? I am talking about righteous indignation where you see how the devil is ripping people off, and you actually get a little angry about it.

In Athens, Paul was grieved to see the absolute absence of the living God, with every conceivable substitute in His place.

Do you ever feel that way as you look at our confused culture? It seems as though anything goes—except for Christianity.

Paul could have cursed the darkness in Athens. But he instead turned on the light.

Today we can wring our hands and talk about the state of affairs in our world. Or we can do something about it. All too often, we Christians are known for what we are against and not what we are for. We are for Jesus. And that is who we want to talk about. That is who we want to point people to. That is the primary message we need to give to our culture today. They need to hear the gospel.

If we dwell on other issues and forget the message of Jesus, then we have misplaced our priorities.