I Am

February 3

“But He said to them, 'It is I; do not be afraid'” John 6:20.

The three words, "It is I," are in Greek only two words (ego eimi), and they are much more powerful and significant than most Bible readers realize. Jesus says not, "It is I" but "I am," which is a direct assertion of His deity.

Moses had asked God:

"Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?" And 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,'" Exodus 3:13-14.

Jesus is here declaring that He is Yahweh, the living and true God of Old Testament. This assertion is made throughout the New Testament for there are a number of significant amplifications of this: Christ is the "I AM" that is the bread of life; the light of the world; the good shepherd; the resurrection; the way, the truth, and the life; and the Alpha and Omega, among other things ( See John 6:35; 8:12; 10:11; 11:25; 14:6; Revelation 1:8).

In the incident where the disciples were terrified by the treacherous sea in which they found themselves, they showed that they were growing in faith. In the earlier miracle of Christ stilling the storm on the sea, they had asked, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" (Matthew 8:27), but now they have advanced in their knowledge to recognizing Jesus as God, as the term "Son of God" indicates, and worshiping Him.

In the Garden of Gethsemane the night before the crucifixion, the term "I AM" was used again and was unmistakable in its implication. When soldiers came to arrest Jesus, He went forward and said to them, "Who are you seeking?"

They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth."

Jesus said to them, "I am He" ("He" has been inserted by the translators) And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground,” John 18:4-6.

Recognizing that Jesus is God is imperative to true worship. The words Jesus said to the woman at the well, "You worship what you do not know," John 4:22, are as true today as they were when He spoke them to her, for it is unfortunate that millions of people today, including many professing believers, sadly do not know who He truly is.

We must devote ourselves to gaining a true knowledge of who Jesus is so we can offer acceptable worship to Him; so we can fully understand at whose feet we have placed our lives for time and eternity.