I AM That I Am!

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 3:14]

When God commanded Moses to lead Israel out of slavery in Egypt into the promised land (Canaan), God said, “I am the God who was worshiped by your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”. When Moses asked what God’s name was, God replied, “tell them that the LORD, whose name is ‘I Am,’ has sent you. The title that the Lord gave Himself here is of great importance. Names that are connected with our Lord, in the scriptures, go along with the needs of the people, like Jehovah Jireh: "The Lord will provide", Jehovah Shalom: "The Lord of our peace", Jehovah Nissi: "The Lord is my Banner", and there are a lot more, but I think you get the point. As we look at all these titles we see that they are to show us Jesus is the one who will meet all our necessities for ever. That is why He is the great "I AM". He is everything to us!

The Hebrew name Yahweh is, in most Bible verses and studies, is related to the Hebrew verb "to be" and could mean “I am the one who is” or “I will be what I will be” or “I am the one who causes to be.” These possible meanings of the sacred name show that Yahweh is the God who is, Who will be, and Who causes to be. Yahweh, God, is the source of all that is and will fulfill his purpose for the people of God and for the whole creation for ever. The "I AM" of the burning bush is nothing less than our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!

In John, Jesus uses the two words  “I am” to connect himself to these aspects of God's nature and to describe what God has given him to do, here on this earth,  for people, for the lost, for the dying. Jesus identifies himself as the one who supplies all needs (“I am the bread that gives life,” John 6.35) and who brings the knowledge about God to people (“I am the light of the world,” John 8.12). Jesus also uses the "I AM" title in the Bible to identify himself as the way for people to find God and become God's people (“I am the gate for the sheep,” John 10.7-16); and “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” John 14.6). Jesus says “I am the true vine” and that his people are “the branches." By making these comparisons to the Jewish Scriptures, Jesus shows that he has been in God’s plan from the beginning: “even before Abraham was, I was, and I am” (John 8.58). Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”  In that name "I AM THAT I AM" we have a name that no earthly mind will ever fathom. He is without beginning and without end. No one can say, but Him, "I AM THAT I AM"