And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. Exodus 3:14
This study picks up where Part 1 left off. Please, if possible, read Part 1 before proceeding. Contact us if you need Part 1.
The title to this teaching was spoken by Jesus and recorded in three different gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). Interestingly, 
the name “I AM” is recorded three times in Exodus 3:14. In this verse (as well as several other Scriptures, God specifically chose these two words to identify himself—His name—as I AM; and as will be shown, Jesus did the same. That is, He also identified Himself as I am.
But some would ask, “What did God mean?” Perhaps what God was implying is that there is no way to describe Himself. However, God is; God always has been; and He will always be. Am, of course, is an auxiliary verb which normally shows the connection between the subject of a sentence with an adjective or noun that comes after this “to be” verb to complete the thought. However, grammatically, I am is a complete sentence. Yet, there are many times in both the Old and New Testaments where the “I am” spoken by God and Jesus do have words following which help to complete the thought.
However, not only did God not expand on His name here, but His answer is emphasized with all capital letters in most Bibles: I AM THAT I AM. And I would be amiss if I tried to explain such an inquiry other than to do as we are directed by Jesus: Search the scriptures … they are they which testify of me. John 5:39
The I AM Who spoke to Moses at the burning bush (illustrated in the image above) is the same I AM about whom the apostle John wrote—Jesus.
In the gospel of John, this penman records the words I AM almost 60 times, and most of these occurrences are spoken by Jesus Himself about Himself. John wrote in the gospel he penned why he was led to write the book of John: That they might KNOW* thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. John 17:3 Be careful not to read over the preceding sentence that is power-packed with major theological information. First, did you notice there is an implied exchange between God and Jesus? Who is being sent? It is thee: Jesus. Who sent Jesus? It was thou: God. (*Capitalized for emphasis)
It has been stated in previous teachings that our Bible is supernaturally authored by God outside the dimension of time; yet, He wrote it THROUGH holy men of God as they … spake [wrote] as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Peter 1:21 That’s why even though the 66 books of the Bible were penned by some 40 men from different parts of the known world over perhaps what some believe was a period of some 2000 years, it is consistent throughout with contextual continuity between the Old and New Testaments. Those who study will, little by little, see how the New Testament is hidden in the Old Testament and the Old Testament in revealed in the New Testament.
This is also why this teaching, highlighting Exodus 3:14, is vital and must state, I AM THAT I AM. As we continue our journey with validating proofs, it will become more evident that it’s the same I am Who spoke, as recorded in Exodus, as is also revealed in the New Testament as God in the person of Jesus Christ.
It’s the same I AM.
Neither God nor Jesus were created beings. In fact, John tells us that Jesus created all things, so Jesus could not be created. Both God and Jesus have always existed. This is something Jesus made clear through many New Testament statements but especially when He told the Pharisees: … Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. John 8:58
Now, this may not seem so obvious to you if you haven’t studied this before and especially how it is tied to Exodus 3:14. It is those through whom God inspired to record the text in Exodus 3:14 to contextually reflect what Jesus would (hundreds of years later) tell the Pharisees: “I AM.” However, these important additional details identifying the “I AM” were not revealed until the “fullness of time” (when the time was right) and that was in the New Testament through the ministry of Jesus: That they might KNOW thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. John 17:3
Consider also something written by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah about Jesus, but the name Jesus is concealed in the Old Testament: Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I [Jesus] have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me [Jesus]. Isaiah 48:16
Isaiah was prophesying some 700 years before Jesus “came” into this world by stating that Jesus would be SENT. Such pre-told FACTS were 100% accurately fulfilled through Jesus which should help any reader to KNOW that the Words recorded in the Bible were pre-ordained by God Himself. It was only He Who knew every detail before it was written, and it is He Who … shalt keep them [every word], O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. Psalm 12:7 That’s because HE IS … as written twice in the last book of the New Testament: I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end … Revelation 1:8 and 22:13
The religious leaders recognized Who Jesus was saying He was.
John records a very heated confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders in which the Pharisees accused Him of being born out of wedlock: … We be not born of fornication … John 8:41. This was because it was no secret that Mary was pregnant before she married Joseph. Yet, these religious leaders did not understand what God had done to supernaturally make this happen through the Holy Ghost: And the angel answered and said unto her [Mary], The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Luke 1:35 These deceived legalists even suggested to Jesus: … thou … hast a devil. John 8:48.
How could Jesus KNOW Abraham?
In this confrontation recorded by John, there were back and forth accusations from the Pharisees about Jesus until at one point Jesus stated that He knew Abraham—a statement which the Pharisees mocked: … Thou are not fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was I AM. John 8:57-58 The Pharisees knew Jesus was referencing the statement made in the Exodus account of the burning bush which identified the I AM as God, but now Jesus was identifying Himself as the I Am—the SAME person Who spoke from the burning bush! Thus, Jesus, in their minds, had made a blasphemous statement by saying that He was the God of Exodus 3:14.
The reader should now understand why Jesus stating “before Abraham was I AM” would not have had the impact upon the Pharisees had the Holy Ghost not inspired Moses to record God’s answer to the question of Moses: … when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me [Jesus] unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? What shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM. Exodus 3:13-14 Thus, foretold some 1200 years before Jesus came into this world, God planted this seed of understanding in Exodus 3:14: I AM.
The Pharisees, who were experts on their knowledge of the Old Testament, well knew of Moses and the burning bush. They understood what Jesus meant when He said … before Abraham was I am. John 8:58 He was stating that He was God. Additionally, collaborating proof was the response of the Pharisees recorded in John 8:59: … then took they up stones to cast at him …. That’s because the Mosaic Law stated that anyone claiming to be God was to be stoned: And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death. Leviticus 24:16
Study the table below to consider a few of more than 50 times Jesus identified Himself as the I am from the gospel of John:
However, even the 12 disciples had a difficult time understanding Who Jesus was. Jesus asked them: Do ye not yet understand … How is it that ye do not understand … Matthew 16:9, 11 Ask yourself, “Is Jesus saying that of you or those to whom you should be helping to understand Who Jesus is?” Why is this so important? I [Jesus] said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. John 8:24
Jesus knew He was equal with God.
Another statement Jesus made numerous times was that He was the Son of God equating Himself with God. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. John 5:18 Jesus KNEW He was equal with God. He KNEW Who He was: God manifest in the flesh. Review 1Timothy 3:16: And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Yet, the man, Jesus, while still being fully God, temporarily gave up some of His power when He humbled Himself to be “fashioned as a man” and the “Son of God”; yet, He KNEW that being the Son of God did not change the fact that He was equal with God.
Thus, we’re reminded in Philippians 2:5-9 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. This again, was why the Jews sought to kill Him; that is because Jesus said … that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. John 5:18
Sadly many authors and teachers malign the character of Jesus by rewriting the highlighted words Jesus: thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Study the table below. They are saying the opposite of what Jesus knew.
Jesus well knew He was equal with God, which He stated clearly: Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. John 5:18 This is why the Jews hung Him on the cross.
Yes, and Jesus also KNEW He was the I AM of Exodus 3:14! We must all revere the words of the Bible and KNOW that they must be 100% pure, else Jesus, the Word, becomes a false prophet. The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. Psalm 12:6-7
We pray that you will join us for Part 3 of this series. In Part 3, we search the Scriptures to learn more Truths about Jesus Who was SENT into this world and how the apostle John uniquely highlights this supernatural ACT of God with more than 50 examples. John also records the Biblical term which represents this act of Jesus being SENT into this world. Do you know what that is?
If you have questions, need prayer, or would like to be added to our distribution list for future teachings, please contact us. We are blessed when we hear from you.
In Christ’s Service,
Judith
President/Founder
Restoration Of The Family, Inc.
www.RestorationOfTheFamily.org; RestorationOfTheFamily@gmail.com;
PO Box 621342, Oviedo, FL 32762-1342
