Rebecca’s Well: Jesus The Great I AM

Called and commissioned by God to “go down to Egypt land and tell old Pharaoh to let my people go,” Moses inquired of God His name. God said unto Moses, “I AM That I AM … say unto the children of Israel, ‘I AM’ hath sent me unto you.” (Exodus 3:14)

Through the centuries, Scholars have tried to decode the name, “I AM that I AM” with no definitive clue as to its meaning. God Himself explains that man’s mind is too finite to understand His Mind. “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord. For as the Heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55: 8,9)

Since finite man can neither know nor understand God the Father, it takes Jesus the Christ of God, the Eternal Spirit, the Word of God, the Son of God and the Son of Man, both the Mediator and the Reconciler of God and Man “to enlighten the eyes of our understanding.” (Ephesians 1:18)

Jesus “The Great I AM” declares, “I AM Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and the Ending, the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8 KJV)
To the unbelieving Jews, Jesus said, “I and the Father are One.” (John 10:30 KJV) “I was in the beginning as the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1 KJV).
The Jews asked, “Who do you think you are? Are you greater than Abraham? Jesus said, Abraham with great faith, looked down the corridors of time and rejoiced at the coming of my day.
The Jews said, Abraham died. You’re not even fifty years old-and Abraham saw you?” “Believe me said Jesus, I AM who I AM long before Abraham was anything.” (John 8:58, The Message Bible) The KJV puts it this way. “Before Abraham was, I AM.”

In other words Jesus meant, “I AM God Himself, Here and Now; I AM who I say I AM; I Have Always Been, And I Will Always Be.” (Message p 1655)
Throughout His public ministry, Jesus used His “I AM” Divine Name of Christ, coupled with simple, ordinary words to tell who He is and what He does. Consider this long list of humble metaphors that Jesus uses to draw all mankind into His God-Life.

“I AM” Mark 14:62
“I AM the word” John 1:1
“I AM the true light” John 1:9
“I AM the word made flesh” John 1:14
“I AM the only begotten of the Father” John 1:14, John 1:23, John 1:29
“I AM grace and truth” John 1:14
“I AM the Messiah (Messias)” John 1:41
“ I AM the Christ” John 1:41
“I AM the living water” John 4:10
“I AM the bread of life” John 6:35
“I AM the Light of the world” John 8:12
“I AM the Door of the Sheep” John 10:7
“I AM the Door” John 10:9
“I AM the Good Shepherd” John 10:11
“I AM the Resurrection and the Life” John 11:25
“I AM the way, the Truth and the Life” John 14:6
“I AM the True Vine” John 15:1
“I AM Jesus of Nazareth” John 18:5
“I AM King of the Jews” John 19:33
“I AM Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God” John 20:31
“I AM the Lord” John 21:7
“I AM Jesus whom thou persecutes” Acts 9:5
“I AM the Son of David and the Son of Abraham” Matthew 1:1
“I AM Jesus Christ” Mt 1:16
“I AM Jesus” Mt 1:21
“I AM the Fullness of the God head Bodily” Col 2:9
“I AM the head of all things to the Church” Ephesians 1:22
“I AM the Chief Cornerstone” Eph 2:20
“I AM the Peace of God” Philippians 3:7
“I AM the Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ” Phil 3:20
“I AM Priest Forever” Hebrews 7:17-Heb 7:24
“I AM HIGH Priest” Heb 7:26-Heb 9:11
“I AM Mediator of a Better Covenant” Heb 8:6
“I AM the Eternal Spirit” Heb 9:14
“I AM Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and Forever” Heb 13:8
“I AM a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence” I Peter 2:8
“I AM the Chief Shepherd” I Pet 5:4
“I AM the stone which the builders refused. I AM become the Headstone of the Corner” Psalm 118:22

…to be continued