John • #2 of 7 "I AM" Statements

Along with the 7 signs that John emphasizes in the Gospel of John, he also presents 7 "I AM" statements, that also give us a window into the character of Jesus. Each of these statements are uttered by Jesus Himself, and each also tells us specifically of something we need to know about Him.

For a review of the names of God, and the significance of His name "I AM", click here... NAMES

• Here is a list of all 7 of the I AM statements. They are...

► I AM #1 • I AM the Bread of Life - Jesus ELIMINATES HUNGER → John 6:26-58

► I AM #2 • I AM the Light of the World - Jesus ELIMINATES DARKNESS → John 8:12-9:5

► I AM #3 • I AM the Door of the Sheep - Jesus ELIMINATES DEATH & DESTRUCTION → John 10:1-10

► I AM #4 • I AM the Good Shepherd - Jesus KNOWS US → John 10:11-19

► I AM #5 • I AM the Resurrection and the Life - Jesus is the SOURCE OF ETERNAL LIFE → John 11:24-27

► I AM #6 • I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Life - Jesus is THE WAY TO THE FATHER → John 14:1-6

► I AM #7 • I AM the True Vine - Because of Jesus WE WILL BEAR FRUIT → John 15:1-11

• I AM #2 • I AM the Light of the World - Jesus ELIMINATES DARKNESS

 John 8:12-9:5 → Today's passage is quite long, but I'm only going to comment on parts of it. If you want to read the entire passage, click here... ENTIRE PASSAGE

1st portion → John 8:12-20

12Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

• I think it's important to understand the context of where Jesus was when He said these words, and what time it was in the Jewish calendar. It's currently the time of the Feast of Booths (AKA Tabernacles). This feast is a celebration of God's presence being with the people of Israel during their wanderings in the desert, as a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night. It gave the people security knowing that God was with them, and was leading them. During the feast, large menorahs, multi-headed standing candelabras, standing upwards to 75 feet in height, were lit at night, and the light was visible anywhere in Jerusalem. The menorahs are in the Temple, where Jesus is teaching - and probably pointing at the menorahs while He is speaking of Himself as "the Light of the world".

13So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true.” 14Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone.

• When the Pharisees (one of the sects of Judaism; also part of the ruling body of Israel) questioned Jesus as to His authority ("you are testifying about Yourself..."), Jesus responds by telling them that they don't know where He is from, or where He is going.

16But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me. 17Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true. 18I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.”

• Jesus responds by saying that His statements about Himself are valid, because "the Father" has seconded His statements. From the Jewish perspective, Jesus appears to be equating Himself with God. But can they trap Him into making a more clearly damning statement?

19So they were saying to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.” 20These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.

• When the Pharisees ask Jesus "where is Your Father", it's not that they want to know, but rather are trying to entrap Jesus into making what they would consider to be a blasphemous statement. And Jesus doesn't mince words by stating "if you knew Me, you would know My Father also". He said this in the temple, in the presence of many witnesses, so the Pharisees held back - for now.

2nd portion → John 8:25-30

25So they were saying to Him, “Who are You?”

• We jumped a few verses, but now we rejoin the conversation. The Pharisees now ask Him plainly, "who are You?" I'm not sure that they really want to know, as much as they just want Him to entrap Himself in a statement they can use as evidence for His execution.

Jesus said to them, “What have I been saying to you from the beginning? 26I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.”27They did not realize that He had been speaking to them about the Father.

• This text is telling us that the Pharisees didn't realize that Jesus was talking about the Father. How could they miss that? It was plain, earlier in the conversation, but now somehow they've lost track.

28So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. 29And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” 30As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him.

• Jesus gets down to brass tacks at this point. When Jesus says "when you lift up the Son of Man", we know, at least in hindsight, that He is talking about His crucifixion. This is also a reference to an event during the exodus of Israel, from Numbers 21:4-9 where the people were saved from the punishment of God by looking up toward a bronze serpent that was "lifted up" on a wooden standard/pole. An OT preview of what would happen to Jesus. And He goes a step further, telling them "then you will know that I am He". Now it's very important to a correct understanding of what Jesus just said, to make note of one thing. When Jesus said in verse 24 and in verse 28 "I am He", "He" is not actually in the Greek. Translators have added that to make the English better, but by doing that they've lessened the significance of what Jesus is actually saying. A lot of the translations will show the "He" in italics to indicate that this specific word is not really there. When He says, literally in the Greek, "I AM", He's attributing to Himself the memorial name of God, in essence saying "I AM GOD". We will see Him getting much more clear on that fact in a bit.

• While I'm certain that the Pharisees were adding this to their list of incriminating evidence, the text tells us that a completely different response was happening for some in the temple. "Many came to believe in Him". This is what it is all about!

3rd portion → John 8:39-42

39They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham.

• After a lengthy dialogue about the "truth", where at one point Jesus said that those who are His disciples would "know the truth, and the truth will make you free" in verse 32, the Pharisees bring up the topic of Abraham, and their lineage from him.

• Jesus then encourages them to "do the deeds of Abraham". What are the deeds of Abraham? Gen 15:6 tells us that Abraham (still named Abram in this dialogue) "believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness."

40But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. 41You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.” 42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.

• Here is where someone within the Pharisaical crowd has interpreted the details of Jesus conception as being totally human (and outside of wedlock) and not divine. By making the statement "we were not born of fornication" they are in a nutshell claiming that Jesus was. Ergo, Jesus was unauthorized to even teach about God, let alone be descended from Him.

• Jesus retorts their claim that if they really had a relationship with the Father that they would love Him also, because He is from, and was sent by, the Father.

4th portion → John 8:56-59

56Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” 58Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” 59Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.

• In the interim passage (John 8:42-55) there is lots of bantering back and forth about who one's father is/was (Abraham - Satan).

• Now Jesus is about to sum it all up - Jesus tells them that "Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."

• The Jews respond that Jesus isn't even 50 years old yet, so how in the world could He be old enough to have seen Abraham face to face?

• Then Jesus makes it plain as day - and their response tells us that they clearly understood what Jesus was saying...

► Jesus said "truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM!" (emphasis and all caps mine). Jesus clearly used the memorial name of God, and applied it to Himself.

► How do we know the Jews understood what He was saying? The punishment for blasphemy (what they believed Jesus had done) was death by stoning. They were going to do to Jesus what they will eventually do to his follower Stephen in Acts 7.

• Jesus splits before they can kill Him.

   5th portion → John 9:1-5

1As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” 3Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”

• Since we already dealt with sign #6, the healing of the man born blind (REVIEW HERE), I won't make any comments specific to this miracle, other than to say that similar to "I AM #1" where the I AM followed a sign, and gave more power to the sign, in this case, the I AM is before the sign, the the sign giving credence to the I AM statement.

• Jesus reiterates His "I am the Light of the world" statement and then proceeds to prove it by giving sight, and thereby light, to a man that had been in darkness his entire life.

• This is one of those situations where it is really easy to be judgmental and criticize the Pharisees for their negative response to Jesus and what He was saying. But if you put yourself into that scenario, I wonder if any of us would react any better. Here's this new preacher in town, creating quite a stir in the temple, saying things that at least the leadership think He ought not to be saying. But what if what He says is true? What am I to do about it?

• We do know from John 8:30 that "many came to believe in Him." "Many", but not all.

• We also know that the blind man, once he actually saw Jesus, and figured out He was the one who healed him, responded in John 9:38 "Lord, I believe" and then worshipped Jesus, which was something that only God is deserving of.

• But that should be our response also. When we read the Scripture, and we understand our overwhelming need to be saved from our sin, how thankful should we be when we understand that Jesus has already fixed the problem for us on the cross, so that by believing in Him, and in what He has done, we could receive eternal life.

Photo • 5/07/2025 - Sunrise at the Lamont Odett Vista Point, CA-14, Palmdale, CA

“Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995

by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org”