2006-10-24 06:00:48 · 15 answers · asked by CJR 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
He is claiming deity. "I Am" one of the old testament names for God. In Exodus, God told Moses to "Tell them I AM has sent you"
(Exodus 3)
2006-10-24 06:05:30 · answer #1 · answered by Daddy of 5 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
When Moses was being sent back to Egypt, he asked whom shall he say sent him; i.e., what shall he say is God's Name. God replied "I am that I am" and you shall say "I am" hath sent you.
The "I AM", the eternal self-existent one.
In St. John 8 you find the repeated usage of the "I AM", Christ's claim to Deity; His claim to be the "I AM" of the O.T.
And on the night when He was betrayed, He asked "Whom do you seek" and when they answered, His response was "I am". True, the KJV and some others add the word "he" in italics -- that device, italics, indicates the word is not in the original.
When Jesus replied "I AM", the soldiers and temple leaders fell backwards; the power that was in THAT NAME, and demonstrating that they could not seize Him by force.
So, by "Before Abraham was, I am" not only was He claiming that He existed before Abraham [and Abraham had saw Him -- Christ -- on the plains of Mamre) but that He (Jesus) was from all eternity past. He was in the beginning. He was with God, and He was God. He became Flesh (Incarnate) and dwelt among the people for some 33 years.
2006-10-24 13:10:54 · answer #2 · answered by kent chatham 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Daddy of 4 is correct. The term that Jesus used, "I AM" was the name of the Hebrew Deity that was not to be spoken. And was the reason the Sanhedrin used to convict Jesus of blasphemy. Jesus told the Sanhedrin that he was God in no uncertain terms.
2006-10-24 13:09:36 · answer #3 · answered by uglygrandmother 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The first part of your question refers to His eternal nature and the second part refers to his existence before the father of the Jews, who was the reference point for people at that time.
2006-10-24 13:07:58 · answer #4 · answered by Nels 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simply, Jesus Christ is trying to tell the Jews that he is the God of the old testament. He is Jehovah, the God of Issac, the God of Jacob. yet, the Jews did not believe him, beacuse like most people nowadays, they do not accept Jesus Christ as their savior.
2006-10-24 16:13:28 · answer #5 · answered by Wahnote 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
he is saying that he existed before Abraham. it is also believed the Jesus is the messenger God sent to Abraham to warn him that Sodom and Gomorrah was going to be destroyed.
2006-10-24 13:05:11 · answer #6 · answered by Thumbs down me now 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It identified him as the manifestation of God in the burning bush talking to Moses.
2006-10-24 13:04:46 · answer #7 · answered by Jay Z 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jesus is saying He 'IS' before everything.
2006-10-24 19:57:42 · answer #8 · answered by nalaredneb 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"I Am" was one of the OT names for God. So when he said "Before there was Abraham, I Am" he was declaring himself to be God.
2006-10-24 13:06:35 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It means he always existed.
It can be interpreted as claiming he's God, since God is the alpha/omega - begining/end
2006-10-24 13:11:36 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋