The Bible Edge
Random Thoughts of a Spiritual Nature II
John 8:58
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
No wonder they thought they had to eliminate Him. By this one simple statement Jesus equated Himself with the One who spoke to Moses saying, …I AM THAT I AM… (Exodus 3:14). But more than that, Jesus said He was before Abraham… Abraham lived more than four hundred years before Moses, so Jesus is saying that He existed more than four hundred years before Moses. More than that, by using the present tense of “I am” the Lord is saying clearly that He is, was, and forever will be in existence. He is I am.
Four times in the book of Revelation Jesus states: I am Alpha and Omega. Four times in Revelation He relates that He is the first and the last. Only God could make such a claim. Abraham was born, Moses was born, John was born, you and I were born, but Jesus has been ever existent. John makes this abundantly clear by the first few verses of his gospel account:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:1-5
Then to make doubly sure that everyone understood who this “Word” was John wrote: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Let’s not pass by this too quickly. Consider the ramifications of this statement that the Lord made. One is that every time you pray to Jesus you are speaking to the great I AM. Please think about that. Could you get your governor on the phone, your senator, your congressional representative, or president? Sometimes you can’t even reach your preacher. But you can always speak to the great I AM.
What a life changing thought that is!
William T. Howe, Ph.D.
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