JESUS IS THE HOLY, INFINITE, PERFECT GOD OF ALL

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I Am the Alpha and the Omega… who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. – Revelation 1:8 –

In the book of Revelation, Jesus identifies Himself as I Am… the holy name of God. Jesus Christ is the eternal God… the absolutely holy, divine, infinite One. The perfect, unchanging, pre-existent One. He has no beginning… He will have no end. He always was and always will be the Maker, Sustainer and Lord of all.

Throughout His ministry on earth, Jesus never disclaims His divinity. He always upholds His deity… His eternality… His oneness with the Father. Time and again, He gives Himself the name of God, I Am. Jesus is God. He and the Father are one (John 10:30). He never claims to be otherwise.

In the gospel of John, we see Jesus seven times taking on the holy name, I Am…

  • I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. – John 14:6
  • I Am the Resurrection and the Life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die. – John 11:25
  • I Am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life. – John 8:12
  • I Am the Gate. Whoever enters through Me will be saved. – John 10:9
  • I Am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty. – John 6:35
  • I am the Vine, you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. – John 15:5
  • I Am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. – John 10:11

For unless you believe that I Am, you will die in your sins. – John 8:24

As the incarnate Son of Man, Jesus is fully God and fully man, yet without sin. Only in this way could He be the perfect sacrifice for the sins of mankind. He teaches His disciples that unless they believe He is God… that He is I Am… their sins will not be forgiven. For only He can forgive our sins. Because Jesus is the One who conquered death, He is the only One who can give us life.

Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. – Luke 21:8

Jesus cautions His disciples that many will come and claim to be the Christ. Many antichrists will try to deceive the people and lure them away from the truth. Yet Jesus exhorts them not to follow such imposters. For when He returns, He promises that everyone on earth will know without a doubt. His return will be unmistakable, undeniable. He will come on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30). For Jesus is God. His name is I Am.

When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I Am. – John 8:28

In the temple courts, Jesus speaks to the Jewish people. He warns them that when events unfold… His death, resurrection and ascension… the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost… the transformation in the lives of believers, all will prove that He is God. He is the Messiah, the Holy One. He is the great I Am.

Before Abraham was born, I Am! – John 8:58

These are perhaps the most powerful words ever spoken by Jesus. The Jews are pelting Him with questions. He boldly and unapologetically calls Himself I Am… the holy name of Jehovah God (Exodus 3:14). He affirms His eternal existence.

By calling Himself I Am, Jesus is claiming equality with Jehovah, which the Jews find blasphemous. They pick up rocks to stone Him… the accepted punishment for blasphemy in biblical times (Leviticus 24:16). Yet Jesus conceals Himself and slips out of the temple. For His time had not yet come.

The high priest asked Him, ‘Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?’ ‘I am,’ said Jesus. ‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ – Mark 14:61-62

At Jesus’ trial, He faces the Sanhedrin and the questioning of the high priest, Caiaphas. When asked if He is the Christ, He unequivocally answers, I Am. Jesus is the promised Messiah that the Jewish leaders refuse to acknowledge or accept. Instead, they seek to kill Him.

Jesus prophesies the future before the Jewish leaders… the time when He will rule in power and glorious majesty at the right hand of the Father… the time when He will return victoriously on the clouds as King and Judge. This seeming blasphemy is more than the high priest can bear, causing him to tear his clothes in anguish.

The Sanhedrin sit in judgment upon Jesus, unjustly condemning Him to death. Yet the One who stands before them judged to be a condemned criminal will one day judge them… and the whole world. Those who refuse to believe will face an eternity apart from Christ. Those who believe will live forever in the holy presence of Jesus.

Do you know this Savior of the world? Do you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Holy One, the Eternal One? Is He the Lord of your life? Let Jesus rule and reign as your King and God forever. Let Him become the great I Am to you.

(See: Believer’s Prayer)

†   Eternal Takeaway – Jesus is the Messiah, the perfect, eternal, unchanging I Am   †