Names of Christ: The Great I AM

“I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM!” (John 8:58 NLT)

Some 12 to 1,500 years before Jesus even uttered those words, Moses, when called to deliver ancient Israel from slavery, asked, “Who should I say sent me?” God’s response was “I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:14 KJV).

Jesus, after performing signs and wonders and forgiving sins, was asked a similar question by the confused crowd. “Who are you?” they demanded. His response not only invoked the founders of Judaism, Abraham, and Moses, He likened himself to God using the same “I AM THAT I AM” expression, or as some translate, “I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE.”

In effect, what Jesus is saying here is ... if we need caretaking, He said, I am the Good Shepherd. If we’re hungry, He said, I am the Living Bread. And when we’re lost, He said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Christmastime is often associated with a feeling of being full of joy and wonder. But what happens after all the Christmas gifts are unwrapped—they’re stowed away and grow stale— when the full house empties, when the lights dim and the tree comes down? Maybe we find those things are really never fully satisfying after all.

If that’s you, or if you’re someone whose Christmas spirit is swallowed up by grief or the pain of a lost loved one, know this: Jesus also said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness” (John 8:12 NIV). That declaration still holds true today.

Jesus, the Great I Am, the Light of the World, Immanuel—God with us, promised rest for the weary, and to unyoke our heavy burdens.

That’s my prayer for you this season—that you would see, know and walk in the light and power of the great I AM. And that you would in return, feel His love, His joy and presence ... invite you to say, I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine (Song of Solomon 6:3 NIV).