The Meaning of “I Am”
Throughout the Gospels, especially in the Gospel of John, Jesus often refers to Himself using the phrase “I Am”, a term that is deeply rooted in the Old Testament. This title carries immense theological weight and reveals Jesus’ divine nature and oneness with God. In this final post of the series, we will explore the meaning of “I Am” in Jesus’ identity, how it connects to God’s revelation in the Hebrew Scriptures, and how Jesus uses this self-identification to declare His divinity and role as the Saviour of humanity.
The Old Testament Roots of “I Am”
The phrase “I Am” finds its origin in the Book of Exodus when God reveals Himself to Moses through the burning bush. In Exodus 3:14, God responds to Moses’ question about His name by saying, “I Am who I Am.”1 This name, Yahweh (YHWH), was considered so sacred that it was not spoken aloud by the Israelites. It signifies God’s eternal existence—He is the One who simply is, without beginning or end. As Pope Benedict XVI explains, God “is what he is, the being part of being itself,” unbounded by time or space. This profound self-revelation lays the foundation for understanding Jesus’ use of the phrase “I Am”.
When Jesus invokes “I Am”, He is not merely making a casual statement; He is intentionally connecting Himself to the God of Israel. By using this divine name, He reveals that He shares the same eternal, self-existent nature as Yahweh. This is why His use of the phrase shocked His contemporaries, particularly the religious leaders, as it was a bold and unmistakable declaration of His divinity.
Jesus’ Use of “I Am” in the Gospels
In the Gospel of John, Jesus uses the phrase “I Am” multiple times, often in significant contexts that highlight His divine authority and mission. One of the most striking examples occurs during His confrontation with the Pharisees in John 8:58, where He says, “Before Abraham was, I am.”2 This statement immediately links Jesus to the eternal God, existing even before the time of Abraham. As Benedict XVI notes, “Jesus’ ‘I Am’ stands in contrast to the world of birth and death, the world of coming into being and passing away.” Here, Jesus declares Himself to be outside the bounds of human existence, the eternal One who transcends time.
Another important instance is in John 8:24, where Jesus warns, “Unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”3 This verse demonstrates the salvific significance of Jesus’ identity. Believing in Him as the eternal “I Am” is essential for salvation. His use of the phrase here emphasises not only His divine nature but also His role as the Saviour who offers redemption to all who believe.
Theophany: Jesus Walking on Water
One of the most dramatic uses of “I Am” is during the episode where Jesus walks on water in the Gospel of Mark. The disciples, seeing Jesus approaching on the waves, are terrified, thinking He is a ghost. But Jesus reassures them, saying, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear” (Mark 6:50).4 This simple phrase, translated as “It is I”, is in fact another use of “I Am”. Benedict explains that this moment is more than a statement of identification; it is a theophany—a visible manifestation of God’s presence.
Walking on water was something attributed only to God in the Old Testament (Job 9:8)5 , and Jesus’ act here, combined with the use of “I Am”, demonstrates His divine authority over creation. The disciples’ reaction—fear and awe—reflects the realisation that they are in the presence of the divine. As Benedict notes, this is not just the familiar Jesus of Nazareth; it is a profound revelation of His divine identity.
The Seven “I Am” Statements in John
In addition to the simple use of “I Am”, the Gospel of John includes seven metaphorical “I Am” statements where Jesus reveals different aspects of His identity and mission. These statements include:
- “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35)6
- “I am the Light of the World” (John 8:12)7
- “I am the Door” (John 10:9)8
- “I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11)9
- “I am the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25)10
- “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6)11
- “I am the True Vine” (John 15:1)12
Each of these declarations not only reveals something about Jesus’ mission but also connects to the human longing for life, light, guidance, and salvation. As Benedict explains, these statements show that “His only gift is life, and He is able to give it because the divine life is present in Him in original and inexhaustible fullness.”
Through these images, Jesus presents Himself as the source of all that humanity truly seeks—abundant life, hope, and restoration. These statements encapsulate the fullness of what “I Am” means: Jesus is not only God in the flesh but also the fulfilment of all human needs and desires for salvation and eternal life.
“I Am” and the Cross: The Ultimate Revelation
The ultimate revelation of “I Am” comes at the Cross. As Benedict XVI highlights, it is on the Cross that the true meaning of Jesus’ identity as “I Am” is fully revealed. Jesus says in John 8:28, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he.”13 The Cross is not a moment of defeat but of exaltation, where the full extent of God’s love and divine purpose is made visible.
On the Cross, Jesus fulfils the “I Am” by offering Himself as the ultimate sacrifice, embodying both God’s eternal being and His redemptive mission. As Benedict beautifully explains, “The highest claim of revelation, the ‘I am,’ and the Cross of Jesus are inseparably one.” In this moment, Jesus’ identity as the eternal God and the suffering servant come together to accomplish the salvation of humanity.
The Eternal “I Am”
The phrase “I Am” in Jesus’ identity reveals the deepest truths about who He is and what He came to do. It connects Jesus directly to the God of Israel, the eternal One who exists outside of time and space, yet entered into human history to bring salvation. Through His use of “I Am”, Jesus declares His divinity and invites all people to believe in Him, the source of life, light, and eternal hope.
As Benedict XVI eloquently puts it, “The burning bush is the Cross. The highest claim of revelation, the ‘I Am,’ and the Cross of Jesus are inseparably one.”14 In Jesus, the eternal God becomes present, offering Himself for the life of the world.
Footnotes
- God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” ↩︎
- Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” ↩︎
- I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.” ↩︎
- for they all saw him, and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.” ↩︎
- who alone stretched out the heavens,
and trampled the waves of the sea; ↩︎ - Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. ↩︎
- Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ↩︎
- I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. ↩︎
- I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ↩︎
- Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life;[a] he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, ↩︎
- Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. ↩︎
- “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ↩︎
- So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me. ↩︎
- Joseph Ratzinger – Pope Benedict XVI, JESUS OF NAZARETH: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration ↩︎
