THE GREAT I AM

The renowned boxer Muhammad Ali was famous for his bold, outlandish statements.

“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.” 

“It’s hard to be humble when you’re as great as I am.” 

As bold and ridiculous as his statements may seem, Muhammad Ali knew exactly who he was. 

In Exodus Chapter 3, before God redeemed the Israelites from Egypt, He spoke to Moses from a burning bush and told him to go to Pharaoh. Scripture goes on to say that God said to Moses I am who I am.

Fast forward to John 8:58, and Jesus personally proclaims a similar message.

In the original Greek language which the New Testament was written in, an individual rarely said “I am”. So, when Jesus said, ‘I AM the Bread of Life’ and ‘I AM the Light of the World,’ He was being emphatic. Essentially, Jesus was yelling, “I AM!” 

In saying this, Jesus was ascribing to Himself the personal name of God. The Jews considered this claim to be blasphemous, which ultimately led to Jesus being charged and killed. Jesus’ claims were audacious – He is the man who claimed to be God.

In every claim Jesus made, we find a promise for us. His claims were not made from a selfish motivation, but rather every claim helps us to know who He is and how He meets the deepest needs of our hearts. 

Practical application:

Declaring who Jesus is ultimately helps us to find who we are in Him – how can you declare these promises over you and your family today?