Together - Daily DevotionalSample

I Am!

Reading: John 8:53-59

Key Verse: “’I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am’” v.58

In this remarkable passage Jesus is discussing the nature of true faith with Jews who were blinded by their religion. To fully understand these verses we need to consider the founder of the Jewish nation who was called Abraham and also the story of their deliverance from slavery in Egypt led by Moses. When Moses was called by God, God introduced Himself as the God of Abraham (Exod.3:6) and told Moses that His name was I Am or in Hebrew paraphrase, Jehovah. This was a sacred name of God never to be misused or treated lightly.

So when Jesus declared that He lived before Abraham and was called, I Am, the Jews regarded this as blasphemy and tried to stone him to death. We see a similar reaction by the high priest during Jesus trial in Mark 14:62-64 and Luke 22:70-71. Of perhaps even more significance is the occasion soldiers approached Him in Gethsemane. When Jesus spoke the words “I Am” such was the spiritual power unleashed that they all fell backwards (John 18:6).

Here again we see scripture proclaiming the pre-existent divinity of Jesus – God’s only Son

Prayer: Jesus, you are the great I Am, the everlasting and ever present God even here with me now