Jesus, the “I AM”

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

John 8:58

 

 

Jesus Was Worshipped in the Old Testament.

Do you know that Jesus appeared in the Old Testament numerous times?

Not just as a symbol or a type but what theologians call a Christophany.

A Christophany is a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ.

An appearance of Jesus Christ before he took on the body and nature of man.

Let’s look at one example of many:

 

 Joshua 5:13-15

“When Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up, and behold, a Man stood near him with His drawn sword in His hand.

And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, Are you for us or for our adversaries?

And He said, No [neither], but as Prince of the Lord's host have I now come.

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him,

What says my Lord to His servant?

And the Prince of the Lord's host said to Joshua, Loose your shoes from off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy. And Joshua did so.”

So we find that Jesus (or more accurately – Christ) was present,

and was worshipped, in the Old Testament.

The above text is but one example of many.

We have seen that it was an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ and not merely a symbol or type of Him, though there were also many of those. 

Anybody remember the answer Moses got when he asked God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you’, and they ask me ‘What is His name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM’. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: “I AM has sent me to you.

And we read in todays’ text:

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

Curious way that Jesus said that wasn’t it?

He didn’t say: Before Abraham was born I was, but He said before Abraham was, I am!

I wonder why He chose those specific words…

Jesus is worthy of our worship!