Christ became our Lord and Redeemer
In Hosea 1:7–9, God distinguished Himself from Christ, as He did in Exodus 3:14–15.
“I will save them by HE WILL BE their ELOHIM . . .”
Hosea 1:7
Then, in verse 9, God said, “I will no longer be their I WILL BE.”
| לכם | אהיה | לא | ואנכי |
| To you | I WILL BE | not | And I |
God would no longer be the Israelites’ “LORD” in the New Covenant.
Jesus called Himself, “I AM”
Jesus Christ used the expression I AM in John 4:26; 8:24; 8:28; 13:19, and 18:5, 6 and 8, to tell the children of Israel that He was now “I AM.”
Below, we have listed all the “I AM” statements of Christ, with the underlying Greek text. The existing English translations have altered the expression “I AM,” but the meaning of “I AM” as the promised Messiah is correct.
The phrase Ἐγώ εἰμι, ego eimi, is “I AM” in Greek.
| John 4:26
The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you AM.”
This sentence would normally require a pronoun to complete it, but it is not in the Greek text. Jesus simply said, “I AM.” I AM is the promised Messiah “HE WILL BE ELOHIM.” |
| John 8:24
And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.”
We must believe Jesus is the promised Messiah. |
| John 8:28
Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as the Father taught Me, I speak these things.”
Jesus told the Jews they would know He is the promised Messiah, on the cross, the Redeemer and King of Israel, spoken of in Isaiah 44:6. |
| John 13:19
“I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’ Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I AM.”
Jesus quotes this prophecy of the coming Messiah from the Psalms, telling them that He is now “I AM.” |
| John 18: 5, 6, and 8
“They answered Him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I AM.’”
“And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, ‘I AM,’ they drew back and fell to the ground . . .”
“Jesus answered, ‘I have told you that I AM. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,’ that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, ‘Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.’”
Before going to the cross, Jesus told His captors that He was “I AM” the promised Redeemer. The guards were stunned by His declaration that He was I AM, “HE WILL BE ELOHIM” who appeared to Moses, and they fell to the ground. |
The Seven “I AM” Statements
The meaning of I AM, as the promised Redeemer, was clearly related through seven “I AM” statements in the Gospels:
I AM the light of the world, I AM the bread of life, I AM the door, I AM the good shepherd, I AM the resurrection and the life, I AM the way the truth and the life, I AM the true vine.