In The Name

[AleXawy]

It is sometimes claimed that Jesus used the term "I am" to show that He was Yahweh and therefore existed before the time of Abraham. They point to Exodus 3:14, where Yahweh said his name was "I am that I am" (or more correctly, "I am the one who exists") and claim that the terms are synonymous. Once again, however, careful and fair analysis shows otherwise.

As always, we must read ******ure in context. Let’s go back and read from verse 50 to see how Jesus leads up to this statement:
And I seek not mine own glory: there is one (another one) that seeketh and judgeth.

He sought not his own glory, but rather Yahweh’s – a strange statement if Jesus was Yahweh.

Also, verse 54:
Jesus answered, If I honor myself, my honor is nothing: it is my Father that honoreth me;…

Jesus kept shunning the honor and insisting that it be placed where it belonged – back with the Father, and away from himself.

Would it make sense in the earlier parts of the chapter to say, "I don’t deserve the honor; my Father deserves the honor!" and then turn around in verse 58 and say, "I am the one who deserves all of the honor?" No! Of course not!

Furthermore, the semantics involved prove that the term "I am" could not have meant what some claim. Look at the sentence structure. If "I am" = Yahweh, the verse would read:

…before Abraham was, Yahweh.

As you can see, it doesn’t work. Jesus did not say, "Before Abraham was, I was the "I am. In order to match their claim, the phrase would need more words.

Furthermore, the phrase in Exodus does not match the one in John when read from the Greek. This clearly indicates that they have different meanings. John 8:58b reads:
…before Abraham, I am (EGO EMI) to become (GENESTHAI) (i.e. "I am to become greater than Abraham").

Here, notice that the verb is not "was" (past tense), but rather "to be" or "to become" (infinitive tense). Also, "to become" fits with "I am" – not with "Abraham" as the churches claim. It reads, "…I am to become," not "before Abraham to become…."

Jesus was saying "I am to be…" in the same sense as you or I would say "I am to go," or "I am to stay."

The Greek construction bears this out. Jesus says "EGO EMI" (I am). Now, compare the Greek construction of Exodus 3:14 as taken from the Septuagint Greek Old Testament.
And God spoke to Moses, saying EGO EMI HA ON (I am the one existing); and he said, Thus shall ye say to the children of Israel, HA ON (the one existing) has sent me to you.

According to Greek usage, if Jesus had wanted to say that He was "THE EXISTING ONE," He would not have said "EGO EMI." He would have said "HA ON."

What, then, was Jesus saying in verse 58? He was stating that He had a position of even greater importance than Abraham.
…before Abraham (in priority, or rank), I am to be.

Jesus is greater than Abraham. In his ministry, his sacrifice and his rising from the dead – in all that He did, He was the greatest of Yahweh’s creation.