Jesus in The Gospels
Who does Jesus say He is?
Who does Jesus say He is?
Introduction
Martin Luther had a saying, which he stood by during the reformation, AD FONTES. This is a Latin phrase which means to the source. This week we are going to take a break from our study of First John. I believe that in order to understand the rest of what John says in First John, and more importantly what I am thinking is, we must understand who Jesus is in order to understand the first two verses of chapter two.
In order to understand who Jesus is we are going to go to the source. What did Jesus say about Himself? Did Jesus ever claim to be God? And if He did claim to be God, in what ways did He do it? Now we must understand at the beginning that Jesus never said explicitly I AM GOD. But what we must look at is what He did say. We will look at how people reacted to what He said, and why did they react to him the way they did. We will look at certain things Jesus did, such as Jesus let people worship Him. Why would He do that? So we want to see if John was write when he says in chapter 5:20 of First John that Jesus is the true God and eternal life? Is Jesus God, and more importantly, why must Jesus be God?
An important thing to remember is that Jesus is God, but is distinct from the Father. We will not get to this in this lesson, but I hope to in the next lesson. Jesus is God just as much as the Father is God, although they are distinct persons they are both equally God, but at the same time there is still only one God, which exists in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
So let’s dive in and look at what Jesus said. We will start with the “I am” statements in John. These passages alone should be forceful enough in proving that Jesus is God, so we choose this as our beginning point.
The I AM statements in John
Some may ask why would you start in john, when John is the last Gospel. There are many reasons. One reason is in John we have one of the fullest pictures of Jesus. The other reason I believe will become apparent as we finish these verses.
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
John 6:41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
John 6:48 I am the bread of life.
John 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”
John 8:28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
John 6:41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
John 6:48 I am the bread of life.
John 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”
John 8:28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
What is the significance of all these verses? Why did we just read these verses? The first reason is the language behind these verses. When Jesus says I am in the Greek it is very emphatic. In the Greek the “I am” reads egw eimi. What is the significance of this? There are two things. First this construction is very emphatic. Jesus could have just said eimi, which means I am. But He used the personal pronoun egw, which means I. Jesus is trying to be emphatic with what He said. Using the personal pronoun before the verb in Greek adds emphasis to what is being said. In Greek the verbs have a subject embedded in the meaning. Such as eimi means I AM, but adding the pronoun I adds more emphasis.
But why exactly would Jesus say this was there something more behind this? There is. Notice in John 8:58 Jesus says before Abraham was I am. Then we come to verse 59 notice the Jews pick up stones to kill Jesus right then. Why in the world would they do this because of what Jesus said?
In Exodus 3:14 Moses record for us the account of the burning bush. In verse 13 Moses ask God who he should say is sending him to the Israelites. In verse 14 God replies say to them “I AM WHO I AM.” The name God gave Himself was I am.
So why would the Jews seek to kill Jesus after He said I am. Here is the reason. The Bible the Jews would have used in this day was called the Septuagint. The Septuagint was the Greek translation of the Old Testament. In Exodus 3:14 where God says I AM WHO I AM, the Greek word for “I am” is egw eimi. The Jews would have put two and two together and would have known exactly what Jesus was saying. He was saying things that only God could say. In fact He was saying He was God. Listen to the comment D.A. Carson says about verse 59:
“Stoning was prescribed for blasphemy… though of course such stoning was supposed to be the result of a calm judicial decision, not the fruit of mob violence. Jesus is saying things that only God can say. On the assumption that he has no right whatsoever to speak this way, the Jews are scandalized.”
The Jews knew exactly what Jesus was saying when He said I am. They knew He was saying things only God could say. He was claiming to be God. The Jews thought Jesus was blaspheming by saying this because Jesus was claiming to be God. He was putting Himself on par with the Father. He was saying He was equal to the Father; in fact Jesus and the Father are one.
The I am statements here in John point to the truth that Jesus is God.
John 20:28, Thomas Calls Jesus His Lord and His God
John 20:28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
Here is a rather straightforward passage. Here we have Thomas after Jesus has risen from the dead. Thomas at first did not believe Jesus had risen from the dead. Jesus appeared to the disciples once already, but Thomas was not with them at this time. But Jesus appeared to the disciples again, and this time Thomas was in the room. When he saw Jesus this was his reply. What I want us to notice here is Jesus’ reaction in vs. 29 this is what Jesus said: John 20:29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Jesus did not tell Thomas do not say that I am God. In fact Jesus does not say anything about what Thomas has said. If Jesus were not God it would seem like He would rebuke Thomas here and tell Thomas he has missed who Jesus was, but nothing like this happens.
John 12:37-41
John 12:37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,
John 12:38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
John 12:39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
John 12:40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”
John 12:41 Isaiah said these things because the saw his glory and spoke of him.
John 12:38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
John 12:39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
John 12:40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”
John 12:41 Isaiah said these things because the saw his glory and spoke of him.
This passage in John talks about the prophet Isaiah. Jesus had performed many miracles in front of the people. But yet they have not believed. This was to fulfill what Isaiah had said in Isaiah 53:1. In fact Isaiah said they could not believe because their eyes had been blinded and their hearts have been hardened. Why did Isaiah say these things? Isaiah said this because he saw the Glory of Jesus and was speaking here of Jesus. Isaiah prophesied the people would not believe in Jesus even though He performed amazing works in front of them. John says this in chapter 12 after Jesus in chapter 11 had raised Lazarus from the dead. The Jews had seen Jesus raise people from the dead and yet they still did not believe in Him. Jesus was doing things that only God could do and these people still did not believe. Isaiah saw the glory of Jesus and prophesied that the people would not believe in Jesus despite of the works He had done.
Jesus Has Authority to Forgive Sin
Mark 2:1 ¶ And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home.
Mark 2:2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.
Mark 2:3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Mark 2:4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.
Mark 2:5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 2:6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts,
Mark 2:7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Mark 2:8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts?
Mark 2:9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?
Mark 2:10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—
Mark 2:11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”
Mark 2:12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Mark 2:2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.
Mark 2:3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Mark 2:4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.
Mark 2:5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 2:6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts,
Mark 2:7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Mark 2:8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts?
Mark 2:9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?
Mark 2:10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—
Mark 2:11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”
Mark 2:12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
This is a most inspiring passage. Jesus returned to Capernaum. Many people were gathered together and there was not any room in the place where they were. Jesus was preaching the word to them. There just so happened there was a man who was paralyzed. This man had some friends though and his friends wanted to get him to Jesus. They took Him to Jesus but there was no way for them to get in to where Jesus was. These friends were determined. They would not let a crowded room keep them from getting their friend to Jesus. So they went to the roof and they created a whole so they could lower their friend right to where Jesus was. They lowered him down and when Jesus saw the friends faith he said the man who was paralyzed son your sins are forgiven.
There were some scribes in the room. These guys really knew the law. They knew the Bible. They knew the Old Testament. This is what they were paid to do. This was their job. They were thinking in their hearts how could this man say such things as these? Who can forgive sins but God alone? Notice Jesus immediately knows what they are thinking. He knows what they are thinking about what He has just said.
Jesus then asks them a question and says what easier to say to this man? Your sins are forgiven or rise take up your bed and walk? Jesus does not let them answer. He goes on to say that so you will know the Son of man has authority to forgive sin on the earth Jesus said to the paralytic take up you bed and walk.
What has just happened here? Jesus was saying He had authority to forgive sins. The scribes, the Jews thought He was blaspheming because of what He had said. They wanted to know how He could forgive sins when God alone could forgive sins. Are you seeing the connection here? Jesus has the authority to forgive sins. Why? He can forgive sin because He is God. He is doing something only God can do. The scribes knew what He was saying because they thought he was blaspheming. They thought Jesus was trying to act in the place of God.
The Trial of Jesus
In Matthew 26 we find the trial of Jesus before the Jews and the High priest before He was put to death. Here is the account we are concerned with:
Matt. 26:63 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
Matt. 26:64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Matt. 26:65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy.
Matt. 26:66 What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.”
Matt. 26:64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Matt. 26:65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy.
Matt. 26:66 What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.”
What one will notice from reading the Gospels is Jesus never says I am God. But we do see Jesus saying things that prove His deity, that He is in fact God. Milliard Erickson says of this passage that “This is as clear a declaration of his deity as on can find in the Gospels.” Here we have the high priest asks Jesus to tell them if He is the Christ the Son of God. Jesus’ answer is you have said so. In other words what you have said is right. I am the Christ and from now on you will see the Son of Man seated on the right hand of the Father in heaven. The high priest tore his clothes and said he has uttered blasphemy and he asked the crowd what is you judgment and they said He deserves death. If Jesus wanted to lay to rest any doubt as to who He was this would be the place. The Jews wanted to put Him to death. But Jesus did not say what you have said High priest is wrong. You are right I am the Christ, I am the Son of God, I am God.
The same account occurs in Mark. In chapter 14:61-62, The high priest asks Jesus the same question and Jesus answers the same way. He answers I am the Christ the Son of God.
In Luke we also have an account of Jesus’ trial as well. We see the same thing in chapter 22:67-69. The High priest tells Jesus to tell us are you the Christ? Jesus said if I tell you, you will not believe. Then Jesus responds as He did in the other Gospels. Then in v.70 they all said are you the Son of God and Jesus replied by saying you say that I am. He did not deny.
Jesus Received Worship
Matt. 14:31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Matt. 14:32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
Matt. 14:33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Matt. 14:32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
Matt. 14:33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Jesus here calms the storm. The disciples were scared for their lives. Jesus calmed the wind and those who were in the boat WORSHIPED Jesus saying, Truly you are the Son of God. It would be wrong for Jesus to accept worship, and it would have been wrong for the Jews to have worshiped Jesus because their belief in the one true God. The Jews were Monotheistic therefore to worship anyone other than God would be unlawful and a sin. They would be unfaithful to God.
Jesus also demanded worship and honor. In John 5:23 Jesus says: John 5:23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Jesus says all may honor the son just as they honor the Father. Likewise Jesus says whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father. There are people who think it is all right to believe in God, but have nothing to do with Jesus. Jesus says in order to actually believe in God the Father one must also believe in the Son who the Father sent.
Conclusion: Why Must Jesus Be God?
Here is the question we must answer before we close this lesson. Why must Jesus be God? In this lesson there is time for one answer.
One reason is the New Testament would not make sense at all. If Jesus is not God then the New Testament is some story. It would be a fairy tale or perhaps some myth. Nothing in the New Testament will make sense if Jesus is not God then all of the authors of the New Testament have missed the point. Every book you read in the New Testament assumes that Jesus is God. The New Testament nowhere seems to have a problem with the TRUTH that Jesus is God. So Jesus must be God because the New Testament does not make sense apart from it.
_________________________________
i) Carson, D.A., The Gospel According to John, PNTCS, 358
ii) Erickson, Milliard, Christian Theology 2nd Ed., 703
iii) Culver, Raymond Duncan, Systematic Theology, 446
5 comments:
Greetings Ben
Concerning John 8:58 & Exo 3.14,
the author is greatly mistaken.
There is absolutely no link at all!
Let me quote Danny Dixon ...
"A passage like Exodus 3:14, for instance, in the Septuagint, which Jesus is said to have quoted, does not read as it does in John 8:58. The phrase found in the Old Testament in Greek is, " ego eimi ho on."
(This is the translation in my copy of the volume by Sir Lancelot C.L. Brenton, The Septuagint with Apocrypha: Greek and English [London: Samuel Bagster & Sons, Ltd., 1851]).
By quoting this passage in its entirety John had a slam dunk opportunity to let us know that Jesus was making a direct allusion to the name of God as given to Moses. But Jesus doesn't quote the Greek Old Testament. In fact, the passage goes on to say, in translation in the latter part of Exodus 3:14,
"Thus shall ye say to the children of Israel, THE BEING (Greek Old Testament: "Ho On") has sent me to you."
As a matter of fact "ego eimi" is used lots of times in the New Testament to mean something other than the name of God as translated from the Old Testament Greek rendering. Consider “ego eimi” in the following passages:
1) "I am he"--(Mark 13:6; Luke 21:8; John 9:9; 13:19 ; John 18:5, 6, 8).
2) "It is I"--(John 18:6; Matthew 14:27 ; Mike 6:50 ; John 6:20 ).
3) "I am the one"--(John 8:16 )
4) "I am the one I claim to be"--(John 8:24 , 28)
"I am" (ego eimi) is a common way of referring to oneself, and not a means of claiming to be "The Being" (Ho On).
In context, Jesus claims to be The Son of Man, not the I AM, which, in the Septuagint is translated from the phrase Ho On
at Exodus 3:14 “Ho On has sent me to you,” Moses was to say in the Septuagint,
not “Ego Eimi” has sent you to me."
Find out more by viewing the video at
The Human Jesus
Yours In Messiah
Adam Pastor
Thank you for your comment. Comments are always appreciated. Thank you also for your concern to be true to what the scripture teaches.
I must first start off by saying that I am no Greek scholar and do not claim to be, that being said I must defer to the experts on this one, these men which are more learned that I. I assure you this is not a cop out on my part, but in order to give an adequate answer and stay true to the scriptures I feel this is a must.
Andreas Kostenberger, a respected Greek scholar, in his commentary on John says that here in John 8:58 as well as vs. 24 and 28, there is a connection with Exodus 3:13-14, which is developed further in Isaiah 40-55 (Kostenberger, Baker Exegetical Commentary Series, 259).
Kostenberger also says commenting on verse 58 that "Jesus' language here echoes God's self designation to Moses in Exod. 3:14. Thus, Jesus does not merely claim preexistence- otherwise he could have said, 'before Abraham was born, I was'- but deity." (See page 273 of Kostenberger's John Commentary in BECS)
So in order to understand what John is saying in the I Am statements we need to look further from Exodus and shift our attention to Isaiah specifically 40-55. D.A. Carson says here, "In the original Hebrew God discloses himself in the repeated declaration, 'I am he'; it is the expression that the LXX consistently renders ego eimi, formally 'I am.' Isaiah 43:10 is especially close to Johannine language: 'You are my witnesses' declares the Lord, 'and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.' In Isaiah the context demands that I am he means 'I am the same', I am forever the same', and perhaps even 'I am Yahweh', with a direct allusion to Exodus 3:14. For others to apply this to themselves was blasphemous, an invitation to face the wrath of God." (Pillar New Testament Commentary Series, 343-344)
In John 8:58-59 there must be something significant to what Jesus said or else the Jews would not have picked up stones to kill Jesus. They must have known what he was saying.
I pray that I have responded well, and feel free to make more comment. Thank you again for you comment. I apologize as well for the delay in this response.
Ben Wilson
Greetings Ben
Sorry for the great delay in my response.
Firstly, like yourself, I am definitely no Greek scholar.
Yet, you always hear this claim, that 'Jesus said he was GOD'; where did he say that?
On further investigation, "apparently" John 8.58 is where he supposedly said he was GOD, by saying two little words; "ego eimi";
which when translated "I am" is suppose to correspond to Exo 3.14!!
So, Jesus never actually says,
"I am GOD"; yet by saying "ego eimi"; he supposedly claimed GOD's title in Exo 3.14; ergo, Jesus is Almighty GOD!!
On the surface of it, it appears to be a decent assertion.
However, we know that the NT quotes the LXX in many places; therefore, if Jesus claimed to be "GOD" by saying ego eimi; and if this was indeed what John was recording for our edification, then you would expect to see the corresponding Greek equivalent in Exo 3.14 of the LXX.
Now, no one needs to be a Greek scholar to check to see that when GOD said "I AM THAT I AM: ... I AM hath sent me unto you"; to see if "I AM" is indeed equivalent to "ego eimi"; that is no one, needs be a Greek scholar to verify whether John 8.58 is indeed a quote of Exo 3.14 in the Greek text.
So, when one does indeed check, we find:
LXX Exodus 3:14 And God spoke to Moses, saying, I am THE BEING [ego eimi ho on]; and he said, Thus shall ye say to the children of Israel, THE BEING [ho on] has sent me to you.
As you can see, ho on, is the Greek equivalent in the LXX text, of 'I AM' in the Hebrew text of Exo 3.14; Therefore in the LXX, the text is translated as GOD saying
"ego eimi ho on"
"I am THE BEING"
So, surely, if John was recording the supposed fact that Jesus is claiming to be the "I AM" of Exo 3.14; surely John would have wrote in Greek, Jesus saying,
"Before Abraham,
ego eimi HO ON ... I am THE BEING".
John records no such thing!
There is absolutely no connection between Exo 3.14 and John 8.58!!
Kostenberger simply repeats the same popular assertion; however
"HO ON" is no echo of "ego eimi"
(See Robinson's remarks below)
Now the man who was born blind, and healed by Jesus, said the very same words,
"ego eimi" in John 9.9. This was no claim of deity, rather, it was a claim of self-designation, i.e. "It is I!". I who? The man who was born blind!!
Likewise, Jesus uses the same two words, "ego eimi", to point out that ...
"I is I!". I who? The Messiah!!
(Translators of the Bible generally recognize this fact; hence they generally translated these two words, "ego eimi", in this context as,
"I am he";
except of course, John 8.58, for obvious theological biased reasons.)
Consider this, if Jesus was indeed claiming to be GOD Almighty in John 8.24 using those two words, they would not of asked, "Who art thou?" ... in the very next verse!
Because supposedly, he just claimed to be Almighty GOD, didn't he!?!?
Rather, Jesus said "Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning."
And who has Jesus claimed to be from the beginning of his ministry.
Is it not the Messiah, the Son of the ONE GOD??
Hmmm.
So why did they want to stone him, you may well ask!!
Well ...
a) John 8.37 he tells his audience, "my word hath no place in you."
b) v.39 If ye were Abraham's children; implying that they were not!
c) v.42 If God were your Father; implying that GOD was not!
d) v. 44 "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do." ... he tells them their father is the devil!
He tells them GOD isn't their father, the devil is!!! That would upset most people!
e) v.47 he tells them that "they are not of God"
f) Now note the question of verse 53:
Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?
Jesus after delivering the stinging rebukes stated above, is about to answer the question;
"Art thou greater than our father Abraham ... and the prophets ... whom makest thou thyself?" So, in what sense, is he indeed greater than Abraham & the prophets?
g) Verse 56. Jesus did not say that he saw Abraham, neither did he say that Abraham saw him!
Then he says the immemorial words of verse 58.
He claims supremacy over Abraham (and by implication, the prophets) by asserting his ideal preexistence over Abraham!
They had enough!! Not only had Jesus of Nazareth proclaimed to his audience that they were not Abraham's children, GOD was not their father, the devil was their father;
now he goes as far as to state that he was indeed greater than Abraham & the prophets!! Because he was even before Abraham!!
(Seeing that he was indeed the foreordained Messiah) [1 Pet 1.20]
They heard enough! What was their response: Then took they up stones to cast at him!
It was Jesus' claim of supremacy, seeing that he was Before Abraham; thus, he was indeed greater than Abraham. It was because of this claim (plus in light of the other stinging rebukes), that they picked up stones to stone him!
Here is a quote from Wendt:
"The saying in John 8:58, ‘Before Abraham came to be, I am he’ was prompted by the fact that Jesus’ opponents had countered his remark in v. 51 by saying that Jesus was not greater than Abraham or the prophets (v. 52). As the Messiah commissioned by God Jesus is conscious of being in fact superior to Abraham and the prophets. For this reason he replies (according to the intervening words, v. 54ff) that he was superior to Abraham because Abraham had rejoiced to see his Messianic day. Jesus’ reference to his existence before Abraham’s birth (v. 58) must be understood in the same sense. There is no sudden heavenly preexistence of the Messiah here: the reference is again obviously to his earthly existence. And this earthly existence is precisely the existence of the Messiah. As such, it was not only present in Abraham’s mind, but even before his time, as the subject of God’s foreordination and foresight. The sort of preexistence Jesus has in mind is ‘ideal’ [in the world of ideas and plans]. In accordance with this consciousness of being the Messiah preordained from the beginning, Jesus can indeed make the claim to be greater than Abraham and the prophets."
Wendt’s Teaching of Jesus, Vol. 2, pp. 151-183
Now I will quote Dr. J.A.T. Robinson of Cambridge, especially in light of Kostenberger's assertion:
The identification of Jesus’ I am statements with the I am of Exodus I believe to be a misreading of the text. To take the ‘I am’ as the ‘ani hu’ [I am He] of the divine name is a misreading which can be shown to be such by careful attention to the text [of John]. Of the ‘I am’ sayings in this Gospel [John], those with the predicate ‘I am the bread of life,’ ‘the door,’ ‘the way,’ ‘the good shepherd,’ etc. certainly do not imply that the subject is God. As Barrett rightly says, ‘ego eimi’ [‘I am’] does not identify Jesus with God, but it does draw attention to him in the strongest possible terms. ‘I am the one - the one you must look at, and listen to if you would know God’ (Comm. on John, p. 342). Of the "absolute" uses of ego eimi, the majority are simply establishing identification: "I am he." This is so of 4:26 (the Messiah you speak of); 6:20 (confirming Jesus’ identity on the lake at night, exactly as in Mark 6:50, Matt. 14:27); 9:9 (on the lips not of Jesus but of the blind man) and 18:5-8, the "I am your man" at the arrest (cp. Acts 10:21), even though it evokes awe (not the reaction to blasphemy) in the arresting party.
There is the same usage in the resurrection scene of Luke 24:39, ‘it is I myself’ ... Three other occurrences, John 8:24, 28, 13:19, are, I believe, correctly rendered by the NEB ‘I am what I am,’ namely the truth of what really I am. They do not carry with them the implication that he is Yahweh (indeed in the latter two especially there is a contrast with the Father who sent him), but in contrast ‘the Christ, the Son of God’ (Cp. E.D. Freed, "EGO EIMI in John 8:24 in the Light of its Context and Jewish Messianic Belief," JTS 33, l982, pp. 163-167, who argues that the phrase is specifically Messianic).
Barrett is unusually emphatic at this point. Referring to 8:28 he writes: ‘It is simply intolerable that Jesus should be made to say, "I am God, the supreme God of the OT, and being God I do as I am told," and to 13:19, "I am God, and I am here because someone sent me."’
J.A.T. Robinson continues: "That Jesus is arrogating to himself the divine name is nowhere stated or implied in this gospel. Even the Jews do not accuse him of this - only of calling God his own father, and thereby implying equality with God (or as H. Oldberg interprets this from rabbinic parallels, rebellious independence being ‘as good as God,’ 5:18). What they take to be the blasphemy of making himself ‘a god’ in 10:33 is again made clear to be a misunderstanding of Jesus calling himself ‘God’s Son’...The worst that can be said of him at the trial is that he claimed to be ‘God’s son’"
(Robinson, Priority of John, pp. 385-387).
Bultmann: "We should reject the idea that ego eimi means ‘I (Jesus) am God.’"
SOURCES:
Jesus’ "I am He" Does Not Mean "I am God"
Answering an Objector
Ben, for more info on ego eimi, John 8.56ff;
please see
The Trinity No Longer Makes Sense
And part two of Jesus of Nazareth: Messiah and Son of God
Thanks for your time.
Yours In Messiah
Adam Pastor
The Human Jesus
Thank you for your response.
This may seem like I am shying away from this issue, but I assure you I am not. I would post more but I have said everything I need to say already.
What is evident to me is we both are coming from two different presuppositions.
You are coming from the presupposition that Jesus is not God. Please correct me if I am wrong, this seems obvious to me, from such things as seeing sources like The Trinity no Longer makes Sense.
I am coming from the presupposition that Jesus is God and in fact in John 8:58 when John wrote this, this is what he had in mind and recorded Jesus as saying.
I thank you for your response. And all I can do now is leave what I have said and pray that God would show you the truth of who Jesus is, He is God, and if He is not the WHOLE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS A HOAX and there is not point to Christianity at all. We are some cult.
Fortunately, the Christianity which was taught by Christ and his apostles ...
is NO HOAX!
Unfortunately, 300 years later, via events such as the Nicene Council, a NEW HOAX & cult under the guise of Christianity was propagated.
With the help of Platonism, Hellenism & Grecian/pagan teachings/doctrines, the backing of pagan emperors and the edge of sword;
this HOAX & cult was continuously propagated!
Yep, the WHOLE NICENE/trinitarian faith is indeed a HOAX and a cult in comparison to the pure teaching of the Scriptures!
Nevertheless, the true church and the true Biblical Christianity has never been extinct.
The message of true Christianity still rings true; that is:
There is ONE GOD, the Father
There is ONE man, whom the ONE GOD, has made both Lord and Christ; and exalted him to His right hand, namely,
Messiah Jesus our Lord.
Thus ...
ONE GOD, ONE Lord
ONE GOD, the Father, &
ONE man
Whom the heavens must retain until the times of restoration; whereby the ONE GOD will send His Son, the man Christ Jesus, to set up His everlasting Kingdom here upon the earth.
[Acts 3.20-21; 1 Thess 1.9-10]
THIS 'Christianity' IS NO HOAX!!
That is ...
(John 17:3) And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
(1 Cor 8:4) ... that there is none other God but one.
(1 Cor 8:6) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
(1 Tim 2:5) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Ben, thanks again for your time
Yours In Messiah
Adam Pastor
The Human Jesus
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