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The official blog of Blue Letter Bible

Jesus: "Before Abraham was, I am."

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Jesus assured the Jews: “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” This was a high claim to make. Let’s consider the full counsel of Scripture as it pertains to this particular statement.

Jesus is the Lord God prophesied to come.

“A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’ … Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.” Isaiah 40:3,10.

“These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.” John 12:41

Jesus is the Lord of hosts.

“And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!'” Isaiah 6:5

Jesus is the King of glory.

“Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle!” Psalm 24:7-8

In Christ, the Lord is our God of Righteousness.

“In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.'” Jeremiah 23:6

Jesus is the name of the one who delivers.

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls.” Joel 2:32

“For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'” Romans 10:13

Jesus is the Lord of glory.

“Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known [it], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” 2 Corinthians 2:8

Jesus is the unchanging God

“but you are the same, and your years have no end.” Psalm 102:27

“like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed.* But you are the same, and your years will have no end.” Hebrews 1:12

Jesus is the Son of Man.

“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 8:28

Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.* Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” John 11:25

Today’s article was put together using the Blue Letter Bible resource called Names, Titles, and Characters of Jesus Christ.

Comments

  1. Nevertheless…How do you expound, “Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, blessings of liberty! Jesus Himself has said that God is a spirit. Hark the recurrent pleas in the Revelation finale! This is the age of information, of the Holy Ghost and fire. Lord, we need your fire… Thanks.
    Poor and needy,
    Mathew

  2. 2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of GOD standeth sure having this seal the LORD knoweth them that are HIS and let every one that the name of CHRIST depart from iniquity

    John 7:38 He that believeth on ME as the scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water

    Isaiah 12:3 Therefore with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation

    Jeremiah 2:13 For MY people have committed two evils they have forsaken ME the fountain of living waters and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water

  3. I like the verse John 14:6.

    There is a Pastor of a small church in Pocatello, Idaho, who gave a really good sermon about that verse back in March 2010. I learned a lot about Jesus that I had not realized before from that sermon.

    Those phrases, THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE have some really deep and spiritual meanings and are not just little labels to help clarify to us why we should follow Jesus.

    Anyway, JESUS IS THE LIFE. I like that the best. I think about that a lot during my days when I wonder what in the world I’m doing and why. Helps put the focus back where it should be: on Jesus, not me! Yay!

    Have a good day! Off to work!

  4. Thank you for the post. Thank you for letting the WORD speak. Thank you for limiting your personal opinion and just letting the WORD speak. No wonder this post speaks volumes.

  5. Move on, brother, Brethren,move on sisters, Catholics, this is the moving day….Ask Paul, Peter, that seal IS the seal of the Holy Spirit. Amen.The Spirit and The Bride speak the selfsame language in unison, that is Spiritual Synchronization, walking in the Spirit. That is the definition of the Bride. Even so come Lord Jesus. Amen.
    Poor and needy one,
    Mathew

  6. It was the pre-incarnate Son of God who appeared to Abram in a vision (Gen. 15:1) being identified there as “the Word of the LORD”, saying “I am”, thus making the Word of the LORD a person. The word “before” as it appears in John 8:58 may be in the sense of presence and in time order. I AM was indeed before Abraham in the stream of time and in Abraham’s presence as the Word of the LORD. The assurance that the Word of the LORD would be Abram’s Exceeding great reward throws back to Gen. 12:2,3 wherein the greatest of the tiered promises is “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed”. This was the promise that would come to fruition through Christ, our Savior, who as the Word of the LORD was the “messenger of the covenant” (Mal.3:1)

    • Jesus is talking to Abraham about Abraham. Jacob is Israel, yet his offspring is Israel. When Jesus is making this statement he is as he has always been, before Abraham, yesterday, today, and forever.

  7. Are we saying Jesus is God the Father or the same as God the Father and is there a difference between the two? The Godhead all share their attributes with each other, but yet destinct from each other, right? So which is correct?

  8. We have the Father’s seed. Jesus is the first born of many brethren. God is my Father, God is Jesus’ Father, Jesus is my brother. How do we know we are sons? Romans 8: 14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. ”
    As sons, we definately will resemble our Father, I just hope they don’t confuse me for him (that would be embarrassing:)

    Jesus is before Abraham because God sees the end from the beginning. What end? The resurrection is being referenced, Jesus is the first one raised from the dead in an incorruptible body (body, soul and spirit). While others were raised from the dead like Jonah, Lazarus, and others (see Hebrews 11 the whole chapter), they died or fell asleep (their death is not permanent, they will get up) and are waiting for the resurrection.
    Rev. 1: 5 “And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,”

    I thank the Father for all those who desire to know His Word and do it.

    Thanks for making this available.

    • Isaiah 9:5-6 (KJV)
      5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.
      6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

  9. Jesus Christ is God!!! John 1:1……. Father and Son are in unity!!! John 17:22!!!

  10. I love the site and I’ll be pleased if you gonna help me in spreading Gospel to the world.

  11. But is Jesus the Father and the Father, Jesus? Is the Father the Spirit and the Spirit the Father? God, is Father, Son, Spirit right? Can we say they are one in the same individually? Is that what scripture supports?