What does "I am He" reveal about Jesus' fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy? Setting the Scene John 8:24: “That is why I told you that you would die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” Jesus is addressing a crowd in the temple courts during the Feast of Tabernacles. His phrase “I am He” is not casual conversation; it is loaded with messianic weight and divine self-disclosure. Catching the Echoes from Isaiah In Isaiah, God repeatedly identifies Himself with the very same expression: • Isaiah 41:4: “I, the LORD—the first and the last—I am He.” • Isaiah 43:10: “Before Me no god was formed, and after Me none will come. I, yes I, am the LORD, and there is no Savior but Me.” • Isaiah 46:4; 48:12; 52:6 carry the same refrain, “I am He.” When Jesus says “I am He,” He is unmistakably laying claim to the divine name embedded in Isaiah’s prophecies. Jesus’ Bold Claim: Equal with Yahweh • The Greek text simply reads ἐγώ εἰμι (“I AM”), mirroring God’s self-revelation in Exodus 3:14: “I AM WHO I AM.” • By applying that title to Himself, Jesus presents Himself as the embodiment of Israel’s covenant God, fulfilling the expectation that God would come to save His people. • The crowd’s reaction in John 8:59—picking up stones—shows they understood the claim as blasphemy unless it were true. Prophecies Tied Together 1. God Alone Saves (Isaiah 43:11). – Jesus: “Unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). – Fulfillment: Only the divine Savior can remove sin (cf. Matthew 1:21). 2. God Reveals His Name (Isaiah 52:6). – Jesus: “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He” (John 8:28). – Fulfillment: The cross becomes the ultimate unveiling of God’s identity. 3. God Arrives in Glory (Isaiah 40:3–5). – John 18:6: Soldiers fall backward when Jesus says, “I am He,” echoing the overwhelming presence of God. – Fulfillment: The One heralded by “Prepare the way of the LORD” now stands before them. New Testament Moments that Confirm the Claim • John 13:19 – Jesus predicts His betrayal “so that when it happens you may believe that I am He,” anchoring His foreknowledge in deity. • Revelation 1:17–18 – The risen Christ declares, “I am the First and the Last,” directly paralleling Isaiah 44:6. • Mark 14:62 – Before the Sanhedrin, Jesus affirms, “I am,” and foretells His coming on the clouds, linking Daniel 7:13–14 with Isaiah’s “I am He.” Why This Matters for Us Today • Assurance of Salvation: The same divine “I AM” who promised redemption in Isaiah personally accomplished it in Jesus. • Confidence in Scripture: The seamless link between Old and New Testaments demonstrates a single, unified revelation. • Worship and Obedience: Recognizing Jesus as the prophesied “I am He” calls for wholehearted allegiance befitting the Lord of Isaiah and of the Gospel. |
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