How does John 8:25 connect with God's self-revelation in Exodus 3:14? Setting the Context • Exodus 3:14 unfolds at the burning bush, where God commissions Moses to lead Israel out of bondage. • John 8 captures Jesus in the temple courts during the Feast of Tabernacles, engaging with religious leaders who challenge His identity. The Divine Name in Exodus 3:14 • “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He added, ‘This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.’ ” • “I AM” (Hebrew: Ehyeh; Greek LXX: Ego Eimi) conveys self-existence, eternality, and covenant faithfulness. • The name becomes the covenant marker: Israel’s Redeemer is the ever-living, self-defining God. Ego Eimi Saturating John 8 • 8:24 — “Unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” • 8:25 — “Who are You?” “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.” • 8:28 — “Then you will know that I am He…” • 8:58 — “Before Abraham was born, I am!” • The Greek phrase ego eimi (“I am”) is identical to the Septuagint wording of Exodus 3:14, signaling deliberate self-identification with Yahweh. John 8:25 in Focus • The leaders’ question, “Who are You?” echoes Moses’ earlier “Who am I to go?” (Exodus 3:11) and the people’s implied “Who is this God?” • Jesus answers, in effect, “I have been telling you the same truth from the start,” pointing back to verses 12, 16, 18, 24—every statement announcing divine origin and authority. • By sandwiching verse 25 between two ego eimi declarations (vv. 24, 28), John presents the question as the hinge: the only satisfactory answer to “Who are You?” is “I AM.” Direct Links Between the Passages • Shared Name: Both texts center on ego eimi/I AM as the self-disclosure of Deity. • Mission of Deliverance: – Exodus 3: God reveals His name to launch the Exodus. – John 8: Jesus reveals the same name to launch the ultimate exodus from sin (cf. John 1:29; 8:34-36). • Absolute, Uncaused Being: The One who spoke from the bush stands bodily in the temple; His essence is unchanged though His mode of presence now includes true humanity (John 1:14). • Demand for Faith: Belief in the I AM is the watershed (John 8:24). Israel’s deliverance required trust in Yahweh; eternal life now hinges on trusting Jesus. Theological Implications • Unity of Father and Son: Jesus shares not merely attributes but the very covenant name (John 10:30). • Christ’s Pre-Existence: “Before Abraham was, I am” asserts timeless existence, resonating with Micah 5:2 and Colossians 1:17. • Exclusive Salvation: Only the I AM can liberate from slavery, whether Egyptian or spiritual (Acts 4:12). • Reliability of Scripture: The seamless thread from Sinai to Jerusalem confirms the single Divine Author speaking with one voice (2 Timothy 3:16). Supporting Passages • Isaiah 43:10 — “Before Me no god was formed… I am He.” • John 18:5-6 — At “I am He,” the arresting band draws back and falls to the ground. • Revelation 1:8 — “ ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God… the Almighty.” Takeaway John 8:25 funnels the temple audience’s burning question straight to the burning-bush answer: the Jesus who stands before them is the very I AM who commissioned Moses. Recognizing and believing this unbroken self-revelation remains the decisive step from bondage into freedom. |
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