This document is a sermon about Jesus' "I AM" statements from the Bible. It discusses how Jesus used the phrase "I AM" to reveal himself as the God that spoke to Moses from the burning bush. It explores several Bible passages where Jesus and other figures describe God as eternal, unchanging, all-powerful, and the creator of all things. The sermon emphasizes that Jesus' declaration "I AM" revealed his identity as the one true God who came to earth to save humanity from sin.
1. THE GREAT
“I AM”
Pastor Chuck Bernal
February 12, 2017
The Bible records a
collection of explicit, self-revelatory comments by Jesus commonly called the “I
AM” statements. At that time, in that place, in that cultural context, these
comments would have had a much more obvious meaning to, and impact on their
hearers than may be immediately obvious for us. Yet, even two thousand years
later, these statements remain powerful, provocative and life-changing.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Those who know your name trust you, O LORD, because you have
never deserted those who seek your help. (Psalm 9:10 – GWT)
THE BASIS FOR THIS SERIES - A BOLD STATEMENT BY JESUS
I am telling you the truth, Jesus replied.
Before Abraham was born, “I Am”. (John 8:58 – GNB)
Jesus: “The absolutetruth is that I was inexistence
before Abraham was ever born!” (John 8:58 – LB)
THE BACK STORY – MOSES MEETS THE GREAT “I AM”
Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them: The God of your fathers has sent
me to you, and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ what should I tell them?” God replied, “I AM
WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” God also
said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name
forever; this is how I am to be remembered inevery generation. (Exodus 3:13-15 - HCSB)
God’s name is almost always translated LORD (all caps) in the English Bible. But
the Hebrew (YHWH) would be pronounced something like “Yahweh,” and is built
on the word for “I AM.” So every time we hear the word “Yahweh” or “Jehovah” - or
every time you see LORD in the English Bible, you should think: this is a proper
name (like Peter or John) built out of the word for “I AM” and reminding us each
time that God absolutely is.
“I AM” = God is ____________________________________________________
TheGod who made the wholeworld and everything init is the Lord of the land and thesky. He
does not liveintemples built by human hands. This God is the One who gives life, breath, and
everything else to people. He does not need any help from them; he has everything he needs.
(Acts 17:23-25 – NCV)
“I AM” = God is ____________________________________________________
Before the mountains were born, before you birthed the earth - from forever in the past to
forever in the future, you are God . . . in your perspective a thousand years are like yesterday
past, likea short period during the night watch.
(Psalm 90:2-4 – CEB)
“I AM” = God is ____________________________________________________
2. I, Yahweh, never change. (Malachi 3:6 – NOGB)
God never changes likeshadows . . .
He is always thesame. (James 1:17 – English Standard Version)
“I AM” = God is ____________________________________________________
Yahweh! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your
outstretched arm; there is nothing too hard for you.
(Jeremiah 32:17 – WEB)
“I AM” = God is ____________________________________________________
As I was going through your city, I saw theobjects you worship. I found an altar that had these
words written on it: TO A GOD WHO IS NOT KNOWN. You worship a god that you don’t know, and
this is the God I am telling you about . . . His purpose is that they should seek after God, and
perhaps feel their way toward himand find him—thoughheis not far fromany oneof us. (Acts
17:23-25, 27-28 – NCV/LB)
“I AM” – THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT WORDS JESUS EVER SAID
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is
supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything . . . Everything was created
throughhim and for him. He existed before anything else, and heholds all creation together . .
. Heis the beginning, supreme over all . . . So he is first in everything. For God inall his fullness
was pleased to livein Christ . . .
(Colossians 1:15-19 – NLT)
In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was
created except through him . . . So the Word became human[d] and made his home among us.
He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the
Father’s one and only Son.
(John 1:1-3, 14 - NLT)
Jesus is __________ Jesus is ________________ Jesus is __________________
Jesus is _____________________ Jesus is _____________________
You areto name him Jesus, for he will savehis people fromtheir sins.
(Matthew 1:21 – NLT)
Only Jesus has the power to save! His name is the only one in all the world that cansave
anyone. (Acts 4:12 – CEV)
. . . and throughhim God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace witheverything in
heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood onthe cross. (Colossians 1:20 – NLT)