In the Gospel of John, Jesus often uses the phrase "I am" (in Greek, the phrase is egō eimi). Sometimes, Jesus uses this phrase to describe himself. For example, Jesus said, "I am the bread of life." The Gospel of John contains seven statements where Jesus says "I am" followed by a description of himself (John 6:35; 8:12; 10:9, 11; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1).
It is important to note that Greek does not need the pronoun "I" (egō) in these sentences. Therefore, using the pronoun emphasizes the speaker's identity. Another example is in the sermon on the mount in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus says, "You have heard that it was said … but I [egō] tell you" (see Matthew 5:22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44, and other passages). Including the personal pronoun emphasizes the difference between Jesus' teachings and those of Moses. This phrase emphasizes the unique authority of Jesus.
Sometimes, Jesus used the phrase "I am" in a grammatically unusual way, without anything following it. For example, Jesus said, "Before Abraham was even born, I am" (John 8:58). Before Abraham, Jesus was what? (compare 8:28, 59; 13:19).
The best explanation for this odd expression comes from the Old Testament. When Moses met the Lord on Mount Sinai, he wanted to know God's name (Exodus 3:6, 13–14). God told him that his name is "YHWH," four Hebrew letters that can express existence.
When the Jews translated the Old Testament into Greek, in Exodus 3:14 God’s name “I AM WHO I AM” became egō eimi ho ōn (“I am the one who is”). In other places, especially in Isaiah Isaiah 43:25; 51:12; 52:6), the Greek Old Testament uses egō eimi (“I am”) as a special way God speaks about himself. In many other verses, the Greek translation uses kurios (“Lord”) for God’s name. Some Jews understood Jesus’s words “I am” as a claim to God’s name, as in John 8:58, where they tried to stone him. But in other places, like John 8:24, they did not react that way and only asked him, “Who are you?”
Jesus not only represents God. The “I Am” statements show Jesus’ divine nature, indicating he can work, speak, and act in place of the Father. He is not just a human. He is the Word of God who became human (John 1:1). His voice is the Father's voice, and his life reveals God's life in a human body. The phrase “I Am” powerfully expresses who Jesus is.
Passages for Further Study