I AM

 Temple Baptist Church - 9-4-2024

John 18:1-9

 

Introduction:  Tonight, we will do a very important Bible study.  I want to look at two words that Jesus said and a third word that the translators thought needed to be said for “clarification” which brings about contradiction and confusion.

 

A.  When answering the question, “Whom seek ye,” the Jews answered, “Jesus of Nazareth.”  They understood that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, Judea. Not Nazareth!  These people knew all the Scriptures prophesying the coming of Israel’s Messiah! 

 

B.  This question they ask was their rejection of Christ as their Messiah!  They were going to treat Jesus Christ, Almighty God, as just another “thief” to crucified!  “Jesus of Nazareth” was not standing before them.  Jesus of Bethlehem, their Messiah, the Son of God stood before them.

 

C.  In the Book of John, we find the Deity of Jesus Christ.  Throughout this book, the Lord constantly said, “I AM”.  He spent His entire ministry declaring that it was He that was prophesied.

 

D.  I was never taught the obvious, that the italicized words in the Bible were not in the Textus Receptus from which we get our beloved King James Bible.  These words and phrases that the translators, with good intentions, inserted within the Word of God to help (just like any other commentary) explain what God was “TRYING” to say.  God did not need their help!

 

E.  In order to rightly divide the Word of Truth, we must know what God said and learn to recognize what He did not say.  I do not know why pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and teachers of God’s Word do not teach this because it is all important in getting the right Truth out of it.

 

F.  Jesus answered by declaring, “I AM!”  If He had said, “I am he,” He would have been telling them that He was the man that they came for.  The word “he” is italicized which tells us that it was inserted by the translators for “clarification.”  There are times when these italicized words cause confusion within the text.

 

G.  How many of you have a “red letter” edition of the Bible?  If so, that in itself clarifies what our Lord said.  The words “I am” are in red while the italicized word “he” is black.  This shows us that “I am” was all Jesus said!

 

1.  I do no injustice to the Bible when teaching our people to be careful with the italicized words as they were supplied by the translators for “clarification” can add confusion to the casual reader.

 

2.  We must learn to read the text with and then without these italicized words.  Here are just a couple of examples of such confusion caused by them.

 

a)  In 1 Corinthians, chapter 14, the phrase “unknown tongue” is used six times.  This is “holy ground” to the unbiblical “tongue speakers” of the Charismatic and Pentecostal Movements of our day as they say this “unknown tongue” is an angelic tongue.

 

b)  In every instance, the word “unknown” is italicized as it was supplied by the translators for clarification.  There is no such thing as an “unknown” tongue in the Bible.  There are tongues which were languages identified in Acts, chapter 2, where on Pentecost the MEN spoke in other tongues of which sixteen languages are referenced.

 

3. I will give you just one more example of confusion caused by the italicized words. 

 

a)  In 2 Peter 2:5, the Bible refers to Noah as the “eighth person” with the word “person” being italicized.  Bible correctors use this verse to prove their so-called contradiction in the Bible as Noah was the tenth person, or generation, from Adam.

 

b)  Noah was the eighth “preacher of righteousness” from Adam.  Take the word “person” out and the confusion and so-called contradiction is gone.

 

H.  “I AM THAT I AM” was a statement made by Jehovah God in the Old Testament to show the Israelites Who was sending Moses to deliver them from Pharoah and Egypt.

 

1.  I AM – Hebrew word that comes from the root word “to breathe” and when used in the “I AM” manner, it carries the meaning “to exist” in the emphatic form (absolute) meaning “always.”

 

Genesis 2:7  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

 

2.  THAT – is used as both an adverb and conjunction. 

 

THAT – Adverb - a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc. (e.g., gently, quite, then, there):

 

THAT – Conjunction - a word used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate words in the same clause. 

 

J.  Therefore, to simplify the statement “I AM THAT I AM” we would say, “to eternally self-exist.”  I AM THAT I AM, I AM WHAT I AM, I AM WHO I AM,

 

1.  In these 5 words that Jehovah God, whom Israel called YAHWEH, we find the limitless eternality of a self-existing God!  “I AM” means to exist, to continue to exist, to self-exist, and to immutably exist!

 

2.  That, my friends, is a mouthful!  “I AM” is also a tetragram, or a word of four letters: YHWH , made of four consonants in all caps, with no vowels which cannot be pronounced. 

 

3.  It is a holy name, a sacred name of God to the Hebrews and translated YAHWEH, in the Bible adding 2 vowels in caps that can be pronounced.  The Hebrews did not speak the name of God for fear of profaning His name by vainly using it.  This was one of the Ten Commandments given in Exodus, chapter 20.

 

3.  “I AM” is as unexplainable as the statement, “In the beginning God” in Genesis, chapter 1, verse 1.  We cannot explain God for He is an infinite spiritual Being, but we can believe God and have faith in what we see and trust.

 

K.  This was the answer that Jesus gave to them.  I AM Jehovah God, I AM the Messiah that was born in Bethlehem, Judea, I AM God!  Our Lord, once again, plainly told this crowd that He was Almighty Jehovah God!

 

L.  I know that there will be some who will not like what I just said but, if you asked them what the italicized words were for, they would tell you that they were supplied by the translators for clarification.  That is all that I am doing tonight.

 

M.  When our Lord said, “I AM,” the whole crowd fell backward on the ground.  I find it of no little interest that the charismatic and holiness people of our day always, when “slain in the spirit,” fall backwards.

 

1.  God’s people always bowed or fell on their faces towards Him when in the presence of God!  There is not one instance in the Bible were one of God’s children fell backwards.  In the First Mention, Abraham fell on his face before God:

 

Genesis 17:3  And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

 

2.  The unbelievers and heathens always fell backwards away from Him when in the presence of God.  John 18:6  As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.

 

N.  This crowd that came to take Christ, including Judas Iscariot, were beyond spiritual help at this time because of their rejection of Christ and Who He said that He was.

 

1.  The Crowd rejected the coming of the Promised Seed.  They called Him the son of Joseph.  Isaiah 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

 

John 6:42  And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?

 

2.  The Crowd rejected the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.  John 1:29-30  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.  (30)  This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

 

Genesis 22:8  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

 

John 3:16-18  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  (17)  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  (18)  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

 

Romans 10:3  For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

 

3.  The Crowd rejected the miracles that Christ performed though they asked for them and saw them.

 

John 4:48  Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

 

John 12:37-39  But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:  (38)  That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?  (39)  Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,

 

4.  The Crowd rejected the Words that Christ spoke.

 

John 8:43-47  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.  (44)  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.  (45)  And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.  (46)  Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?  (47)  He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

 

5.  The crowd rejected Israel’s Fathers who rejoiced to see His day.

 

Genesis 22:8  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

 

Genesis 22:13-14  And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.  (14)  And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

 

6.  The crowd rejected the discourses concerning the 7 I Am’s of Christ.

 

a.  I AM the Bread of Life – John 6:48

 

b. I AM the Light of the World – John 8:12

 

c.  I AM the Door of the Sheep – John 10:7

 

d.  I AM the Good Shepherd – John 10:11

 

e.  I AM the Resurrection and the Life – John:11:25

 

f.  I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life – John 14:6

 

g.  I AM the True Vine – John 15:1

 

Conclusion:  Though our Lord declared that these lost Jews were of their father the devil, they continued to harass Christ and even said that He had a devil.  The ultimate rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ is to hate Him and all that He stands for.