The Great "I Am" | The Institute for Creation Research

The Great "I Am"

"As soon then as He had said unto them, I am He, they went backward, and fell to the ground" (John 18:6).

As our Lord Jesus willingly submitted Himself in Gethsemane "knowing all things that should come upon Him" (John 18:4), He once again declared Himself as God by His "I am" statement. This occasion was quite different than the times before as hundreds of soldiers were literally jolted backward and on to the ground. Jesus apparently manifested such power and glory in that moment, that these men were overwhelmed with the sense of God's presence.

The first-century Jews clearly understood that Jesus was claiming to be God when He referred to Himself as "I am," which is why the leaders "took up . . . stones" (John 8:59) to stone Him for blasphemy. They were all too familiar with the divine encounter at the burning bush, when God told Moses His name by declaring, "I AM THAT I AM" (Exodus 3:14). They knew that Jesus was telling them that He was the eternally existent God and they violently reacted in their blind naiveté.

Somehow though, Jesus' "I am" proclamation in Gethsemane was extraordinarily unique and powerful. Christ's seven memorable "I am" statements were previously woven into His profound teaching, all reinforcing His deity, but there had not been a reaction quite like this one. Perhaps this occurrence was more momentous because Jesus was so close to fulfilling prophecy and receiving the enormous cup of God's wrath for man's sin. We won't know for sure this side of heaven.

What we do know is that there will be a day when everyone will bow down before the great "I AM" when "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow . . . And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11). MDR

The Latest
NEWS
Creation's Easter Message
While many Christians still consider the creation doctrine a fringe issue, a proper understanding of the Christian message finds creation at its core...

NEWS
ICR Veteran Don Barber Retires
Don Barber   After 34 years with the Institute for Creation Research, Director of Enterprise Technology Don Barber will retire...

CREATION.LIVE PODCAST
The Sanctity of Life | Creation.Live Podcast: Episode 23
Abortion is a big issue culturally and in the church. How can believers love our neighbors and act as the hands and feet of Christ when it comes...

NEWS
Plant Receptors Are Designed to Control Immunity and Development
God has designed plants to continuously track their environment.1 They do so with specially designed detectors (also called receptors) on...

CREATION PODCAST
Homo Naledi: The Lies Behind Evolution's Rising Star | The Creation...
Homo naledi, once evolution's 'rising star,' was considered to be a prime example of human evolution. But is it really proof? Or...

NEWS
A Subsurface Ocean on Mimas?
Scientists have analyzed data obtained from the Cassini spacecraft and concluded that irregularities in the orbit of Saturn’s moon Mimas indicate...

NEWS
In Theaters March 20 & 21: The Ark and the Darkness
Is Genesis true? What about Noah’s Flood? How did Noah fit the animals on the ark? Wasn’t it a local flood? Have you asked these questions? Though...

NEWS
Enigmatic Fossil Plants
The pre-Flood world thousands of years ago was unlike the world of today.1 Unfamiliar animals and plants were common, and there were a lot...

NEWS
Surprisingly Colorful Fossil Snail Shells
Finding organic compounds such as flexible dinosaur collagen and complete bone cells1,2 is becoming common, much to the shock and consternation...

NEWS
March 2024 ICR Wallpaper
"He is not here; for He is risen, as He said." (Matthew 28:6 NKJV) ICR March 2024 wallpaper is now available for mobile, tablet,...