Missions

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This was your question, “show me anywhere in the bible where ...Jesus claims divinity.” [I will use only ONE category to demonstrate this…there are many more]

John 4:26 “ I am, the one who is speaking to you”
[ego eimi ho lalon soi]
Isaiah 52;6 “ I am he, the one who is speaking”
[ego eimi autos ho lalon]

There are many more Scriptures like this. If you really want it you can let me know. It is very easy to show that Jesus declared HIS DIVINITY. It is found throughout the Bible. Jesus himself assigned words to him, which is what mostly matters. In the Synoptic and Johannine Gospels Jesus used the term “I AM” (EGO EIMI), words that function as the NAME of GOD in the FIRST CENTURY; Hence his conviction for blasphemy in HIS TRIAL before the Sanhedrin.

I am…John 6:35; I am…John 8:12; I am…John 11:25 etc. Jesus is using what they call the theophanic formula that in the old testament is reserved for the most exalted descriptions of Jehovah ( Yahweh— Exodus 3:14) Jesus both claims and receives the honour that is rendered only to DEITY.

In John 13:19 Jesus asserts that he is telling his disciples what will happen before it happens so that they “may believe that I am [ego eimi].” The Greek more clearly makes the divine reference, ending with only ego eimi or I am. When we analyse Jesus’ I AM statements in light of the Old Testament scriptures, where the I AM is used for Yahweh, we will see how Jesus’ I AM declarations are some of the strongest and clearest proofs for his Deity.

In several places the I AM is used in connection with Yahweh’s timelessness or his eternal existence, that he is the God who has been there from the very beginning and shall continue to be there till the very end:

Jesus’ “I Am” Pronouncements Besides associating Jesus with the Hebrew principle of eternal Wisdom, John’s “I am” speeches also express an important aspect of his Christology. They echo Yahweh’s declaration of being to Moses at the burning bush (Exod. 3:14), in which God reveals his sacred personal name.

In the Hebrew Bible, only Yahweh speaks of himself (the “I am”) in this manner. Hence, Jesus’ reiterated “I am … the bread of life” (6:35), “the good shepherd” (10:11), “the resurrection and the life” (11:25), or “the way,” “the truth,” and “the life” (14:6) express unity with God, the eternal “I am”.

(Stephen L. Harris, The New Testament: A Student’s Introduction [McGraw-Hill Higher Education, January 1, 2006 Fifth Edition], Chapter 10. John’s Portrait of Jesus – Divine Wisdom Made Flesh, pp. 233, 235)

“In John 18 when the emissaries announce that they are seeking Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus proclaims his ego eimi (v 5), which could well mean, “I am he” (cf. John 9:9). The continuation, however, shows that here the formula also serves as a formula of self-revelation: ‘When he said to them, “ego eimi ,” they drew and fell to the ground’ (v 6). The event takes place during the last week of Passover that occurred during Jesus’ earthly life. We are reminded of what the Jewish texts say about the Day of Atonement: when the priests and the people hear the high priest call out the divine Name, they fall to their knees with their faces turned towards the earth (m. Yoma 6:2).”

Muslims must find some other way of dealing with Jesus’ I AM sayings since denying that such statements depict Jesus as God does absolutely nothing to refute the massive amount of Biblical data which shows that these declarations do indeed affirm the absolute Deity of Christ. Muslims are going to have to resort to attacking the historical reliability of John’s Gospel, which is what they often do when they cannot honestly handle or deal with the evidence.

John didn’t invent Jesus’ I AM sayings. The evidence suggests that that these pronouncements are derived from very early Christian tradition, indeed from Jesus himself.

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