Submitted by Rob on March 17, 2008 - 11:15am.

Welcome to Daily Devotions for Holy Week (The time between Palm Sunday and Easter). Jesus enters Jerusalem where he is arrested, tried, and executed primarily because people did not know who he was.

For this week we will look at some of the ways Jesus described himself using "I AM" statements.  There are a number of them. Today we read the statements where Jesus basically claims that he is God by describing himself as "I AM." For the people he was speaking to these two words would be reminders of the conversation between Moses and God. . .

Exodus 3:13-15 - But Moses said to God, "If I come to the Israelites and say to them, "The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, "What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I am who I am." He said further, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, "I am has sent me to you.' " God also said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, "The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you': This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.

Jesus declares “I AM.”

4:26 - Jesus said to her, "I AM, the one who is speaking."

6:20 - But [Jesus] said to them, "I AM, do not be afraid."

8:24b - "for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I AM."

8:28a - "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM"

8:58 - "Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I AM."

13:19 - "I tell you this now, before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I AM."

18:5,7 - Jesus replied, "I AM." When he said to them, "I am," they stepped back and fell to the ground.

For me, these I AM statements do not remind me of Moses conversation, but instead of a poem I heard when I was a teenager.

I AM - by Helen Mallicoat

I was regretting the past and fearing the future.
Suddenly my Lord was speaking:
"My name is I am"

He paused.
I waited.
He continued,

"When you live in the past with its mistakes and regrets,
it is hard. I am not there.
My name is not I WAS.

When you live in the future, with its problems and fears,
it is hard. I am not there.
My name is not I WILL BE.

When you live in this moment
it is not hard. I am here,
My name I AM."

Meditations