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Did Jesus ever say the exact words "I am God"?
No, Jesus never
said the exact three words, "I am God".
But Jesus also never said the exact four words, "I am a prophet" or
the exact four words "I am a man,"
but we know he was both a prophet and a man. It
is not necessary for Jesus to say the exact phrase "I am a man" for us to know
that he was a man. Likewise, it is not necessary for Jesus to
utter the exact three words "I am God" in order for us to determine whether
or not he is divine. Jesus may not have said the exact sentence "I am
God" but he did claim the divine name for himself (Exo.
3:14 with John 8:58) and he
also received worship (Matt. 2:2; 14:33; 28:9; John 9:35-38). The words "I am" Now please understand that anyone can say the
words "I am" and it does not mean that he is claiming to be
God. Someone could say, "I am over here." That is not claiming
the divine name. Likewise, someone could say, "I am hungry," or
"I am sick." Neither example is claiming divinity because the use of
term "I am" in context clearly shows us that is not what is
occurring. But, in John 8:58 when Jesus said "before Abraham was
born, I am," the Jews knew exactly what he was saying. Notice
that he says before Abraham was born (using the past tense) and
then he switches to the present tense when he says "I am."
Jesus switches tenses of the verbs on purpose so that when
he does so in the context of referencing Abraham, Jesus
is clearly drawing the Jews' attention to the Old Testament
Scriptures and then using a present tense form of the verb "to
be" by saying "I AM". Someone who says "I am hungry"
is not drawing attention to the Old Testament Scriptures for
context. The Muslims agree with the Jews But what is noteworthy is that the Jews, like the Muslims, deny that Jesus is God in flesh. Therefore, the Muslims are united with the Jewish people in denying who Jesus claimed to be, the "I am." Conclusion It is not necessary that Jesus say a certain
phrase in order for the truth of who he is to be made clear. The
issue is not if he speaks a certain sentence that we construct
in present terms in order to satisfy our theological demands. The issue is what did
Jesus say in the
context and culture of the time in which he spoke.
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