This is the third episode recorded by Justin Johnson of Grace Ambassadors Church in Greentown Indiana on the confusion between the Bible and science.
In this episode we look at science and its own evolution down through the ages and where it is today.
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This is the second episode recorded by Justin Johnson of Grace Ambassadors Church in Greentown Indiana on the confusion between the Bible and science.
Of all the areas of scientific study none has more glaring holes in it than in the theories around the earth’s beginning and the beginning of every life form on this earth.
We’re going to see how the wide variety of theories, not scientific fact but theories, pose and parade as “proven” scientific knowledge.
These theories generally require a huge dose of blind faith, quite the opposite faith that we as Christian have, or should have, which is not blind but based on truths communicated to us personally by God through His Word, The Bible.
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We’re starting a series here where we try to define some of the question even many Christians have relating to how we reconcile the vast scientific knowledge we have in today’s world with the timeless truths of the Bible.
Although many people are confused about the seeming contradictions between science and the Bible, when we get to know our Bible, and more importantly our God who authored it, we see that there’s no need for those contradictions.
When we look honestly at our world today, we become aware that vast gaps and misunderstanding occur in the world of science and that it is by no means entirely fact related.
In fact some of the most significant questions about life are woefully inadequately dealt with by science which often times reverts to opinion, hearsay and superstition rather than raw fact.
This series is presented to you by someone who I personally regard as the most straight shooting, honest and biblically literate person I have ever listened to.
I cannot even begin to present this series to you with the depth of understanding, the biblical knowledge and the sheer common sense of this man.
He is Justin Johnson from Grace Ambassadors of Greentown Indiana.
A link to the ministry is included in the transcript.
I dearly hope that this message brings you a greater depth of understanding of the Bible and how it relates to the world we live in today.
“Speed Slider”
This series is presented to you by someone who I personally regard as the most straight shooting, honest and biblically literate person I have ever listened to.
I cannot even begin to present this series to you with the depth of understanding, the biblical knowledge and the sheer common sense of this man.
He is Justin Johnson from Grace Ambassadors of Greentown Indiana.
A link to the ministry is included in the transcript.
I dearly hope that this message brings you a greater depth of understanding of the Bible and how it relates to the world we live in today.
So often, in relation to God’s existence and His Word the Bible, we get the challenge of “Prove it”!
But so often the ones asking that fail to properly understand what they’re asking. Mostly they want you to recite a sentence or two that miraculously opens their eyes to a truth that they currently reject and desperately don’t want to know.
There’s a misunderstanding about what proof actually is.
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So, what is “Proof”?
If we want to prove anything — in science, in history, in a courtroom, or in everyday life there’s only one method that can be used: Evidence.
Not feelings. Not opinions. Not traditions. Not what someone “thinks” or “wishes” were true.
All proof rises and falls on the evidence for or against it.
If the evidence is strong, the claim stands. If the evidence is weak, the claim falls.
Without evidence there is no proof.
This’s true whether you’re proving who committed a crime, who wrote a letter, who won a battle, or whether a certain event really happened.
To “prove” that the Bible is the Word of God we need evidence, and the Bible stands alone because it presents verifiable, historical, testable evidence, especially in the form of perfectly fulfilled prophecy and the many infallible proofs of Jesus Christ as stated in Acts 1:3.
Acts 1:3 is the apostle Peter speaking about Jesus Christ and Who He was and how He rose from the dead, proving through irrefutable evidence that He was God. Peter says,
To whom (that’s to the apostles and others), To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most powerful evidence, that Jesus Christ is Who He said He is, God in the flesh. God’s the only One Who can perform resurrection from the dead.
And, since He is God, and since His birth, death, burial and resurrection was so minutely detailed in the Bible we have today, that’s the highest evidence by which we can prove the Bible is, in fact, God’s Word to mankind.
The Bible — unlike any other religious book on earth — does not ask us to “just believe.”
It presents evidence. It invites, even commands, examination and it welcomes testing.
It challenges the world to check the facts. The Bible’s not afraid of investigation, it’s built on it.
Most religions say, “Just have faith.” but the Bible says something very different.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:21 it says to “Prove all things”
Isaiah 1:18 invites to “Come now, let us reason together”.
Jesus said in John 5:39 to “Search the scriptures” in relation to evidence of who He was.
In 2 Peter 1:16 the apostle Peter states, “We have not followed cunningly devised fables”.
The Bible invites the same kind of testing you’d use in a courtroom.
It presents:
– eyewitness testimony
– written records
– historical details
– names, dates, and places
– fulfilled prophecy
– archaeological confirmation
– and above all, the resurrection of Jesus Christ
No book, religious or otherwise does this and none even tries.
What is the foundation of Christian evidence?
As we’ve already pointed out, Acts 1:3 says,
To whom (that’s the 12 apostles) also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
This is one of the most important verses in the Bible.
It tells us that Christianity is not built on blind faith. It’s built on proof gained by evidence — and not just proof, but many infallible proofs.
What makes these proofs infallible? Evidence!
“Infallible” means:
– undeniable
– certain
– unbreakable
– cannot be overturned
Luke, the writer of Acts, was a medical doctor, a historian, and one of the most careful writers of the ancient world and he says Jesus gave many such proofs.
What were these proofs?
– He appeared alive to His disciples
– He appeared to over 500 people at once as 1 Corinthians 15:6 states
– He ate food with them
– They touched Him
– They talked with Him
– They saw Him ascend into heaven
– They preached His resurrection in the very city where He was killed
If the body of Jesus were still in the tomb, Christianity would have died in Jerusalem very quickly. But the tomb was empty — and nobody, not even His enemies, could deny it.
The resurrection is the central evidence of the Christian faith, proving that what the Bible says about Jesus Christ being God in the flesh, the son of God, God with us, was true.
But it’s not the only evidence.
The strongest evidence for the Bible — outside the resurrection — is fulfilled prophecy. Fulfilled prophecy is God’s signature of proof.
Prophecy is God telling the future in advance, with details, and with perfect accuracy. And not only that but providing many past evidences of prophecy being given and fulfilled.
No other religious book contains prophecy like this.
Not the Quran.
Not the Hindu writings.
Not the Buddhist texts.
Not the Book of Mormon.
Not the writings of Confucius.
Not the sayings of philosophers.
Only the Bible.
Why?
Because prophecy requires supernatural knowledge. Knowledge outside and above natural, human knowledge.
It requires the one making the prophecy to be able to see the future as clearly as He sees the present or the past.
And this is not by some crazy human hit and miss medium or crystal or palm reading. The fulfilled prophecy of the bible can only be by the One making the prophecy existing outside our dimensions of energy, matter, time and space.
God, Who made those prophecies, is eternal, which means He’s not a being with a lot of time, it means He exists outside our time dimension altogether.
Only God knows the future. So when God tells the future in advance — and it happens exactly as He said — that’s evidence. It’s evidence that proves not only the reality and existence of God, but the authenticity of His Word that He gave to man, the Bible.
God states this about Himself in Isaiah 46:9-10,
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
God says, “I will prove Myself by telling you the future before it happens.”
And He does.
He spoke prophesies about Jesus centuries before His birth.
The Old Testament contains over 300 clear prophecies about the Messiah and countless shadows and types of Him.
These were written hundreds, and in some case thousands of years before Jesus was born.
Here’s just a few:
These’re not vague predictions.
They’re specific, detailed, historical, and verifiable.
The odds of one man fulfilling even eight of these prophecies by chance is 1 in 10^17 — a number so large it’s considered in many scientific fields as “effectively impossible”, but Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies and they’re just the obvious ones. There’s a shadow or type of Christ on almost every page of the bible.
This doesn’t even begin to take into account prophecy relating to Israel and it’s earthly kingdom.
So the 1 in 10^17 chance of this happening randomly is one chance out of 1 with 17 zeros after it or a 1 in 100 quadrillion chance.
To compare the chances of that, being struck by lightning in your lifetime is a 1 in 15,000 chance. Winning a major lottery jackpot is a 1 in 300 million chance. Finding a specific grain of sand on all the beaches on earth is still much more likely than 1 in 10^17.
That’s not chance. That’s evidence. Of course a person can have every possible morsal of evidence put before them and still reject that proof if they will themselves not to see it.
The resurrection is the central proof of all history with the greatest evidence in all of history.
Why?
Because if Jesus rose from the dead, then:
– He is who He said He is
– His words are true
– His claims are true
– His promises are true
– His warnings are true
– His gospel is true
– The Bible is true
If Jesus rose from the dead, everything else falls into place.
And the resurrection is supported by:
– eyewitness testimony
– written records
– hostile witnesses
– the empty tomb
– transformed disciples
– the explosion of the early church
– the conversion of Paul
– the conversion of James
– the survival of Christianity under persecution
– the inability of enemies to produce a body
This is why Acts 1:3 says Jesus showed Himself alive by many infallible proofs.
Christianity’s not built on blind faith. It’s built on historical evidence where archaeology has confirmed the Bible again and again.
Just a few of thousands of examples are:
– The Hittites — once thought mythical — were discovered exactly where the Bible said.
– The pool of Bethesda — once mocked — was found with five porches, exactly as John described.
– The city of Jericho — long doubted — was found with walls fallen outward, exactly as Joshua said.
– King David — once called a legend — is now confirmed by multiple inscriptions.
– Pontius Pilate — once denied — is now confirmed by stone inscription.
Every time archaeology digs, the Bible’s proven right.
Not once has archaeology disproved the Bible.
Of course those of us who’ve already long ago accepted the evidence and therefore have proved the bible’s authenticity for ourselves, look at the archaeological evidence a little differently. We say the bible proves the archaeology not the other way round.
The Bible was written:
– over 1500 years
– by 40 different authors
– on three continents
– in three languages
– in different cultures
– by kings, fishermen, shepherds, prophets, soldiers, and doctors
And yet it tells one story, with one message, pointing to one Savior.
And, despite what sceptics have claimed over thousands of years, there are no contradictions, no corrections and no revisions.
This is impossible unless the Bible has one Author behind the human writers — God Himself.
Evidence is not only historical. It’s also personal.
The Bible changes lives:
– drunkards become sober
– addicts become free
– broken homes are restored
– sinners are forgiven
– the guilty find peace
– the hopeless find purpose
– the dead in sin find life
No other book, no other message and no other religion does this.
Romans 1:16 declares that the gospel, God’s Word, is the power of God.
The Bible’s preservation is further evidence.
For thousands of years, kings, governments, empires, and atheists have tried to destroy the Bible.
They burned it, they banned it, they outlawed it, they mocked it and relentlessly attacked it.
Yet still the Bible stands, secure in what it’s always said, unchanged.
Jesus said in Matthew 24:35:
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
And they haven’t.
The Bible is the most printed, most translated, most read, most attacked, and most proven book in history.
The Bible stands on evidence and when we put all that evidence together:
– fulfilled prophecy
– historical accuracy
– archaeological confirmation
– eyewitness testimony
– the resurrection
– internal unity
– transformed lives
– supernatural preservation
We’re left with the conclusion that the Bible is true. Jesus is Lord, God and the gospel is real.
And God Himself has proven it.
Christianity is not a leap in the dark.
It’s a step into the light — the light of evidence, the light of truth, the light of the many infallible proofs of Jesus Christ.
When we study the Bible to understand a doctrine, we have to look at the whole picture—not just one verse here or there.
If we pull a single verse out of its setting, we can easily misunderstand and misrepresent what God meant.
The Bible is one united book with one integrated message, so we need to pay attention to the verses around the verse we’re studying, and in particular, who it was written to, and why it was written. That’s how we find solid evidence for what we believe.
It also helps to look at the Bible through the different dispensations, the different periods in God’s plan where He dealt with people in specific, but different ways.
Each dispensation shows how God worked with humanity at that time in history and that changes. God Himself, His character and Who He is never changes but the way He deals with humanity has and does change.
This helps us understand why certain commands, promises, or prophecies were given, and who they were meant for.
When we recognise these differences, the Bible becomes much clearer, and we avoid mixing things together that don’t belong together. We avoid taking an instruction meant for someone other than us today. For example reading an instruction that was given to the nation of Israel in the dispensation of Moses’s law and trying to fit it into the church age that we live in today in the dispensation of grace.
When we put these two things together—studying the context and understanding the dispensations—we get a fuller, more accurate understanding of Scripture.
This approach gives strong proof, not only for our doctrines but adds to all the other evidences of the whole Bible
We’re currently studying Paul’s epistle to the Romans and perhaps the greatest of all things to recognise is that none of what Paul writes about means a thing unless Jesus is God.
In fact if Jesus wasn’t God Christianity itself doesn’t exist and there’s no hope for this world and the countless millions who’ve lived in it and are living in it today.
Many people challenge the deity of Jesus Christ and even some who say they’re Christians say that nowhere in the Bible did Jesus claim to be God. Nothing could be further from the truth!
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Tap or click on the PDF to read it
Tap or click on the PDF to read it
If we want to understand the foundation of Christianity, we have to understand who Jesus is, not just what He did on the cross, not just the miracles, not just the teachings — but who He claimed to be. Everything rises and falls on that.
If Jesus is not God, then His death means nothing more than the death of any other man. If He’s not God, then He cannot save anyone and the cross is just a tragedy, not a triumph and certainly not salvation.
But if Jesus is God — if He’s the same God who spoke to Moses, who led Israel, who created the world — then everything He said and did carries divine authority. Then His death can be and is the payment for sin. Then His resurrection is the defeat of death. Then His words are the very words of God.
But the fact that “Jesus is God,” is challenged by many sceptics. It’s common to hear these crowds asking, “Well, when did Jesus ever say He was God?”
Many, if not most Christians don’t know their Bible, so they freeze up.
When people ask that question They expect Jesus to have said the exact phrase, “I am God,” in those exact English words, but it’s important to realise that by Jesus just saying “I am God” doesn’t prove anything. Any crazy person can say that, and many have.
I could say I’m a brain surgeon, but it’d be a real idiot that believed me without me ever once proving it in the operating theatre.
But that’s not how God revealed Himself in Scripture. God didn’t say to Moses, “Hello Moses, I am God.” He said, “I AM THAT I AM.” That was His name. That was His identity. That was His declaration.
So when Jesus uses that same name — I AM — again and again, He’s declaring Himself to be the same God who spoke from the burning bush. And when He takes the titles, roles, and works of Jehovah from the Old Testament and applies them to Himself, He’s making the strongest possible claim to deity.
And we’ve also got to remember that the Jews of Jesus’s day knew full well that He claimed to be God. That’s why they crucified Him.
The book of John is full of these claims. But to see them, you have to know the Old Testament. You have to know who God said He was, what God said He would do, and how God described Himself. Then, when Jesus shows up doing the same things and using the same names, the picture becomes clear.
Let’s look at the “I AM” statements of Jesus, the miracles He performed, the Scriptures He fulfilled, and the reactions of the people who heard Him. We’ll see how Jesus declared Himself to be God — not in one sentence, but in every sentence, every miracle, every title and every action.
We’ll understand why the Jews wanted to stone Him, why the disciples worshipped Him, and why the early church preached Him as Lord. We’ll see why Paul said He created all things, why Peter called Him the Shepherd, and why John wrote his Gospel quote, “that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.”
And we’ll see why Jesus Himself said, “Before Abraham was, I AM.”
Before we can understand Jesus’ claims, we have to understand God’s name. Not the name people give Him, but the name He gave Himself.
Let’s take a look at Exodus 3:13-14,
And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
When Moses stood before the burning bush, he asked God a simple question: “What is Your name?”
God answered with words that shook the world:
“I AM THAT I AM.”
“Tell them I AM hath sent me.”
That name means God is self‑existent. Eternal. Dependent on no one. The One who simply is. No beginning. No end. No source. No creator. He is the Creator.
In the Old Testament, this name appears as LORD, L_O_R_D in all capital letters — Jehovah. Jehovah means “He is” or “The Self‑Existent One.”
The name Jehovah is an English way of pronouncing God’s covenant name, the divine name Y-H-W-H, the Tetragrammaton, the most profound name in existence with the deepest of meanings. The covenant name God revealed to Moses.
Ancient Israelites considered this name too holy to pronounce, so they substituted Adonai (“Lord”) when reading Scripture aloud. The original pronunciation was eventually lost and that’s why we get forms like Yahweh and Jehovah.
It’s meaning is rooted in God’s self‑revelation to Moses. It’s how God’s people speak of Him.
Whenever we see “LORD” all in capitals, that’s the name God gave Moses.
If we go back to Genesis 1:1 we read —“In the beginning God…”
Before heaven, earth, time, space, or matter, God already was. In Genesis 2:4 we see “the LORD God”—Jehovah—making heaven and earth. He was already there!
In Genesis 15, Abraham talks directly with this same LORD (Jehovah), the One who made all things and made the covenant with him.
In Exodus 6:3 we see God talking to Moses,
And I (God) appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
He’s revealing His name Jehovah. This is the same “I AM”, the One who simply is.
Throughout the Old Testament, Jehovah is described with certain roles:
These weren’t just poetic images. They were identities. They were the ways God revealed Himself to His people. We have a list of the covenant names of Jehovah below this recording.
When Jesus comes and uses these same titles — bread, light, shepherd, vine, resurrection, judge — He’s not speaking randomly. He’s taking the identity of Jehovah and applying it to Himself.
And when He uses the name “I AM”, He’s directly claiming the name of God.
This’s why the Jews reacted so strongly. They knew exactly what He was saying.
All this matters because when we get to the Gospel of John we see that John’s whole purpose is to prove that Jesus is the Son of God and we see Jesus uses that same name—I AM—for Himself. It’s not an accident.
Jesus is taking the name of the eternal God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
If somebody asks, “Is Jesus God?” the book of John is a good place to look. If we want the gospel of the grace of God, John isn’t the book for that—that comes later in Romans. But John shows who the Savior is.
John 1:1 says,
IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John’s telling us the Word is God. Later we learn this Word became flesh—Jesus.
Now while remembering Exodus 3 when Moses asked God His name, and God said, “I AM THAT I AM,” we go to John 8:52–53 where the Jews argue with Jesus.
They say Abraham and the prophets are dead, so who does Jesus think He is, saying people who keep His sayings will never die? They think He has a devil. Jesus tells them He knows the Father, and that if He denied that, He’d be a liar like them.
Then He answers their question: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day.”
Jesus isn’t guessing—He’s telling them what Abraham actually did and only God would know that.
The Jews say, “You’re not even fifty years old. Have you seen Abraham?” And Jesus replies in John 8:58, “Before Abraham was, I AM.”
They knew exactly what He meant. “I AM” is the name revealed to Moses—YHWH, the Tetragrammaton, a Greek word meaning “four letters.” It’s the name of Jehovah in Exodus 3. So when people ask, “Where did Jesus say He was God?”—there it is right there. He’s saying He’s the I AM, the very name of the eternal God.
God didn’t create Israel just to give laws and then later switch to Jesus. Without Israel, without the covenants, without Jehovah speaking to Moses and Abraham, we wouldn’t know who Jesus is.
The Old Testament shows God’s power in His creation, His miracles, His promises and covenants—so that when Jesus came doing the same works and speaking the same way, Israel should have known that God was now standing in front of them in person.
If all we had was the book of John, without the Old Testament, Jesus’ claims could be brushed off as just a man talking big. But His words and His miracles fulfill Scripture and connect Him to the God of Israel. That’s why John proves Jesus is the Son of God.
Jesus didn’t just claim to be God—He fulfilled everything that God said He would do to the tiniest detail. He did the same miracles God did for Israel. He spoke the same name. He acted with the same authority. That’s how we know He’s Jehovah in the flesh.
Now let’s look at the “I AM” statements.
We already saw “Before Abraham was, I AM.” In John 6:35, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.” He’d just multiplied the loaves and fishes. The people wanted more food, but Jesus told them they missed the point. The miracle wasn’t about filling their stomachs—it was to show who He is. They wanted the bread. He wanted them to see the Bread‑giver.
God fed Israel with manna in the wilderness. Now Jesus stands there saying, “I am the true bread.” Only God could say that.
Everything He did pointed to the same truth: Jesus is the almighty I AM, the same Jehovah who spoke to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The Jews knew exactly what He meant. That’s why they got angry. He was taking the name of God.
In John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” In the Old Testament, God is the One who gives light, who created light, who led Israel with a pillar of fire. Jesus is claiming that same role.
In John 10:7, He says, “I am the door.” In verse 11 He says, “I am the good shepherd.” In the Old Testament, Jehovah is Israel’s Shepherd (Psalm 23). Now Jesus says He is the Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep.
In John 11:25, standing at Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus says, “I am the resurrection, and the life.” Only God gives life. Only God raises the dead. Jesus doesn’t say, “I can help with resurrection.” He says I AM the resurrection.
In John 14:6, He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Not “a way.” Not “a truth.” He says He is the way to the Father. No prophet ever talked like that.
In John 15:1, He says, “I am the true vine.” Israel was called God’s vine in the Old Testament. Jesus says He’s the true one — the source of life and fruit.
All these “I AM” sayings tie Jesus straight back to the God of Israel. He didn’t come out of nowhere. He came fulfilling the covenants, the miracles, the promises and the prophecies. God showed Himself to Israel in power in the Old Testament so that when Jesus came doing the same works, they’d know God was now standing among them in the flesh.
Jesus didn’t just claim to be God.
He acted like God. He spoke like God. He did the works of God. And He used the very name of God for Himself — I AM.
That’s why John wrote his book: so we’d believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the same Jehovah who spoke to Moses and Abraham, now here amongst mankind in human form.
In John 6:29 Jesus told the people,
…This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
They wanted power, miracles and signs but Jesus said the real work is to believe! To believe on the One God sent—Jesus Christ, God in the flesh.
In verse 30 (John 6:30) the crowd ask Jesus,
What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
In verse 31 They remind Jesus,
Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
But Jesus corrected them in verse 32:
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
He’s saying it wasn’t Moses who fed them—it was Jehovah God. And now Jesus says He is the true bread.
Then in verses 33–35 Jesus says,
For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
He’s not talking about literal bread or literal drink. He’s talking about believing on Him. Catholics miss this when they say you must literally eat His flesh. Jesus explains the meaning Himself: coming to Him and believing on Him is the “eating.”
In verse 47 (John 6:47) He says,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
See, that’s the point. Eating bread keeps your body alive for a day, believing on Jesus gives everlasting life.
He says in verse 48,
I am that bread of life.
Israel ate manna and still died. But Jesus says in verse 51,
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Either He’s God, or He’s a madman. There’s no middle ground.
Even the Old Testament taught this.
In Deuteronomy 8:3 God said,
And he humbled thee (Israel) , and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
He gave Israel manna so they would learn that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. That LORD is Jehovah the great “I AM”.
God wanted Israel to trust Him daily. Jesus wants the same thing: trust Him, the true bread from heaven.
Then in John 8:12, Jesus gives another “I AM” statement:
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
He says if we follow Him, we won’t walk in darkness. That’s a huge claim. In Genesis 1:3, God created light before the sun existed. In 2 Corinthians 4:4–6, Paul says God shines spiritual light into our hearts through Jesus Christ, who is the image of God. Jesus isn’t claiming to be a teacher of light—He claims to be the light itself.
Paul says God commanded light to shine out of darkness, and that same God shines the light of His glory in the face of Jesus Christ. That’s why Jesus can say, “I am the light of the world.” He’s claiming to be the very source of truth, life, and understanding.
People may choose not to believe Him, but they cannot say He never claimed to be God. He did—again and again—by taking God’s name I AM, by performing God’s works, and by offering what only God can give: eternal life.
Paul says this in 1 Timothy 6:15–16,
Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, (which means ruler of great authority), the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting.
That light is God’s own glory. No man can see God in His full light. Yet Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” He’s claiming to be that same divine light.
Israel already knew God as their light. Psalm 119:105 says,
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Isaiah 49:6 says God would make Israel a light to the Gentiles.
Isaiah 60:1–3 says,
Arise, shine, for thy light is come… the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
That LORD is Jehovah, I AM, God and He promised to dwell with Israel and shine His glory through them.
So when Jesus comes and says, “I am the light of the world,” He’s claiming to be the very light Isaiah spoke of—the glory of Jehovah shining on Israel.
In John 3, Jesus explains that He came from heaven, just like the manna and just like the light that comes from above. In verses 19–21 He says, “Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light.” Darkness is sin. Light is truth and righteousness. Jesus says He is that light. People who hate truth avoid Him. People who want truth come to Him.
In John 12:44–46, Jesus says if you believe on Him, you are believing on the One who sent Him. If you see Him, you see the Father. Then He says again, “I am come a light into the world.”
He tells them in John 5:39,
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
The Old Testament showed God as light, bread, shepherd, door and life. Jesus takes all those titles for Himself.
Revelation 21:23 says that in the future kingdom they won’t need the sun, because “the Lord is the light of it.” Jesus is claiming to be that same Lord.
Then in John 10:7, Jesus gives another “I AM” statement:
I am the door of the sheep.
To understand that, we must know the Old Testament. God led Israel like a shepherd leads sheep—through the wilderness, through danger, feeding them, and protecting them.
Isaiah 53:6 says,
All we like sheep have gone astray.
That “we” is Israel.
Psalm 79:13 says, Israel speaking,
So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.
Israel were God’s sheep.
So when Jesus says, “I am the door of the sheep… I am the shepherd,” He’s claiming to be the same Shepherd who led Israel in the Old Testament—the same Jehovah who fed them, guided them, and saved them.
Psalm 95:7 says, “He is our God; we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.”
Israel were God’s sheep. He was their Shepherd.
Jesus taught Israel to pray, “Our Father which art in heaven,” because God was the Father of Israel as we see in Exodus 3. Over and over the Old Testament says Jehovah is the Shepherd, the Light, the Bread, the Door, the One who leads His people.
Jesus isn’t just using nice pictures. He’s tying Himself directly to the God of Israel.
Every “I AM” statement is a claim to deity. People may choose not to believe Him, but they can never say He never claimed to be God. He did—again and again—by taking God’s name, God’s titles, and God’s works for Himself.
Psalm 100:3 says,
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
So when Jesus says in John, “I am the bread of life… I am the light of the world… I am the door… I am the shepherd,” He’s taking titles that belong to Jehovah. That’s how He declares He is God.
It’s like my earlier example of me claiming to be a brain surgeon. I could say I’m a brain surgeon, but only a fool would believe me without me proving it in the operating theatre and having that reputation.
Israel had the “book” that told them what God does. Jesus came doing the same works God did. That’s how they should have known who He was.
God often rebuked Israel’s shepherds—its leaders—for failing to care for His people.
Ezekiel 34 says the shepherds fed themselves instead of the flock. They didn’t heal the sick, gather the lost, or strengthen the weak. God said He would judge them. Then He promised He Himself would come and be the true Shepherd.
Everything those false shepherds failed to do, Jesus did. He healed the sick, lifted the broken, found the lost, fed the hungry, and cared for the weak. That’s why He says, “I am the door of the sheep… I am the good shepherd.” He’s doing exactly what God said He would do.
Jeremiah 23:1–2 also rebukes the pastors who scatter God’s flock. Jehovah says He will visit them for their evil. Then He promises to raise up a righteous Shepherd for His people. When Jesus comes, He fulfills that promise. He is Jehovah in the flesh, doing the work the shepherds refused to do.
People often read Psalm 23 at funerals, but it’s about Israel in their wilderness and tribulation. “The LORD is my shepherd… He leads me beside still waters… He restores my soul.”
That’s what God did for Israel. Jesus comes and takes that same role. He leads, feeds, protects, and restores. He is the Shepherd of Psalm 23 because He is Jehovah, the mighty “I AM.”
Paul says in Romans 15:8 that Jesus was a minister of the circumcision to confirm the promises made to the fathers. That means Jesus came to Israel to fulfill everything God said He would do.
So when Jesus says in John 10, “I am the door of the sheep,” He’s saying He’s the only true way into God’s fold. The Old Testament is the frame, and Jesus fits it perfectly. Anyone who doesn’t fit that frame is not the Shepherd.
Jesus fits every prophecy, every picture, every promise. That’s why He keeps saying, “I AM… I AM… I AM.”
He is Jehovah God in the flesh, the true Shepherd of Israel.
In John 10:11, Jesus says,
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
That was a hint of what He would do later. A normal shepherd might protect sheep, but who dies for sheep? Jesus knew exactly what He came to do. He knew the mystery. He knew the cross. He knew He would lay down His life. He says this long before He dies because He is the I AM.
Jesus came to Israel, the lost sheep. In Matthew 15:24, He says,
I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
In Matthew 10:6, He tells His disciples to preach only to Israel. So the sheep are not Gentiles—they’re Jews. But not all Israel believed. Only the little flock of Luke 12:32 heard His voice.
In Matthew 26:31-32, on the night before the cross, Jesus quotes prophecy from Zechariah 13:7. He says,
I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.
He tells them He’ll rise again, but they still don’t understand. They go to the empty tomb thinking someone stole His body. We understand now because we can look back.
Peter later writes in 1 Peter 2:25 to those scattered sheep, the scattered believing remnant of Israel, calling Jesus their Shepherd.
Israel’s prophets had spoken of this long before.
Then in John 11:25, Jesus gives another “I AM” statement:
Jesus said unto her (that’s Martha) I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Lazarus has died. Martha says she knows he will rise “at the last day.” How does she know that? Because the Old Testament scriptures taught the resurrection of God’s people and she believed that.
But Jesus says, “I am the resurrection.”
He’s claiming to be the One who gives life at the last day—the same God who promised resurrection in the Old Testament. He asks her, “Believest thou this?” She answers, “I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God.”
Then Jesus proves His claim. He raises Lazarus from the dead by His own word.
Elijah and others raised the dead too, but they never said, “I am the resurrection.” They said God did it. Jesus says He is the life. That’s a claim only God can make.
This miracle wasn’t about Lazarus. It was a sign to unbelieving Jews to show who Jesus is. If God raises His people at the last day, then who is this man who raises the dead right now? He is the I AM.
Jesus keeps saying it:
I am the bread of life.
I am the light of the world.
I am the door.
I am the good shepherd.
I am the resurrection and the life.
Every one of these ties Him to the God of Israel. We have to read the Old Testament and John together. That’s how we see it. Jesus didn’t need to say the exact words “I am God.” He said it in every way that mattered—by taking God’s name, God’s titles, and God’s works for Himself.
In John 11:41–42, Jesus prays before raising Lazarus.
He says, “Father, I thank You that You hear me… but because of the people standing here I said it, that they may believe You sent me.”
He wasn’t raising Lazarus just because He loved him, even though He did weep at the news of his death.
He raised Lazarus as a sign, so the people would believe He was sent by God.
Yet even after seeing a man raised from the dead, many still refused to believe and began plotting Jesus’ death. Just like Abraham said in Luke 16, “If one rose from the dead, they still won’t believe.”
Then Jesus gives another great “I AM” statement in John 14:6. He says,
I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
That’s not just the religious slogan it’s become today. In the Old Testament, God was Israel’s way. God led them through the wilderness, told them when to fight, where to live, how to walk.
Psalm 119 is full of prayers like, “Teach me the way of Thy statutes… make me to go in the path of Thy commandments.” Israel knew God alone was the way.
So when Jesus says, “I am the way,” He’s claiming to be the same God who guided Israel.
He also says, “I am the truth.”
Psalm 119:160 says,
Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
God is the source of all truth.
John 1 says Jesus is full of grace and truth—a description used of Jehovah in the Old Testament.
In John 17:17 Jesus prays, “Thy word is truth.” And who is the Word? Jesus Himself. So when He says, “I am the truth,” He’s claiming the very nature of God.
Some people argue about whether Jesus had “faith” like we do. But faith is trusting in truth. If you are the truth, you don’t “believe in” truth—you are it.
Jesus didn’t need faith the way we do. He lived in perfect obedience because He’s God manifest in the flesh.
Then Jesus says, “I am the life.”
We don’t have life in ourselves—we die. We need life from God. Jesus says He is that life.
In John 5:24, He says those who hear His word and believe have everlasting life.
In John 5:28–29 He says the dead will rise at His voice. Only God can do that. That’s why He says in John 11, “I am the resurrection and the life.”
He also says in John 15:1, “I am the true vine.”
In the Old Testament, Israel was God’s vine, God’s vineyard, God’s olive tree. But Israel failed. Jesus says,
I am the vine, you (Israel) are the branches.
If they don’t abide in Him—believe Him, follow Him—they will wither and be cut off. That’s kingdom truth for Israel. But in this dispensation, the dispensation of grace that you and I live in today, believers are not branches on a tree—we’re members of His body. A body part that is weak or sick is cared for, not chopped off.
The branches of the vine are Israel, especially those who believed Him.
He says in verse 2 (John 15:2) that every branch not bearing fruit is taken away, and the ones that do bear fruit are purged to bear more.
That’s covenant language. Under Israel’s program, fruit proved faith. A branch with no fruit was worthless. That’s why James 2:17 says,
Faith without works is dead.
Thank God our salvation today in this dispensation of Grace doesn’t depend on fruit, but theirs did.
Jesus keeps saying “I AM” because the whole point of John’s Gospel is to show He is the Son of God—Jehovah in the flesh.
Every “I AM” statement connects Him to something God said or did in the Old Testament. When Jehovah says, “Every knee shall bow to Me,” and Jesus says He is the Judge before whom every knee bows, that’s a claim to deity.
Paul says the same in Colossians 1:16–17,
By Him were all things created… He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.
That’s Genesis 1. That’s the I AM. Jesus existed before creation because He is God.
In John 18, when they come to arrest Jesus, He shows this again.
Judas brings soldiers with torches and weapons. Jesus already knows everything that’ll happen—because He’s God and knows all things. He steps forward and asks, “Whom seek ye?” They say, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answers, “I am he.” The moment He says “I AM,” they fall backward to the ground. That was the power of God.
Isaiah uses the phrase “I am he” for Jehovah. Jesus uses it for Himself.
Israel needed to believe who He was.
Today, the whole world. if they’re to receive life, must believe who He is and what He did—that He died for our sins and rose again.
But we can’t understand the cross until we understand the Person on that cross. And Jesus made it plain: He is the almighty I AM.
