Category Archives: Jesus

Another Look at I Am in John

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John wrote his Gospel so people would look to Jesus as the Messiah/Christ and the Son of I AM. He cited miracles as a proof of this, but in his writing, he said many things to back that up. He was an Israelite Jew who probably grew up speaking Hebrew and yet his thoughts and writings were in Greek.

God choose “I AM” as a name to introduce Himself to Moses and Abraham’s children living in Egypt. That phrase is used by John more than any other New Testament writer. I sorted and grouped that phrase in this post. Now, Jesus is not the only person to use it in the Gospel of John. Several people used it and I tried to include all of them, after all it is still a common phrase in our speech and language.

Teachers love to condense and simplify things to make and reinforce their lessons. Many only cite seven miracles being in John, that is not true, the Resurrection does not make most list. In the same custom they focused on a limited number of quotes from Jesus where He used “I am” to reveal something about Himself. I have heard seven or ten, my list has eleven. There is also a long list of where He refers to things He is doing. Believe me this varies by translations.

I put two word-search links for you to compare different translations. God bless translators who work to glorify God and His Word. Text analysis and other study materials help us make sense of translations and show us how they came to us from the original languages.  

All of these references are from the Book by John. The scrambled order came in when I started grouping similar thoughts and sayings and looked in more than one translation.

John the Baptist– I am Not Him – John 1:20,21, 27; 3:28. John the Baptist – I am one calling in the wilderness, 1:23.

Other People – I did use the NIV a lot so your Bible may have something different.

  • Samaritan woman 4:9
  • 5:7 man at the pool
  • blind man 9:9
  • Peter denying 18:17, 25

The Long List – This went through several forms, so it may be a little rough. All of these are about Jesus.

  • Jesus – 4:26, 8:24 I am He (Messiah)
  • 5:36 I am doing works
  • Jesus not going to the festival 7:8
  • 7:28, 29 not here on my own authority
  • 7:33, 34; 8:14, 21, 28; 13:33, 36 going to the One who sent Me
  • 8:16, 18, 14:28 I am going away and I am coming back to you, 16:5, 7, 10, 17, 28, 17:11, 13, 20:17 going to the Father
  • 18:38 He is not alone, 17:21 Father in Me and I am in you
  • 14:2, 8:23 I am from above, not of this world, 17:14,16
  • 8:46 I am telling the truth
  • 8:49 I am not possessed
  • 8:50 I am not seeking glory
  • 11:11 I am going to wake Lazarus, 11:15 I am glad I was not there
  • 12:26 where I am my servants will be, 14:3, 4, 17:24
  • 12:32 I am lifted up
  • 13:7 I am doing (washing feet)
  • 13:18 I am not referring to all
  • 13:19 I am telling you before it happens
  • 16:26 praying, 17:9
  • 16:32 I am not alone
  • Jesus agreeing 18:37 I am a king
  • 19:28 I am thirsty
  • 20:21 I am sending you
  • 14:10 I am in the Father and going there 12, 20

Where Jesus Identified Himself – I have no problem if you see it another way.

  • 6:35, 41, 48, 51 I am the Bread of Life
  • 8:12 I am the Light of the world, 9:5
  • 8:58 I am (before Abraham)
  • 10:9 I am the Gate
  • 10:11,14 I am the Good Shepherd
  • 10:36 I am God’s Son
  • 11:25 I am the Resurrection and the Life
  • 13:13 I am Teacher and Lord
  • 14:6 I am the Way and the Truth, and the Life
  • 15:1 I am the Vine
  • 18:5, 6, 8 I am Jesus of Nazareth

A thought I started working on, was to divide John into ministry sections. Then take these references and group them. It may still get done, but I had a problem deciding on the sections.

John is also important because he was the last writer of New Testament cannon. We all want Revelation to be the last book written and it may have been. What if John wrote the Gospel after Revelation just to reinforce the vision he wrote about. I am in the minority on that thought.

A Comparison of Thoughts on the Order of the New Testament

John’s Gospel may have been the last roadblock to heresies that were already taking root and about to show up. Arianism quickly gained ground in Christian churches. This doctrine wanted to change the Triune God. This doctrine spread so much that the Visigoths who sacked Rome were Arian Christians.

Jesus in the Psalms – His Birth

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The Law, Psalms, and the Prophets have references to Jesus. As Christians, we know this because He came to fulfill them, not end them. The fair-you-see in the Law, Psalms, and Prophets was also observed by many rabbis during the Exile. They developed many things (rules and synagogues) to compensate for no Temple to worship in, they wanted the Jewish God and faith to not be forgotten by their people in exile. But some leaders were sad-you-see because all they saw was the Law; they did not even like angels or supernatural things. Only the Law was important to them, not the warnings and directions of the prophets and the joyful lessons in the Psalms.

If your Bible has references and footnotes you will see First Testament references all over the pages. Our Book of Hebrews stresses the High Priesthood of Jesus, but I would love to have a transcript of Jesus talking to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and Philip’s explanation to the Ethiopian eunuch.   

In this series I will highlight from Psalms, just Psalms, verses that foretell aspects of Jesus’ life, ministry, and mission as seen in the Gospels and Acts. (My note-taking phase has overwhelmed me.) Like with my other studies, I want you opening your Bible, leaf and ink preferred and go Berean on me. So, I will include some whole verses, but not all of them. Will I get all of the references? Probably not, the sheer volume of them and how they show up in the chapters is making it very hard to organize.  

Mary the Prophet

Luke quotes, in Chapter 1:46-55, a teenage girl who has had a trip south from Nazareth to the hill country around Jerusalem. In that week-long trip, she was a bundle of fulfilled prophecy, had joy for Elizabeth, nervous thoughts about Joseph, and had Holy Spirit excitement bubbling in her as she thought about countless Scriptures that she was about to deliver. Mary knew her God and His words; she made reference to four different Psalms: 138, 111, 103, and 107. I think that song exploded from her with tears, shouts, and dancing. Her psalms were not numbered or divided into verses, but she knew them and their promises.

  • 138: 6 looks on the lowly. Written by David.
  • 111: 9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. (KJV) Mary actually quote the last line in this verse. More on this verse later. Possibly written by David; I say that because of verse 111:1.
  • 103:17+18 generations and children. Written by David.
  • 107:9 satisfies

Zechariah the Prophet

This older priest was standing in the empty Holy of Holies burning incense. See Luke 1. If he was a Sadducee, he switched parties. Nine months later, when his son John was born, he gives a prophecy that includes references to five Psalms: 72, 111, 18, 105, and 106.

  • 72: 18
  • 111: 9 Zechariah quoted the first part of our numbered verse; “redemption”. This Psalm is acrostic; so, the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet are divided in its ten verses. Verse 9 has three letters in it (by my count #17,18, and 19). We are used to seeing a verse per letter, like in Lamentations. Psalm 111:9 Hebrew Text Analysis Psalm 119 has 22 sections with 8 lines in each, I (personal project) rearranged it to 8 sections with 22 lines in each section.
  • 18: 2
  • 105: 8+9 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac (KJV)
  • 106: 45

The Wise Men

I believe this points to the Wise Men/gentiles. 72: 10-11 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. (KJV) There are two areas in Scripture that are described as Tarshish, one in the Mediterranean, the other south by the Red Sea. Tarshish may mean distance place or smelting place.

References of the Birth

  • 22:9-10 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.
  • 71:6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.
  • 139:13-16 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

All of these are KJV and I sourced many references from the NIV footnotes. Read the verses in your favorite translation, sometimes old English is hard.

I will include this one, but you will need to view it in the Wycliff Bible.

110:3 The beginning is with thee in the day of thy virtue, in the brightnesses of saints; I begat thee of the womb, before the day star. (From the beginning, thy strength was with thee, and from that day thou hast shone in the brightness of the saints; yea, I begat thee from the womb, before the day star.) This version is like the AMP/Amplified Bible. It explains verses and in different ways for people just learning English. The part in the paratheses is what caught my attention. Please remember that Psalm 110 was written by David.  

Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus

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As I read 2 Timothy this morning, I thought it would be good to write what I have learned about these terms – Jesus Christ and Christ Jesus. To be perfectly clear, Jesus is the Christ/Messiah. He was born of the Virgin Mary, was killed on Good Friday for our sins, and rose in victory on Easter morning. He has sent His Spirit to those who chose to believe and would have everyone repent and follow Him.

In a little naivety I thought this would be an uneventfully study. I was almost correct. First, Jesus is His name. There are a few variants of that name in Hebrew and in Greek, like Joshua and Justus. Christ (Greek) or Messiah (Hebrew) is a title that connects to God. So, Jesus Christ could be understood as the Man-God while Christ Jesus should be thought of as God-Man. I looked for my reference on that and could not find it, I thought it was from the Vine’s Dictionary in my Strong’s Concordance.

Then I went to step-two in the study and was going to list Scripture verses. My reading this morning was in the NIV. The references I started to compile were in the KJV. I soon found out that the editors of the KJV seemed to have followed the 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV). The Greek Interlinear in Bible Hub is in agreement with the NIV and NASB and many others. I will offer what may have happened and some other things I noticed.

  • The Gospels and the Letters from Hebrews to Revelation use Christ or Messiah when referring to the One who will redeem mankind.
  • Jesus (by itself) is used in the narratives of the Gospels.
  • Paul in his Letters use Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus. He is specific when he uses them. I have found that reading Man-God where Jesus Christ is written and God-Man where Christ Jesus is written adds to the understanding of the text.
  • If you use BibleGateway you will see different totals in the numbers of times the terms are used between translations. The first thing to remember is that some of them use headings in their writing and this can add up quickly. Even the 1599 Geneva has commentaries, and they use the terms Jesus and Christ in them. I did read that one reason for the King James being written was to get rid of those Commentaries. The English Crown did not like them.
  • I may not be perfect in my observations; I looked through several translations.

Was there anything nefarious going on, no. I believe it was a matter of keeping it simple for the readers (not sure on that point). Society was coming out of the Dark Ages and being able to read God’s Word in your own language and home was a big deal. We take so much for granted.   

In 2 Timothy Paul uses Christ Jesus the most and Jesus Christ only in 2:8. Paul had been in prison for a while and I think it shows in how he wrote to Timothy and where his thoughts were.

RESURRECTION

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This post is about the resurrection of Jesus, it is an extension of Saturday of Holy Week- A Day of Rest and Born Again or Born from Above.

With His earthly life and “forty months” of ministry about to end, can you imagine all of the thoughts that swirled around Him? Jesus’ metamorphoo and the time spent with the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah) signals His ride into Jerusalem, so He can pay the Bride’s price for His Church. But the time between “Who is it you want?” (John 18:4) and “Woman, why are you crying?” (John 20:15 NIV) changed so much. Types and shadows were about to become bold clear light. The Prophet’s words were being fulfilled and rejoiced over in the Heavenlies. Our redemption from the sin that claimed us was gladly being paid. The Way back to the Father and His Garden was opened, if we choose that path.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday could be Work, Rest, and Begin a New; okay, that activity could go on for a while:)

Resurrection or rise, arise, risen, and several other ideas are expressed with two Greek root words (for the most part). Anastasis G386 and egeiro G1453 are those root words, yes, they can have prefixes and other tenses.

ἀνάστασις | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com

ἐγείρω | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com

ἔγερσις | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com

G386 – anastasis – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv) (blueletterbible.org)

G1454 – egersis – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv) (blueletterbible.org)

Old Testament

Hosea 6:2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. (KJV) In Hebrew, the third day is Tuesday or Yom HaShelishi.

Yom ha-sh’lishi: The THIRD DAY – Hebrew Word Lessons

Examples of being raised from the dead.

  • 1 Kings 17:17-24 is where Elijah raised the widow’s son.
  • 2 Kings 4:29-37 is the telling of Elisha raising the Shunammite’s son.
  • 2 Kings 13:21 Elisha is dead and another dead man is thrown into his grave and touches his bones and was revived and stood up (he was resurrected). This event brings to mind the verse in Jude, where Satan is trying to take Moses’ body. Why did he want it? I am pretty sure it was not for a trophy. We have to know he was up to no good. A popular idea is that Satan wanted to make Israel stumble and sin by going into idol worship over the corpse. HOW ABOUT he took it because he feared it would act like Elisha’s bones and cause people to fear God? HOW ABOUT #2 Satan did not want it to be available for the transfiguration. Moses was there and with a “born from above body”.
  • In Hebrews 11:17,19 the faith of Abraham is relived when he sacrificed Issac. He knew God could/would raise him from the dead.
  • Martha knew Lazarus would rise in the resurrection on the last day, John 11:24. I do believe this was a Hebrew idea that Matthew writes about.
  • In the Sermons on the Two Mounts the Sadducees are baiting Jesus on a woman who had seven husbands. This must a been a point of discussion in their Torah studies. (Matthew 22:28) Jesus instructed them about physical state of being in Heaven.
  • John 5:29 may also be an Old idea with an upgrade. Good deeds people have a resurrection of life and bad deeds people have a resurrection of judgement.

New Testament

This is a spot check through the New Testament, there is a lot, but my focus will be Matthew, John, and 1 Corinthians.

Matthew’s contribution starts in Chapter 22 and goes to 27. There is an interesting shift in Matthew’s terms. Before Jesus’ physical resurrection (Chapter 22) he used anastasis G386 in Chapter 27 he used egersis G1454. I wonder if it is an Old-to-New shift in thinking. This is the only time G1454 is used in the Bible. Anastasis is used many more times in the New Testament.

Jesus knew what was to happen to Him in that Passover, He would be sacrificed like the lamb in Exodus. The thing that caught my attention for this post was His physical body. He had also been teaching about that as we will see in John. First, we should take a look at the revelation that Paul received on the topic.

1 Corinthians 15 is Paul’s class on the resurrection to the Church. Verse 35 starts his discussion on the body. Verses 42 to 46 describe what happened to Jesus, His natural body was put into the earth but a spiritual body came out (44). I termed this His born from above or born-again example. Yes, at the last trumpet, we who are living will get this new body and it will be quick (52).  

John’s purpose in writing his Gospel was to show Jesus as the Son of God. He highlighted the miracles Jesus did, for some reason only seven have got a lot of press. He did more in John’s Gospel and taught about some miraculous things that would occur. Here are some about His resurrection.

  • John 3:6 The Spirit gives birth to spirit.
  • 11:25 He tells Martha He is the resurrection and the life.
  • 12:24 Jesus gives a multi-level explanation of a seed producing a harvest. Unless He died, His harvest would not have happened.
  • 16:16 He tells the Disciples that He will die but that they would see Him again (palin, G3825).

These are posts I have done on the work of Jesus and His resurrection.

Ephesians 1: 17

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This verse is one of many that shows God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation).

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him (KJV)

  • God, theos G2316.
  • Lord, kyrios G2962.
  • Jesus, iesous G2424.
  • Christ, christos G5547.
  • Father, pater G3962.
  • Glory, doxa G 1391.
  • May give, didomi G1325.
  • Spirit, pneuma G4151.
  • Wisdom, sophia G4678.
  • Revelation, apokalypsis G 602. Luke first uses this word in 2:32, it is for us Gentiles. It is also used in 3:3 in connection with the mystery made known to Paul.
  • Coming to know, epignosis G 1922. Paul and Peter use this word in their Epistles. It is also used in 4:13 with our faith and knowledge of the Son of God.

Use the links below to explore all of the words in the passage in Ephesians.

Ephesians 1 MOUNCE – Paul, an apostle of Christ  Jesus by the – Bible Gateway

Ephesians 1 Interlinear Bible (biblehub.com)