Like Prince of Peace, this name is found in just a few verses in the scriptures:
Now, that last scripture (Exodus 3:14-15) was quite revealing to me. To address my second point of confusion that I mentioned earlier, the Lord doesn't conjugate I Am because there's no need to; the verb tense is eternal and therefore constantly present. Christ isn't "the Great I Was" or "the Great I Will Be" or "the Great I Would Be." From eternities past through eternities future, He is! We are frequently reminded in the scriptures that the Lord does not change:
Now to address my first point of confusion: Why does Jesus refer to Himself with a verb? In order to find some insight, I had to do a little digging in the Parallel Bible in Word Cruncher. In doing so, I found out that there are a couple of different ways to say "am" in Hebrew, the original language of the Old Testament. I've organized two of them here.
We see that there is actually a special term set aside for when the Lord reveals Himself as "I AM." In fact (granted, I'm no expert in Hebrew), it seems as though am gets lumped together with the pronoun I in non-nominal situations--sort of how I can get lumped together with the verb in some languages such as Spanish (e.g., Hablo rather than Yo hablo).
If we look at the English meaning for היה (hyh), we see the note that it is always emphatic (if you're interested in learning what copula and auxiliary mean in terms of language, I'm happy to lend you my gigantic grammar book). The Lord is giving special emphasis to His existence, or His being. By using the word choice that He did, He is placing special attention on the fact the HE IS!
To summarize what I've learned about the name I Am:
(1) Jesus Christ wants to place special emphasis on the fact that He exists, and that He is.
(2) Christ is constant, unchanging, and unfailing. He is "the Great I Am," not "the Great I Was/Will Be/Would Be."
1 Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I Am, whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins... (Doctrine & Covenants 29:1, emphasis added)
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. (John 8:56-59, emphasis added)
14 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.*To clarify, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe that the Old Testament God or Jehovah is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We believe that Jesus Christ is the literal Son of God and, therefore, a separate and distinct individual from God our Heavenly Father. However, they are completely united in purpose and mission, so they are often referred to by the same name in the scriptures (e.g., God, the Lord, the God of Abraham, etc.). For more info, please ask me or visit this link.
15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. (Exodus 3:14-15, emphasis added)
Now, that last scripture (Exodus 3:14-15) was quite revealing to me. To address my second point of confusion that I mentioned earlier, the Lord doesn't conjugate I Am because there's no need to; the verb tense is eternal and therefore constantly present. Christ isn't "the Great I Was" or "the Great I Will Be" or "the Great I Would Be." From eternities past through eternities future, He is! We are frequently reminded in the scriptures that the Lord does not change:
9 For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?As I mentioned, God and Christ are fully united. If God does not change, I would suggest that Christ also does not change. They are both "the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in [Them] there is no variableness neither shadow of changing."
19 And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles. (Mormon 9:9, 19; see also 3 Nephi 24:6, Doctrine & Covenants 76:4)
Now to address my first point of confusion: Why does Jesus refer to Himself with a verb? In order to find some insight, I had to do a little digging in the Parallel Bible in Word Cruncher. In doing so, I found out that there are a couple of different ways to say "am" in Hebrew, the original language of the Old Testament. I've organized two of them here.
Hebrew conjugation
|
English meaning
|
Example
|
אֲנִי (’ănî)
|
pronoun I
|
And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord (Exodus 6:2)
|
היה (hyh)
|
to exist, i.e. be or become,
come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
|
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.
(Exodus 3:14)
|
We see that there is actually a special term set aside for when the Lord reveals Himself as "I AM." In fact (granted, I'm no expert in Hebrew), it seems as though am gets lumped together with the pronoun I in non-nominal situations--sort of how I can get lumped together with the verb in some languages such as Spanish (e.g., Hablo rather than Yo hablo).
If we look at the English meaning for היה (hyh), we see the note that it is always emphatic (if you're interested in learning what copula and auxiliary mean in terms of language, I'm happy to lend you my gigantic grammar book). The Lord is giving special emphasis to His existence, or His being. By using the word choice that He did, He is placing special attention on the fact the HE IS!
To summarize what I've learned about the name I Am:
(1) Jesus Christ wants to place special emphasis on the fact that He exists, and that He is.
(2) Christ is constant, unchanging, and unfailing. He is "the Great I Am," not "the Great I Was/Will Be/Would Be."
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