The Great I AM - Pt. 2

 

[Jesus said] It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. (John 8:54-59 ESV).

 

As we continue to uncover the basic tenets concerning the name of God there are several things we should note to properly understand the significance of the name Yahweh. The first concerns “the tetragrammaton.”  

 

The Tetragrammaton is the four-letter Hebrew name for God in the Bible, which is written as יהוה‎ and pronounced right to left as yah-ho-vah. The word tetragrammaton is Greek for "the four letters". It is so holy in Orthodox Judaism that it is no longer pronounced, except in rare circumstances. Instead, the word "Adonay" is traditionally pronounced when reading the Hebrew Bible. In English translations of the Bible, the Tetragrammaton is usually represented as "LORD" or "GOD" in all capital letters.

 

The Tetragrammaton probably came from a verb that means "to be", "to exist", "to cause to become", or "to come to pass". It could be translated “I am who I am” or “I will be what I will be” or perhaps even “I am the One who is.” Regardless of the specific translation, the name speaks of the self-existence and self-sufficiency of God. All others are dependent upon Him for life and breath and existence. He is dependent upon no one. It is for this reason that the Jewish leadership in Jesus’ day thought it was scandalous, blasphemous, and worthy of death for Jesus to utter the words “Before Abraham was, I am” in our reading today (vv. 58–59).

 

For us the great truth is in the choice of this name by God. It assures us of His power to do all that He has promised. It indicates there is nothing beyond His ability to do. Jesus’ claim to this name is very significant for us. When He promises to “take us to where He is” (John 14:1-6), this Is not beyond His ability. That is all the more proven in the resurrection. He is after all… I AM! It is so much easier to trust Him when we recognize the immutable truth!