What are the seven I AM statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The book of John contains seven significant moments where Jesus reveals a part of His character using the phrase "I AM." This phrase is important because God used it to identify Himself to Moses, and the Jews recognized it as a name for God (Exodus 3:14–15). In John, Jesus uses “I am” to precede several metaphors describing Himself: “the bread of life” (John 6:35), “the light of the world” (John 8:12), “the door of the sheep” (John 10:7), “the good shepherd” (John 10:11), and “the true vine” (John 15:1). Jesus also uses “I am” to communicate that He is the hope for mankind: “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25) and “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Besides these, Jesus responds to others twice with "I am" statements: once to counter the Pharisees’ claim that He was demon-possessed by asserting Himself as the self-existent, eternal “I am” (John 8:58) and again just before He is taken by Roman soldiers (John 18:5). Jesus’ use of “I am” in John shows He is the Almighty God. Jesus truly is the great “I AM,” our only hope for salvation into eternal life.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• In Exodus 3:14, God reveals Himself to Moses: “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” This means God is the self-existing one who has no beginning or end: He is. His existence is not dependent upon anyone or anything else.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• In the Gospel of John, Jesus reveals Himself with seven I AM statements that allude to Exodus 3.
• In John 6:35, Jesus speaks to the crowd who followed Him after being fed with the miraculous loaves and fishes: "Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.'" Jesus presented Himself as the only eternal satisfaction for our spiritual hunger.
• In John 8:12, we read, “Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" Jesus is the light of the world who illuminates good and evil, brings life, and has power and authority over all (John 9).
• In John 10:7–9, Jesus metaphorically depicts Himself as the door through which the sheep (believers) enter the sheepfold (kingdom of God): "So Jesus again said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep'" (John 10:7). Through the Lord, we find pasture, as the psalmist said (Psalm 23:2–3).
• Jesus is also the shepherd who leads us and guides us, as expressed in John 10:11: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Sacrificing His life is the ultimate expression of love and care (John 15:13). Jesus’ metaphor here connects to God as shepherd in Psalm 23:1.
• Just before He raised Lazarus from the dead, Jesus said in John 11:25, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” Jesus has defeated death and will resurrect those who are His in the last days, so we have no need to be afraid of death (2 Timothy 1:10; Revelation 1:18).
• Jesus identifies Himself as the exclusive way to God the Father in John 14:6: "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" With this, Jesus asserts that truth is stable and singular. He also asserts that there is only one way of salvation (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:1–4; Galatians 1:8).
• Another metaphor Jesus uses is in John 15:1: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” Jesus is the vine who gives life to His people, the branches (John 15:2). In Him we receive all that we need for life and bearing fruit. Nothing and no one else can nourish and sustain us.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Hebrews 13:8 declares, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Jesus was not merely a wise teacher or a moral man—He is God incarnate (John 1:1–5, 14) and the only Savior (Acts 4:12). Jesus is the eternal “I AM,” the Creator of all (Colossians 1:16). He is self-existent. He is the basis of wisdom, not merely a man who was wise. In our disposable society, where products are bought for cheap and thrown away shortly after, where even people are treated as disposable at times, it’s comforting to know that we have an eternal, unchanging God. God came to earth as a man and endured the sin of all humanity . . . for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). How should this affect our life? It should cause us to reflect who God is in light of how He reveals Himself and to respond accordingly. Knowing who Jesus is frees us of anxiety about the future because we know our Lord has power over everything, including death (Hebrews 2:14–15). He has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). We are safe in our Creator’s hands, and nothing can remove us from His gift of grace (John 10:28). Jesus truly is the same yesterday, today, and forever: the great “I AM,” our only hope for salvation into eternal life.

UNDERSTAND

• Jesus’ “I AM” statements reveal His divinity, connecting Him to the way God revealed Himself in Exodus as the eternal, self-existent God.
• The seven I AM statements are: the bread of life; the light of the world; the door; the Good Shepherd; the resurrection and the life; the way, the truth, and the life; and the vine.
• Jesus’ seven I AM statements reveal His divinity and unchanging nature.

REFLECT

• What do Jesus’ I AM statements reveal about His character? How do these statements comfort or encourage you?
• Which of Jesus’ I AM statements are particularly meaningful to you?
• How do you personally respond to the way Jesus reveals Himself through the I AM statements?

ENGAGE

• How can understanding Jesus the way He revealed Himself with the I AM statements impact our faith?
• What does it mean for us to follow Jesus as “the door,” “the good shepherd,” and “the way, the truth, and the life” in a world full of competing voices?
• How can we encourage each other to live out the hope found in Jesus’ promise of being “the resurrection and the life”?