Jesus uses strong statements to describe Himself, asserting things about His identity and purpose that can only be true of God Himself. 

We learn much about Jesus through the ways in which He describes Himself. He clearly states His deity; that He was sent to earth to give us guidance, hope, and protection; and that through Him we will find salvation—that is, eternal life with God in heaven. The terms He uses to describe Himself are not ones we would expect in casual conversation. They are powerful, and all are noteworthy. Particularly important in understanding Jesus’ identity are his seven “I AM” statements in the Gospel of John.

“I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35)
The children of Israel ate “manna” (bread-like food from heaven) every day in the wilderness, but they eventually died. Jesus provides more than physical bread; he offers true spiritual food that leads to eternal life.

“I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25)
Jesus is claiming to be the wellspring of spiritual and biological life. To believe in him is not merely to acknowledge that he rose from the dead, but it also involves receiving his gift of resurrected life. Faith in him is more than believing a proposition; it is a transfer of trust from ourselves to him.

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Jesus is the way to salvation—he speaks only the truth, and eternal life can be found in him alone. Interestingly, the early church was called “the Way.”

“Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58)
God the Father describes himself as the great “I AM” in Exodus 3:14. In John 8, Jesus describes himself in the same manner. He is also stating that he was there with the Father before the beginning of time. In fact, when God said, “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26), he used the plural “us” rather than the singular “me,” indicating that he was not alone. Based on later revelation (e.g., John 1), we can conclude that Jesus was with his Father at the creation.

Reflection:  Think about how powerful these statements are; is there anyone other than Jesus who could make such statements?