Eternal Identity and Divine Revelation: Contrasting Views on Existence Before Time (04/17/'24) -Viewpoint

Eternal Identity and Divine Revelation: Contrasting Views on Existence Before Time The sentence "You are who you are before you got here" generally suggests that a person's core identity or essence is established prior to their current situation or context. It implies a continuity of self that exists independently of time and place. In contrast, when Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I am," he was making a statement recorded in the Gospel of John (John 8:58) that has profound theological implications. This statement by Jesus is often interpreted as Him declaring His pre-existence and divinity. By using the phrase "I am," Jesus is referencing the name of God given in the Old Testament (Exodus 3:14), where God reveals Himself to Moses with the words, "I AM WHO I AM." This declaration by Jesus was understood by His contemporaries as a claim to divinity, which is why the next verse describes them picking up stones to throw at Him—because such a claim, in their view, could be considered blasphemy unless it were true. Thus, while both statements deal with identity and existence prior to a given temporal context, their implications are quite different: "You are who you are before you got here" speaks to an existential idea of identity that is consistent over time. "Before Abraham was, I am" is a theological claim by Jesus about His eternal and divine nature, indicating existence before all creation and equating Himself with God. The two statements are not the same and belong to different contexts—one philosophical and one theological. Pastor Steven G. Lee (April 17, 2024)