Now we come to the grand climactic claim of our Lord Jesus to His being the LORD (Jehovah) of the Old Testament. When God commissioned Moses to go unto Pharaoh to negotiate with him regarding his permission to the children of Israel to leave Egypt, Moses asked God a direct question and received a direct answer. Let us note the portion:
“The LORD [Jehovah] said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry....And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians....And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is His name? what shall I say unto them?” (Ex. 3:78,13).
Let us put God’s reply to Moses’ question alongside a leading challenge that was put to our Lord Jesus by the Pharisees in John’s Gospel, chapter 8. We list the two passages in parallel.
“God [the LORD (Jehovah); see verse 7] 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” (Ex. 3:14).
“Then said the Jews unto Him,...Whom makest Thou Thyself? Jesus answered, . . . Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad....Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM. Then took they up stones to cast at Him” (John 8:52-59).
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8).
“Jesus . . . said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered Him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I AM...As soon then as He had said unto them, I AM..., they went backward, and fell to the ground.”