What is the first 'I AM' statement in the Gospel of John?
The first 'I AM' statement in the Gospel of John is Jesus' declaration in John 6:35: 'I AM the bread of life; he that cometh unto me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.' It is the first of the seven grouped 'I AM' statements in John.
Les teaches that John's Gospel is arranged in a distinct pattern to prove it is not man's idea but intrinsically put together by God, especially grouping things in sevens, God's perfect number. The first I AM statement is in John 6:35, where Jesus said, 'I AM the bread of life, he that cometh unto me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.' The next I AM appears in John 8:12. Les also connects this to Jehovah, noting that Jehovah in the Old Testament stands for the I AM, as seen in Exodus 3 at the burning bush, where God told Moses to tell Israel, 'I AM hath sent you.'
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.