Rebuttal to Sam Shamoun's article
A Series of Answers to Common Questions

 

Question:

 

    Why didn’t Matthew, who was a disciple of Jesus and an ear and eyewitness to his ministry, ever record even a single one of the "I am" statements found in John? What do you think this says about their authenticity?

 

 

By

 

 

 

 

 

 

He Wrote

 

Answer:

 

There are several assumptions that underlie the question which need to be challenged. The question assumes that unless John reads exactly like the Synoptics his Gospel must therefore be less authentic and/or more theologically developed.

 

It further assumes that since the other Gospels do not contain any I AM sayings Jesus must have therefore never used the I AM formula.

 

 

 

My Response

 

Well if there are 4 eye witness accounts which are Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John. Then you would assume you would find the same things in all 4 books, and if you didnt find them in all books you would find them in 3 books and missing in one, or find them in 2 books and missing in the other 2 books. However so when you have one book that says something that is not found in any of the other 3 books then it does seem to be a problem. Especially if this information has to be something huge, and as Christians say, Jesus saying I AM was him basically saying I am God, so one would expect to find such a big statement in all the 4 eye witness accounts.

 

 

 

He Wrote

 

Finally, it assumes that the only way for the Synoptics, specifically Matthew’s Gospel, to assert the Deity of Christ is if they used the same language or contained the same material found in John.

 

 

 

My Response

 

Forget about Matthew, the other 2 gospels of Mark and Luke also do not contain this statement of Jesus of him saying I AM. Why is that? Why is such a big statement in Christian theology only found in one of the gospels? If you ask me, I do not think there is any answer to that, the only answer one is left with is that someone made it up, and there seems to be an evoloution in the character of Jesus.

 

 

 

He Wrote

 

This also accounts for why John reads so differently, since his intention may have been to present material which the Synoptics left out in order to complement or supplement their writings, and not simply repeat what they had already written.

 

 

 

My Response

 

Actually, the fact that John reads so differently than other gospels is not something good, it is something bad and shows the author of John had a different agenda, that agenda seemed to evolve the character of Jesus into something he wasnt.

 

Shamoun also states that John may have done this to add something the others left out, well isnt it strange that the other 3 main gospels left it out?! Especially such a huge statement in Christian theology?

 

 

 

He Wrote

 

Our explanation makes perfect sense in light of the fact that Matthew does contain one of the very I AM sayings used by John in his Gospel:

 

    "Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart; I AM (ego eimi). Do not be afraid (me phobeisthe).’ And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ And when they got into the boat, the wind cease. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’" Matthew 14:22-33 - cf. Mark 6:45-52

 

This story is found in John 6:16-20:

 

    "When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, ‘I AM (ego eimi); do not be afraid (me phobeisthe).’ Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going." John 6:16-20

 

 

 

My Response

 

Well, this is a diversion of the topic. The topic is why didnt any other gospel other than John report Jesus saying BEFORE ABRAHAM, I AM.

 

The topic is not if you can find any other gospel with Jesus saying I AM. That is not the issue at hand. The issue at hand is why did not the 3 other gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke contain Jesus saying before Abraham I AM? That is the question.

 

As for the verses you bring up, no Christian I have seen has brought these verses up to prove Jesus is God by saying I am in these verses. It is clear to why he said it here, there was a storm, his discipiles got afraid, they thought Jesus is a ghost but Jesus said I am, its me, not a ghost.

 

Also, note in the Matthew version which Shamoun kindly posted, the disciples fell down and worshiped him saying that truly Jesus is the Son of God, not God. For a more detailed discussion on the Son of God and what it means please consult this link:

 

http://answering-christianity.com/followers_of_yeshua.htm

 

Anyway, the topic at hand is why does no other gospel other than John show Jesus saying BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS, I AM. That is the topic at hand.

 

 

 

 

He Wrote

 

Jesus plays out the role which the OT ascribes to Yahweh who, as the I AM, comes to his people’s rescue amidst their storm:

 

    "who alone stretched out the heavens, and trampled the waves of the sea;" Job 9:8

 

    "Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep?" Job 38:16

 

    "When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; indeed, the deep trembled. The clouds poured out water; the skies gave forth thunder; your arrows flashed on every side. The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lighted up the world; the earth trembled and shook. Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron." Psalm 77:16-20

 

    "Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I AM He… FEAR NOT, for I AM with you, be not dismayed, for I AM your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all. For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘FEAR NOT, I will help you.’ FEAR NOT, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you, says the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel." Isaiah 41:4, 10-14

 

    "But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I AM with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, every one who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears! Let all the nations gather together, and let the peoples assemble. Who among them can declare this, and show us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses to justify them, and let them hear and say, It is true. You are my witnesses,’ says the LORD, ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I AM He. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I AM the LORD, and besides me there is no savior. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,’ says the LORD. ‘I AM God, and also henceforth I AM He; there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work and who can hinder it?’" Isaiah 43:1-13

 

Although some of the following comments refer to the Markan version of the account, they still apply and are relevant to the Matthean parallel nonetheless.

 

Well all these verses do not answer the burning question, why does no other gospel other than John report Jesus saying before Abraham was, I AM? That is the real question.

 

Now Shamoun brought all those verses up to show similarities with the NT versions. What Shamoun fails to show his readers is that all the verses he brought up are passages relating to different time periods, they are not alluding to a future event, they are alluding to present events surrounding the passages. Here is the proof:

 

"When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; indeed, the deep trembled. The clouds poured out water

 

This passages is saying the water is afraid, not the people, this is not alluding to any discipile being afraid when they saw Jesus walking on water etc.

 

The verse then tells us during which time period this verse is being revealed and to whom it is being alluded to:

 

Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron

 

So as you can see, the verses are alluding to the time period of Moses and Aaron, when God opened up the sea for the Israelites through Moses' stick. So this has nothing to do with Matthew or any other Gospel, it is not alluding to any future event neither. The same with all the other verses he is sending.

 

 

 

He Wrote

 

The late Catholic NT scholar Raymond E. Brown comments on the usage of I AM in both John and the Synoptic Gospels in relation to Yahweh’s use of the title in Isaiah:

 

    "Against this background the absolute use of ‘I AM’ by the Johannine Jesus becomes quite intelligible; he was speaking in the same manner in which Yahweh speaks in Deutero-Isaiah. For instance, in John 8:28 Jesus promises that when the Son of Man is lifted up (in return to the Father), ‘then you will know ego eimi’; in Isaiah 43:10 Yahweh has chosen Israel, ‘that you may know and believe me and understand ego eimi.’ The absolute Johannine use of ‘I AM’ has the effect of portraying Jesus as divine with (pre)existence as his identity, even as the Greek OT understood the God of Israel.

 

    John did not invent this usage, for there are examples that verge on the absolute use of ego eimi in the Synoptics even though one can argue that a predicate is assumed. For instance, in Matt 14:27 (Mark 6:50): as Jesus comes walking across the water, he says to the disciples in the boat, ‘Ego eimi; do not be afraid.’ This is the same use we saw in John 6:20 (footnote 202). That in this scene Matthew intends more than a simple ‘It is I’ is suggested by the profession of faith elicited by the disciples (Matt 14:33), ‘Truly you are God’s Son!’ Or again, when speaking of the signs of the last days Jesus warns, ‘Many will come in my name, saying ego eimi’ (Mark 13:6; Luke 21:8). The context does not clearly suggest a predicate (even though Matt’s 24:5: ‘I am the Messiah’); and the juxtaposition of ego eimi and ‘my name’ brings us close to Johannine usage…" (Brown, Introduction to New Testament Christology [Paulist Press; Mahwah, NJ 1994], p. 139; bold emphasis ours)

 

 

 

My Response

 

All this does not answer the question, why did not the other Gospels record Jesus saying before Abraham was I AM?

 

The scholar Shamoun brings up also goes on to admit that the argumentation of the I AM in Matthew is weak, he brings the arguments that I brought up earlier:

 

John did not invent this usage, for there are examples that verge on the absolute use of ego eimi in the Synoptics even though one can argue that a predicate is assumed. For instance, in Matt 14:27 (Mark 6:50): as Jesus comes walking across the water, he says to the disciples in the boat, ‘Ego eimi; do not be afraid.’ This is the same use we saw in John 6:20 (footnote 202). That in this scene Matthew intends more than a simple ‘It is I’ is suggested by the profession of faith elicited by the disciples (Matt 14:33), ‘Truly you are God’s Son!’ Or again, when speaking of the signs of the last days Jesus warns, ‘Many will come in my name, saying ego eimi’

 

So even Raymond Williams does show the argument is weak and can easily be countered because anyone reading the verse will simply see that all Jesus meant was that it is me, do not be afraid I am not a ghost etc.

 

 

 

He Wrote

 

In his footnote 202, Brown comments on two additional Johannine usages of I AM, some of which have direct bearing on the meaning of Matthew 14:27:

 

    "I would include two other texts. The first is 6:20 where the disciples in the boat are frightened because they see someone coming to them on the water, and Jesus assures them, ‘I AM; do not be afraid.’ The second is 18:5: The soldiers and police who have come to the garden across the Kidron to arrest Jesus announce that they are seeking Jesus of Nazareth, and he answers, ‘I AM.’ Some would tell us that the first means simply, ‘It is I, i.e. someone whom you know and not a supernatural being or ghost.’ And they would tell us that the second means simply, ‘I am he, i.e. the one you are looking for.’ A better solution is to recognize a play on the expression ‘I AM’ as having a twofold meaning: While it has a simpler story-line import (as just exemplified), it also has a higher connotation. In the first example, the sacral comes from the context that involved Jesus’ walking on the water and a dangerous storm from which they are immediately brought to land: in the second example it comes from those who, hearing Jesus’ response, fall back to ground. Both, then, would be instances of a theophany or divine appearance of one who, like the God of Israel, is master of storms and the sea and at the mention of whose name every knee must bend." (Ibid., p. 137; bold emphasis ours)

 

The New Jerome Biblical Commentary agrees with Brown since it says in reference to the Markan parallel:

 

    "(b) WALKING ON THE WATERS (6:45-52). The approach to this story as an epiphany/theophany is most consistent with Mark's presentation. The twin focus is Jesus and the disciples: (1) The divine identity of Jesus is suggested by his walking on the waters, his passing by them, and his words, 'It is I'... The OT portrays walking on water as a divine function (see Job 9:8; 38:16). The representation of Jesus as walking on water thus carries an implicit claim about his divinity. he wanted to pass by them: The implicit christological claim is strengthened by the use of the vb. parelthein, which was linked with the theophany tradition in the LXX (see Exod 33:19,22; 34:6; 1 Kgs 19:11). Its appearance in the LXX of Amos 7:8; 8:2 also suggests that Jesus desired to help his disciples in their difficulty... I am He: In the context of self-disclosure and theophany, this phrase must allude to the OT revelation formula (Exod 3:14; Deut 32:39; Isa 41:4; 43:10) applied to Yahweh, thus contributing to the implicit christological message of the text. The formula ego eimi is prominent in John…" (NJBC, eds. Raymond E. Brown, SS, Joseph A Fitzmyer, S.J., Roland E. Murphy, O. Carm [Prentice Hall; Englewood Cliffs, NJ], p. 611); bold emphasis ours)

 

 

 

My Response

 

Again, no response on why the other gospels dont contain what John had. So everything brought up has nothing to do with the topic. Secondly the commentaries Shamoun brings up simply try to show that Jesus is divine by him saying I Am not only in John 8.

 

The commentaries claim that walking on the waters make you divine, well not really since Jesus told his disciples to join then and had they enough faith they would have also been able to walk on the water, would that make them divine to? Certainly not, secondly the contexts of the OT are not the same as the NT. In the OT it says the water shall be afraid of him, in the NT we see that the disciples got scared.

 

As for the other point the commentaries brought up which was when the soldiers came after Jesus and asked who is Jesus to which Jesus responded, I have already written a response to this so I will post it again:

 

 As for the soldiers falling, let me ask Shamoun this, why indeed they fall down? Did they fall down because they believed he was God? If so does that make Jesus God? Secondly did the men even know Jesus? They were asking if he was Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus replied that he is and they fell down, why did they fall down? Did they know Jesus or see him do anything special for them to fall down? The soldiers were simply asking if he was Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus answered them saying yes I AM HE, so does anyone else when asked if he is a certain person says I AM HE, does that make that person God? However so, let us look at the context of John 18:4-6 and every one will see for themselves how Shamoun tries to make something up from nothing even with his own book, and how he tries to deceive people into believing something when the actually context doesn’t support his argument at all. Let us start from John 18 verse 1 all the way to verse 12:

 

 

 

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. 2 And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples. 3 Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? 5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. 6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. 7 Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. 8 Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: 9 That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. 10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. 11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? 12 Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him,

 

Ah yes so when the soldiers fell to the ground when Jesus said I AM HE it was because they fell down in worship to him because they thought he is God! Strange indeed I must say as the context and situation does not even support that or show such a thing happening. The very same soldiers who fell were the very same soldiers sent to capture Jesus for execution, very funny that for no apparent reason they fall to the ground in worship for Jesus. However so just say they did, then why did they still arrest Jesus and took him to the people who wanted him dead? Why didn’t they just let Jesus escape since they fell down for Jesus when he said I AM HE apparently because they believed he was God? So they knew he was God and yet they still took him as a prisoner and beat him and so on. Very funny indeed, that is the first flaw in Shamoun's silly argument, it is INCONSISTENT. Secondly having read the context it is apparent they did not fall to the ground for worship or respect, but they were stunned and amazed that they had gotten Jesus, the man they wanted right there in front of them so when Jesus affirmed who he was they walked a bit backward excited and so on and tripped or something like that. Or the verse is not a literal fall. However so the fact is that they did NOT fall down to the ground in worship and respect for Jesus because they believed with God. So the verse in no way shows that they believed Jesus is God, nor does it show Jesus claiming to be God.

 

To even try and make an argument from that would be very funny. Let us be logical, you see a group of soldiers comming to you, and so you ask them who do you want, they say we want a Muslim, Since I am I will logically say I AM HE, or I am . What would I say? I ? Me ? I is ? No, that is bad speech, you say I am him, or I am he, or I am . How more logical can you get!!!!

 

 

 

 

He Wrote

 

The Catholic commissioned version of the Holy Bible, the New American Bible (NAB), concurs:

 

    [50] It is I, do not be afraid!: literally, "I am." This may reflect the divine revelatory formula of Ex 3,14; Is 41,4.10.14; 43,1-3.10.13. Mark implies the hidden identity of Jesus as Son of God." (Source)

 

The Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary Volume 2: New Testament says the following regarding Matthew 14:25-27:

 

    "25-27 The Romans divided the night from sunset to sunrise into four watches (reflected here). Jesus’ approach to the boat therefore occurred between 3 00 A.M. and 6:00 A.M. The disciples were terrified, thinking they were seeing an apparition or ghost. ‘Take courage!’ and ‘Don't be afraid’ bracket the central reason for his calming exhortations: ‘It is I.’ Although the Greek words for ‘It is I’ (‘I am’) can have no more force than that, any Christian after the Resurrection and Ascension would also detect echoes of ‘I Am,’ the decisive, self-disclosure of God (Ex 3:14; Isa 51:12; cf. Jn 8:58). Once again we find Jesus revealing himself in a veiled way that will prove especially rich to Christians after his resurrection (see comment on 8:20)." (Kenneth L. Barker & John R. Kohlenberger III [Zondervan Publishing House; Grand Rapids, MI 1994], p. 73)

 

The Life Application Bible Commentary on the Markan parallel states:

 

    "Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid." Jesus called out to the disciples over the storm, telling them to take courage. He identified himself and told them not be afraid any longer. The literal reading for "It is I" is "I am" (Greek, ego eimi); it is the same as saying "the I AM is here" or "I, Yahweh, am here" (see Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 41:4; 43:10; 52:6). Jesus, the ‘I AM," came with unexpected help and encouragement during the disciples’ time of desperate need. (Ibid., Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.; Wheaton, Il. 1994, p. 189; bold emphasis ours)

 

Finally, in the book Case for Christ, Lee Strobel interviews renowned NT scholar Dr. Craig L. Blomberg regarding the divine claims of Christ. Lee begins his interview by asking:

 

    "John makes very explicit claims of Jesus being God, which some attribute to the fact that he wrote later than the others and began embellishing things," I said. "Can you find this theme of deity in the synoptics?"

 

    "Yes, I can," he said. "It’s more implicit but you find it there. Think of the story of Jesus walking on the water, found in Matthew 14:22-33 and Mark 6:45-52. Most English translations hide the Greek by quoting Jesus as saying, ‘Fear not it is I.’ Actually, the Greek literally says, ‘Fear not, I am.’ Those last two words are identical to what Jesus said in John 8:58 when he took upon himself the divine name ‘I AM,’ which is the way God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush in Exodus 3:14. So Jesus is revealing himself as the one who has the same divine power over nature as Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament." (Strobel, Zondervan Publishing House; Grand Rapids, MI 1998, p. 29; bold emphasis ours)

 

Hence, Matthew’s inclusion of the story of Jesus’ walking on the water and use of the I AM formula conclusively demonstrates that the Evangelist was clearly presenting Jesus as Yahweh God.

 

What this shows us is that the Synoptic writers were aware of Jesus’ I AM sayings but apparently didn’t think it necessary to quote them, or at least not all of them. They may have believed that what they did have to say was sufficient to show that Jesus is indeed Incarnate Deity, the eternal Son of God who became man in order to redeem God’s elect. To illustrate this point note what Matthew wrote in the beginning of his Gospel:

 

    "Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel’ (which means, GOD WITH US)." Matthew 1:18-23

 

Jesus, according to Matthew, is God with us who came to save his people from their sin, a function that the OT ascribes to Yahweh God Almighty:

 

    "O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities." Psalm 130:7-8

 

The foregoing should leave little doubt that Matthew, no less than John, presents the Lord Jesus as God in the flesh.

 

 

 

 

My Response

 

So basically no answer, again, why do the other 3 gospels not mention Jesus saying before Abraham was I AM? Not just Matthew, the other three!!!

 

As for all the other points you brought up, they mean nothing. Let me first deal with this point:

 

 is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel’ (which means, GOD WITH US)." Matthew 1:18-23

 

Just because someone comes to save people from their sins does not make them God, every prophet is sent to save his people from their sins, thats the use of a prophet, to bring people back to God. So that Does not prove anything.

 

As for the name Emmanuel, the name basically means God is with us, this is no reffering to Jesus, it is just reffering to what the name means! Jesus never even claimed to be God!

 

Shamoun also states:

 

"Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid." Jesus called out to the disciples over the storm, telling them to take courage. He identified himself and told them not be afraid any longer. The literal reading for "It is I" is "I am" (Greek, ego eimi); it is the same as saying "the I AM is here" or "I, Yahweh, am here" (see Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 41:4; 43:10; 52:6). Jesus, the ‘I AM," came with unexpected help and encouragement during the disciples’ time of desperate need. (Ibid., Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.; Wheaton, Il. 1994, p. 189; bold emphasis ours)

 

Mainly Christian scholars will be the ones to draw such conclusions because they believe Jesus is God.

 

Anyway, what the Christian scholars themselves forget is the Biblical passages they allude to, here it is again for them:

 

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart; I AM (ego eimi). Do not be afraid (me phobeisthe).’ And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ And when they got into the boat, the wind cease. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’" Matthew 14:22-33 - cf. Mark 6:45-52

 

So if Jesus meant he is God in those verses by saying I AM, then why didnt the disciples worship him saying truly you are GOD, why did they say you are the Son of God? Son of God does not name you God, here is the proof of it:

 

http://answering-christianity.com/followers_of_yeshua.htm

 

 

So all Jesus did was say I am, it is me, do not be afraid, they thought he was a ghost. If someone thinks you are a ghost you will calm him down.

 

 

So the Question remains, why doesnt any other Gospel other than John record Jesus saying before Abraham was, I AM?

 

Praise Allah! Jesus is not God!