I’m Him
What is not to like about a small-town boy from Arkansas who surprisingly became the Big 12 Player of the Year at the University of Oklahoma and is now shocking the world by shining brightly with the Los Angeles Lakers. As much as I like Austin Reeves. One thing I know, AR is not HIM. Reeves declared boldly “I’m Him” after hitting a couple big shots in the playoffs. His claim started a trend among youth who started throwing “I’m Him” or “I’m Her” around to celebrate themselves after doing almost anything.
After a tremendous start in World Cup play, where Austin quickly became a crowd favorite, the echoes of AR’s “I’m him” started getting louder. Funny thing though. Instead of fearing AR, opposing teams chose to go right at him. Sadly, for AR fans, he was painfully exposed by World Cup opponents as they continuously isolated him on defense. There is no doubt AR is a bucket, can pass it, handle it, dunk it and is fun to watch, but HIM he is not! Matter of fact neither is Lebron nor is MJ.
Personally, I preferred Reeves fan given nickname, Hillbilly Kobe. I have a gut feeling the Humble Pie that AR and the entire USA Team were forced to eat at the World Cup will motivate each of them to only get better and work on their weaknesses. For me it was just a daily reminder that there is only One HIM!
Jesus said wide is this path taken by many. Many movie stars, music artists, and gifted athletes choose to say things like “I am the greatest”. Some even to claim to be a god. Sadly, by self-proclaiming greatness, they are only setting themselves up for failure.
Jesus didn’t even fill the need to add “HIM” to the end of the statement. He just proclaimed what His Father proclaimed, “I AM”! The Greek term Ego eimi, literally I AM, is an emphatic form of the copulative verb εἰμι that is recorded in the Gospels to have been spoken by Jesus on several occasions to refer to himself not with the role of a verb but playing the role of a name, in the Gospel of John occurring seven times with specific titles. It is connected to the passage in Exodus 3:14 in which God gives his name as אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה (Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh), translated most basically as “I AM that I AM” In the Hebrew Bible (Exodus 3:14), it is the personal name of God, revealed directly to Moses. It is used in the Gospel of John both with and without predicate expressions. “I am” is rarely used in the Greek without a predicate, it is generally interpreted as a self-declaration by Jesus, identifying Himself as God.
In John 8:24 Jesus states: “For unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins”, and later the crowd attempts to stone Jesus in response to his statement in John 8:58: “Before Abraham was, I am”.
Jesus, in response to the Pharisees’ question “Who do you think you are?” said, “‘Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.’ ‘You are not yet fifty years old,’ the Jews said to him, ‘and you have seen Abraham!’ ‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I AM!’ At this, they picked up stones to stone HIM, but Jesus removed himself (John 8:56–59). The violent response of the Jews to Jesus’ “I AM” statement indicates they clearly understood what He was declaring—that He was The Messiah. Jesus was declaring I AM HIM! Jesus was equating Himself with the “I AM” title God gave Himself in Exodus 3:14.
No Doubt the Jews understood what Jesus was declaring. They grabbed stones to kill HIM (John 5:18), because by Mosaic Law proclaiming “I AM HIM”, if not true, meant death. But Jesus committed no blasphemy; He was and is HIM, the second Person of the Godhead, equal to the Father in every way.
I will finish this post with the time Jesus full court pressed His own team in Matthew 16:15-28.
Check out the Message version below.
“He pressed them, “And how about you? Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out. “And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven.”
He swore the disciples to secrecy. He made them promise they would tell no one that he was the Messiah. Then Jesus made it clear to his disciples that it was now necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders, be killed, and then on the third day be raised up alive. Peter took him in hand, protesting, “Impossible, Master! That can never be!” But Jesus didn’t swerve. “Peter, get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works.”
Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I AM. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how.
“Don’t be in such a hurry to go into business for yourself. Before you know it the Son of Man will arrive with all the splendor of his Father, accompanied by an army of angels. You’ll get everything you have coming to you, a personal gift. This isn’t pie in the sky by and by. Some of you standing here are going to see it take place, see the Son of Man in kingdom glory.””