In the book of Exodus tells of Moses and his vision of the Almighty. When Moses asked who he is God replies He is the great I, AM. The ultimate statement of self awareness and self sustainment. The Jewish people for thousands of years took the term I AM as an identification of divinity and 2000 years after Mt Sinai, this same term used by Jesus of Nazareth would be used against him as a statement of blasphemy by comparing himself to God.
There are seven times in the Gospel of John that Jesus uses the "I AM" statement and each one is an expression of power and unity. I am the bread of life, the good shepherd and most powerfully, I AM the resurrection and the life.
Amazingly moving claims of Jesus showing His awareness and enlightenment as a Son of God.
A complete and evolved person. One with the Absolute.
But were the teachings of Jesus in His I AM verses to show us that He is worthy of worship, or was he trying to show us all what we could become.
The words "I AM' used by Jesus are a declaration of ultimate truth that has similarly been ecstatically realized and uttered by other evolved beings including the master gurus of India who lived before and after the time of Jesus. The Isha Upanishad says: "That absolute Self abiding in the transcendental effulgence, verily, I am He."
Elsewhere in the Upanishads we find, similarly, the sacred truth-affirmations Aham Brahmasmi ("I am Brahman-Spirit"), Ayam Atma Brahma ("This Self is Spirit"), and Tat Tvam Asi ("Thou art That"). The scriptural mantra Aham-Sa or 'Ham-Sa (literally" I am He") are potent Sanskrit syllables that possess a vibratory connection with the incoming and outgoing breath. Thus with his every breath man unconsciously asserts the truth of his being: I am He!
We see in Hindu texts the unity with man and the divine.
Is this what Jesus was trying to teach us in the Gospels?
Was He trying to show us that he transcended the duality between God and man and reached the next level of spiritual evolution, not equal, but united with the Eternal God?
Born of, part of and returning to the Absolute and Eternal Almighty.
Was Jesus trying to teach us that there is a part of us that is eternal? Part of us that is forever and is and will be united with the Living God.
Was Jesus trying to teach us to evolve to the next plain of spiritual existence.
We noted in prior posts that tragically, we do not think we need to evolve, but every enlightened being that has graced the Earth for thousands of years has tried to teach us that we do.
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