I cannot help but see a certain amount of exasperation in the peoples’ query, “Who are you?” They are grasping at a concept that seems to be eluding them. Whether they are being intentionally obtuse or simply unable to comprehend a concept that must have been totally foreign to them, the end result is they have reached an impasse. I imagine the gamut of emotions behind that question range from dismay, to disdain, to despair, to a deep desire to know. I am at times stretched beyond my limits by this Man Jesus. He is not a one-dimensional being.
But Jesus’ answer is equally complex, while simple at first glance. His answer can be understood as him saying, “I am who I have always told you I am.” That would make sense, since he has been steadfast and consistent in his claims. But his answer can also be interpreted as saying, “I am who I have consistently told you I am, and for that matter, I have been what I claim to be from the very beginning of time.” That is also true and consistent to his claim to be, not only the Son of God, but one with God from the very beginning of time. Of all the claims of Jesus, this one must have been the most difficult for the people to decipher. Man. God. Human. Divine. Eternal. Born. Creator. I will be challenged for all eternity with the mysteries of Deity.
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