The Gospel of John was written to testify to the extraordinary life of Jesus. John carefully recorded numerous signs and miracles that demonstrated the divinity of Jesus Christ. However, this Gospel also records Jesus making several unusual statements. These “I AM” statements are found only in the Gospel of John, and with these statements Jesus clearly states that he is God.1 The Jews clearly understood Jesus' statements; it was after these and similar statements that the Jews attempted to stone Jesus for blasphemy. Jesus claimed to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Great I Am. Perhaps the best example of this occurs during a debate with the Jews in the eighth chapter of John. Jesus previously avoids a trap set for him by the Pharisees. They had hoped to catch Jesus in contradiction regarding the fate of an adulteress. Jesus avoided the trap, but the Pharisees were increasingly agitated towards him. Jesus enters into a series of debates regarding His testimony, His opponents, and His nature. The Jews accused Jesus of being possessed by a demon. They also called Jesus a Samaritan. This was more than a comment on Jesus' ethnicity; for a Jew to be called a Samaritan was a great insult. The Jews essentially claimed that Jesus was impure, evil, and heretical.2 Jesus responds by denying demonic possession. Instead He tells them that anyone who obeys His words will never die. The Jews apparently thought Jesus was referring to physical death and offered numerous examples of great dead prophets. They asked Jesus “Who do you think you are?” Jesus responds by stating that their father, Abraham, rejoiced when he saw Jesus.3 This prompted a round of mocking remarks. The Jews pointed out that Jesus was not even fifty years old; ...... middle of paper ......g John. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2003. Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Entire Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996. Hodge, Charles. Systematic theology. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997. Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, Inc. Merriam-Webster. Eleventh ed. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003.Morris, Leon. Jesus is the Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1989. Story, Dan. Defending Your Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1997.Towns, Elmer. The Gospel of John: Believe and Live (21st Century Bible Commentary Series). Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2002. Walvoord, John F., Roy B. Zuck, and Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-.