The Name of God • Exodus 3:1-15 • Sunday, November 9, 2025

The Great I Am: Understanding God's Divine Name and Your Sacred Calling

Have you ever wondered about the deeper meaning behind God's name? Beyond the familiar titles we use in worship, there exists a name so profound that it captures the very essence of who God is and what He means for our lives.

The Name That Is More Than a Name

When Moses encountered God in the burning bush on Mount Sinai, he asked a question that would echo through eternity: "What is your name?" God's response wasn't just an introduction—it was a revelation of His very nature.

"I AM WHO I AM," God declared. "Tell them I AM has sent you."

In Hebrew, this divine name is represented by four sacred letters known as the Tetragrammaton: Yod-Hay-Vav-Hay. Pronounced as Yahweh, this name literally means "I AM." When you see "LORD" written in all capital letters in your Bible, you're reading this sacred name—the name that defines God's eternal, unchanging, and ever-present nature.

Think about that for a moment. God's name is not merely a label to distinguish Him from false gods. His name IS who He is. He is the eternal God, the faithful keeper of promises, the One who was, who is, and who is to come. Yahweh—the breath of life itself.

Jesus: The Great I AM in Human Flesh

The connection between the God of the Old Testament and Jesus Christ isn't coincidental—it's intentional and profound. Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus deliberately uses seven "I AM" statements that directly link Him to the divine name revealed to Moses:


These weren't just poetic metaphors. Jesus was making a bold claim about His divine identity. When questioned during His trial before the Sanhedrin, Jesus waited for exactly the right question: "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"

His answer? "I AM."

The religious leaders understood immediately what He was claiming—equality with God Himself, the Great I AM standing before them in human form.

The Divine Promise: From Egypt to Eternity

When God appeared to Moses, He came with a promise of deliverance. The Israelites were suffering under Egyptian slavery, their lives bitter with oppression. God had seen their condition, heard their cries, and knew their suffering intimately. His promise was clear: deliverance from bondage and a journey to a land flowing with milk and honey.

This ancient promise foreshadows an even greater deliverance. Just as God came down to rescue Israel from physical slavery, Jesus Christ came down to deliver all humanity from a far more devastating bondage—the slavery of sin, death, and the power of evil.

Jesus didn't just observe our suffering from a distance. By becoming human, He experienced firsthand the sorrows, pains, and temptations we endure. The difference? He never sinned. Not once.

The promise Jesus brings isn't merely about physical deliverance or temporary relief. It's about spiritual freedom and eternal inheritance. Through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead—an event unique to Christianity—Jesus secured our deliverance from sin and opened the way to eternal life in the presence of the Great I AM.

Your Sacred Nomination

Here's where the story becomes personal. Moses initially objected to his calling. "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?" he asked. God's response was simple yet powerful: "I will be with you."

Moses was nominated by God to carry the message of deliverance to the enslaved Israelites. Similarly, every person who has encountered Christ, who bears His name through baptism, who has received His promise of eternal life, has also been nominated.

Nominated for what? To share the message of eternal deliverance with others.

This isn't a calling reserved for pastors, missionaries, or professional ministers. This is the universal calling of every Christian. We've been in the presence of the Great I AM. We bear His mark. We've received His promise. Therefore, we've been nominated to tell others about Jesus.

Confronting Our Objections

What objections rise in your heart when you consider this calling? Do any of these sound familiar?


These are the same kinds of objections Moses raised. Yet God's response remains unchanged: "Go, and I will be with you."

The Great Commission isn't a suggestion—it's a command accompanied by a promise: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Notice the promise embedded in the command: "I am with you always." The Great I AM doesn't send us out alone. He goes with us.

A Practical Challenge

Here's a concrete way to live out your nomination this week: Speak to one person about the eternal deliverance offered by the Lord. Not your spouse. Not your children (though those conversations matter too). Someone outside your immediate family circle.

This might feel uncomfortable. It might require courage. But consider praying this simple prayer:

"Lord, lay some soul upon my heart, and love that soul through me, that I may gladly do my part to bring that soul to thee."

The Presence Among Us

The beautiful truth is that the Great I AM isn't distant or removed from our daily lives. His presence is with us in worship, in the waters of baptism, in the reading and preaching of His Word, and in the sacrament of Holy Communion. Every time we gather as believers, we stand on holy ground, just as Moses did at the burning bush.

The God who delivered Israel from Egypt, the God who sent His Son to die and rise again, the God whose name is I AM—this same God calls you by name, promises you eternal life, and sends you out with His message of hope.

The question isn't whether you're qualified. The question is whether you'll trust the One who calls you and go with His promise: "I will be with you always."

(Content generated by PulpitAI from sermon transcript)