“Be Still and Know: Reflecting on Jesus as the ‘I Am’

Advent always invites us to slow down—to step out of the rushing, the noise, and the never-ending, unfinished lists—and turn our attention toward the God who comes close. But beneath the candles, the carols, and the anticipation of Christmas morning lies a deeper question at the heart of the season: Who is the One who comes?

This advent a part of what our family is doing is going through all the names of Jesus. And today’s was “I am.” 

These two small words stretch back in time. They reach all the way back to Moses before the burning bush, to the God who names Himself simply as “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). The God who is—the One who is eternal, uncreated, self-sustaining, faithful, and present.

And Jesus takes that ancient, holy name as His own.

Advent invites us not only to celebrate the birth of Christ, but to contemplate the truth that the baby in the manger is the eternal “I Am”—God in the flesh, come to dwell among us.

The “I Am” Who Meets Us in Our Longing

John’s Gospel contains some of the most intimate places where Jesus reveals Himself as “I am.” Not merely as a teacher or healer, but as the One who meets the deepest human needs:

• “I am the bread of life.”

  For our spiritual hunger and our ache for satisfaction when the world doesn’t satisfy
  

• “I am the light of the world.”

  For our confusion, our lostness, our longing for clarity.
  

• “I am the good shepherd.”

  For our need to be known, guided and loved.

• “I am the resurrection and the life.”

  For our fear of death and despair.

• “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

  For our desire to know the way home and back to God.
  

Each of these statements is both a comfort and a disruption. They offer what our souls long for while challenging the small, manageable versions of Jesus we often carry. As Keller might say, if Jesus truly is the “I Am,” then He cannot simply be an accessory to our lives—He is the centre.

Advent asks us whether we are letting Him be who He is.

The God Who Is

At the heart of Advent is not sentimentality—it is revelation.

A God who makes Himself known.

A God who steps toward us.

A God who says simply and profoundly:

“I am.”

He doesn’t force us to respond to that, but instead, at Christmas, He sent His Son into the world and opened an invitation to come into His presence and know Him.