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\(^{58}\)Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

This is as unambiguous a claim to Deity as you can get. It’s a clear paraphrase of the Lord’s words to Moses from the burning bush:

Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:13-15

Claiming to have existed before Abraham, claiming:

\(^{56}\)Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.”

In saying this Jesus wasn’t merely claiming to be some new, or previously unknown god. It wasn’t that he was going pagan. He was saying to the religious leaders that he was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of heaven and earth, the creator of all things, he was their God, the king of kings, the Lord of all the Earth.