Schreiner:Jesus demonstrates his deity by proclaiming what will happen before it occurs.

Jesus predicts what will happen in advance so that his disciples will believe egō eimi, “I am” (John 13:19 my translation). The use of “I am” demonstrates that such predictions are not merely the prophecies of an ordinary prophet. Jesus demonstrates his deity by proclaiming what will happen before it occurs. We have already noted that the “I am” formula is common in Isa. 40–48. These same chapters often declare that Yahweh stands apart from idols as the true God because he is able to predict the future (Isa. 41:21–29; 42:8–9; 44:8–9; 46:9–11; 48:6).

The uniqueness of Yahweh manifests itself in his control over history. So too, Jesus is revealed as “I am” in his ability to predict the future. The deity of Jesus is suggested also by his words to those arresting him: “I am” (John 18:5, 6, 8 my translation). The text could be read in terms of simple self-identification, but since those who arrest Jesus fall to the ground at his self-revelation, we should read the declaration in light of the other “I am” statements.

Human beings are stunned and fall back in the presence of the divine, so what happened here is a kind of theophany. So too the Isaianic background is likely present when Jesus predicted the future before it occurs, demonstrating that “I am” (John 13:19 my translation). In Isaiah the true God differentiates himself from idols, which are powerless to predict the future, and here Jesus identified himself as divine, but the next verse (John 13:20) indicates that he does not act independently of the Father but rather has been sent by the Father himself, so that the unity between the Father and the Son is emphasized.

Schreiner, T. R. (2008). New Testament theology: magnifying God in Christ (p. 253). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

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