Jesus drops a bombshell.
The Gospel of John: John 8.48-59
Read and meditate on John 8.57-59.
The Jews made a last, feeble attempt to humble Jesus, at which He took the opportunity to exalt Himself in the most glorious – or, as they saw it, heretical – manner.
57Then said
the Jews to Him, “Now Abraham is dead,
and you are not yet fifty years of age. Have You
indeed seen Abraham?” 58“I say to you,”
replied the Lord, “before your ‘father’ was,
I AM.” 59They sought to stone Him then because
of this, but Jesus hid Himself, and went
out from the temple, through the midst of them.
– John 8.57-59
Reflect
1. The religious leaders were furious and floundering. Seizing once more on Jesus’ words, they attempted an argumentum ad absurdum – a logical effort to show the fallacy of Jesus’ claims. How did they do this in verse 57? Complete the following brief prayer: Lord, You and the Gospel – and probably me, too – seem foolish and absurd to those who will not believe. Nevertheless…
2. Jesus didn’t even try to explain how He, a man of thirty or so, could have possibly been alive to see Abraham. He knew these people weren’t really looking for answers or explanations. What were they looking for? Are there just some objections to Jesus and the Gospel that aren’t worth trying to answer? Explain. Lord, I don’t have all the answers, and, frankly, many who deny You don’t really want answers, anyway. But they do need the Answer, and that is…
3. The religious leaders had been trying to catch Jesus in His words, to get Him to say something they could use against Him. They never in a million years would have expected Him to identify Himself with “I AM.” Why? Who is “I AM,” and what was Jesus saying here? You are the great I AM, Lord Jesus, Whom I worship and serve to…
4. How did the Jews respond? What does that suggest about how they understood what Jesus was saying? People today who insist Jesus never claimed to be God should read this passage, don’t you think? Explain. Lord, You are Lord and God, Savior and King, and I gladly believe You. Help me boldly to…
5. They had Him right where they wanted Him. And then He was gone. It wasn’t “His hour.” How do you suppose Jesus “hid Himself” from them? Do you think He was ducking around in the crowd? Or could He Who changed water into wine merely by thinking have employed some other means? Explain. Bring together your prayers from questions 1-4 into one prayer.
Summary
“Our Redeemer graciously turns their gaze away from his body and draws it to contemplation of his divinity. He says, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’ ‘Before’ indicates past time, ‘I am’ present time. Because divinity does not have past and future time but always is, he did not say, ‘I was before Abraham’ but ‘Before Abraham was, I am.’ And so it was said to Moses, ‘I am who I am,’ and ‘You will say to the children of Israel, “He who is has sent me to you.”’ Therefore he who could draw near by manifesting his presence and depart after completing his life existed both before and after Abraham. Truth always exists, because nothing begins before it in time or comes to an end after it.” Gregory the Great (540-604 AD)
Meditate on Philippians 2.5-11. What does it mean to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father? How should this fit into your witness for Christ?
Closing Prayer
The LORD reigns;
Let the earth rejoice;
Let the multitude of isles be glad!
Clouds and darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
A fire goes before Him,
And burns up His enemies round about.
His lightnings light the world;
The earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
The heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples see His glory.
Let all be put to shame who serve carved images,
Who boast of idols.
Worship Him, all you gods.
Zion hears and is glad,
And the daughters of Judah rejoice
Because of Your judgments, O LORD.
For You, LORD, are most high above all the earth;
You are exalted far above all gods.
You who love the LORD, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Psalm 97.1-10
Psalm 97.1, 6, 9-12 (Darwall: Rejoice, the Lord is King!)
Rejoice, the Lord is King! O earth, lift up your voice;
Be glad, you islands, shout and sing: Rejoice! Rejoice!
Beyond, above all gods and nations be exalted, God of love!
The heav’ns above declare His glorious righteousness;
And tribes and peoples everywhere His Name confess.
Beyond, above all gods and nations be exalted, God of love!
All you who love the Lord, despise sin’s wicked ways!
Praise Him Who guides us by His Word through all our days.
Beyond, above all gods and nations be exalted, God of love!
T. M. Moore
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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.
