Before Abraham was, I AM Ps 65:1-13; Ex 3:1-14; Rev 22:1-13; John 8:44-59

Introduction https://youtu.be/tl9N6QY2D-o

Our Exodus reading provides the crucial background for the fourth of our series on the “I am” statement of Jesus in the Gospels. In launching his rescue mission to bring the enslaved Israelites out of Egypt God commissions Moses to go to the people and declare, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Ex 3:14). The name “I AM” is difficult to understand[1], however the depth of its meaning is best understood not by linguistic analysis but through understanding the acts of God, the pinnacle of which is the coming of Jesus. We can easily picture Jesus walking on water saying “I am” moving all the disciples to worship him, we can begin to picture “I am the bread of life” and “I am the light of the world” from personal experience, but when Jesus says, “before Abraham was, I am” we are stumped. This testimony was so provocative that it moved those who initially seemed to be believing in Christ to pick up stones to kill him. In a day when people are proud of exclaiming there are many roads to God[2], is this the sort of  majestic Jesus you want to follow; or would we prefer a lesser Christ?

Exposition

In John 8 we find Jesus disputing with those who so far had “believed” in his words (John 8:30-31)[3] about his origin and identity. As conservative Jews the crowds are preoccupied with Abraham as their racial and spiritual father (John 8:33, 39, 53), and the longer the conversation continues over Jesus’ claims of pre-eminence[4] the more hostile it becomes until the Lord makes a point that brings embarrassing clarity.  “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning[5], and…there is no truth in him…45…because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? 47…The reason why you do not hear (my words) them is that you are not of God.” Here we have a miracle working teacher telling the crowd that their real father is neither Abraham nor God but Satan.[6]

I never had any serious thoughts one way or other about the reality of Satan until in the days prior to my conversion I was literally paralysed by a fear that stopped me entering a Christian meeting, later on, when I was in the midst of praise or listening to the preaching I would suddenly shake uncontrollably and go “blind”. This wasn’t essentially a psychological drama[7]but a manifestation of evil spiritual powers[8].

v.48 Infuriated in being called the seed of Satan the Jews counter punch, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”[9] At the time of the Samaritans were despised by orthodox Jews as racially impure and heretical, and there was no way the promised Messiah could be a Samaritan[10].

49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honour my Father, and you dishonour me[11]. It was no evil power sent Jesus into the world[12], but the heavenly Father who honours Jesus by the truth of his words and the power of his works.

50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

We have all met people, to use and old-fashioned turn of phrase, who “big note” themselves. Someone I know used to put all his degrees in his email address. Most unwise[13]. Jesus doesn’t need to seek his own glory because since as the Son of God his greatest desire is to glorify the Father (John 12:28; 13:32) the Father’s greatest desire is to glorify Jesus (John 17:1, 5)[14]. What really stirs up the crowd is the claim that anyone who keeps Jesus’ words will “never see death”[15]. Can a human being possess a supernatural authority stronger than death[16]…? Such an affirmation is easy to affirm but harder to live. Given the realities of fallen existence plus the age of some of us I need to ask a hard question. Are you praying for the hour of your death[17], not primarily that it be painless, but that it will bring glory to God?[18] It’s not that Christians cannot grieve, but Paul teaches, we need “not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thess 4:13)]

52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death[19].’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus is actually speaking of never experiencing spiritual death as separation from God[20], but lacking spiritual discernment the people think Jesus has “lost it”[21]. In fact, as Lord of all (Acts 10:36) Jesus is greater than Abraham and greater than the prophets; he is about to make this point in the most forceful manner possible.

54 “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day[22]. He saw it and was glad.”

If the Jews really had God as their spiritual Father[23] they would know him in knowing him “see” that he had sent Jesus as the Saviour of the world[24]. According to Jesus you know that you know God not by a warm emotion or going to a religious meeting or even reading the Bible , all good things, but by “keeping God’s word”, by doing what God says[25]. A disciple is someone who “obeys” the commandments of the Lord Jesus (Matt 28:19). In what sense though did Abraham see Jesus’ day and was overjoyed by it? I think that this refers to that sombre occasion when Abraham took his beloved son Isaac[26] up the mountain to sacrifice him only to see a ram substituted by God at the last minute, this was a prophetic picture of the death and resurrection of Jesus[27]. This is all too much for the crowd, for them Jesus is speaking bizarrely.

57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old[28], and have you seen Abraham?”

Action and Reaction

Everything is coming to a climax. 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly[29], I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

“before Abraham was I am” is a claim to exist[30] before Abraham was born, this assertion is nonsensical unless Jesus is applying to himself the divine name “I am” originally declared by God in person to Moses at the burning bush. As Moses was commissioned by the revelation of the divine name to return to Egypt and confront Pharoah and through the blood sacrifice of the Passover Lamb redeem Israel from enslavement, so Jesus will soon be sacrificed on the cross to bring eternal redemption from the power of sin to all who believe in his name (Rom 3:24-25; Eph 1:17; Heb 9:12)[31].

At one level the crowd may have been slow to understand, but at another level it knew exactly what Jesus was implying. 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself[32] and went out of the temple.

Stoning was the punishment authorised in the Law of Moses for blasphemy (Lev 24:1, 23)[33]; so if Jesus was merely a human being claiming to be God himself[34], this would have been a just penalty at the time[35]. As on other occasions Jesus escaped from hostile crowds (Luke 4:29-30; John 7:30, 44; 10:39) by the miraculous action of God to save him until his final hour, so it is here.

Conclusion

“Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58), is perhaps the most powerful of Jesus’ “I am” statements in the Gospels. Once I was attracted to it philosophically[36], but now because it throws a light on who Jesus is for us. What Jesus meant by these words is expounded by Paul in Ephesians 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”, and by Peter, “you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and agave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Pet 1:18-21)[37]. For us wretched sinners in need of a Saviour the glory of eternity[38] is that from “infinite past” to “infinite future” all things are filled with the name JESUS. Just as he announces at the end of the Bible, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Rev 22:13).

These things are wonderful beyond words, but they are fiercely opposed [not primarily by “flesh and blood” but] by “the rulers, authorities, the cosmic powers over this present darkness, (and) the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). Wherever men and women acknowledge the fullness of the identity of Jesus as “Lord and God” (John 20:28) in the realm of the saving power of the Holy Spirit Satan will do all in his power to stop people obeying the gospel which alone can bring us into “the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thess 1:8-9). Be aware, the further we go in expounding the “I am” statements the harder life will become for those who follow Jesus; but the better it will become too!