Jesus said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I am.” John 8:58 WEB
When God spoke to Moses instructing him to bring the people of Israel out of Egypt, Moses asks who shall he say sent him. Exodus 3:14 gives the Lord’s reply saying, “God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ WEB” With these words we receive God’s revelation of his name “I AM.” When Jesus says “before Abraham came into existence, I am,” he is revealing his divinity, that he is the Son of God.
Before Abraham, who the Israelites knew as the father of Isaac who was the father of Jacob from whom the Israelites descend, Jesus already existed. As we read in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. WEB” Jesus was with God in the beginning and is one of the three persons of the Trinity of God which is God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit of God.
In seven different passages of the gospel of John, Jesus makes such statements. In John 8:12 Christ says, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life. WEB” With these words and his other “I am” statements, Jesus challenges the notion that he is merely a preacher or a prophet. Jesus reveals that he is the Messiah predicted by the prophets.
He Will Never See Death
Jesus makes an astonishing claim in John 8:51 saying, “Most certainly, I tell you, if a person keeps my word, he will never see death. WEB” These words offended the Jews attending the temple and they accused Christ of having a demon. Jesus’ critics asserted that their ancestor Abraham died and the prophets also died. They questioned whether Christ thought himself to be greater than Abraham.
Jesus’ response shocked them further. Christ said in John 8:56, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it, and was glad. WEB” To this the crowd responds, “You are not even fifty years old. Have you seen Abraham?” Jesus answers with the scripture we consider today, “Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I am.”
Even today, many people assert that Jesus never claimed to be God. But for this very reason the Jews of his time accused him of blasphemy. Jesus claiming the title of “I am” enraged the Jews in attendance that day so much that they picked up stones to kill him. Jesus’ resurrection after his actual death on the cross finally resolved the issue for many, that he is in fact the Son of God.
Prayer: ‘Father God, thank you for my salvation through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for forgiving my sin. Give me wisdom to understand your holy word. Help me to share the truth of the gospel with the world. In Jesus’ name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: Your Body Is a Temple
