The "I AM" (John 8:48-59)

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Big Idea: Being confronted with THE GREAT I AM always demands a response. What will yours be?

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Big Idea: Being confronted with THE GREAT I AM always demands a response. What will yours be?
The Great I AM - Exodus 3:14.
The Great I AM Insulted - John 8:48, 52.
The Great I AM’s Priority - John 8:49.
The Great I AM Dishonored - John 8:49.
The Great I AM’s Glory - John 8:50, 54.
The Great I AM’s Promise of Life - John 8:51-52.
The Great I AM’s Witness - John 8:53-56.
The Great I AM’s Declaration - John 8:57-58.
The Great I AM Threatened - John 8:59.

Hook

Invite them to turn to Exodus 3.
Pray
Put of Christopher Powers Picture
Abba,
The great “I AM”
Simple. Profound. Deep. Rich!
Of all the ways you could speak of yourself;
Of all the ways you could describe yourself;
This is the most provocative.
It inflames our minds with a blaze of imagery.
You simply are.
It is a statement of your essential being
Your eternality
Your transcendence
Your supremacy
Your uniqueness
Your incomparability
To whom
Or what
Can we compare you?
There is none
No thing
No one
To whom we can point to say, “God is like that.”
You simply are.
And you are simply incomparable.
Your glory shines ablaze all the brighter because of this truth.
The truth, the fact that you are so high, so majestic, so “other,” so you…
It is precisely because of this reality that your glory shines brighter!
But, in truth, Abba, it is even greater still.
Jesus, your unequivocal statement about being the great “I AM” unmistakably connects your person and identity to the one and same who spoke to Moses out of a burning bush.
Your “I AM” presence, this unapproachable presence in a burning bush;
The same that required removal of shoes, respect, purity, holiness;
The same God…the same incomparable God, Creator, eternal being…
You
Came
Near
The Great “I AM”, the unapproachable “other” God came near.
And was lifted up on a cross so that we could forever come near
And remain near
Your ensured we would never be separated again
That we would never have to be apart
The unapproachable made approachable!
What an indescribable and humbling truth!
That one so great as you came near
That you invited us to come
You opened the door
And pinned it open through nail pierced hands
And with those same hands
Beckon us to come
To be near
To be intimate
To know the mysteries of the great “I AM”
Abba, we come!
Let us come in the fullness of delight and passion equal to that of which you came near to us!
Let us come and dine
Come and fellowship
Come and rest
Come and delight in you
The great “I AM!”
Go right into reading Exodus 3.

Book

Big Idea:

The Great I AM - Exodus 3:14.

Exodus 3:1-22.
Exodus 3:1–22 (ESV)
1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
7 Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
13 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?” 14 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.’ ” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, 17 and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’ 18 And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. 21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, 22 but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”
In this incredible passage, we have a key insight and understanding into John 8:48-59.
In answer to the question of who Moses should tell the people of Israel who is sending him, God tells Moses, tell them that the I AM has sent you.
I AM
To be, to exist.
God just is.
Always Has Been. Always Will Be.
I AM is unique. Singular. None like Him. None to whom He can be compared.
In other words....the one who IS, ALWAYS WAS, ALWAYS WILL BE has sent me.
The one whom can be compared to no other has sent me.
The one whom cannot be contended with, has sent me.
This is a declaration of a supreme being, uncontested in power and might.
Christopher Powers, who created this artwork here comments...
John’s gospel is well known for these “I am” statements of Jesus, and most scholars recognize them as very intentional allusions to the divine name. Many skeptics of Christianity (often those in religions that are essentially Christian heresies spiraled out of control, like Islam, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witness etc.) many skeptics will say things like, “Jesus never claimed to be God…..show me where Jesus says, ‘I am God,” and I’ll believe” etc. etc. Well, ONE answer to such skepticism are the “I Am” statements in John’s gospel. For Jesus to claim this title would have been a far more provocative and far more implication-laden way of claiming divinity than had He simply said, “I am God.”……to say, “I AM” was to say that AND MORE…..it “God” in Jesus’ context could have meant many things (there were, of course, polytheistic religions around them and acceptance of many “gods” and demigods etc….), but for Jesus to sa “I AM,” for Him to echo the Name of YHWH and apply it to Himself, THAT was–and is–an awesome statement of divinity.
The “I Am” statement that we find in John 8:28 is the central of 8 “absolute” I AM statements in John’s gospel (4:26; 6:20; 8:24, 28, 58; 13:9; 18:5-8). Not only that, it is also the central of three “lifting up” statements (3:14-15; 8:28; 12:32-34). So, John is very purposefully weaving together the idea of Christ’s being “lifted up” (a phrase that can mean both crucified and glorified, and in the case of Christ’s death means both), being “lifted up” on the cross together with the idea of the identity of the One True God being revealed in Him…..that is awesome to consider……John–writing under the inspiration of the Spirit–is calling us to see Christ’s exaltation on the cross as the definitive declaration of the identity of the God of Israel….awesome…..and worthy of an eternity of enraptured exploration.
So, in today’s picture I tried to unite visually what John unites verbally, namely, the revelation of God’s identity (Name) at the burning bush with the lifting up of the incarnate Son on the cross. When the Son is exalted on Calvary, then creation will definitively know the One who is “I AM.”
Christopher Powers
There is a direct link between this Exodus account and John 8:48-59. Turn there now.
Jesus will declare himself the GREAT I AM at the end of this passage.
But in truth, he has already been calling himself this throughout.
But it will become so startling clear in this conversation that it will provoke the most volatile response yet to His words.

Look

How does this name, I AM, draw you to worship, adore, and submit more fully to God?
Why does meditating on the names of God strengthen our fear of and adoration of God?
It teaches us more about God, enlarging our view of God.
The more we come to see God as big, we will see ourselves, and other people, as small…keeping us and them in their rightful place.
What other names of God are particularly meaningful to you and why?
As we examine this text today, it is my prayer that (as always) we would be drawn to apply what we see to our own hearts and minds.
It is my prayer that was we examine the text, we will note that...
Big Idea: Being confronted with THE GREAT I AM always demands a response. What will yours be?
Jesus has been in a rather intense back and forth with the religious leaders and Jews.
Even those who supposedly believed (As Dave expounded last week), lacked faith to truly believe and accept.
Jesus calls them children of the devil, a scathing rebuke for men who are so confident in their flesh and fleshly lineage that they are confident of their spiritual purity.
The conversation only gets more heated from there.

The Great I AM Insulted - John 8:48, 52.

John 8:48 ESV
48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
John 8:52 ESV
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.’
Are we not right in saying you are a Samaritan.
Ouch.
Samaritan’s were half breeds. Mutts of humanity as it were. They were people who intermarried with nonJews and produced a lineage that was not 100% Jew. This was reprehensible to the Jews.
This is what makes John 4 such an amazing text. Jesus goes INTO Samaria and speaks to a Samaritan woman, asking for her help.
This was not done. Jews went AROUND Samaria instead taking the shorter router through Samaria just so that they could avoid this filthy people.
This is what makes the parable of the Good Samaritan so stinging…that a person of such filth would have such mercy and compassion over the religious of Israel that SHOULD HAVE been more merciful and compassionate.
Why, however, would they be led to believe he was of Samaria? Anyone have any idea?
Don’t look at me, I don’t know either…I was hoping you could help me! :) lol
You have to ask....Did they truly think it or was it just an insult? Was it a reference to their knowledge of his actions recorded in John 4?
We do not really have an answer to that, but it is most likely just insult flinging.
Reasons for their claim
Jesus, like the Samaritans questioned the Jews claim to be true children of Abraham.
Repeating their claim in John 8:41 of Jesus legitimate birth.
Ad hominem attack…unable to refute his wisdom and words, they resort to name calling and attacking his character and person.
Calling him a Samaritan is one of the worst insults one could level at a Jew.
Calling him a Samaritan, they were also labeling him a false teacher (because he did not agree with their interpretation of the law).
They were calling him an enemy.
You have a demon
Both in verse 49 and 52, they repeat this insult.
They repeat the accusation here from John 7:20. They have convinced themselves more and more that he is a demon, that he has a demon..that he cannot possibly be from God because “they understand the things of God” and he clearly does not.
So totally and utterly humiliated by, confounded by, and angered by his statements and claims, they resort to petty name calling and attacking of his character.

Look

How often are we guilty of the same? How often do we resort to attacking people when we angered, humiliated, embarrassed, or confounded by people’s actions, words, or responses?
How often do we throw insults when we are exposed?
What they do here is no less what we are often guilty of when we feel cornered or exposed.
What should be our response when we internally or externally attack a persons character?
We should first repent.
We should examine WHY our heart and attitude was so quick to attack their person. What desire in our heart was being thwarted that tempted us to respond in a sinful way?
Examine how we SHOULD have responded.
If we externally attacked the person or spoke ill of them to others, we must go, confess, seek forgiveness, and reconcile.
We need to see their response for what it is…a sinful self defense to protect their own pride and position.
If we see such responses in us, we need to be called to repentance.
In Jesus’ response, we see his priority.

The Great I AM’s Priority - John 8:49.

John 8:49 ESV
49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.
He reinforces what he stated the first time he accused him of having a demon, that he does not have one.
Then he asserts his honoring of his father.
Honor
What does it mean to honor someone or something?
NT term for honor means to hold in esteem, to place value on someone or something. This is how we commonly understand the word.
The OT term kabed gives us an interesting insight into the concept of honor.
The OT term has the basic meaning of “weight.” In a literal sense, it means something can be heavy.
The picture is this....there is weightiness, a heaviness, a worthy to the name and person of God.
Like a heavy weighted object that tips the scales in high favor of the weighted object, there is great worth and value in the weightiness and heaviness of His glory and worth.
I don’t know about you, but I like things that have a solid and healthy weight to them.
Fidget toys - I like the metal ones, verses plastic. The heavy and solid versus the cheap and plastic.
All children, come see me after and I have fidget cube for you
Jesus makes it clear, I am all about making much of my Father’s worth, weight, magnificence, and glory.
Jesus is in essence saying....I am all about honoring my father. This is my sole object, and I have been successful in that task.

Look

Is our highest priority the weightiness and worth of El Shaddai? Is our highest priority the weighty worth of the I AM? Or is our priority elevating the weight of our own worth?
How do we know if the highest priority of our life is the weighty worth of God?
Our values, priorities, financial expenditures, time usage, etc.
Our thoughts. What are we most often thinking about?
Our desires. What do you most long for?
Our actions. What do you do most often?
How do we go about making the weighty worth of God our highest priority?
Guard are time alone with God.
Be purposeful to increase our knowledge and understanding of God.
Guard ourselves against influences and passions that would tip the balance of weight towards self and flesh instead of God’s weighty glory.
While Jesus was intent on honoring his father, they pointed dishonored him.

The Great I AM Dishonored - John 8:49.

John 8:49 ESV
49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.
How did they dishonor him?
You dishonor me, Jesus said.
They sought to defame, slander, and demean Christ.
They attributed his works to demons, to Satan.
They called him a filthy Samaritan, accuse him of being a false teacher, call him an illegitimate child, and so much more.
They fight hard to destroy or distract from the great worth and weight of his name, his glory through defamation.
You see, when you have no response, when you are exposed or cornered, you will resort to defamation to hide.
Through their rejection…they dishonor him.
Through their defamation…they dishonor him.

Look

Are you and I ever guilty of dishonoring God? Are you and I ever guilty of minimizing the weightiness of God’s glory? Are we guilty of it, even today?
God forbid!
But in truth, every time we sin and disobey God, every time we reject his rule and authority in our life, we are guilty of it.
In what ways do we dishonor God? In what ways do we fail to ascribe to him the weighty glory that is rightfully his?
By failing to give him thanks.
Taking credit for his work and accomplishment
By not being mindful of God at all times.
When we disobey His commands.
When we fail to love our enemies, our neighbors, and our brothers.
Their dishonoring of him was tragic; as is ours when we are guilty of it.
He IS the greatest worth; the greatest weight in all the universe. To dishonor him, is the greatest sin, the greatest travesty.
Regardless though, our failure to make much of his glory does not make him any less glorious.

The Great I AM’s Glory - John 8:50, 54.

John 8:50 ESV
50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge.
John 8:54 ESV
54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’
Christ may not seek his own glory, but God seeks it for him.
The Father, he says, that they call “our God.” He is leaving no doubt, the one THEY Call their God, is the one he is claiming as His Father.
This one, YHWH, is HIS Father.
God the Father seeks to make his Son’s glory known.
If he sought it on his own, it would be invalidated.
One who seeks their own glory is only self serving and their testimony is worthless.
Ironically, God, Jesus is the ONLY being whose pursuit of his own glory is not bad, not selfish. His pursuit of his own glory is right and true and good for us. Because His glory is the BEST there is for us. It is the ultimate satisfaction, delight, and good that we need. Our delight in it is what we were created for. God, desiring his own glory is also God desiring our best good.
BUT, because Jesus is living in a sinful world with sinful men, because he is clothed the flesh of humanity and has set aside the use of his deity for now, the man Jesus, pursuing his own glory, would be invalidated.
So, he does not seek it for himself. The Father grants it though.
Listen, IF we fail to give God glory, does that make his less glorious?
God is not dependent on US to make himself glorious. It is not as if God is somehow less glorious if we stop believing him to be so or stop making much of his glory.
Example - Children’s Christmas movie long ago that depicted Santa fading because children were stopping believing in Him. The point of the movie was that if people stopped believing, he would cease to be. His existence was dependent on their acknowledgement and belief.
Sometimes this may be the way we think about God’s glory. But it si wrong.
God is not dependent on man believing or acknowledging the weight of his worth in order to be weight in worth, to be glorious. He just is. We just acknowledge what is. We do not make it what it is.
Consider John 17 briefly, which we will come to in time....
John 17:1–5 ESV
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
Jesus here prays for his father to glorify him SO THAT he can glorify the Father.
This is the beautiful thing in the Trinity, they are always seeking to make much of each other, not themselves.
He asks for glory as means to make God’s glory known.
This glory, he reveals as he prays…WAS HIS BEFORE THE WORLD EXISTED.
It is a glory that he voluntarily set aside to come to the earth.
Phil 2:5-11.
Philippians 2:5–11 ESV
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Christ emptied himself. He set aside the glory that was His as God and chose instead, for a time, to be know as one of his own creations, to live and die as one of them, so that he might reconcile that created thing to himself.
His glory IS HIS. It always has been. It always will be. He merely set it aside for a time.
Understand this, beloved…God IS glorious, whether we acknowledge or worship Him as so.
Even when we reject the weight of his glory, He is nevertheless glorious and it is not diminished or dimmed in any way.
BUT, as followers of Christ, we have the incredible privilege and responsibility of making known the incredible glory of God.

Look

How are you making the glory of God known? In what way(s) is your exposing God’s glorious weight of glory?
In what specific ways can we make the weight of God’s glory known to others?
Through the practice of confession, repentance, and reconciliation. These, when approached from a biblical perspective, are largely unheard of in the world. When we live by them, we display the worth of the God worship and serve.
Through our obedience and faith, even (especially) when it costs us dearly.
By making him known through preaching and proclamation.
By being conformed to His image and likeness.

The Great I AM’s Promise of Life - John 8:51-52.

John 8:51–52 ESV
51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” 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.’
Truly, Truly
As David mentioned last week, this double emphasis indicates the certainty of a thing..
If you keep my word....
The one who keeps the words is a true disciple of Christ - John 8:31.
John 8:31 ESV
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
One of the marks of a true disciple, a follower is ONGOING fruit and obedience.
Not just ongoing, but increasing fruit, increasing transformation to the nature of Christ.
Can this be faked, yes…at least for a time.
But true followers will persist, will continue.
They will abide…remain…continue.
One who professes salvation and yet lives in a perpetual state of sin, does not have assurance that their profession of faith is genuine.
We may well go through periods of rebellion and fleshly living as believers but the truth is, that will come with great conviction and unhappiness as God will be actively disciplining and seeking to draw you back.
True followers, even if they sidestep for a bit, WILL CONTINUE in fruit OR ELSE it is entirely possible the the profession of faith and repentance was just not…a profession with no substance of reality.
This is what James means by faith without works is dead…not that we saved BY works but that WORKS will flow and continue to flow from an authentic profession of faith, from a heart of true repentance.
By your fruit, you will know them, scriptures says.
Again, life is not black and white, but gray. Because works can be misleading…one can do all the works and be devoid of true saving faith. Works are NOT the hard core, solid proof of salvation.
They DO evidence a change of heart, an internal change that comes when salvation comes, however. For a follower who is growing, continual growth in Christlike character and works will be the fruit of their lives.
Since works can be faked, at least temporarily, the assurance of ones salvation is ultimately a thing for God and not for us to decide.
There are signs, evidences we can look to like fruit, a heart of conviction over sin, increasing hatred of our sin, an increasing love for the word, for the church, and an increasingly joyful obedience to the will and commands of God as we grow to love him more.
Point that Jesus is making though, is that those who remain, who abide, to continue evidence a heart change that has led to salvation.
If you keep my word…you will not see death.
Reminiscent of John 5:24
John 5:24 ESV
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
We will see this statement again later at Lazarus’ resurrection.
Point is, for one who follows Christ, they will not see death.
The religious leaders were incredulous at this....“Now we KNOW you have a demon…even Abraham died.”
Course, Jesus is not talking about physical death, as we have seen.
But they, of course, cannot see past the physical and are stuck in that realm and they find in this, one more reason to discredit him. Even Abraham and the prophets of old, whom they revere, died. He is surely not greater than they so not taste death.
Imagine their smugness when they saw his death body being born down from the cross. I wonder how many thought back to this (and similar) conversations and felt smugly self righteous in the remembering.
Jesus promises that those who repent and believe....that those who remain and continue (evidencing the validity of their faith) will not see death. They will know eternal life.

Look

Are you abiding, continuing, remaining, and GROWING in your fruit and relationship with God?
Is your life reflecting the authenticity of your faith and repentance?
Why does someone living in unrepentant sin or even apathy not have an assurance of their profession of faith?
You are either growing or stagnating. You never stand still. If you are not growing in Christ, you need to ask why? It does not necessarily mean you are not saved, but there is a very serious health problem.
One living in sin or apathy is evidencing a lack of truth repentance and faith that produces a change of heart, priority, and purpose. True faith and repentance results in a love for and devotion to God THAT will produce change in us to make us more like Christ, that will produce fruit in our life. If that is absent, we do not have assurance that our words have merit and authentic.
Incredulous at Jesus’ statement, they fire back and probably feel pretty self righteous that they have him now. But Jesus takes it all in calm strides and is intent on not defending himself for he has one pleading his case.

The Great I AM’s Witness - John 8:53-56.

John 8:53–56 ESV
53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “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. He saw it and was glad.”
In essence their question is, “Who do you think you are?”
You are making yourself out to be great than Abraham who as not able to defeat death.
They are incredulous at his audacity and smugly thinking that his foolish claims are undoing his claims all on their own.
Jesus, taking it stride, as always...
If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, He is our God.
Again...
This same God WHOM YOU CLAIM AS YOURS, is the same one who validates and glorifies me.
But you do not know him
Or else you would have recognized me.
Jesus, knowing they will not like his claim has no choice but to make it for if he said he did not know the father, they would be a liar, like them.
That is a scathing, though accurate, accusation.
They claim to know God, but do not recognize the Messiah, the one sent by God. Therefore, their claim to know God is a lie.
Following that up, he says, Abraham, your father, rejoiced that he would see my day.
In order to understand this, Hebrews 11:13 helps us here.
Hebrews 11:13 ESV
13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
Abraham say Isaac as the fulfillment of the promise which would culminate in the Messiah, in Jesus.
Though he never saw the fulfillment of it, he knew that God would keep his promise through Isaac.
Abraham rejoice to see Jesus day…In Isaac.

Look

Do you and I have the faith of Abraham? Do we have FULLY confidence of the fulfillment of God’s promises EVEN IF we never physically see it?
Are we willing to wait upon God for His timing and to trust Him through the pain, heartache, and hardships of this life?
How do we develop such faith as Abraham when he so willingly obeyed to offer Isaac?
If Abraham’s life is any example (and it is), it is a growth process that involves both our successes of faith and failures.
It requires a persistence through hardship, through blessing, and through failure.
It requires we keep pressing into God, daily, moment by moment.
It requires we keep CLOSE to God.
It requires we get to know God, to take God at his word and trust him, letting him come through.
It means surrendering control to God and trusting.
It means we live repentant lifestyles dealing most readily and severely with our sins, increasing our hatred for it and our love for God.
It is here that Jesus comes out with this greatest and most opposed statement yet....

The Great I AM’s Declaration - John 8:57-58.

John 8:57–58 ESV
57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
You are not old enough to have known Abraham, how could you possibly know what he was thinking or rejoicing in? (My paraphrase)
Jesus then, before Abraham was…I AM
And here we return to that text we began with in Exodus.
This is the name, this is the context that Jesus is referring to when he makes this statement.
Jesus has just (once again) declared himself to be God.
Again, again, again....God never intended to be secret, aloof, distant, or disconnected from us.
From the dawn of creation when he walked with man in the garden till eternity where he is preparing a HOME FOR US TO LIVE WITH HIM, and everywhere in between, God has always intended for us to know him, to dwell with him, to live with him.
God may hide certain truths from us, revealing them only when necessary but he has never hidden himself, even showing himself to us in creation.
This is the glory of God.
The religious leaders PERFECTLY understood his claim here and thus their response....

The Great I AM Threatened - John 8:59.

John 8:59 ESV
59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
Their immediate response was to stone him for his blasphemy of making himself out to be God.
And rightly so was their response....if it was not true.
But it was true.
Jesus IS God. His entire life is evidence to that fact.
It is not time yet for Jesus, so of course, he slips away unscathed but the violent and intense response to his words reveals just how close to home the words hit.

Look

How does your heart respond when truth is presented? When anger rears it head, it is worth asking why? Is there a sin/offense that deserves righteous anger? Is there a sin in my own heart that is reaction to truth that I need to address and respond to?
Emotions are God given and are the indicators on the dashboard of our soul that alert us to stand up, pay attention, and take right and proper action. Do not ignore or push away those emotions but let them lead you to Christ, to truth, to holiness.

Took

This bring us back to our big idea...
Big Idea: Being confronted with THE GREAT I AM always demands a response. What will yours be?
For Moses at the burning bush, it require humility, holiness. The removal of his sandals for he was on holy ground.
For Pharoah, it required humility....but did not find it. It found rejection.
For Israel, and for us, it requires the same…humility and holiness.
The GREAT I AM is in our presence...
How are we responding?
Do our hearts respond with humility, repentance, faith, holiness and submission?
Or
like the Pharisees,
Are we responding with cold indifference, apathy, or even violent rejection?
It is my prayer that our hearts are DAILY responding to the GREAT I AM with humble submission, worship, and adoration and that together we are growing to become more like Jesus for the glory of God.
The Great I AM - Exodus 3:14.
The Great I AM Insulted - John 8:48, 52.
The Great I AM’s Priority - John 8:49.
The Great I AM Dishonored - John 8:49.
The Great I AM’s Glory - John 8:50, 54.
The Great I AM’s Promise of Life - John 8:51-52.
The Great I AM’s Witness - John 8:53-56.
The Great I AM’s Declaration - John 8:57-58.
The Great I AM Threatened - John 8:59.
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