He Is The I AM

This Advent season, we are going to camp out in the theme “Name Above All Names.” Now, we always try to make much to do about Jesus here. As has been said here before, if you ever come to our church and you don’t hear us talk about and worship Jesus, then something is seriously wrong! But during this time of year, we like to take a special emphasis on the incarnation of Christ. Of course, that theme comes from , where we find that Christ is highly exalted, given a name above all names! And that one day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.

In order to look at this, we have decided to choose five of the names that we find for Christ in the Scripture. Every name of Christ is powerful, specific, and is packed with meaning that tells us who he is. Today we first have chosen to look at the name “I Am.” In John’s Gospel, there are 7 I AM statements. These are significant not only because they each tell us something unique and important about Christ’s person, but they are significant because Christ’s Use of the very special term “I AM” goes back to the book of Exodus.

When Moses was to explain his vision and his charge from God to the people, this is what God told Him to say.

Exodus 3:14 ESV

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.’ ”

It is because of this tie, and the obvious implications, that the name “I AM” for Christ is possibly the most controversial, and garners a vicious disdain from his enemies. Here in our passage today, we find just that - Christ in controversy with his enemies.

If we were to back up, we would see that the passage begins with the well-known story of the Woman caught in adultery. The Scribes and Pharisees erupted into one of Jesus’ teaching sessions, dragging with them this woman who was caught in the very act of adultery. They clearly had no interest in resolving this actual case, nor did they have any compassion or inerest in seeing the woman come to repentance. No, they brought her before Jesus to test Him - to see what he would do. He did not do as they would have wished he would have, so in their eyes, he failed that test.

The situation further exasperated when, in his continued teaching, Jesus made the statement “I am the Light of the World.” Upon hearing this, the pharisees immediately accused Jesus of lying, saying that his testimony about himself was not true. In verse 18, Jesus says something that really sets the rest of the chapter up.

John 8:18 ESV

I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”

The Jews know what he means by this, but they continued the conversation. The remainder of the chapter is wrapped up in this dispute of origins. Jesus’ claim to have come from God is met with objection after objection, although some did believe.

For those who did not believe, we see in this chapter that they make many references to Abraham as their Physical father and their Spiritual father.

John 8:37–38 ESV

I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

Here Jesus does not hold back. He certainly does not deny that they have ancestral ties to Abraham as Jewish people, but he denies that their claim goes any deeper than that. He contrasts what he sees and does according to His father with what they do according to their father.

As we pick up the chapter in verse 39 and following, what we will find is their insistence that they are superior to Jesus, that they have a greater pedigree, that they have a purer history, and that Christ should be put to shame, in their eyes. But what they are missing is that their simple tie to Abraham in the flesh is not enough to make them right with God. And not only that, but their simple tie to Abraham in the flesh does not hold a candle to the origin of the one they are speaking to. They do not understand that the one they are speaking to does not just claim ancestry back to Abraham, but claims origin from before Abraham. They do not understand that they one which they seek to slander is perfect, sinless, righteous, and Holy. They do not understand that the one they seek to destroy both physically and logically is the Eternal, Omnipotent, Omniscient one.

So as we look into the rest of their encounter,

Let us worship our Savior, who has a Name above all names, and a Name before all names.

1. The Crowd’s Appeal to Abraham - Vv. 39-47

“Abraham is our father” - When the Jews repeated this, they failed to grasp the importance and meaning of Jesus when he said that they do what they heard from their father. In their eyes, they were following perfectly in the footsteps of the father of the nation of Israel. In their eyes, they were safely wrapped up in their tie to Abraham. We see their claim in a couple different forms:

A. A Claim to be Abraham’s Children

Its as if the Pharisees here were speaking directly past what Jesus was telling them. They kept referring back to their ancestral ties to Abraham, but Jesus was telling them that their Spiritual tie to Abraham was broken.

“If you were Abraham’s children...” Jesus is asking for the proof of their pedigree, and not in a birth certificate or a blood test, but in a “proof is in the pudding” sort of way. Jesus is saying that while they may be Abraham’s physical children, they do not bear the marks of Abraham’s spiritual heritage.

Galatians 3:6–9 ESV

just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Galatians 3:7–9 ESV

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Galatians 3:

Galatians 3:6-Paul tells us here that what marks an individual as Abraham’s spiritual descendant is not their bloodline, but their faith. Abraham was the father of faith, He believed God when he told him to flee his country and family and to go to a place he would tell him. He followed God by faith, knowing that the promise was made and the proof was in God himself, not in the circumstances. These people, though, who were making such strong claims to Abraham, were relating to the wrong part of him. They find no advantage to having Abraham as their father if they do not have his faith as well.

Paul tells us here that what marks an individual as Abraham’s spiritual descendant is not their bloodline, but their faith. Abraham was the father of faith, He believed God when he told him to flee his country and family and to go to a place he would tell him. He followed God by faith, knowing that the promise was made and the proof was in God himself, not in the circumstances. These people, though, who were making such strong claims to Abraham, were relating to the wrong part of him. They find no advantage to having Abraham as their father if they do not have his faith as well.

In contrast to Abraham who was justified by faith, Jesus’ enemies here were clinging to their works and their physical heritage to justify them. To quote John MacArthur here, “Salvation is not based on legalistic effort, religious affiliation, or ethnic background. Rather, it comes solely through faith in Jesus Christ.”

Acts 4:12 ESV

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Jesus knew that these people were seeking to kill him. If they had been Abraham’s spiritual children, they would have followed in his faith and they would have believed the words of Christ. But rather, Christ again tells them that they were following in the steps of their father.

B. A Claim to be God’s Children

It seems that they finally caught on to what Jesus was saying about their father. Their response was to do what many people do when they are confronted by someone - they slander the accuser. Their best rebuttal of what Jesus had to say was to try to destroy his character.

“we were not born of sexual immorality.” Though we have the clear record of the Virgin birth of Christ, his enemies in that day were convinced that he was simply an illegitimate child, which would mar him in their eyes and preclude him from any great standing before the people. Out of one side of their mouth came slander and gossip, while out of the other side of their mouth came the claim that not only were they Abraham’s children, but then accordingly they were God’s children as well.

Now, they were right inasmuch as God is the father of the Jewish people. He did call them out as His chosen ones, and He does refer to Israel as his children. But as we’ve already pointed out, it is not the physical tie to a heritage that gains one a standing before God! May none of us ever think that we have entrance into the kingdom simply because we have a spiritual heritage. May none of us ever think that we have entrance into the kingdom because we have a religious background, a baptism, a grandfather who was a preacher, etc. None of these things will stand up against the wrath of God on account of our sin - it must be faith and faith alone.

Jesus did not accept their claim to be God’s children. Look at verses 42-43

Jesus contrasts their claim with what he knows is reality. He begins with the clause, “if God were your father.” He doesn’t allow them to assume even for a minute that they have him fooled. They may have had themselves convinced, but they could not convince the one who actually mattered in this case.

Rather, he again reveals to them who their true father was - the devil - and this time he does not speak in unclear terms.

Vs - 44

Jesus unpacks the character of satan himself, and he does this to reveal the character of his attackers. A murderer, no truth in him, a liar and the father of lies. These are sharp and devastating accusations against these people, but they are not slander. And before we get too comfortable in our seats, may we not forget that in this story, we were in the place of the pharisees. Their spiritual deadness was our spiritual deadness. Their father the devil was our father the devil. Their guilt before God was our guilt before God. The only difference is faith.

Vv. 45-46

Jesus contrasts their lying a deceptive character with His truthful character. While their case is built upon falsehoods, Jesus’ case was built upon a bedrock of truth.

Vs. 47

In one fell swoop, Jesus destroys their claim to be God’s children. This is a principle that is true of people in all ages - not just these religious people. Whoever is of God hears the words of God.

Jesus would reference a similar topic in .

John 10:27–28 ESV

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

These people had no real claim of relationship to God, for they clearly rejected the one standing before them who was not just speaking the words of God, but he was God himself.

Romans 2:28–29 ESV

For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Romans 2

Religious ties to Abraham, or to Israel, had no bearing on their actual standing before God. Their religious activity without faith only furthered them in their rebellion against him spiritually.

An application here is this - any person who claims to know or have a right standing before God but rejects the Son of God is a liar, and they are doing the works of their father the devil. Whether that person be a cultist like a Jehovah’s witness, or a Muslim, or Jewish - if they claim to know God but reject the clear teaching and revelation from God about Christ, then they have no part in God’s kingdom.

Christ’s ability to take an argument like this and use it to teach profound, amazing truth is staggering. He now turns the tables and brings his personhood to bear on the conversation.

2. Christ’s Appeal to Heaven - Vv. 48-59

Immediately, we see again the people’s appeal to slander to prove their point in the argument. Already they had brought into question the legitimacy of Jesus’ birth, which we know is miraculous, and now they are claiming that he is a Samaritan. Why this claim? Well we know the Samaritan’s and the Jews did not get along - and the cannon fodder went both ways. One claim that the Samaritan’s would make against the Jews was that they were not true children of Abraham. Because Jesus’ rejected their claim to be Abraham’s children spiritually, they now lump him in with the Samaritans who they hate.

Further than just calling him a Samaritan, they then accuse him of having a demon! What a frustrating argument this would be for one of us! But Jesus was not flustered by their childishness, he simply moved forward in the conversation and used it to teach them (and us now) about his person.

A. A Claim of Glory with The Father

This is where who Jesus is begins to overshadow who the Jews were claiming to be. They sought to tie themselves to Abraham, but here we see Jesus showing them that His origin is above Abraham.

Vv. 49-50

Clearly Jesus could not have a demon, for a demon possessed person could never honor God. He know this statement would infuriate them the more, so he immediately backs it up with a claim to glory.

I do not seek my own glory - there is one who seeks it.

The Father’s testimony of Christ at both his baptism and the transfiguration come to mind here. It was at these events that God spoke from Heaven saying, “This is my beloved son.” Here Jesus is appealing beyond Abraham and up to heaven as it were. Not to heaven as a place, but to the God of heaven, the God of everything.

We referenced this once, and No doubt this scripture will come up again in our series,

Philippians

Philippians 2:9–11 ESV

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Then Jesus goes on to say that because of who he is, what he has been saying has eternal implications.

Vs. 51-53

With this the Pharisees displayed a great exercise in missing the point. Immediately the greatness of their physical ancestor Abraham needed to be defended, even though it wasn’t attacked. They saw Jesus claim to offer eternal life as something that precluded Abraham and the Prophets even from having this blessing.

Of course, while in all this the Jews were speaking of physical life, phyiscal ties to Abraham, etc, Jesus was referring to what was most critical and that was spiritual life.

Their next question is critical - are you greater than Abraham? Who do you make yourself out to be?

B. A Claim of Existence from Eternity

Vs. 54-56

Jesus answers really in three parts

My Glory is God’s Glory

You Don’t Know God

Abraham Knew God, and He Knew Me As well

My Glory is God’s Glory

This looks forward beautifully to Jesus high-priestly prayer in .

John 17:4–5 ESV

I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

John 17:24 ESV

Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Jesus claim here to being glorified by the father is nothing less than claiming glory with the Father.

You Don’t Know God

The people here claimed that Jesus had a devil, but Jesus knew that it was these people who were connected with the devil - for he was their father still. And while their claim was that God was their father, Jesus again pointed out that they had no relationship with the father.

Abraham knew God, and he Knew me as well.

Now Jesus is really making it personal. He claims that the one who they draw their most important ties to would have disagreed with them here on this day.

Hebrews 11:13 ESV

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 received the promise of the messiah from God himself. Abraham knew that he would not live forever to fulfill the promise, but that through his seed there was one coming who would.

Genesis 12:1–3 ESV

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

“In you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Abraham experienced the beginning of God’s promise when he had a son by miraculous birth in his old age. Isaac was the firstfruits of God’s promise to Abraham to make of him a great nation. But Abraham knew that this great promise went far beyond Isaac, and he know there was a Messiah coming one day through his seed who would be a blessing not just to Abraham’s people, but to all kinds of people.

Again in another great display of missing the point, The people responded by saying that he was not old enough to see Abraham.

What Jesus responds with is the most controversial thing he ever said in this whole argument, and possibly the most controversial thing he ever could have said to any Jewish person anywhere at any time.

“Before Abraham was, I am”

Just on the surface, this is a slap in the face to the Jewish audience. For he contrasts Abraham’s temporary existence with and existence that is not temporary. He supercedes Abraham by existence, but that is not the most significance.

Of course, this little phrase “I AM” is loaded with theological significance. It was the term YAWEH used to describe himself to his people in Exodus, and Here, YAWEH is using the term again to describe himself to his stubborn, ignorance, disobedient children - and he is using the term to describe himself to his faithful believing children as well.

Jesus is the I AM. His relationship to Abraham is that he was before Abraham, he was after Abraham, he was and is forever the eternal one.

John 1:1–2 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

That he was eternal, and that he was God, was not what the Jewish listeners wanted to hear out of the words of Jesus - and this greatest blasphemy in their ears was enough, so they picked up stones to stone him.

But it was not his time, and Jesus was able to evade the attack miraculously - but this would not be their last attempt on his life.

John 1:11 ESV

He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

The Jews rejection of their own redeemed is one of the saddest events in history. But what is the saddest event is also the most glorious event for millions of people who have come to know Christ by faith. For just as God promised to Abraham, His seed would not just prosper and grow for prosperity’s sake, but from his seed would come one who would bless people from every nation!

John 1:12–13 ESV

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:

Today, if you find yourself as a child of God by faith, rejoice! For we were no better off than any other child of the devil. We too were liars, slanderers, murderers, and God-haters, but by the sacfirice of the I AM, and by faith in Him, we have been forgiven and brought near.

And today, if you find yourself not knowing this great I AM, know that he was much more than a good teacher and a person who lived an interesting life. This Jesus is very God of Very Gods. He is eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, mighty God.

His name is I AM.

Let us worship our Savior, who has a Name above all names, and a Name before all names.