Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM

"He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"  Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon!  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'  Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead?  And the prophets are dead.  Who do You make Yourself out to be?"  Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.  Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him.  And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.  Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and  was glad."  Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"  Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

- John 8:47-59

In our current readings, Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles, which commemorates the time that Israel wandered in the deserts, following Moses toward the Promised Land.  Jesus has been preaching to the crowds, and disputing with the leadership.  In yesterday's reading, the leaders answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone.  How can You say, 'You will be made free'?"  Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.  I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.  I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father."  They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is out father."  Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.  But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God.  Abraham did not do this.  You do the deeds of your father." Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father -- God."  Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.  Why do you not understand My speech?  Because you are not able to listen to My word.  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.  Which of you convicts Me of sin?  And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?  He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."

 "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"  As they are unable to defeat Christ through logic or truth, those among the leadership who are His enemies resort to personal insult.

Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon!  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'  Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead?  And the prophets are dead.  Who do You make Yourself out to be?"  Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.  Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him.  And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word."  Once again, for Christ all things go back to the Father -- His identity is in His relationship to the Father, the sharing of one will as Son, and obedience as human being.  The implication here is clear, that all should do the same -- although there is only one divine Son who shares all attributes with the Father.

Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and  was glad."  Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"  Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.  I AM (in Greek, ἐγώ εἰμί/ego eimi) is the divine Name of God in the Old Testament, first revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:13-15).   My study bible says that to the Jews, this was a direct, explicit, and unmistakable claim to perfect equality with God, as is shown by their reaction in picking up stones to throw at Him, as death is the penalty for what they consider to be clear blasphemy (see also Mark 14:62-64).   John places special emphasis on the use of this Name to clearly reveal Christ as God.  This divine claim, my study bible further notes, illuminates Christ's authority even over death (verse 52), which is a power belonging only to God the Father.

As we have observed before, for Christ everything always goes back to the Father.  And, we should say, it goes back to relationship to the Father.  His identity as Son comes from His relationship to the Father.  The sharing of attributes with the Father still originates with God the Father.  But this relationship with the Father that confers identity and capacity isn't just for the Son and Spirit, it is also for us, although we are not of the same "substance" as the Church will later decree in her understanding.  Jesus says, "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  This is a clear implication that to be "of God" is also something for us as human beings.  Moreover, it is not something merely desirable but rather something we are called to be.  The capability to hear Him, He says, rests in this faith that links us to God in the first place.  We use the word "relationship" to indicate connection, but it is a weak and feeble word for what this indicates.  "Communion" gives more of an indication of what kind of relationship we are speaking of.  While the communion of Son and Spirit is complete with the Father, our communion is different.  We are creatures.  We are meant to grow in this communion, and as we do so, we may take on characteristics that are "like" our Creator.  Jesus clearly states here that these leaders have failed, otherwise they would recognize and honor the words given to Him by the Father, rather than simply despising and condemning Him.  Of course this leadership is responsible to a greater extent than the average person, in the sense that their knowledge of God and of the Scriptures is meant to be authoritative.  They are the ones blessed with a tremendous spiritual heritage, for which they bear both authority and responsibility.  /They also bear responsibility for giving and safeguarding that spiritual heritage for the people.  In the point of view of the Gospel, their failure to recognize Christ is not excusable, but based on selfish motives.  Let us consider Christ's words about Himself and what they mean for us.  If we are to be also children by adoption, how do we live as His followers?  He follows His mission, even as He knows He will be condemned -- but His continual assertion of His truth is an offering of salvation, a potential for turning back, for repentance, until the end.