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 recent readings, Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem.  It is an eight-day harvest festival in autumn, and this is now in the final year of Christ's earthly life.  He has been disputing in the temple with the religious leaders, who have already tried and failed to have Him arrested.  In yesterday's reading, they 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 our 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 if 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?"  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?"  The conversation here continues from the dispute in yesterday's reading (above).  We recall that the term "the Jews" is most often used in John's Gospel to denote the religious leadership.  All the people in our present passages are Jews, including Jesus, as well as the author of the Gospel.  Here, these religious leaders, who by now have chosen to be enemies of Christ, are unable to defeat Him through logic or truth, and so resort to personal insult ("Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?").

 

 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?"  Once again, Jesus speaks of His own witness, who is the Father.  It is the Father who honor Him.  And He claims to these leaders that they don't know the One they claim is their God. 

 

 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.   Jesus has repeatedly emphasized to these religious leaders His deep connection with the Father, who has put all things in His hands, from whom all the words He speaks come, whom He pleases in all things.  Here the term I AM  (in Greek, ego eimi) is clear and explicit as the divine Name of God in the Old Testament, as first revealed revealed to Moses at the burning bush (see Exodus 3:13-15).  My study Bible comments that to the Jewish religious leaders (and perhaps all who hear), this is a direct, explicit, and unmistakable claim to perfect equality with God, which is evident from their reaction (Then they took up stones to throw at Him); see also Mark 14:62-64.  My study Bible adds that John places special emphasis on the use of this Name in order to clearly reveal Christ as God.  It notes that this divine claim illuminates Christ's authority even over death (verse 52), a power which belongs only to God the Father.

Once again, as He has over the past several readings, Jesus emphasizes His closeness with the Father.  Everything He has, and everything He is, stems from the Father.  Jesus' judgment is true because He is not alone, but with the Father (John 8:16).  If they would know Him, they would know the Father (John 8:19).  Every word He speaks comes from the Father and is pleasing to the Father (John 8:26).  He does nothing of Himself, but seeks only to please the Father (John 8:29).  He says to be His disciple, to abide in His word given to Him by the Father, would make them free; He is the Son, and "if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36).  They cannot hear nor believe Him, because they don't love God, and He is sent from God (John 8:42-47).  In today's reading, however, Jesus takes this all a giant leap forward, and enraging these enemies among the religious leaders even more, when He tells them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  This I AM is the divine Name of God.  It is also known as the Tetragrammaton (meaning "Four Letters" in Greek), which we read in our English language Bibles as YHWH, and pronounce "Yahweh" (Exodus 3:13-15).  This I AM is the Lord of the Old Testament, and Jesus has just explicitly stated that He identifies with the I AM.   As my study Bible explains this is unmistakable to the religious leaders, an unmistakable statement of equality with God.  But it's more than equality; He has declared His union with God in all things, but here He declares that He, in fact, is God.  In our Christian understanding through the apostles and all the Scriptures, we understand this divinity of Jesus, the inseparable nature of Father, Son, and Spirit.  But we can see what an astonishing statement this is to the outraged leaders, as they simply seek to stone Him to death on the spot.  But we should take with us the understanding that this is a great and profound mystery revealed.  How can the Son also be God with the Father?  And later, as all three Persons of the Trinity work in divine unity, the "Helper," the Holy Spirit will be sent by the Father in the Son's name, and will teach Christ's disciples, bringing to remembrance all things He has said to them.  This is a promise that stands the test of time ongoing for the life of the Trinity, of the divine Persons, is now and always and ever shall be -- intersecting and working within our time, establishing the Kingdom among and within us, and in an eternal sense offering us to share that life.  For the moment, let us consider all of Christ's words pertaining to His unity with the Father, and culminating with the amazing statement that "before Abraham was, I AM," because it is the ultimate key to who Christ is for us.   For He remains the "I AM," the One eternally present, always with us, the One to whom we turn, the only One to worship, and who is love. 

 

 

He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God

 They 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 our 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."

- John 8:33-47

In our current readings, Jesus is in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles.  The events reported at this feast began this reading.   Yesterday we read that Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.  Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

 They 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."  The religious leaders respond to Jesus' statement to those who believed Him (and we know there are those among the leaders who do), "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  In this response is all defensiveness.  Jesus clarifies the notion of freedom:  that real freedom is ultimately freedom from sin.  The communion with God confers the freedom of love; but a life of sin is a kind of slavery to that which is not love.  Jesus' response opens up questions of belonging and communion, as well as the gift of eternal life conferred through the communion of love of God -- and through the Son who has come to reveal the Father.  It is the Son who brings not only discipleship, but spiritual adoption, to abide in the house [of God]  forever.

"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 our 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."   My study bible notes that to be a child of Abraham, it's not enough to be related by blood.  Abraham's true children share the faith and virtue of Abraham (Luke 3:8).   St. John Chrysostom comments on this passage that Christ wanted to detach these leaders from racial pride, to teach them that their hope of salvation is not in being of the race of Abraham's children by nature, but rather to come to faith of one's own free will.  Their concept that being a descendant of Abraham by natural lineage was enough for salvation is the very thing preventing them from coming to Christ.   Jesus also alludes here to the spiritual battleground of the world; their failure to understand or hear Him is not the working of the love of God in their hearts which is what Abraham is known for, but is the work of a different 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."  My study bible comments that Jesus' use of the word proceeded here refers not to the Son coming eternally from the Father, but rather to Christ being sent from the Father to His Incarnation in the world.

"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."  As being a child of Abraham is based on sharing his attributes (rather than DNA or physical inheritance), so also those who reject Christ share the same attributes as the devil (in particular, a hatred for truth).  Therefore, my study bible explains, they are rightly called the children of the devil.

It is important that we grasp Jesus' emphasis on truth and freedom.  An acceptance of the reality of spiritual truth is the beginning of freedom, as Jesus taught in yesterday's reading (see above, esp. "you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free").  But here in today's reading, Jesus goes further, and He links up our capacity for spiritual hearing and sight to our own love of God, or lack of it.  These men to whom He speaks are confident in their inheritance as Jews; that is, as descendants of Abraham in the natural sense.  But Jesus emphasizes spiritual kinship -- and indeed, His is a faith of sonship by adoption.  In His understanding which He wishes to convey here, spiritual inheritance is a question of being like Abraham, who loved God above all else.  In this sense of spiritual kinship, Christ takes this understanding a step further.  Those who reject the truth of God -- even the words Christ speaks which are from God the Father -- do not share the attributes of Abraham.  They rather share the attributes of the one who hates the truth, the one who is anti-truth.  Christ pronounces the devil to be the essence of a lie.  Indeed, here is testimony about the devil, an identification by Christ:  "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."   In this statement, the devil is not only identified as being purely a lie, but also lying is connected with murder, as is a hatred of truth.  These are important concepts for us to grasp; they tell us something about the nature of spiritual reality, and also about the spiritual battleground  that is the world in which we live our lives and learn how to make choices -- and are faced with sometimes dismaying, dizzying, confusing choices to make in our lives which demand a deeper understanding and the development of discernment in a crucible in which we are tempted and tested by circumstances.  What is perhaps most important here is the understanding that in contrast to this essence of lies, God the Father offers us sonship -- adoption through love and faith.  There are no other requirements.  And this love, on our part, must be purely voluntary.  God does not compel anyone to love God, and neither does Christ.  In this communion is our freedom, and by stark contrast, to sin -- that is, to break that communion, wittingly or unwittingly in service to a lie -- is to be a slave to sin.  A lie does not love; it is purely selfish, it seeks to use and to own and to destroy the goodness of human beings and their capacity for God-likeness (Genesis 1:26).   Note that Jesus says it is because He speaks the truth they do not believe Him.  Jesus puts into stark contrast lies and truth, love and slavery, love of God and hatred for truth.   But in reality, how these spiritual realities work themselves out in the world may be complicated and dizzying indeed.   Our faith, as stated by St. Paul, in a crucified Christ, is to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks [that is, the Gentiles] foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:23).   This battleground of the world into which we are born will require a Savior who comes not in worldly form and action, like a leader in a chariot with great armies of warriors, but a more powerful one.  That is, one who will conquer death by death -- whose power transforms the greatest instrument of terror reserved for the worst criminals into a saving symbol of resurrection.  It is this reality that we seek to know; His fullness in which we seek to participate and grow and belong as children by adoption.  That is, as Christ puts it in today's reading, His is the house in which we seek to dwell forever, this Man of the Cross who asks us for faith in what is to the world a stumbling block and foolishness.  Let us remember that this all starts in our hearts with a love of God.  Our freedom comes from there because that is where our truth begins and ends, and in which we will find its fullness through the difficulties of the world -- and the manipulations of the liar.  What do we love?  It all comes down to that.  Will we be like Abraham, capable of hearing?