Jesus exists from the beginning

John 8:52~59

52 At this the Jews exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"

54 Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."

57 "You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!"

58 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

I. Message:

Content:

1. The Jews countered Jesus’ claim that if anyone keeps His word, he will never taste death with the fact that Abraham and prophets have died. (v. 52~53)
2. The Lord Jesus once again explains His relationship with God by emphasizing that God glorifies Him and that He knows God and keeps God’s word. (v. 54~55)
3. Jesus points out that He existed before Abraham through their relationship. (v. 56~59)

Themes:

1. Jesus exists from the beginning
2. Cacophony; absence of mutual understanding in a conversation

II. Who is God, Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit?

1. God glorifies Jesus Christ (v. 54)
2. Jesus Christ knows God (v. 55)
3. Jesus Christ keeps God’s word (v. 55)
4. Jesus Christ whom Abraham longed to see (v. 56)
5. Jesus Christ exists from the beginning (v. 58)
6. Jesus Christ was persecuted (v. 59)

III. What does the passage teach us (about commands, promises, examples, exhortations and warnings)?

1. In Jesus, we are alive and freed from death

“52 At this the Jews exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"” (v 54, 55)

In verse 51, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” The Jews, unable to understand Jesus’ claim, thought that He was blaspheming and said, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

The Jews had such a huge reaction, showing that they did not understand what Jesus meant by ‘death’. He was not talking about a bodily death involving cardiac and respiratory arrest but a spiritual death, meaning separation from God, resulted from sinning against Him.

However, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” This means that through Jesus Christ our Saviour and the redemption He paid on the cross, we may be forgiven from our sins and reconcile with God. This implies freedom from death and eternal life for us, i.e. we will never see death.

Reflections: through Jesus Christ’s salvation, have I experienced freedom from death and eternal life?

2. The relationship between the Father and Jesus

“54 Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word.” (v 54, 55)

In this passage, Jesus clarifies different aspects of His relationship with God. The key points are:

1. Relationship of Father and Son: “My Father is the one who glorifies me.”
2. His Father glorifies Him: “My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.”
3. He knows His Father: “Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you.”
4. He keeps His Father’s word: “but I do know him and keep his word.”

Reflections: do I share in the Father’s glory because I give all glory to Him? Do I truly know Him? Do I keep His word?

3. Foolish and ignorant faith

“Though you do not know him, I know him.” (v. 55a)

Jesus points out a serious mistake made by the Jews. They claim to believe in God, to worship Him and to keep His laws. However, according to their behaviour, they did not truly know God. How ironic is that?! This kind of faith is self-righteous, foolish and ignorant.

Reflections: I believe I God and serve Him. But do I truly know Him? Or am I like the Jews, not knowing His will and never acted according to His will?

4. Jesus is eternal

“Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” (v 56)

“"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"” (v. 58)

Jesus points out that He came before Abraham, who rejoiced at the thought of seeing His day; he saw it and was glad. This means that Jesus existed before Abraham and has eternal life.

John 1:1-2 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” This verse also supports the fact that Jesus existed before Abraham and has eternal life.

Since Jesus existed before Abraham and has eternal life, He is God that was, is and forever will be.

Reflections: how much do I know about Jesus? Is He a famous person, a great individual, a prophet, or the eternal God?

5. Go beyond ancestors’ faith

“Are you greater than our father Abraham?” (v. 53a)

Jesus said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” (v 56)

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" (v 58)

The Jews are proud to be descendants of Abraham. Here Jesus talks about Abraham for two reasons: first, to show that He came before Abraham and is eternal; second, to break the mentality of the Jews thinking that they may keep up their relationship with God by being Abraham’s earthly descendants.

Reflections: do I boast about ancestors’ faith too much? In other words, do I skip my own devotions and talk about grandpa and dad being pastor and elder instead?

Translated by 顏偉哲