Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I am!” (NLT)
Have you ever met somebody famous and not realized who they were until after the fact?
It happened to me many years ago at O’Hare airport. I was awaiting a flight to Orlando and sat down next to a gentleman wearing a baseball cap and reading a newspaper. We struck up a conversation and talked for about 15 minutes until the pre-boarding started. I didn’t think much about it until later, when a traveling mate mentioned that it was Drew Carey that I was talking to. It came back around several years later when I, while working for the Walt Disney Company, was asked to be Mr. Carey’s official tour guide for the grand opening of Disney’s California Adventure. Drew shared that he remembered the conversation in the airport years before.
Today’s verse describes an instance of the listeners failing to recognize who Jesus is. Here is a summary of the “backstory” ...Jesus tells the crowd that true freedom comes from following His teachings. They claim to be descendants of Abraham and deny being slaves, but Jesus explains that anyone who sins is a slave to sin, and only He can set them free. Jesus contrasts Himself with them, saying they reject God's truth and are not truly Abraham’s children. When they accuse Him of being demon-possessed, He declares that He is eternal, saying, "Before Abraham was born, I am." This statement leads them to attempt to stone Him, but He escapes.
The verse above is a pivotal verse in the Bible that reveals Jesus' identity as the eternal God. In this verse, Jesus says, "Before Abraham was born, I am". Here are some truths coming from this verse:
- Jesus is the eternal God: Jesus is not simply claiming to be older than Abraham, but rather that he is the eternal God who has no beginning or end.
- Jesus is using the Old Testament name which was used exclusively for God's name - “I AM”. He is using the same name that God used in the Old Testament, as revealed to Moses at the burning bush.
- Jesus' statement was perceived as blasphemous because Jesus is claiming to be God: As a result, the people who heard Jesus say this attempted to stone him.
- Jesus' statement is a distinct assertion of his existence before all creation.
Jesus revealed to them that he is God and challenged their perceptions. The result…they tried to stone him to death.
So, what does this mean for you and me?
It reveals to us who Jesus truly is and gives us a clear understanding of where we stand. We need to hear the clear message and believe in it. We have found the truth when we find Jesus and that truth has the power to set us free from bondage to sin and death.
We see this message echoed in John 1:1-13 (NLT) “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell others about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” (emphasis added)
These verses describe Jesus as the eternal Word, who is both with God and is God, through whom all things were created. He is the source of life and light, shining in the darkness, which cannot overcome Him. John the Baptist testifies to this Light, preparing the way for Jesus. Despite being the Creator, the world did not recognize Him, and His own people rejected Him. However, to those who receive and believe in Him, He gives the right to become children of God, born not of human effort, but of God. This passage highlights Jesus' divinity, His role as the giver of life and light, and the offer of adoption into God's family through faith.
If you are like me, I need to embrace this. Jesus is the only path to becoming a child of God, ensuring my place in His kingdom for all eternity. Jesus took on humanity and experienced everything that I experience in my life but He is also God. He shows me how to live, how to relate to God, and how to interact with others. I need to study the Bible to learn from His example, communicate with him through prayer, and live in community with other believers, so that we can mutually support each other. The Christian walk is clearly a journey and not just a destination. Do you know and embrace this truth, or are you like me, and needing to join this journey of growth through studying the Word, spending time in prayer and living in community?
Dear God, thank you for showing me who Jesus really is and showing me that I need to look to him for the truth and not try to lean on who I am or where I come from. There is one road to the truth and eternity with God. Please help me keep my eyes on this truth and not lean on my own power. In Jesus’ name, amen.