Before Abraham Was Born, I Am (John 8:48-59)

 

Before Abraham Was Born, I Am (John 8:48-59)

Jesus came to this earth about two thousand years ago in the form of a baby. There was no room in the inn, so He was laid in a manger. However, our Lord Jesus Christ is the Creator God who made heaven and earth by His word. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega. He knows each person even before they are born, from eternity past. We cannot discern who belongs to God, but Jesus knows everything. Jesus knew from the beginning that Judas Iscariot would betray Him (John 6:44).

Even so, God did not bring immediate judgment. Instead, He demonstrated His unchanging love by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to teach the truth clearly. To save humanity from the depths of sin, Jesus bore the sins of the world and became a sacrificial offering on the cross. This is the good news of Christmas! Whoever repents, turns to God, and accepts Christ is cleansed by His blood and receives the gift of eternal life. Merry Christmas!

Honor to My Father

The Jews answered Him, "Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?" (John 8:48).

Jesus told the Jews that they do not hear His words because they do not belong to God (John 8:47). In response, they insulted Him, claiming He was demon-possessed. This insult referred to the fact that Jesus was conceived during Mary and Joseph's betrothal period. However, they did not believe that Mary conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit. This revealed their lack of understanding of God.

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35).

Rather than accepting Jesus of Nazareth as God’s Messiah, they labeled Him a Samaritan and demon-possessed. At that time, the Jews treated Samaritans as Gentiles due to the Assyrian conquest in 722 BC, which led to mass deportation and emigration of foreigners. Their rejection of Jesus revealed that they did not belong to God. As children of the devil, they followed his works, failing to understand or accept God's word. They were filled with hatred and a murderous spirit toward Christ.

"I am not possessed by a demon," said Jesus, "but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me" (John 8:49).

Jesus continued to speak truthfully to them. He was not demon-possessed; rather, He cast out demons. Yet they accused Him of driving out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons (Luke 11:14). This accusation exposed their ignorance of God and His word. Jesus is mightier than the devil, who is merely one of God’s created beings. The devil is a fallen angel who rebelled and was cursed. Jesus came to rescue people from sin, which entered the world through the devil's lies. By His blood, Jesus redeems us from sin, darkness, and death.

"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder" (Luke 11:21-22).

Jesus explained that they dishonored Him because He did not act according to their will. He honored God, even to the point of death on the cross. The cross of Jesus demonstrates the severity of sin and its consequences. On the cross, Jesus exposed the world’s unrighteousness and evil. His cross is a light shining on those trapped in sin. Whoever acknowledges their sins and confesses them in Christ receives forgiveness and is cleansed from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

"But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light" (Ephesians 5:13).

I Do Not Seek My Own Glory

"I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge." (John 8:50)

Jesus always is in glory, honor, power, authority, and holiness. Our Lord Jesus Christ is forever worthy of worship, praise, and adoration. However, He did not come to earth seeking glory. Instead, He came in the form of a servant, enduring pain, shame, insult, and suffering for the sake of saving those who were perishing in sin.

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

Jesus sought the Father’s glory, which is accomplished when His will is fulfilled. God’s glory is displayed in His plan to save the world from sin and death. While God is omnipotent and nothing is impossible for Him, His holiness demands judgment for sin. Therefore, Jesus sought the Father’s glory by becoming the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world.

"Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, 'I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.'" (John 12:27-28)

Whoever Obeys My Word Will Never See Death

"Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death." At this they exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?" (John 8:51-53)

To obey Jesus' word means to believe and live according to His teachings. Those who believe in His word and trust in Christ receive eternal life and will not see spiritual death. This does not mean they avoid physical death, but rather that they are saved by God for eternity. No matter how the devil is trying to devour and accuse us, the grace of God in Christ stands forever. "For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable." (Romans 11:29) Even though the physical body dies and decays, believers will be clothed with imperishable and glorious resurrection bodies.

The Jews, however, mocked Jesus, accusing Him of being demon-possessed. They could not comprehend the spiritual truth of His words, as they compared Him to Abraham and the prophets who had died. They asked, "Who do you think you are?" revealing their lack of understanding about Jesus’ true identity. This was not due to a lack of evidence but because they belonged to the devil, not God.

Abraham Rejoiced at the Thought of Seeing My Day

Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 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 obey his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad." (John 8:54-56)

Jesus did not come to seek His own glory but to glorify His Father. As evidence of this, He submitted to death on the cross. God then glorified Him by raising Him from the dead on the third day and exalting Him to His right hand as the King of kings and Lord of lords. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, God grants eternal life to all who believe in Him.

Although the Jews claimed to know God as the God of their ancestors, they did not truly know Him. Jesus, however, came from the Father and perfectly obeyed His will. He spoke only the truth, without deceit. Abraham believed in God’s promise to send the Messiah through his lineage and looked forward to Jesus’ coming with joy.

"He took him outside and said, 'Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.' Then he said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.' Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." (Genesis 15:5-6)

Before Abraham Was Born, I Am

"You are not yet fifty years old," they said to him, "and you have seen Abraham?" "Very truly I tell you," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. (John 8:57-59)

Jesus spoke of His eternal nature, revealing the truth about His divine existence even before Abraham. The Jews, astonished by this claim, questioned how Jesus, not yet fifty years old, could have seen Abraham. Their reaction was not about Jesus’ literal age but rather their incredulity at His bold statement.

However, Jesus proclaimed the truth: "Before Abraham was born, I am!" This declaration echoes the divine name of God revealed in Exodus 3:14, "I AM WHO I AM". Jesus identified Himself as the eternal Word, who was with God in the beginning and was God (John 1:1). Through Him, all things were made (John 1:2-3). Jesus is the Creator and the Alpha and the Omega. God knew Abraham even before his birth and chose him according to His eternal plan.

"But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased..." (Galatians 1:15)

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb." (Psalm 139:13)

God created humanity in His image and likeness. When humanity fell into sin and darkness, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, as the Savior. Instead of judging us for our sins of hatred and judging others, God placed all the punishment upon His Son, Jesus. Now, we stand eternally in the grace of Christ’s blood. We live clinging to the saving power of His blood. This is the blessed path and the way to eternal life. Amen!

2024. 12. 22.
Buffalo Livingstone Church ©2024, David Lee Ministries ©2024 – All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are from the NIV.

 

Those Who Belong to God Hear His Words (John 8:37–47)

 

Those Who Belong to God Hear His Words (John 8:37–47)

Who would choose to follow lies instead of truth? No one desires that. Yet not everyone follows the truth. The Jewish Pharisees, elders, and chief priests claimed to follow God, but they did not receive Jesus, who spoke the truth. They prided themselves on being disciples of Moses and descendants of Abraham. With extraordinary zeal and effort, they came to the temple of the Lord to offer sacrifices. However, they rejected and opposed Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This revealed that they did not belong to God but were instead aligned with the devil.

On the other hand, those who belong to God listen to His words, obey them, and submit to His will. Jesus came from God the Father. As evidence of this, Jesus did only what He saw His Father doing and spoke only what He heard from Him (John 5:19). Jesus revealed the invisible image of God on earth (Colossians 1:15).

Now, those who belong to God come to the Lord Jesus Christ, believe in Him, and obey Him, receiving the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven as a gift. This is because God has opened our eyes and ears and poured out His grace, enabling us to understand the mystery of Christ in our hearts. Amen!

You Have No Room for My Word

"I know that you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word." (John 8:37)

Jesus acknowledged that the Jews were descendants of Abraham. They were Abraham’s offspring by flesh and lineage. However, they did not truly know the God of Abraham, nor did they understand the faith of Abraham. As a result, they failed to recognize Jesus Christ, the Son whom the God of Abraham had promised and sent. Instead, they persecuted Him, treated Him with contempt, and sought to kill Him.

There was no room in their hearts for the love, grace, and truth of Jesus’ words. Their hearts were instead filled with evil, hatred, and murderous intent. They did not walk the path of the righteous but sat in the company of the wicked.

"Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers." (Psalm 1:1)

I Am Telling You What I Have Seen in the Father’s Presence

"I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father." (John 8:38)

Jesus was not of this earth but came from heaven. From the beginning, He was with God (John 1:1). When He took on flesh and dwelled among us, He spoke not on His own authority but only what He had seen and heard from the Father. Jesus revealed the mysteries of God and His kingdom to the world.

The words of Jesus were a language of love, leading to truth and life. In perfect love, Jesus bore the heavy cross, shed His blood, and died to redeem humanity trapped under the power of sin and death. This is the mystery of God’s redemption: through the blood of Christ, God forgives our sins, purifies us, and adopts us as His holy children.

Though Jesus loved them unchangingly and perfectly, they neither listened to Him nor received Him. Instead, they followed the desires of their father—not God, but Satan, the devil.

If You Were Abraham’s Children, You Would Do What Abraham Did

"Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things." (John 8:39-40)

The Jews claimed Abraham as their father, yet they failed to understand the truth of Jesus’ words. Jesus responded that if they were truly Abraham’s children, they would act as Abraham did. How did Abraham respond to the Lord? Abraham obeyed God’s call and promise, even to the point of offering his son Isaac as a sacrifice. He held firmly to God’s promises, believing against all hope, and became the father of faith. Abraham trusted that God would send the promised Messiah through his descendants.

"Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’" (Romans 4:18)

You Are Doing the Works of Your Own Father, the Devil

"You are doing the works of your own father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.” (John 8:41)

Jesus told them of not doing the works of Abraham but rather the works of their true father. Instead of heeding this rebuke, they insulted Jesus, implying He was born out of immorality. This accusation revealed their rejection of the truth of Jesus’ miraculous conception by the power of the Holy Spirit in the virgin Mary.

When Joseph learned of Mary’s pregnancy, he planned to divorce her quietly. However, God sent an angel to reassure him that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)

The Jews also declared that their only Father was God. However, they rejected Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God and denied the truth of the Trinity. While they professed belief in one God, they failed to recognize the unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

If God Were Your Father, You Would Love Me

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.” (John 8:42)

God loves His Son, Jesus Christ. When Jesus was baptized by John, heaven opened, and a voice declared, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you, I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). Jesus demonstrated His love for the Father by obeying Him to the point of death on the cross.

If the Jews had truly loved God, they would have accepted, loved, and obeyed Jesus of Nazareth, whom God had sent. Jesus did not come on His own initiative but was sent by the Father.

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

Why Is My Language Not Clear to You?

"Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say." (John 8:43)

As prophesied by Isaiah, they heard but did not understand; they saw but did not perceive (Isaiah 6:9). Instead of receiving Jesus, they welcomed those who came in their own name (John 5:43). These false prophets were disobedient to God and followed Satan, making them children of the devil.

You Belong to Your Father, the Devil

"You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44)

Jesus exposed the reality of their inner nature without hesitation. His words were shocking to them, but they were true. Though they claimed to be God’s chosen people, disciples of Moses, and descendants of Abraham, they were in reality children of the devil. This was evident because they rejected and sought to kill Christ, whom God had sent.

The Jews mirrored the actions of Satan. The devil, devoid of truth, rebelled against God, seeking to exalt himself above the Most High (Isaiah 14:12-15). As a result, he was cursed. God has prepared eternal fire for the devil and those who follow him.

Because I Tell the Truth, You Do Not Believe Me

"Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!" (John 8:45)

Jesus pointed out that their unbelief stemmed from the fact that He spoke the truth. Satan is the one who rejects and opposes God’s truth. As children of the devil and belonging to him, they rejected and opposed Jesus, who spoke the truth. Instead, they followed Satan, the father of lies, who disguises himself as an angel of truth.

Whoever Belongs to God Hears What God Says

"Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." (John 8:46-47)

Jesus asked them to point out any sin in Him. Yet, Jesus was sinless (Hebrews 4:15). He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. From His birth to His death on the cross, Jesus perfectly obeyed the Father. His words and deeds are eternal truth.

Therefore, anyone who does not believe or obey God’s Word shows they do not belong to Him. Those who do not belong to God belong to Satan. There is no neutral ground: one either belongs to God or to the devil.

Who Belongs to God?

Those who listen to God’s Word and turn back to Him belong to God. Jacob and Esau were twin sons of Isaac, but only Jacob belonged to God. Jacob surrendered his strong self-will before God and turned to obey His Word. At the Jabbok River, Jacob wrestled with an angel until dawn. When his hip was dislocated, he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Genesis 32:26). At that moment, the old Jacob died, and he was reborn as Israel.

"Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.’" (Genesis 32:28)

Similarly, Peter denied Jesus’ prophecy about His suffering, death, and resurrection, saying such things would never happen. Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Get behind me, Satan!” because Peter had in mind human concerns rather than God’s (Mark 8:31-33). Jesus addressed Satan, who was behind Peter’s denial, deceiving and tempting him.

Later, Peter denied Jesus three times during His arrest and trial, as Jesus had foretold. When the rooster crowed twice, Peter remembered Jesus’ words and wept bitterly (Mark 14:72). That moment marked the breaking of Peter’s strong self-will and his transformation into someone who depended solely on Christ.

"God ‘will repay each person according to what they have done.’" (Romans 2:6)

God knows that the human heart is inclined toward evil from youth (Genesis 8:21). Yet, He is patient and offers eternal life as a gift to all who repent, turn to Him, and obey His Word. This is the unchanging love of God. Those who belong to God listen to the voice of Jesus Christ and obey His Word. Amen!

December 15, 2024

Buffalo Livingstone Church ©2024, David Lee Ministries ©2024 – All Rights Reserved.

Scripture quotations are from the NIV.