The Great I-Am
John 8:48-59
I. Jesus Illustrated (48-50)
II. Jesus Instructed (51-55)
III. Jesus Identified (56-59)
Introduction: Jesus continued his dialog with the leaders of the Jews.
* They had tried to trap Him, confuse Him, and out-reason Him.
* Now they were down to insulting Him.
I. Jesus Illustrated (He gave God the glory)
48Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"
* This was a double insult. It was a question of Jesus’ real father.
* It is possible, and some consider it probable, that Joseph had said something about Jesus not being his real child.
* This is the first indication of rumors about Jesus heritage. Satan is at work.
* The second part of the insult is that He was guided by a demon.
49 Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.
* Jesus addressed the dishonoring statements.
* He denied having a demon.
* He stated avowed honor in his relationship with His Father.
* He also acknowledged the intended insult.
50 "And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.
* Jesus is stating the difference in Him and His adversaries, and the importance of the differences.
* These men were always vying for attention and recognition.
* They were always concerned with how they looked in everyone else’s eyes.
* Jesus said, "I do not seek recognition for myself.
* "Because you do, it puts you in a negative light in the only One whose opinion matters."
* That is the results of not giving God the Glory.
* Jesus came to glorify God. He did in everything He did.
* John 12:27-28 - 27"Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ’Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again."
* And in that, He gave us and example, illustrated by His very life.
* Romans 15:5-6 - Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
* Does your life follow His example? Does your life illustrate glory to God?
II. Jesus’ Instructed (He said, “My Words bring life.”)
51 "Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."
* Jesus used the most powerful words available to emphasize it. "Most assuredly, I say to you..."
* Sometimes translated, "Verily, verily", literally "Amen, Amen."
* Even these people had hope, but hope was conditional.
* It depended upon them believing and receiving the Words of Jesus Christ.
* Jesus said if they believe His word, they would not see death.
* John 5:24 - "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
* We who believe do not experience death (separation from God).
* Our souls and spirits simply move from our bodies to be in God’s presence.
* Jesus had said that what appears to be death in the believer is really a step into full life.
* The Apostle Paul stated it this way, "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:8
52 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.’ 53 "Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?"
* The Jewish leaders believed they had found an opening, a crack in Jesus’ logic.
* Jesus was claiming to be more important than the dead prophets, including Abraham.
* They recognized the meaning of Jesus’ claim, but did not believe Him.
* He was either telling the truth or was a lunatic. He claimed His words gave life.
* Abraham, their greatest patriarch, was dead. Abraham’s words or faith did not keep him from dying.
* Same was true with the greatest prophets, including Isaiah. They all died.
* Yet Jesus had claimed His Words were different, more powerful.
* Jesus’ word could keep you from tasting death.
54 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.
* This was a slap in the Jewish leader’s face.
* Those who did so much to impress others, like wearing big symbols of their faith, were profiting nothing from it.
* Jesus described them in Matt. 25:5-7 - "But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders (tassels) of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ’Rabbi, Rabbi.’"
* The difference in Jesus is that God validated Jesus’ ministry with miracles.
* Jesus sought to honor God alone, and God honored His Son.
* The Jewish leaders said they believed in God, but did not recognize God’s validation of Jesus’ ministry and healings.
* If Jesus’ claims were all he had, it would amount to nothing.
* But Jesus had God’s validation in healed diseases, raised dead, calmed storms and more.
55 "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.
* Since they did not recognize the hand of God on Jesus’ life, they did not know God.
* Interesting use of words: "You have not known (ginosko- come to know or learn from observation or revelation) Him, but I know (eido- instinctively by nature and thoroughly know) Him.
* Jesus said, "I know the Father. If I said different, I would be lying."
* Jesus called them liars because they said they knew God and didn’t recognize His hand.
* God may be speaking to your heart right now.
* He will if you will listen. Do you hear Him?
* Do you recognize His hand in your life?
* Jesus said His Words bring life. They reveal the Father.
* Jesus said, "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." John 5:12.
* If you reject the Son, if you will not listen to His voice, you do not know God.
* But you can fix that today.
III. Jesus Identified (He said, “I am God.”)
56 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."
* Jesus was saying, "Your hero, Abraham, longed to see me, and did, and rejoiced."
* A couple of realities: Abraham saw the Angel of the Lord of Host.
* Abraham saw God provide a sacrifice.
* Abraham died and was with the Father. He had seen Jesus.
* At the birth of Jesus, Abraham shouted all over Paradise. "Hallelujah, He is born!"
* I don’t know if they "High-fived" in Paradise, but whatever they do, the departed saints did at Jesus’ birth.
57 Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"
* "Wait" they cried. "You are not old enough to be seen by Abraham. How do you know what made Abraham rejoice?"
58 Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."
* Jesus dropped the bombshell. This is the climax of His teachings.
* He is eternal, with no beginning and no end.
* He was eternal before Abraham.
* His use of the phrase "I AM" was the sacred name for God.
* He was not only saying He was eternal, but literally, He IS God.
* John 1:1-2 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.
* Hebrews 1:1-4 - God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
* Did they Jews understand what Jesus meant?
59 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.
* They understood. They thought He committed blasphemy.
* They took up stones to kill Him.
* However, it wasn’t His time, so they couldn’t throw. He simply became invisible and passed from their midst.
* Jesus is God. He is Eternal.
Conclusion: Jesus illustrated a life of giving glory to God. We should model that same life.
* Jesus instructed those who listened to receive His Word and receive life.
* Jesus identified Himself as the very living God of eternity.
* Jesus is Lord. He is the Lord of Heaven. He is the Lord of earth.
* He is the Lord of Israel. He is Lord of life.
* Have you surrendered to the Lord of Lords? Or have you taken your life back?
* Is it about you, or is about Him?
* Philippians 2:10-11 - at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
