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?” 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.”. “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.
It is the end of this passage that stays with me.
Before Abraham was born, I am
Not I was, but I am. Because I am has special meaning and they would have known it. This was a declaration of being God, this was more than they could stand. Jesus told them how it was and is and shall be.
And the bizarrely he slips away; he basically hides and runs away. This isn't the Jesus we're used to. What is this all about? It really reminds me about the humanity of Jesus and its good to be reminded of that as we approach Easter.
Jesus you are God and yet you were man, we don't always fully understand that but we thank you for the reality you are. Amen
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