Epistle Of James
Before Abraham Was, I AM | The Gospel Of John 33
[Music] Please send your Bibles to John Chapter 8. John Chapter 8, where hopefully we're going to bring this chapter to a conclusion today. I want to do some other things after this. But this has been an amazing chapter. I guess every chapter in John is, you know, I shouldn't say I guess I know. Every chapter in John is just tremendous. It has so much insight and revelation. And John just comes from a totally different angle to all the other gospels. And I just love him. I just love the things that he brings out in. At the moment, we're talking about the situation that Jesus is in. This is all part of, remember, the feast of Tabernacles, the feast that are going on in the temple. Jesus has been talking throughout this time and trying to minister to people. And the Pharisees, you know, and the religious leaders keep jumping in and interrupting him. And we're getting to the place now in John Chapter 8. I want to go just going to start in verse 51 because I've done so many recaps. I just want to move forward and finish this today. Hallelujah. And Jesus says, most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, this is John 8.51. He says, if anyone keeps my word, that's again, believes it, cleaves to it, obeys and lives by it, he shall never see death. Now remember, that was a tremendous promise, all right? There's no other name under heaven that men might be saved except Jesus Christ. So he is bringing out this truth right now. But remember again, the Jews are trying to defend themselves and put him down all at the same time. And so in verse 52, then the Jews said to him, now we know that you have a demon. God, you know, he says Abraham is dead and the prophets, and you say, if anyone keeps my word, he shall never taste death. Again, see, they keep missing the spiritual aspect of what Jesus is saying. And these should be the most spiritual people on the planet. You know, it's one thing if Jesus was saying this to a bunch of carnal people, and they didn't understand what he was on about. And of course, it would take him literally, amen? And so, you know, obviously to them, it wouldn't make no sense. But these people who have studied the law, who know all about the appearances of God and Christ in the Old Testament, should know better. And they should know that there is a spiritual reality that is greater than the natural one. And so Jesus is trying to bring something out here, and they are so blind. They are so spiritually dead. Why? Because Jesus said in verse 44 again that you have refined the devil. You know, the devil is carnal. Isn't it interesting that he's a spiritual being, but he's carnal? Everything is about the natural realm, because if you ever tap into the spiritual realm, in reality, there's so much power there, it will wipe him out. Are you all with me? So he's got to keep us on this realm, looking at everything, you know, not the Creator, the creation. Let's worship the creation, let's think that we know everything, you know, that kind of mentality. You know, in the beginning, you know, God created, amen. Just in that is so much wisdom, all right. So back to verse 44 again, the Jew said to him, we know you have a demon, Abraham is dead, the prophets and the prophets. And you say, if you keep my word, he shall never taste death, verse 53. He says, are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead, and the prophets are dead, whom do you make yourself out to be? He's like, who do you think you are, okay? So Jesus answered, if I honor myself, my honor is nothing. It is my father who honors me, of whom you say he is your God. Now I talked about this last week, I'm not going to go back over it this week, all right. So notice again that to them, he is God to Jesus, his father, all right. And so there's this separation, there's a lot more separation between you and God than you and your father, are you all with me, amen? All right. And Jesus says in verse 55, he says, yet you have not known him, but I know him. So he says, 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. So he's saying, listen, you know, you're claiming to know God who you really don't know. Again, this goes back to him saying you're not, you know, you overpower the devil. God is not your father, all right. And so verse 56 today, that's where we need to get to. All right. He says, now this is a, the reason I didn't want to rush through this is because there is a tremendous truth in what he's about to say. And I really need you to get this today. And if we get this done in five minutes, we'll go home early today, all right. If we don't, then I, it was good, good call to do this today. All right. So he says in verse 56, your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and was glad. Now, there are some different explanations about this. I want to give you all of them, okay? William Hendrickson puts it this way, Abraham interpreted God's promise as meaning that in the line of Isaac, that the blessed one, capital B, capital law, okay? The blessed one, that's Jesus Christ, would at length arrive through whom God would bless all nations. And that's true. For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, okay? That whoever believed in him, whoever in the world believed in him would not perish but have everlasting life, all right. And so he says here again that at length arrived through whom God would bless all nations, it was thus that Abraham saw the day of Christ and rejoiced. So there is that interpretation that he saw what was coming. He saw that through his seed, through Isaac, would come nations, okay? And through this seed, all the nations would be blessed because they were meant to take the Word of God to all the nations. See, they were not meant to sort of hang on to the Word, make themselves elite kind of a group that where descendants from here, there, and everywhere and nobody else gets into a little group. That was the problem. Instead of them being chosen to take the Word out, they thought they were chosen to be special and hang on to everything. See, I'll get that, okay? And that's why when Jesus came, it upset them that he would minister to everybody. Look, he eats with sinners, well, what do you think you were before you got saved? There's not one who's righteous, not one. The Bible tells us, amen, Romans, it says, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, which means everybody needs to come by faith to God. People sort of say, how did people come in the Old Testament to God? It's the same way we do today by faith, and so if you don't have faith, then you didn't come. It didn't matter what linens you were born into, you had to have faith to get in. That's why Hebrews says, without faith, it's impossible to please God. Get in. You can't displease God, not have faith and get in. I can reverse it if you want. Okay, so it goes in say verse 57, let me read some of these, and then I'll get to what I want to get to. Then the Jew said to him, you are not get 50 years old, and have you seen Abraham? No, they're being generously, being 50, he was no more than 30 odd years, okay? He didn't go to the cross at 50. Okay, we know that at 30 he began his ministry three years later, he was crucified, all right? So they're saying, I mean, even if we exaggerated and said you're 50, how could you have seen Abraham? You'd have to be like forever old. So I've said here again, the Jews reveal their inability to understand divine truth, with William Hendrickson explaining that the Jews committed the error of ascribing to Jesus a merely temporal existence. They saw only the historical manifestation, listen, not the eternal person, only the human, not the divine. See here's the problem, are you all with me? All they see is a person, they don't understand, Jesus Christ is raising the dead. He is walking on water, he is calming storms, and they don't get it. Whenever he says something, he does it. He says, I'm the bread of life, he multiplies bread. Who did that? Nobody else did that? Are you all with me? Whatever he, you know, whatever he said, he proved it out. He said it, he did it. And so there was no question who he was, what he was. This was God in the flesh, are you all with me? And so, you know, this whole thing, see, it's one thing if he's made a lot of grandiose claims, you know, yada, yada, yada, and did nothing. Then they could say what they're saying to him. But if he's doing all of this and healing people on the wrong day according to them, God is healing people, healed everybody that came to him. What do you think we're witnessing then? It's God on earth. Something is going on. Listen to what this man has to say. If he says, you know, if you've seen me, you've seen the father, that's what he means. Amen? Where was I? Sorry about that. Okay. Well, am I? We need to get this family. People miss this. And so Jesus therefore affirms his eternal timeless, absolute essence with it going on to say, and here it comes, in verse 58, Jesus said to them, most assuredly. When Jesus says most assuredly, he's saying, I'm telling you the truth. I swear this. Do you know, it's kind of like that that we'd say, I swear, I swear, I swear, I swear, I swear, I swear, I swear. Okay. All right. That's when he says most assuredly. It means you're not going to believe this, but it's an absolute truth. He says most assuredly, I say to him, which he's about to say something huge here, he says, I say to you, before Abraham was, please understand those three words. He didn't say when Abraham was, he said, before Abraham was, before Abraham came on the scene, before Abraham's dad had to twinkle in his eye and said, your mama, let's go and make a little Abraham, you know, you need to get them, I'm sorry, but I need to make the point. He says before all that happened, before Abraham was even thought about, get it? He says I am, okay, so Leon Morris writes, Jesus is asserting his existence in the time of Abraham, so, you know, not just beyond, but even in that time, there is no other way of understanding it. It should also be observed that he says I am, not I was, it is eternity of being, get this, okay, I love this phrase, eternity of being, that's what is being communicated here. Not simply a being that has lasted through several centuries that the expression indicates, so this is not about a person that's really, really old. This isn't somebody that's lived a really long time. This is about eternity of being. In the beginning was the word, I like that it didn't say in the beginning the word came into existence, it says in the beginning, whenever that was, already was the word. Do you all get this? So before time began, the word already existed and the word was with God and the word was God and the word became flesh and dwelt among us. Now if the word was already with God in the beginning, then the word would have been around throughout the ages. He only took on flesh at a certain point in time, but he existed all through time. Are you all getting this? This is so important, that's what it means by eternity of being. Okay, so just in case you're not away, let's go to Genesis 15. If you're not aware of Christ encounter with Abraham in the past, it started here. Well, this is a good place to start. There's other places as well, okay, Genesis 12, this whole thing begins, but I like to take you to Genesis 15 and something important happens there. Second verse one, I'm going to read through to verse six, Genesis 15 and verse one. It says after these things, the word of the Lord, okay, the Lord is Jehovah here. This is Christ, came to Abraham in a vision. So I want you to take note that this was a vision, okay? So it says after these things, the word of the Lord, Jehovah, came to Abraham in a vision saying, do not be afraid, Abraham, I am your shield, you're exceeding great reward. So Jesus is saying, I am your shield, I am your reward. Do you know Christ is still today our shield and our reward? We need to get this family because that's who lives inside of us. See God the Father is in heaven, but we have something living on the inside of us. We're the temple of the Holy Ghost, we receive Jesus Christ as Lord into our lives. We have so much going on on the inside of us, we don't even realize that if we just let out what's in there, we'll start to do as, you know, we'll probably start to look kind of like the way Adam did at the beginning, Adam and Eve did at the beginning and they were just glowing. That's why they didn't have any clothes and they didn't know it because that was their clothing, the glory was their clothing. Just like God didn't have, you know, stuff from came out or whatever, okay, or grace spread this or whatever, okay, his dress is the glory. And God made us in his image and after his likeness and we look just like him, Christ is today our shield and exceeding great reward. Verse two, but Abraham said, Lord God, what will He give me seeing I go childless? I want you to notice something here, I want to read this to show you something, there's a conversation going on here. This isn't with something imaginary. Remember Abraham isn't born again. He doesn't have access to the spirit room like we do today, okay, we're born of the spirit. This is the reason why Jesus said to Nicodemus, you're a great guy, but you need to get born of the spirit, okay, because you need that link with God now. This is not only we're going to connect with God and see into that realm, okay. But Abraham wasn't there yet. Everybody in the Old Testament went there yet, that's why they went to paradise, okay, they had to wait for Jesus to die before they could then get to heaven themselves. So what we see here is that Abraham is obviously therefore speaking and seeing and interacting with something that he could engage with naturally. Are you all getting me? This wasn't kind of in the spirit because he wasn't there yet. They were all dead before this, okay. So I want to read this and I want you to keep that in mind. So Abraham said, "Lord, what will you give me?" Seeing I go childless and the heir of my house is Elias of Damascus and verse 3, then Abraham said, "Look, you have given me no offspring. Indeed, one born in my house is my heir." Verse 4, "And behold, the word of the Lord came to him saying, 'This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.'" Verse 5, "Then he brought him outside." See? He brought him outside. He wasn't having a pizza vision. Do you know? Ooh, he just floated outside. He brought him out. I need you to get this interaction that is going on. This is the Lord. This is Christ talking to Abraham. Wherever Ham was, I am, okay, all right. And he said, "Look now toward heaven and count the stars if you are able to number them." And he said to him, "So shall you descendants me." So he's, here's the Lord saying, "Look up. Can you see the stars? Can you count them?" Somebody's talking. Can we agree on this? Okay. This isn't, okay. And verse 6, really important. He believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness. So because he believed in something that was present, someone that was speaking to him, someone that let him outside, someone that said, "Look up. Can you count the stars?" He said, "No." Someone that said, "So shall your seed be." And that someone Abraham believed and it was accounted to him for righteousness. See, we are gifted righteousness, them it was accounted. So it was put on his account, okay? That's why he didn't go to hell because Christ hadn't gone to the cross yet. Are you all with me? So I've said here again, from the language used here, we know that this is not a general belief in the Godhead that Abraham has here, but a personal trust in the Lord Jehovah. So we're Jehovah there, by the way, Jesus Christ in his pre-existent form. Now three chapters later, Abraham is actually going to meet Jesus in person. So let's go to Genesis chapter 18 very quickly. Genesis chapter 18, let me begin in reading in verse 1. I just want to read through to verse 3, there's so much here. This is where Abraham pleads with the Lord regarding Sodom and Gomorrah and all that happens here. So obviously he's talking to somebody real, okay? But let's just read these three verses that'll do. It says, "Then the Lord, Jehovah, again, same word, appeared to him by the tavern trees in memory as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day." Verse 2. "Lifted his eyes and looked and behold three men, not three apparitions, not three ghosts. Three men were standing by him. And when he saw them, he ran from his stand door to meet them and bowed him, watch Abraham's attitude, watch Abraham's, how can I say respect, love and respect toward these people, okay? And bowed himself to the ground and said, "My Lord, if I have now found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Please get a feel of what is going on here." This is why Jesus said back in verse 39. Because of the way Abraham loved and respected him, he says, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham," huh, "in sort of trying to kill me." This is how Abraham was. This is how Abraham treated the Lord. And look at the people that say that they are his descendants. Look at the way they are treating him. Are you all with me? So this was again in John 839, the latter half, all right? Now let's go back to John 858. So with all this background now, we can better understand what Jesus meant when he said again, most assuredly I said to you before Abraham was, "I am." He was there. He spoke to Abraham. Abraham spoke to him. Hallelujah. Amen? Accordingly, in his commentary, William Hendrickson writes, "Over against Abraham's fleeting span of life, Jesus places his own timeless present, not I was but I am. Hence, the thought here conveyed is not only that the second person always existed from all eternity, though this too is implied, but also, and very definitely, listen, that his existence transcends time. His existence transcends time." In the beginning was, did you get that? His existence transcends time. See, so when time came into existence, he already existed, listen, when time no longer means anything, he'll still continue to exist because he existed outside of time. Isn't that something? It's God. There is the case for, you know, the existence of God, and one of the things that brings out his existence, and the need for the existence of a God is that something outside of time had to create time. Something that wasn't chained to time, that wasn't a slave to time, had to create time. Time came from somewhere. It is a quantity, it isn't something that we can just say, well, it's always been, well, it started somewhere. Time had a beginning, hence the word time. Just like length has a beginning, hence the word length. If you say length, I want to know where it starts because then I can measure it. If you say time, I need to know where it starts because then I can measure it. And for something to bring about time, there had to be outside of time, and the beginning was the word outside of time. And that's what this is bringing out. This is what the Jews are beginning to realize that he's on about. Suddenly the light bulb goes on. You know, light bulb, oh, I think he's trying to tell us he's God, which then we'll see how they react to that revelation in just a minute. We're almost there. So again, it says that his existence transcends time. He's therefore exalted infinitely above Abraham. Wow, are you getting this? Now they're beginning to see this, now they're beginning to understand this. And so while this answer, excuse me, I've said here, with this answer, the Jews finally realized that Jesus was actually claiming to be nothing less than God, because only God existed outside of time. And that's why it goes in saying the next verse, this is the last verse, hallelujah. We can go home early. Then watch, they bow down and said, you are Lord, we see it now with all the people you rest from the dead, with you walking on the water, with you doing all these amazing things. We get it. We are so sorry. We bow down before you like our father Abraham, contrite and say, please, please don't walk away from your servant, sadly, that's not in my Bible, man, what version you got? The loose rose translation, what is that? No. When he makes his declaration was the time for them to understand what he was actually saying and go positive instead of going negative. So what happens? It goes the other way. Why? Because of their father, the devil. This is how the devil responds to revelation. Listen to me, this is how the devil responds to God. Do you hear me? Then they took up stones to throw at him at a guy that can bring people back from the dead. Are you kidding me? At a person that can walk on water. This is ridiculous. It says 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. Please see all those things in that verse. A lot of people just read, pass it and miss everything. Here is a mob that is looking to kill somebody. Do you think not one person would have kept track of where he was? Jesus didn't kind of skillfully, you know, I played hide and seek. I can get through this crowd without anybody seeing me. How stupid can you be? This is a mob. They are trying to kill him. There is always one person, I see you. There is always one. If you have got this much hatred and this much animosity, you don't lose track of your prey. I mean this, please, please get ahold of this, okay? All right. Hendrickson writes, unable to restrain themselves and their wrathful indignation, let me say it again, unable to restrain themselves and their wrathful indignation any longer and apparently viewing Christ statement as horrible blasphemy which must be punished with death by stoning. The Jews run to the place in the large temple area where building operations are still being carried out. That in John 2 and verse 20, stones are lying all around and they pick up in order, excuse me, these they pick up in order to hurt them at Jesus, thus to put him to death without due process of law or trial by court. Isn't that interesting? I mean, they're going to do this anyway, but this is how mad they are. This is how mad the devil is. This is what the devil wants to do every time you stand up. Every time God begins to come through. That's why Jesus said you're going to get persecuted. So there is something again I've said here of great significance that must not be overlooked for all those that say that Jesus never said he was God, there is evidence for it. Here's the evidence when he said I am all the Jews understood that he was making himself out to be God and why they wanted to stone him immediately without due process. So people, I've heard this said that Jesus, you know Jesus never said he was God. Wow, you have no idea what you're talking about and usually these are people that don't believe. Okay, they don't know what's in here. They think they know what's in here and you know, they come at you with, well, we know what's in there. You have no idea what's in there. If you knew what was in there, you'd be saved. We can tell you don't know what's in there because you're not saved. Do you know what I'm trying to say? But again, what's even more incredible is that what it says again in the letter half, Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple going through the midst of them and so passed by. This is nothing less than a miracle family. You really need to get this. I don't know why people can believe that Jesus walked on water, but then he couldn't hide himself and disappear through a crowd. There has to be a natural explanation. Why? This is a supernatural being. He does things that blows your mind all the time. You know, he goes and curse a picture and the thing dies from the roots. I have said here again, for people who are intent on killing him, there's no way that they would lose track of him. What he did to hide or literally conceal himself would have been as supernatural and impossible as him walking on water, especially since it says he went through the midst of them. In England, I'll finish with this, Leon Morrie says that John is perhaps hinting that God protected his son. It is not so much that Jesus, by superior cleverness, concealed himself from them. It was rather that he conceived, listen, I love this, he was concealed by another capital A. Oh, yes. Okay. That is God and so passed out of the temple. It may well be that we are to discern symbolism in this action. At this point, Jesus symbolically abandons his own people, the temple and goes out to humanity, beginning with the man born blind that would come up in the next chapter. That ends chapter eight. Let's have every head bowed, every I closed. Hallelujah. Father, we thank you for your word today. We thank you, Father, for all that we are learning. And Father, we thank you that we understand Jesus Christ, is Lord, is God. And Father, for anybody out there that needs to receive in my thank you Lord, it is simple as just saying, Jesus, I receive you into my life. I declare you as Lord of my life. I believe that God raised you from the dead. And Romans 10, 9 says you will be saved. Hallelujah. Thank you Lord. For all that you are to us, for all that you've done for us, and for all that is still ahead of us. In your name we pray in Jesus' name, everybody say amen. Amen. [MUSIC PLAYING]