John 8:12-59
Jesus Speaks of Abraham
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
13 The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”
14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”
19 Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”
“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.
Dispute Over Who Jesus Is
21 Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”
22 This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”
23 But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
25 “Who are you?” they asked.
“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. 26 “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”
27 They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” 30 Even as he spoke, many believed in him.
Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 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. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.”
39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered.
“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. 40 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. 41 You are doing the works of your own father.”
“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”
42 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. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 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. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
Jesus’ Claims About Himself
48 The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?”
49 “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50 I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”
52 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. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 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. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”
57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
An interesting point in reading the Bible is that Abraham, came after we fell from God's Grace and were forced out of Eden...Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were our first three Patriarchs and they were close to God...They lived a few generations after Adam and Eve....Some believe a thousand years separated Adam from Abraham...After our Fall from Grace and after we left the Garden of Eden, God would make a Covenant Agreement with Abraham...It was a Promise from God to Abraham...This covenant established a special relationship between God and Abraham's descendants...While not explicitly mentioning a Savior, the promise of blessing all nations through Abraham's lineage (Genesis 12:3) can be seen as foreshadowing the coming of Jesus, who fulfills that promise...Abraham would follow God's instruction and His Will, as best he could...He did stumble a few times following God...For instance, God told him he and Sarai would have a child and from him all Abraham's descendant's would also naturally follow -but Abraham would have a child with Haggar, and that would be his first son...He named him Ismael...Then later Abraham would have a son born named Isaac...
Jesus a few times talked about Abraham...I wonder how Abraham knew Jesus, or if he thought about a Redeemer or Savior at all...I think Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had their ideas about a Redeemer and looked forward to seeing His day, but the Bible does not tell us their ideas...Jesus needed to come to earth...Even the Patriarch's struggled with sin...The concept of a Messiah or Savior becomes clearer as the Bible unfolds...The Old Testament foreshadows the coming of Jesus, while the New Testament reveals His fulfillment of those prophecies...Abraham and the patriarchs lived by faith in God's promises, even without all the details and plans of God...They trusted in God...So while the specifics of how Abraham and his descendants viewed a Redeemer are unclear, the Bible suggests there was an awareness of humanity's separation from God and an anticipation of Something or Someone to restore our broken relationship with our Father...
Jesus talked about knowing and seeing Abraham...When Jesus was talking to the Jews one day they said , “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”...Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me...Yet I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks it, and He is the judge...Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My Word, he will never see death.”...The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that you have a demon!...Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps My Word, he will never taste death.’...Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?...And the prophets died!...Who do you make yourself out to be?”...Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing....It is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’...But you have not known Him....I know Him...If I were to say that I do not know Him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know Him and I keep His Word....Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day...He saw it and was glad.”...So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”...Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”...So they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple...
So Jesus knew and spoke of Abraham and His faith in God...When Jesus tells the Pharisees, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did."...This passage highlights the importance of following Abraham's model of faith...Then in Luke 13:28: Jesus speaks of people being "thrown outside" while Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob "will be at the feast in the kingdom of God." ..This emphasizes the future reward for the faithful...In John 8:56: In response to claims of having seen Abraham, Jesus says, "Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing My day; he saw it and was glad."...This suggests a connection between Jesus' coming and the hopes of the faithful in the past...
Another story about Abraham is told by Jesus...“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day...At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table...Even the dogs came and licked his sores...“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side...The rich man also died and was buried...In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side...So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’...“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony...And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’...“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers...Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’...“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’...“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’...“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”...
So we see and can believe in Scripture that Abraham was on earth before Jesus and at the time Abraham (and Isaac and Jacob) lived they would not have seen or known about Jesus...But still, Abraham did rejoice to see the day of Jesus...Abraham say that day and was glad...This implies that Abraham, even though he lived centuries before Jesus, somehow anticipated Jesus' arrival and knew about the significance of His ministry...This reminds me of Job and how he knew about His Redeemer and that His Redeemer somehow lived...Job says, "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth" in Job 19:25...This verse appears in the middle of a conversation between Job and his friends, where Job describes how God's actions have harmed him...Some say that Job's statement is a reminder that believers can find hope even during difficult times...Job somehow had knowledge of God and/or His Redeemer...Job had a personal relationship with God, and believed that God would restore what was lost and bringing peace can give people strength when they are suffering...And after Job says that his Redeemer lives, he adds: And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with My own eyes—I, and not another...How my heart yearns within me!...Job acknowledges his physical suffering and potential death...Then Job says "yet in my flesh I will see God"...By saying he will see God, it appears Job believes he will have a physical resurrection where he will see God...
Although I do not read or see a covenant agreement for Job with God, I do see God also crediting him with righteousness, and Job making it to heaven with God and His Redeemer, Jesus...But this is why I write that while the specifics of how Abraham and his descendants viewed a Redeemer are unclear, the Bible suggests there was an awareness of humanity's separation from God and an anticipation of Something or Someone to restore our broken relationship with our Father...
So we learn from Scripture that Abraham's Salvation is by faith...This belief emphasizes faith in God as the key to salvation...Even though the Mosaic Law wasn't established yet, Abraham is seen as demonstrating his faith through his obedience to God's commands (e.g., leaving his homeland to go to Canaan and nearly sacrificing Isaac)...In Romans 4:1-3 Paul speaks of Abraham's faith being credited to him as righteousness...We learn from Paul of the continuity of God's saving grace...This perspective suggests that God's Grace in saving people has always existed, even before Jesus or the Law of Moses...Abraham, by responding faithfully to God's Will in his time, received God's Saving Grace...We see Abraham's implicit faith...This view proposes that Abraham, though not having the explicit teachings of Jesus or even the written Mosaic Law, he implicitly understood God's will through his interactions with God...His obedience demonstrates a faith that aligns with the teachings that would come later...Abraham showed a Great Trust in God...
Some believe with the starting of Abraham's faith there is a covenantal relationship with God...Some Christians emphasize the concept of God establishing a covenant (agreement) with Abraham...Abraham's faithfulness and trusting of the LORD to this covenant secured his place with God, and he is credited with this righteousness...
Jesus' words link the faith of the Jewish people, that is rooted in Abraham's covenant with God, to His Own Ministry...This creates a sense of continuity and shows that Jesus wasn't starting something entirely new because of His mention in Old Testament Scripture...Abraham is our model of faith as a man on earth...By referring to Abraham's obedience and him trusting in God, Jesus establishes Abraham as an example for early Christians...Following Abraham's model of faith becomes a way to connect with God...God fulfilled His Promises with Abraham...The Abraham Covenant promised blessings for all nations (Genesis 12:3)...Jesus' coming is seen as the Ultimate Fulfillment of God's Promise, bringing God's Grace and redemption to the world, through His Son Jesus...With Abraham there is an emphasis on faith and trusting what God Promised would happen...Jesus' interactions and speaking about Abraham often highlight the importance of faith and trust...For example, in John 8:39, Jesus emphasizes that true descendants of Abraham are those who share his faith...This makes sense in Jesus' comforting statement: “Do not let your hearts be troubled...You believe in God; believe also in Me...My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I AM going there to prepare a place for you?...And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I AM...You know the way to the place where I AM going.”...Jesus then adds in John 12:44-47, “If you trust Me, you are trusting not Only Me, but also God who sent Me...For when you see Me, you are seeing the One who sent Me”...
Jesus' words were impacted early faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob...By connecting to Abraham's legacy, Jesus' teachings gained credibility among early Jewish converts...It showed continuity and flow with their existing traditions...It showed them that Jesus is our Hope for the Future...The concept of Abraham rejoicing at the thought of "seeing Jesus' day" (John 8:56) offered hope to early Christians...It linked their faith in Jesus to the promises made to Abraham and the future blessings they awaited...
Overall, Jesus' references to Abraham provided a bridge between the past and present, he offered a model for faith, he offers a model for Trusting God, and gave hope to early Christians...Jesus and Abraham showed them that their faith and trust in Him was part of a larger story of God's work in the world...If God is our Father, we will love and trust Jesus, for He has come to earth from God...He did not come on His Own; God sent Him to earth to dwell among us and to save us and be our Redeemer and Savior...