John 8:48-59
Before Abraham Was Born, I Am
48The Jews answered Him, “Are we not right to say that You are a Samaritan and You have a demon?”
49“I do not have a demon,” Jesus replied, “but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50I do not seek My own glory. There is One who seeks it, and He is the Judge. 51Truly, truly, I tell you, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death.”
52“Now we know that You have a demon!” declared the Jews. “Abraham died, and so did the prophets, yet You say that anyone who keeps Your word will never taste death. 53Are You greater than our father Abraham? He died, as did the prophets. Who do You claim to be?”
54Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory means nothing. The One who glorifies Me is My Father, of whom you say, ‘He is ourg God.’ 55You do not know Him, but I know Him. If I said I did not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know Him, and I keep His word. 56Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see My day. He saw it and was glad.”
57Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?”
58“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!h”
59At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple area.i
The world is full of plenty of charlatans and snake-oil salesmen, but Jesus was not that! He was the real deal. The fact that the religious teachers of his time (generally speaking) could not see this was a testimony to the fact they had no salvation, and it showed in other ways besides simply not recognizing Jesus, a person who good with God – because he lived a holy life (in fact, one even with no sin at all, an exception among the holy).
And, ultimately, it can be said that those who reject something that is obviously holy, do not like what is holy. These teachers were simply practicing a type of Judaism that was devoid of real holiness, something that is an imposter Judaism.
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