Are You Greater Than Our Father Abraham?

Back in the Gospel of John this morning, we left off last Sunday with Jesus saying some

very hard words to the Jews who were gathered in the temple courts.

Jesus told them that they were of their father, the devil.

And the reason he said that was because they were desiring the same things as the devil

and doing the same things as the devil.

They were seeking to murder him and they were choosing to reject his words, which they knew to be true.

And we recalled last Sunday how all of this is explained well by what John said earlier in his Gospel.

John 3, verse 19 and 20.

John 3:19

This is the verdict.

Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of the light

because their deeds were evil.

Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light

for fear that their deeds will be exposed.

So Jesus has been shining the light of truth upon them, exposing their evil deeds.

And now we will see how the people respond to this.

John 8, verse 48.

John 8:48

The Jews answered him,

Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?

Now this isn't the first time that they've accused Jesus of being demon-possessed.

They did that back in chapter 7, verse 20.

But this is the first time that they've called him a Samaritan.

And they probably don't mean that in the true sense of the word,

as in being from the Samaritan people.

No, they're using this word as an insult, a term of contempt.

Most of you know that in Jesus' day,

the Jews generally looked down upon the Samaritans.

There was hostility and suspicion between them.

And the Jews saw the Samaritans as half-breeds and as being unclean.

It's like they're saying,

Didn't we say it well when we said that you were demon-possessed?

A good-for-nothing half-breed?

You can feel the anger and the contempt that's flowing from them

as they call Jesus' names and insult him.

Does Jesus know what it feels like to be insulted?

Does Jesus know what it feels like to be insulted?

To have the anger of people lash out at him?

He does.

Even though he was the perfect son of God,

he still felt deeply the insults of people.

These words have just been rolling around in my head this week.

You dishonor me, said Jesus.

It's not just a cold statement of the facts.

Jesus experienced it personally.

He felt dishonored.

Not only were they venting their anger and hatred towards him

with the things that they said,

but the things that they were saying couldn't have been more false.

They accused the very Son of God of having a demon,

of being demon-possessed.

They called him a Samaritan.

One of those people that we hate.

Our enemies.

What amazes me here is how Jesus responds.

He does not retaliate in the least.

He doesn't insult them back.

He does say,

I do not have a demon.

But there are no...

Words of insult.

I know if I was in that situation,

I kept thinking,

man, I would be so angry.

I would be tempted.

What can I say to change the minds of the people here in this crowd right now?

Jesus doesn't do that.

He says,

I am not possessed by a demon.

I'm here to honor my Father,

and you dishonor me.

Verse 50, Jesus goes on.

He says,

I am not seeking glory for myself.

But there is one who seeks it.

And he is the judge.

So even though Jesus feels the dishonoring accusations

and the slanderous charges of the people,

he does not seek to vindicate himself in their eyes.

He says,

you dishonor me,

but I am not here to seek my glory.

Rather than taking his reputation into his own hands

and fighting for it

or trying to prove that,

yes, I am who I say I am,

he will leave his reputation

and his honor

and his name

to the one who does seek his glory,

his Father,

God.

He will leave his reputation

and his honor

to the true judge,

to God.

How Jesus responds in this moment

reminded me of what we've been talking about

in Sunday school

back in 1 Peter

about suffering.

And Peter actually points to Jesus

and perhaps even had this very moment in mind

when Jesus was insulted.

In 1 Peter 2, verse 23,

1 Peter 2:23

this is what Peter says.

He says,

when they hurled their insults at Jesus,

he did not retaliate.

When he suffered,

he made no threats.

Instead,

he entrusted himself

to him who judges justly.

He deliberately

and consciously

committed himself,

his reputation,

his honor,

his good name

to the judge,

to the true judge,

to God.

At this point,

Jesus,

I imagine at least in my head,

addresses everyone

and probably speaks in a loud voice

and gives another one of those amazing promises.

A truly, truly moment.

Very truly,

or truly, truly,

I tell you,

whoever obeys my word

will never see death.

Literally,

whoever keeps my word

will never see death

unto the ages.

What a statement.

Jesus has talked about this before,

but again,

he's using different words here.

He's offering people eternal life.

We'll never,

ever see death

unto the ages,

forever.

And to receive this,

he says,

you must keep

my word.

Some translations say,

obey,

keep,

and obey

are kind of sometimes

the same thing.

Keep my command,

obey my word.

Truly,

truly,

I say to you,

whoever of you

obeys my word,

keeps my word,

you will not ever

see death

unto the ages,

forever.

Now,

there's only one

who can actually

make good

and deliver

on an offer

like that,

and that's God.

God is the source

and giver

of all life.

And so,

in order to accept

these words of Jesus,

we must have faith

that God

is the one

who has sent him

with this message

and that he intends

to give this gift

of eternal life

through Jesus.

But even before

we get to the response

of the people,

I have to say

that it's not going

to surprise me

if the people

do not believe Jesus.

How many funerals

do you have to attend

before you come

to know that death

is an unchangeable

certainty

for every human being?

In the ordinary

earthly sense

of the words,

to not see death

means to never die.

But it seems

that everyone

dies eventually.

And now here's

a man claiming

that if you obey

his word,

you can become

the exception

to this law

of the universe

and cheat death

not just once

or twice

but forever.

There's only one

being who is

powerful enough

to make that happen.

And it's the one

who created us

and gave us life

in the first place.

God.

Unless Jesus

speaks for him

and comes from him

then they're right

to just laugh him

off here.

Let's look at

how they respond.

Verse 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?

Again,

they call him

demon possessed.

In other words,

what you're saying

Jesus is

absolute

baloney.

Let's take a little

inventory here.

Let's think about

the men that we know

God chose

specially in history.

Men like Abraham

and the prophets.

We know that God

chose them

specially

and spoke through them

and yet all of them

died.

Except of course

Elijah

but they forgot

that part.

All of them

died and you're

saying that if

anyone obeys

your word

they will never

taste death

unto eternity?

I don't think so.

No.

Not even the

great forefather

of our faith

or the prophets

themselves

escaped death.

So don't even

think that you can

shovel baloney

like this

saying that

whoever keeps

your word

will live forever.

Never die.

They go on.

Are you

greater than

our father

Abraham?

He died

and so did

the prophets.

Who do you

think you are?

You can just

feel it in their

voices

and the words

they say.

These are quite

the questions.

All of them

are rhetorical.

especially this

first question.

Are you

greater than

our father

Abraham?

The people

in the crowd

there,

they weren't

totally irrational

or stupid.

Do you hear

what they're

asking?

It's a rhetorical

question and of

course the answer

is no.

But they're

on the right

track.

Are you

greater than

our father

Abraham?

They say.

No.

Who died?

Their answer

is no.

I don't think

so.

But listen to

the reasoning

that's going

on in their

minds.

The only way

that we could

accept what

you are saying

Jesus to be

true is if

you were

greater than

Abraham.

We don't

think you

are.

Is if you

were greater

than the

prophets.

We don't

think you

are.

But if you

were somehow

greater,

then perhaps

you could say

such a thing

and we

would believe

you and

it would

be true.

So the

people recognize

that Jesus

is claiming

something that

goes way

beyond what

has ever been

claimed by the

people God

chose to speak

through in the

past.

And they

asked Jesus

this question

at the end

of this

verse.

Who do you

think you

are?

Literally.

Whom do you

make yourself

out to be?

Who do you

glory?

Jesus

answers

verse 54.

If I

glorify

myself,

my glory

means

nothing.

My

Father,

whom you

claim is

your God,

is the

one who

glorifies

me.

In other

words,

I'm not

making myself

to be

anything.

I'm not

here to

get glory

for myself.

I'm here

to speak

the truth

that the

Father has

sent me

to speak.

And He

is the

one who

will glorify

me.

For the

third time

in the

gospel,

if my

counting is

right,

Jesus just

claimed again

that God

is going

to glorify

Him.

It's quite

a thing

to say.

Jesus

goes on,

verse 55.

He says,

though you

do not

know Him,

my Father,

God,

I know

Him.

If I

said I

did not,

I would

be like

you,

a liar.

But I

do know

Him and

obey His

word,

says Jesus.

Again,

Jesus tells

them,

you do

not know

God.

You think

you do,

but you

do not.

He says,

I do

know Him.

I

couldn't

even deny

that I

know Him.

If I

were to

say that I

didn't know

Him,

I would

be lying.

No,

His words

are a little

more pointed

than that.

He says,

I would

be like

you,

a liar.

And I

don't think

Jesus is

just calling

names here.

I think

He is,

again,

speaking what

He knows

to be

true.

And these

people are

sure to

take offense

at that.

Verse 56,

Jesus goes

on.

He says,

Your father,

Abraham,

rejoiced at

the thought

of seeing

my day.

He saw

it and

was glad.

This is

another amazing

statement of

Jesus.

First,

let's notice

how happy

Abraham

was.

My

translation is

a little

flat.

Literally,

it's more

like your

father,

Abraham,

was

overjoyed

that he

would see

my day.

So not

just a little

bit of joy,

but Abraham

had lots

of joy.

Why?

Let's think

about the

cause of

that great

joy.

He was

overjoyed,

Jesus says,

that he

would see

my day.

What does

that mean?

And then

Jesus says

one thing

more.

He says,

and he

saw it.

As in,

it's done.

He saw

it.

Already

happened.

What is

Jesus talking

about?

I'll be the

first to admit

that I don't

know what

Jesus means

by this.

There's a

few good

ideas and

guesses out

there.

Some think

that this

refers to a

particular

moment back

in history

when Abraham,

perhaps God,

revealed directly

to him

that someday

Jesus would

come.

Maybe it's

just not

recorded in

Genesis.

Others think

it refers to

how Abraham

rejoiced

greatly in

the birth of

the promised

son,

Isaac.

And that

kind of

through that

he was

anticipating

the coming

of the

ultimate

son who

would fulfill

all of

God's

promises.

some people

think that

Abraham

rejoiced

greatly

when he

saw the

day of

Jesus,

not back

in the

past,

but right

now in

the present.

Just like

Moses and

Elijah were

there at

the

transfiguration,

perhaps Abraham

is also

watching this

and seeing

the day of

Christ unfolding

right in

front of

his eyes

and he's

rejoicing

greatly.

I'm not

sure what

Jesus means

here,

but this

is how the

people in

the crowd

responded to

his statement.

You are

not yet

50 years

old,

they answered,

and you

have seen

Abraham?

It's kind

of like a

mocking

statement.

Like,

look at

you.

You're

what,

30-something?

You're

not even

50 yet,

and you

think you've

seen

Abraham?

Like,

the guy

who lived

2,000

years ago?

And then

Jesus

says this,

verse 58,

Truly,

truly,

I say

to you,

before

Abraham

was born,

I am.

What a

statement.

Before

Abraham

was born,

I am.

This is

probably

the greatest

thing that

Jesus ever

claimed while

he walked

the earth.

death.

At least

it's up

in the

top three,

perhaps.

And there's

so much

in these

words.

First,

let's notice

the way

that this

statement

works.

He says,

before Abraham

was born,

I am.

Jesus is

claiming to

have existed

before the

day of

Abraham's

birth,

2,000

years

earlier.

father.

That in

itself is

astounding.

And this

is why

John began

his gospel

in the way

he did.

We're going

to start

this story

at the

beginning of

Jesus'

story,

thought

John.

not his

birth,

no,

the beginning.

In the

beginning

was the

word,

and the

word was

with God.

All things

were created

through him,

and then

later on

the word

became flesh

and lived

among us.

John was

listening that

day.

Jesus is

no mere

man.

Abraham

was a

mere man.

The

prophets

were mere

men,

but Jesus

is in

fact greater

than all

of them,

because he

existed with

God long

before any

of them were

even born.

This is at

least one

thing that

Jesus is

saying.

But this

is in all.

If this was

all Jesus

meant, he

could have

simply said,

before Abraham

was born,

I was.

But he

doesn't say

I was.

He says,

I am.

This is

undoubtedly

a claim

of Jesus

to be

God,

to be

the Lord,

to be

Yahweh.

This is the

name that

God the

Creator

gives to

himself,

ascribes

for himself.

Perhaps you

remember that

story back

in Exodus

Exodus 3:13

chapter 3

verse 13

and 14.

Moses is

at the

burning bush,

this bush

that's burning

and yet

not being

consumed.

And God

is speaking

out of this

bush and

having a

conversation

with Moses

about going

to deliver

the people

from Egypt.

And Moses

says to God,

suppose I

go to the

Israelites

and say

to them,

the God

of your

fathers has

sent me

to you.

And they

ask me,

what's his

name?

Then what

shall I

tell them?

God

said to

Moses,

Moses,

I am

who I

am.

This is

what you're

to say

to the

Israelites.

I am

has sent

me to

you.

Now there's

so much

in there.

I mean,

we could

have a

whole sermon

on that

alone.

What does

that mean?

It's almost

as if God

is saying

there is

no one

name that

captures

all of

who I

am.

I am

who I

am in

all my

glory.

But this

is what

he,

the name

that he

takes for

himself and

tells Moses

to take

to the

people in

Egypt.

Tell them

that I

am has

sent me

to you.

The one

who is.

This

name seems

to refer

to how

God

exists.

He is

self-existent.

He is the

one who

always was,

is,

and always

will be.

And here,

amazingly,

Jesus

takes that

name upon

his own

lips.

He says,

before Abraham

was born,

I am.

And the

Jewish people

there that

day understood

what Jesus

was saying.

They took

it as

blasphemy.

And we

know this

because of

how they

responded.

In verse

59,

that this,

they picked

up stones

to stone

him.

And

Jesus not

only claimed

to exist

before Abraham

was born,

he claimed

to be

God.

He claimed

to be

not just

any God

or another

God,

but he

claimed to

be the

one true

God,

the Lord,

Yahweh,

the great

I am.

And this

is why John

starts his

gospel the

way he

does.

It's kind

of a strange

starting at

first,

but it's

starting to

make sense.

in the

beginning

was the

word,

and the

word was

with God,

and the

word was

God.

The one

who was

God

became

flesh

and dwelt

among us.

God

himself

took on

human flesh

and came

to live

among us.

the great

I am

walked the

earth.

Jesus

does indeed

make some

astonishing

claims and

offers and

promises,

and we've

seen lots of

these in

John,

like resurrection

from the

dead for

those who

believe,

and eternal

life for

those who

keep his

word,

and forgiveness

of sins.

And the

Jews were

right that

day in

thinking that

for him

to deliver

on these

things,

he's got

to be

greater than

Abraham,

and greater

than the

prophets.

Is he?

In Jesus'

own words,

I am.

this is

quite the

claim.

But this

claim has

not come

without

evidence.

All of

these people

have heard

of it,

many of

them have

seen it.

Jesus

does the

very things

that only

the great

I am

can do.

He

calms

storms with

his words.

He heals

even the

worst of

debilitating

sicknesses

and diseases.

He provides

bread for

multitudes

out in the

middle of

nowhere.

And somehow

he knows the

very thoughts

of people's

hearts as

they're thinking

them.

Like

father,

like son.

The signs

are everywhere

that this is

no ordinary

man.

This isn't

even just a

specially chosen

man like

Abraham was.

This man

Jesus is

God

himself

in human

flesh.

He is the

great I am

who has come

down from

heaven to

live among

us and

amazingly

to give his

life for us

and to save

us.

I hope you

see that

here and I

hope you

believe that

and I hope

that in your

heart you are

rejoicing just

like Abraham

was even as

you think about

how this is

true.

But this

moment in the

story of

Jesus really

is bittersweet.

It's the

moment in

which he

wonderfully

declares who

he is.

But it's

also the

moment in

which the

people listening

try to

commit one

of the

greatest

evils that

they could

possibly do.

They try

to kill

him.

John

tells us

that they

picked up

stones to

stone him

but Jesus

hid himself

and slipped

away from

the temple

grounds.

We don't

know how

exactly but

one way or

another he

got away and

they weren't

actually able to

carry out the

deed.

But it's

bittersweet.

I mean think

about this.

Jesus reveals

that he is

the great I

am and in

that same

moment they

tried to

kill him.

What about

you?

Do you

believe that

Jesus is

the great

I am?

God who

has come

down into

our world

and taken

on human

flesh and

lived among

us?

Do you

believe that

he's greater

than Abraham?

Greater than

all the

prophets?

Do you

believe that

he can

deliver on

all that

he's promised

to do

for those

who believe

in him?

God can

forgive sins.

God can

raise people

back to

life after

they die.

God can

give eternal

life,

sustain life

forever.

And he

himself has

come down

to offer

all of this

in his

words to

whoever believes.

or in

this

passage,

if you

keep my

word,

to those

who keep

his

word.

Do you

believe in

Jesus?

Are you

keeping his

word?

Lord,

let's

pray.

Lord

Jesus,

we thank

you for

coming down.

We can't

even imagine

what it was

like to be

there that

day and

to face

what you

faced,

the hatred,

the anger.

But we

thank you

that you

came down

and that

you went

through that

and even

more,

all the way

to the

cross.

For us,

so that we

could be

saved.

Thank you

that you

give us

eternal life

and that we

will never

die.

Those of us

who believe

in you and

keep your

word,

that's amazing.

And for all

of us here

this morning,

Lord,

we pray and

ask that you

would help

us not to

take your

word lightly,

but to

believe from

our hearts,

from the

depths of our

hearts,

everything you

said,

and to hold

on to it,

to keep it

all the way

to the end

when you

return.

we long

for that

day.

In your

name,

amen.

Amen.

Amen.