Anchor My Faith

Are You Greater Than Abraham?

Scripture: John 8:52-56

We ended the previous lesson with Jesus saying, “If anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” To the Jews that was quite absurd. How can keeping his word keep us from physical death, and besides who would want to live in these bodies forever? They do not understand the concept of spiritual life, which is born out in how the Jews respond to Jesus.

^{Jn 8:52} “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.’ ⁵³ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?”’

To the Jews, what Jesus was saying made no sense and so out of their disdain for him they say he has a demon. Then they point out that great men of the past died, especially their father Abraham. They then challenge Jesus with the question of greatness; “Are you greater than Abraham and these prophets who died?” Who do you think you are? What Jesus is about to say in response will surely cause a strong reaction from the Jews.

^{Jn 8:54} “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.’ ⁵⁵ 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. ⁵⁶ Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.”’

It means nothing when one tries to bring glory to themselves. That glory only has value when it comes from someone else, especially if it is from God. But does God give his glory to another? “I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols” (Isaiah 42:8 ESV). Someone may say, “Didn’t the Father give glory to Jesus?” Yes, but it was the glory he once had before taking on the flesh of a man. “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed” (John 17:5 ESV).

For the Father to glorify Jesus implies that Jesus must be in the same class as his Father; the Son of God. His Father, who the Jews say, “He is our God”, Jesus claims they do not know. For Jesus to say that he did not know the Father would make him a liar like them in claiming they knew God. But Jesus does know the Father because he came from him and he keeps his word.

Since the Jews consider it to be a special honor to be descendants of Abraham, they were then bound to listen to what he had said of the Messiah. Jesus tells them that Abraham rejoiced that he would see “my day.” What did he see or understand that caused him to rejoice? What did Abraham see in “my day” that caused him to rejoice and when was “my day”?

With these questions before us, we will end this lesson pick up at this point with verse 56 in the next lesson.

Conclusion

Each statement Jesus makes moves him closer to his claim to be the I AM who spoke to Moses from the burning bush and each statement make the Jews more furious. Tension is building and soon their time will come, and they will be allowed to take Jesus and nail him to the cross.