Anchor My Faith

Jesus Said, “I AM” and They Picked Up Stones

Scripture: John 8:57-59

We managed to finish verse 56 in the previous lesson but was unable to complete the section, which we will do with this lesson. We will pick up the conversation with the Jews reacting to what Jesus said about Abraham rejoicing to see his day.

^{Jn 8:57} “So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”

There are different thoughts concerning the age given. Maybe they chose fifty because that was considered the period of time for full manhood. I believe the point they were trying to make was that Jesus was still a young man and could not have seen Abraham who died so many centuries ago. But Jesus never said he saw Abraham, but that Abraham saw his day and rejoiced and was glad.

The conversation has come to the point where Jesus is ready to make another important claim, this time in regard to seeing Abraham. ^{Jn 8:58} Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

As the Jews pick up stones to throw at him, we will consider what Jesus said. He is making it very clear that he was alive before Abraham was, but how he said it was important. He did not say, “Before Abraham was, I was.” That would imply that as a man he was over 2000 years old and everyone knew that he wasn’t. But by saying, “Before Abraham was, I am.” he was claiming to have existed before Abraham. That claim set him apart from men by claiming a kind of transcendence over time that could only be true of God. Using the expression “I am”, Jesus is claiming to be eternal and to be the God that spoke to Moses from the burning bush. The Jews understood immediately what Jesus was saying, ^{Jn 8:59} “So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.”

It is not clear who picked up the stones. Was it just those in authority or did it include some in the crowds who listened? Why were stones used? Because “Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death” (Leviticus 24:16 ESV). By claiming to be God, they considered Jesus guilty of blaspheme and thus needed to be stoned to death. However, this punishment they were about to inflict on Jesus, was supposed to be the result of righteous judgment, not mob violence.

Since Jesus was not to die from stoning but on the cross in payment for our salvation, he managed to slip out of the temple and get away from those intending to kill him.

Conclusion

Are you able to believe that Jesus, who walked the earth over 2000 years ago, was the virgin born Son of God who spoke to Moses from the burning bush? Are you able to believe that Jesus spoke into existence all of creation? Do you believe that he died on the cross for your sin and rose again to provide you with eternal life? Do you enjoy walking with him by faith today? Do you look forward with great anticipation to being with him for an eternity?