Before Abraham Was, I Am

[Read John 8:48-59]
I’m not sure how many of you have ever tried to teach middle schoolers before, but it could easily be likened to trying to herd squirrels. They are all over the place—physically and mentally. Not only are they running all over the place and you’re trying to get them to just sit still for a little bit, but their minds are also running all over the place.

Often, when teaching middle schoolers, you’ll be talking about one thing, and they will raise their hand and ask a question that has nothing to do with the conversation at hand. You’ll be trying to teach them about the history of Germany, and a kid in class will raise his hand and say, “Teacher? What happens if you leave a dirty pair of socks in your gym locker for an entire year? Is that bad?” As a teacher, you feel compelled to answer their question—for their own safety and the safety of others—but you also have to keep on task. So, you find yourself trying to briefly answer their distracting questions, but also find yourself always saying things like, “Now, back to my point” or “What I’ve been trying to say is…”

I start off with that illustration because that’s what seems to be happening in this conversation between Jesus and the Jews. This passage is connected with last weeks passage. It’s the same conversation, involving the same people. This is a conversation between Jesus and people who claim to believe in him and follow him—some of them actually do and some of them actually don’t. This is a mixed crowd of believers and non-believers. And Jesus has something in mind that he wants to say, but he keeps getting interrupted by people in the crowd. They keep bringing up accusations and asking questions that don’t seem relevant to what he wants to talk about. Yet, graciously, he answers their random questions—for their good and the people around them—but then gets back to the point he’s been trying to make for a long time.

Most of the time, these distractions come in the form of accusations. Don’t forget what Jesus had just said to the Jews last week. He told them that they were not actually children of God or Abraham, but were acting more like children of the devil. So, how do they respond? They accuse Jesus of the same things. They say, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” (John 8:48, ESV). Notice the two things they accuse Jesus of: 1) he has a demon—HE is the one who is a child of Satan, or at least influenced by him and 2) he is a Samaritan—not a REAL child of Abraham, not really part of God’s people. They just accuse Jesus of the same things he said about them. The more I describe this situation, the more it really seems like he is dealing with middle schoolers here. When someone calls a middle schooler a name, what do they do? They just say the same thing back to them, don’t they? “No. YOUR the stupid, dumb head!” I think DA Carson describes it best when he says, “When their theological argument fails, Jesus’ opponents turn to personal abuse.” (Carson, 354). When they start losing the logical argument, they resort to calling people names.

Jesus responds to some of these accusations and refutes them briefly, but then he gets back to the point he was making last week and the point he ultimately wanted to make. He says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”” (John 8:51, ESV). Jesus wants to talk about what it truly means to believe in him—have faith in him. As he talks to a group of people—some who truly believe and some who don’t—he doesn’t just want to answer their accusations, he wants them to know what true faith looks like. So, he reminds them of what he said last week.

True faith keeps his word. I don’t want to spend too much time here this week because we spent a lot of time here last week, but it’s important that we don’t forget this part of what Jesus says—especially because it’s going to play an important role later on in the passage. A true faith, abides in God’s Word and keeps God’s Word.

Here’s some of the logic behind that blunt/bold statement. You cannot have faith in a God you do not know. That makes sense, right? Then, you cannot know God apart from his word because that is where God has revealed himself to us. So, if you are not in God’s Word, you cannot know God, and you cannot have faith in that God. Also connected with this idea is the outflow of a true faith. If you truly have faith and trust in the God who has revealed himself in His Word, you will keep his word and follow it—that’s what it means to trust him. That’s why Jesus can accuse the Jews: “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.” (John 8:54–55, ESV).

This is also why the conversation switches over to Abraham. As we’ll see from what Jesus says, and what scripture says elsewhere, Abraham had true faith—a faith that flowed from a knowledge of God and a faith that flowed into keeping God’s Word. Jesus makes a powerful statement, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” (John 8:56, ESV). This is a description of Abraham’s true faith—a faith that flows from knowing God and a faith that flowed into obedience, but also flowed into rejoicing and gladness. Abraham’s faith actually resulted in more than just gladness and rejoicing, Calvin says, “The word exult expresses a vehement zeal and ardent affection. We must now supply the contrast. Though the knowledge of Christ was still so obscure, Abraham was inflamed by so strong a desire, that he preferred the enjoyment of it to everything that was reckoned desirable.” (Calvin, 360). That’s a true faith.

Now, to help us understand more fully what Jesus is talking about, I want to read a fairly long portion of scripture. I think it’s important for us to understand HOW Abraham saw Jesus’ day and rejoiced—HOW Abraham had a passion and affection that caused him to see Jesus as worth more than anything the world had to offer. We read about Abraham’s faith in Hebrews 11: “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” (Hebrews 11:8–16, ESV).

Notice all of the connections between that passage and what Jesus is saying in our passage this morning. We read, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8, ESV). By faith, Abraham obeyed—he kept God’s Word. Right, that’s part of true faith. He went to a foreign land because he knew his God and trusted him. He and Sarah believed God’s promise for a child—they had faith—because they knew their God. We read, “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.” (Hebrews 11:11, ESV). She knew God was faithful, that’s why she trusted him and believed in him and obeyed him.

Then we read this powerful statement, “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” (Hebrews 11:13, ESV). This is how Abraham saw Jesus’ day and rejoiced in it and exulted in it and was glad. He saw it from afar by faith. Abraham never fully saw God’s promises fulfilled in his life—he never saw the heavenly kingdom promised, he never saw the blessings to the nations. Yet, he saw glimpses of them in this life, and saw the fulfillment of them in the future by faith.

This is also part of a True Faith. It’s not just about knowing God and obeying His Word in this life—although that’s part of it. It’s also about knowing God and trusting in the fulfillment of promises you haven’t seen yet. That’s why Hebrews 11 begins saying, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, ESV). True faith is about knowing God and trusting in the things He has promised—even when we can’t see them, even when we don’t understand them. And not only trusting in those promises, but rejoicing in those future promises, exulting in those future promises. It’s about rejoicing in those future promises so much that we see ourselves as strangers and exiles in this world—rejoicing in those future promises to the point that we see the fulfillment of those promises as worth more than anything we can have in this world. That’s true faith.

And that kind of true faith in glorious future things, deeply affects the way we live now in the present. There used to be a saying, “He’s so heavenly minded that he’s no earthly good.” I’ve known people like that and it’s not good. However, that’s not always the case. This passage is actually teaching that we need to be so heavenly minded that we ARE of earthly good. Our heavenly mindedness needs to change the way we live here and now. It needs to change the way we trust and rely on God now in this life. It needs to change the way we raise our kids, change the way we go to work, change the way we buy cars and houses and clothing. That’s what Hebrews 11 is talking about, their heavenly mindedness changed everything about the way they lived in this world. Because they looked beyond this world and they knew who their God is, they trusted him and followed him with a radical faith and obeyed him in radical circumstances. This kind of true faith looks forward to a glorious future promised by God, and that glorious future gives us strength and peace and joy to keep God’s Word and obey him and fully rely on him in this life. That’s the kind of faith Abraham had, and it’s the kind of faith any of his true children have.

And it’s that kind of faith that Jesus is talking about when he says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” (John 8:51, ESV). This is the point Jesus has been trying to get to with this group of people. He has already said that those who are truly his disciples will abide in his word and keep his word. He has already said that those who abide in his word and keep his word will be truly set free. Now, he wants them to know that those who are truly his disciples—who have a true faith and keep his word—will never see death. That’s more powerful than most of us imagine. This is talking about ultimate salvation and eternal life. Those with a true faith in Jesus, will not taste or see death.

Now, the Jews took issue with that, and I’m sure some of you do as well. What does he mean we will never see death? We will die won’t we? We’ve known other believers who have died? Even the passage we read in Hebrews 11 talked about people who had true faith and died, right? Let’s read it: “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” (Hebrews 11:13, ESV). What I love about that passage in connection with our own is that it talks about them dying in faith, but seeing something else. As they died, they didn’t see death, they saw God’s promises and greeted them from afar. They saw God’s promises and rejoiced in them. That’s what they saw. They didn’t see death. Herman Ridderbos makes a powerful point along these lines: “Those who believe in Jesus’ word already have eternal life; death is no longer facing them but behind them; when they pass away, they will not be handed over to death.” (Ridderbos, 318). And by faith, THAT is what we see. We see the reality that we already have eternal life, right now in this life. Death is no longer an issue for us. We see life and we see that life by faith. We know that life exists because we know that we serve a faithful God who has promised us that life. So, we see that life and receive it and rejoice in it and exult in it right now as we live—as we raise our children, go to work, and pay our bills.

I can’t underestimate how much this changes everything about the way we live in this life. This IS the greatest fear of everyone living on earth whether they admit it or not. This is why so many people have tried to overcome death in such a variety of ways. This is why so many tech companies are trying to figure out their own version of eternal life. People are afraid of death and dying. It’s hanging over their head every moment of every day—affecting every decision they make—affecting the cars they drive, the homes they buy, the job they work, the way they speak and act. Now, imagine living without that fear. Imagine living without that concern. Imagine living as if you already have eternal life, as if death has no power over you, as if death is not actually death but life for you. It changes everything. This is part of that freedom Jesus was talking about last week—not only freedom from sin, but also freedom from death. Freedom to live unafraid of death and dying. Freedom to live by true faith in the one who has prepared a heavenly kingdom for us.

All of this leads the Jews to ask the question that has been on their minds for a long time: “Who do you make yourself out to be?” (John 8:53, ESV). Who is this guy who thinks he can save people from death? Who does he think he is? Only God can save people from death. Does this guy make himself out to be God? The answer to that question is. No. Jesus does not make himself out to be God. He is. That’s why Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58, ESV). Before Abraham was born, Jesus already existed. This statement harkens back to the very first verse of this gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1, ESV). Jesus is the Word and the Word was with God in the beginning and the Word was God in the beginning. He is. Of course this connects with God’s statement to Moses that, “I AM WHO I AM.” (Exodus 3:14, ESV) and it’s Jesus’ answer to all of the accusations and all of the confusion. He is both God and Man. He has always existed throughout eternity. He existed before Abraham. He even existed before the beginning. He is. And that is why he has power over death.

It’s important to recognize that this is necessary for our salvation. If Jesus is only a man, he cannot be our savior. If Jesus is only God, he cannot be our savior. He has to be both. He has to be man to fully represent us in our sinfulness and He has to be God to carry the weight and the burden of our sin. If he is not BOTH at the same time, he is not a perfect Savior. But, since he is BOTH at the same time—truly God and truly Man—he can be a perfect Savior who frees us from sin and death and gives us eternal life.

Not only is this the foundation of our salvation, but it’s also the foundation of our faith. How in the world can we trust and obey the Word of God when it says things so contrary to the world around us? We can trust and obey because we know it has come from the eternal God who created the heavens and the earth. We know him. We know that he is faithful and would never lead us astray. So, we listen to him and obey him, even when it is hard and seems difficult and doesn’t make sense. We trust the I AM with a true faith. How in the world can we have faith in things we cannot see and fully rely on God in this life? Well, because he is the I AM who has always existed and is ruling and reigning over all of creation. That means if he promises something, it will happen, no questions asked. We see his faithfulness in the past and know he will continue to be faithful in the future. So, when he promises, it will happen. So, we trust him with a true faith. How in the world can we live in this world unafraid of death and dying and live resting fully in our salvation? He is the eternal God who knew you before the foundations of the earth. He is the one who called you and redeemed you and set you free. He is the one who told you that you possess life NOW—you have been transferred from death to life NOW—so that you will not see death, but will only see the promised eternal life.

We live by true faith and true faith is knowing our God and knowing that he is always faithful and will fulfill his promises, even when we cannot see them.