"Before Abraham was, I AM.
John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Most as" suredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
People use this statement of Jesus to prove that He literally existed in the Old Testament. But just like how the people in Jesus' day missed what He was saying, we have many people today doing the same thing. Let's read it in context and listen carefully to what is being said. We must be careful not to bring our preconceived beliefs into the conversation. I will underline some key points that we need to see.
John 8:54-58 Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
We have been taught, through these verses, that Jesus was revealing His preexistence to the religious Jews. Those who teach this from these verses have come to the same wrong conclusion as the Jews did back then. The wrong conclusion is seen in how the Jews questioned the fact that Jesus said He saw Abraham. Jesus never said He saw Abraham. What He did say is that Abraham saw His DAY and rejoiced. It was the Jews who misquoted Jesus, which has led to our confusion today.
What did Abraham see that caused him to be glad and how did he see it?
Abraham saw, by faith, Jesus' DAY and rejoiced. This day is referring to coming of the promised seed according to God's plan. God told Abraham that he was (present tense) a father of many nations even before Abraham had any children and Abraham believed God.
James 2:23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
The promise of God was to be fulfilled in Jesus as being the promised seed of Abraham and Savior of God's people. This is what the people of God in Jesus' day were waiting for.
Luke 2:25-31 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people.
By faith Abraham saw Jesus' day and believed and rejoiced because of it. We know this day was a future day that Abraham saw because Abraham died without receiving the promise.
In order for God to reveal His plan to Abraham, regarding the day of Jesus, the seed would have had to have been in existence before Abraham was even born. Jesus understood this because He knew His Father's plan through the reading the Old Testament Scriptures so He could say, "Before Abraham was, I am", referring to the foreordained plan of God. In other words, before Abraham ever existed, the seed, according to the plan and promise, was already in route. Listen.
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.
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