Because 50 Day 12
Scripture Reading: John 8:53-59
53Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
54Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”
57“You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
Today’s Prayer:
Jesus, help me to see you in the fullness of who you really are as Creator of all things.
Going Deeper:
Jesus was having a sharp, pointed argument with the Pharisees and the religious leaders. Earlier Jesus had told them that if they obeyed his teaching, they wouldn’t see death. This led to outrage and cries that Jesus was out of his mind. The religious establishment even questioned who Jesus was in verse 53. His response in verse so enraged the establishment that they sought to kill Him? What was the response of Jesus that created this animosity?
In verse 58, Jesus says, “Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I am.” The phrase “I am” was a clear claim by Jesus to be God in human form. In the Exodus narrative, Moses encounters God in the wilderness. He asks God for a name, what he should call Him. God responds with “I am” (literally YHWH). The Jews held that revelation of God in such high esteem and so sacred that they never pronounced the name except for the high priest on the Day of Atonement. In fact, if they were referencing God, they would use a different term, Adonai, just to make sure they didn’t say it in the wrong tone or reverence.
The Jewish understanding of God was that God was an integral part of all of life. There was not a single aspect of our existence that was outside the realm of His domain. He was King over all. He was God of the universe. And He wants to be Lord of our lives. The Dutch theologian and politician Abraham Kuyper said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” If Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things, what does that mean for your life? How does your life reflect that?