Jesus and Abraham

Today's Reflections 
 
                                       

Jesus and Abraham 

 http://graceandspace.org

Jn 8:51-59

[Jesus said to the Jews,] ⁵¹“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.” ⁵²[So] the Jews said to him, “Now we are sure that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’ ⁵³Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?” ⁵⁴Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ ⁵⁵You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I do know him and I keep his word. ⁵⁶Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” ⁵⁷So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?” ⁵⁸Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” ⁵⁹So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.

They picked up stones to throw at him. Come to think of it, Jesus may have died a lot earlier—of stoning instead of being crucified on the cross. The reason for this early attempt on his life is the same as when his enemies will finally crucify him on the cross—he claims to be God as he calls himself I AM—the name God gave Moses at the burning bush (cf Ex 3:14).

Jesus implies that he is not only greater than Abraham whom the Jews acknowledge as their father. He is also claiming to be equal with God or to be God himself! This is the height of blasphemy for the Jews. So they want to kill him—not because they misunderstand him but because they cannot accept what he claims to be. They think Jesus is an impostor taking the name of the Lord God in vain (the second commandment given to Moses), and so they reject him and want him dead. They will eventually succeed with their evil intentions, but Jesus will be vindicated by his Father who glorifies him.

“If today you hear his voice,

harden not your hearts” (cf Ps 95:8).