Jesus And Abraham
JESUS AND ABRAHAM
JOHN 8:48-59
If Jesus was not the Son of God, his claims were madness. However, if he was, then we are to take far greater notice of them.
Most of us are familiar with the alleged marginal note against a portion of a written sermon: “argument weak here—raise voice and thump pulpit!” There is something of this attitude in Christ’s adversaries who, unable to combat his teaching, resort to slander and invective. They cannot understand Jesus’ claims or accept them in so far as they do understand them. They therefore accuse Jesus of being a demon-possessed Samaritan. Jesus will not allow them to get away with such slanderous suggestions, for the fact is that he is honoring his Father in doing his work, and it is God who will make the truth plain. Obedience to his word is a passport through death.
Such an assertion settles the question of demon-possession as far as the Jews are concerned. Abraham, the great ancestor of the race, had to die. How could a man like this promise immortality? Jesus has to remind them again that what he does and says is not simply his own whim, for his mission is inspired and authenticated by his Father. It would be false for him to say less than the truth of his relationship with God. Abraham had rejoiced to see his day, for even before Abraham was born he was there in his eternal being. This is sheer blasphemy and an attempt is made to stone him for it, but again, for the moment, he escapes.
Notes 8:48: to be a Samaritan was one step worse in their eyes than being a Galilean. The Samaritans’ ancestry was mixed (2 Kings 17:24) and this may be a further charge of illegitimacy (cf. 8:41). He is accused of having a demon in 7:20 and 10:20. It is only here that he refutes the charge. How easy it is to conduct our theological arguments by “labelling” people and then thinking we have refuted their views! 8:53: “Are you greater…?” The woman of Samaria asked the same question with relation to Jacob, and the answer given was indirect, as it is here. “Who do you claim to be?”—literally “make yourself” (cf. 5:18; 10:33; 19:7,12). He made himself nothing, what he was he was by the will of the Father. 8:56: Jewish tradition said that Abraham saw the whole history of his descendants and the messianic age. 8:57: “have you seen Abraham?” is the best reading. It shows how the Jews misquoted his claim, still assuming that Abraham is the greater of the two. 8:58: Abraham not only died but was born. Christ is eternally. Here, as the reaction shows, there must be a claim to deity (Exodus 3:14). 8:59: by hiding himself, Christ was, in effect, passing judgment on them: they had rejected him and stood condemned (cf. 3:18).
For meditation Note Christ’s desire throughout this chapter to glorify the Father, and not himself Are we as selfless in our lives and service?