John 8:56-58 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. (57) Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? (58) Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."
In these passages Jesus is telling the Pharisees of His identity, but they
cannot understand it. They are accusing Him of doing wrong. Jesus does
not argue; yet He tells them the truth. They said Abraham was their father,
then when questioned, they said God is their only father. Jesus had said,
"If Abraham was your father, you would believe what I'm saying."
Again, He was not arguing, neither was He trying to persuade them to believe
Him. Jesus was merely stating facts.
When they persisted, Jesus made this beautiful statement: "Your
father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad." This
statement really threw them for a loop. Having the full account of the Gospel,
we can understand how Abraham saw the day of Jesus. It was, of course, when God
had told Abraham to take Isaac up on Mount Moriah and there to sacrifice him
unto the Lord. Abraham was fully intending to do just that. God stopped
him after he had laid Isaac on the altar and was about to plunge the knife into
him. It was at that time God showed Abraham the ram that was caught in the
thicket. Certainly Abraham rejoiced when God provided the ram to die in the
place of his son. You and I, having the finished picture, understand that ram
to be representative of the Lord God providing Himself a Lamb for the
sacrifice. That Lamb of God was Jesus. We see, understand, and love that Old
Testament picture of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But we also understand that it was not only in picture and type that Jesus
existed at that time. When God created this universe, Jesus was with Him. If we
remember, John began His account of the Gospel with the words of confirmation
that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. "In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The
same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by
him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." (John 1:1-3)
Then John goes on to say in verse 14, "And the Word was made flesh, and
dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of
the Father,) full of grace and truth."
Yes! Before Abraham was, I AM. Jesus is the eternal Son of God. He is the Son
of God in creation. He is the Son of God in the Old Testament. He is the Son of
God in the New Testament. He is the Son of God as He hung on the cross. He is
the Son of God laying in the tomb. He is the Son of God when He walked out of
that grave alive. He is the Son of God as He lives in our hearts today!
He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today!!