⁴⁸ The Jews answered him, “Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?”
⁴⁹ “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. ⁵⁰ I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. ⁵¹ Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”
⁵² At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. ⁵³ Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
⁵⁴ Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. ⁵⁵ Though 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. ⁵⁶ Your 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!” ⁵⁹ At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
This is either the most wonderful news or the most dangerous claim ever made.
– Tim Keller
Thoughts
- Mocking The Message of Life (48-51) The religious leaders hurl their worst insults at Jesus: they call the Suffering Servant (Isa 53:3) a despised outsider and a demon-possessed man. Their words drip hatred. But Jesus doesn’t defend himself or fire back. He simply answers, I honor my Father and you dishonor me. Even when rejected and mocked, Jesus remains anchored in one thing: honoring his Father. He refuses to grasp for his own reputation. Instead, he quietly extends the most breathtaking invitation: whoever obeys my word will never see death. This is what living in the good news looks like when we face rejection. In our image-conscious world, we panic when we’re misunderstood or attacked. We rush to defend ourselves and to clear our name. But Jesus shows us a better, freer way: rest in the Father’s approval instead of fighting for your own. The promise is full of hope and wonder. There’s a “double-double” emphasis: Very truly [ἀμὴν ἀμὴν] I tell you and the strong never ever [οὐ μὴ] see death. Jesus says the life he offers cannot be touched by death. The One who was dishonored is offering you the life that death cannot touch. ➤ You don’t have to defend yourself or grasp for your own reputation. Just keep his word. The Father, who will manifest his own glory, will take care of the rest.
- The Shocker: “Before Abraham Was, I Am” (John 8:52–59). To the Jews, Abraham was far more than a distant ancestor, he’s the father of their nation. He was the man God called out of Ur, the one with whom God made an unbreakable covenant. Through him came the promise: I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing… and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Gen 12:2–3). Abraham was the foundation of their identity, their “chosenness,” and their hope. He stood at the very beginning of God’s saving story with Israel. That is why Jesus’ words crash like thunder. They ask, “Who do you think you are? Jesus answers, Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I am! He does not say, “Before Abraham was, I was.” He says, I AM— that is the sacred divine name ἐγὼ εἰμί that Yahweh revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exo 3:14). This is not a claim that he lived a long time ago. This is a claim to timeless, eternal existence. Abraham had a beginning. Jesus did not. He eternally existed before Abraham. In their ears, it’s not arrogance: it’s ultimate blasphemy. Jesus is claiming to be Yahweh in the flesh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That’s why they pick up stones to kill him. The same I AM who spoke to Moses from the bush now stands before them offering eternal life to anyone who keeps his word. ➤ The One who was dishonored is the very One who can save us from death.
Reflections
- Looking at the whole passage, what is one practical way this week you can rest more in the Father’s approval instead of fighting for your own reputation?
GoJ 9-10
