Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see My day. He saw it and was glad.”Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and was glad.”Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad.
3 sermons cite this verse
Surely you are not greater than our father, Abraham, who died. The prophets died too. Whom do you make yourself out to be? In verse 56, Jesus said, your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and he was glad. Now, the Pharisees were really confused. Why are you even mentioning yourself and Abraham in the same breath? Why, Abraham died 2,000 years ago, and you're not even 50 years of age yet, they said. How could you have had any relationship with Abraham? And look how he answered in verse 58. Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am. Jesus said, I existed long before Abraham was even born. I am eternal. He could have stopped there, but he didn't. He said, before Abraham was born, I am. That simple phrase, I am, sent the alarm bells ringing in the Pharisees' minds. They recognize that phrase, I am. Because that phrase, I am, is the most holy name for God, Yahweh. It was the name that God identified himself by when he appeared before Moses in the burning bush. Remember in Exodus 3.14, Moses said, Who am I to say sent me to you, Pharaoh? And God said to Moses, I am who I am. And he said, thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I am has sent me to you. I am Yahweh, the most holy God, the only God. The Pharisees understood what Jesus was saying when he said before Abraham was, …
… Either I surrender or I fight. Now, that's the way we find Jesus in this crowd that surrounded him in John chapter 8, verses 12 to 59. He is not around a crowd that had never heard of God. I want to make that clear. He is in a context of religion. As a matter of fact, one of the three great festivals of the year is where he was at the time he spoke the words of John 8, the Feast of Tabernacles. Remember the other time that he brought a sword? He said, Are any of you thirsty? Come to me and drink. They were pouring out the water from that sacred vessel on that sacred altar, and he said, Wait a minute! Let me tell you where real water is. It's in me, and you come to me, you'll never thirst again. Oh, that was a sword. And it started an argument that still hasn't ceased. Now, he comes to this place called the treasury, according to verse 20 of chapter 8. …
And a personal favorite of mine on this topic of Jesus being eternal is John chapter 8, verses 52 through 59, more specifically verse 58. We see here in John 8, Then the Jews said to him, Now we know you have a demon. Abraham is dead, and the prophets. And you say, If anyone keeps my word, he shall never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead? Who do you make yourself out to be? Jesus answered, If I honor myself, my honor is nothing. It is my father who honors me. of whom you say that he is your God. Yet you have not known him, but I know him. And if I say I do not know him, I shall be a liar like you. But I do know him and keep his word. Your father, get this guys, listen. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad. Then the Jews said to him, you are not yet 50 years old and have you seen Abraham? …