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Jesus-Existed Before Abraham
May 9, 2020

Last week we read how Jesus was transfigured before three of his disciples, Peter, James, and John during our continued study of the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus and His disciples had many encounters with the scribes and Pharisees who he thought as hypocrites because they made the law of God meaningless. These were the people who thought of themselves as the religious elite, and worthy. They saw other people as less than them. It was with this background that Jesus taught his disciples the importance of taking care of little children. While the words of Jesus would apply to physical children, Jesus was teaching about spiritual children, people new in the faith, and he was speaking about these spiritual children to the people, His disciples, who would be the early leaders of the church. Jesus did not want the church to be led by people who saw themselves as religiously elite, worthy, and above other people. Unlike the Pharisees who looked down on people who in their mind were less than them, like spiritual children, Jesus taught the disciples to act differently.

Matthew 18:10-14
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

As the time drew nearer for Jesus to die, Jesus desired to go to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. Knowing people wanted to kill him, and knowing that it was not yet time for Him to die, Jesus arrived in secret after the disciples had already arrived. He taught at the temple in the middle of the feast, and it was on the Last Great Day of the Feast, when Jesus stood and cried saying that rivers of living water would flow from the belly of all who believe. Because the Holy Spirit had not yet been given, people did not understand the symbolism Jesus used and some thought he was the Messiah while others didn’t believe because they incorrectly concluded that Jesus was not born in Bethlehem, where prophecies said the Messiah would be born. Because the people were split in their understanding, even though some people wanted to take Jesus then and there, Jesus was left alone.

John 7:37-44
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? So there was a division among the people because of him. And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.

When Jesus was later teaching people, he told them that people who kept his sayings would never see death. The people didn’t understand the resurrection and the gift of everlasting life. They concluded Jesus must be possessed because in their minds Abraham and the prophets were all dead and thought Jesus had made Himself greater than Abraham and the prophets. Jesus explained he was claiming no honor for himself and that only God the Father can bestow honor. Jesus also explained that these same people did not know God the Father. He told them how Abraham was happy to see the day of the Messiah not understanding that Abraham and Elijah were with Jesus in the transfiguration. Not understanding the divine nature of Jesus, they wanted to know how He could possibly have met Abraham. Jesus told them that He existed prior to Abraham. The people knew Jesus was claiming a divine lineage, and this made the people so incredibly angry that they wanted to cast stones at Him to kill Jesus. Jesus was able to sneak away from the angry mob.

John 8:51-59
Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Throughout His ministry, Jesus would find Himself at odds with the scribes and Pharisees who represented the status quo. They were not about to give up their power and control. With every teaching Jesus found himself challenged and those who challenged Him sought to find reason to kill Him. Jesus was tempted daily and never succumbed to the temptation and as a result we have Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ, who can forgive sins so that we can have eternal life.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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