Regarding John 8:58

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

First thing, let us look at the questions that Jesus was asked? That is, in verse 53.
“You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died, are You? The prophets died too. Whom do you make yourself out to be?”

2 questions:
1) Jesus was asked if he believed that he was greater than Abraham?
2) Jesus was asked who did he believe he was?

Jesus had answered these hard-hearted nonbelievers on various occasions before, even in this very chapter. Yet, they would not listen.

Nonetheless, let us answer those questions.
Where did Jesus first use and explained those two words
\’I am\’ ?

Turn to John 4:25-26
The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”
26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

Sorry to get a little technical however the English words,
\”I am\” are the Greek words \”ego eimi\” which in English is usually written “I am!” Which means,
I am the one you are referring to!

(Some English translations add the word he to clarify this e.g. NKJV: Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
NASB: Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
The he is not in the Greek, but it is added to make more sense in English. That is why, in most cases, the he is written in italics to point this out.)

So Jesus answered the Samaritan woman, “I am he! The one you are referring to!”
He who? THE MESSIAH! In response to verse 25!

That\’s it! When Jesus uses the words “I am he – ego eimi,” he is saying, “I am he! The promised Messiah!”

Whether, Jesus says, “I am” the true bread, the light, the way, the truth, the life, etc. They are all in reference to the fact that he is the Promised Messiah, the one sent by the ONE GOD, his Father.

With that in mind, let us turn to John Chapter 8.

In verse 12, Jesus tells the Pharisees that he is \”the light of the world\”. Look at their response. Did they believe him?
In verse 16, Jesus confirms he has been sent by his Father.
In verse 19, Jesus tells them that they NEITHER KNOW him nor his Father.
In verse 23, Jesus tells them that they are \”from below\”, that they are \”of this world.\”
John 8:24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.

Did you notice that?
Jesus said “I am – ego eimi” in verse 24. His audience did not react to it! There was no stoning. Yet he said the identical two words of verse 58.

So what was Jesus saying?
Answer: I am he who? The Messiah! Unless one believes that Jesus is the Messiah, such a one will die in their sins.

Notice their next question in verse 25?
So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.

Is it not a fact, that from the beginning of his ministry, Jesus had told, whoever is willing to hear, that he is Son of God, the one sent by God his Father?
Yet here they are still asking, “Who are you?”

Sadly, Jesus goes on to say
John 8:26 “I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.”
27 They did NOT understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father.

So it is clear at this point that Jesus\’ audience were NOT understanding what he was saying.

Jesus continues.
John 8:28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”

Did you notice that?

Jesus said “I am – ego eimi” in verse 28. His audience did not react to it! There was no stoning. Yet he said the identical two words of verse 58.

So what was Jesus saying?
Answer: When I am crucified, then you will know that I am the Messiah who did nothing on his own authority, but spoke just as the ONE GOD, the Father had taught him.
GOD who sent him was with Jesus (compare Acts 10:38).
That Jesus the Messiah was not left alone, because he had done the things that pleased GOD.

Jesus continues.

In verse 37, Jesus tells them that his word is not in them!
In verse 40, Jesus tells us that he is A MAN that has told the truth that he has heard from God!
In verse 44, he tells his audience that their father is the devil!
In verse 45, he says “But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.”
In verse 47, he tells them that “they are not of God!”

So by verse 53, what has Jesus told his audience?
That, they don\’t know God, they are from below, they are of this world, that \’his word\’ is not in them, that their father is the devil, they are not of God!

Wow! Could you imagine how his audience must have been feeling at that moment? After such a string of stinging rebukes! To be told your father is the devil and that you are not of God!

Dear reader, would you not agree that they would be upset if not angry to say the very least?
With that in mind, we come to the questions in verse 53.

“You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died, are You? The prophets died too. Whom do you make yourself out to be?”
1) Jesus was asked if he believed that he was greater than Abraham?
2) Jesus was asked who did he believe he was?

Jesus answered by saying,

v54: that he did not glorify himself. That the Father is GOD!
v55: That they do NOT know God! That Jesus does know God. That he was not a liar like them!
v56: That Abraham rejoiced to see HIS DAY!

Notice! Jesus did NOT say that Abraham saw him! Rather, by faith, Abraham rejoiced to see “his day.” That is, the day of the fulfilment of God\’s promises regarding Abraham\’s seed, Jesus the Messiah. (See Galatians 3:8,16; Genesis Chapter 12)
Abraham saw it (by faith) and was glad!

v57: Hence, the response of the misunderstanding, non-listening audience, who have clearly misunderstood Jesus
throughout Chapter 8!
Their response: “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”
Notice: Jesus did NOT say that Abraham saw him nor that he had seen Abraham.

So, Jesus responded with, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
I am who? The Messiah!

In other words, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, GOD had foreordained that Jesus His Son would be the Messiah!”

Seeing then, that Jesus is indeed the foreordained Messiah, therefore, in this regard, Jesus is indeed BOTH greater than Abraham and all the prophets who are dead!
Jesus is making himself out to be the Messiah! The very same thing he had been claiming from the beginning!

That is why his angry crowd wanted to stone him. They could not accept his Messianic claims.

To confirm this meaning of John 8:58, let us look at two pieces of confirmation.

1) What was the reason why Jesus was crucified in Matthew 26:63-66, Mark 14:61-64, John 19:7?
Answer: For claiming to be the Christ, that is, the Messiah, the Son of GOD!

2) In the very next chapter after John 8:58, a blind man who was healed, uttered the very same two words as in John 8:58
\”I AM\”

Look at John 9:9
Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am he.”
(The he most probably would be in italics in some English Bibles.)

The man who was blind, literally said \”I am – ego eimi.\” Why?
Because the people were trying to identify whether he was the \’same man\’, the \’same beggar\’ who was blind?
So he answered, I am he! He who? The man who was blind!
Notice: no stoning, no protest! Yet he said those very same two words as Jesus had said in 8:58.

Neither this man nor Jesus was saying anything in connection with Exodus 3:14!
Jesus, just as in John 4:26, was saying, I am he! He who? The promised, foreordained Messiah.
This is what he was saying also in John 8:24, John 8:28 and John 8:58.
And to all, who have ears to hear! Jesus is today saying the very same thing!

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