I Am Says It All

Jesus is keenly aware that He is sent.

He is supremely aware of His high dignity.

And while He is aware of these things, He consistently speaks in terms of obedience and service.

For Jesus is not in this for Himself.

This will be abundantly clear at the Garden of Gethsemane and Calvary.

And when He prays, “Not My will, but Yours be done,” He exalts the Father.

II. The second claim Jesus made was in regard to ETERNITY (51-53).

[51] “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” [52] The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ [53] Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?”

1. We will never die when we are followers of Jesus.

When the word of Jesus is in us, and we do it, Jesus says that we will not even notice death.

Literally, “Death he will not see.”

The believer takes little notice of death.

Why?

Death is a non-issue.

This is why when we hold memorial services, they have a celebratory aspect to them.

Physical death is a promotion to eternal life.

As He talks about death…

2. Jesus directs our attention to His timelessness.

The Jewish leaders cannot fathom Jesus’ statement.

For Jesus implies that He has what the ancients do not have – power over death.

So their response is, “Can you truly be greater than Abraham?”

“Come on now!”

“That is truly unbelievable.”

What is truly difficult for them is that Jesus is aware of the implications and He still makes the claims.

For what Jesus implies here is that He is greater.

He is bigger than the ancients.

He is superior over death, so much so, that He can prevent it.

This means that if He is superior to death, He is timeless.

He is eternal.

III. The third claim Jesus made was in regard to EXPECTATION (54-56).

[54] Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ [55] But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. [56] Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.”

1. Jesus establishes confidence in the relationship.

Jesus acknowledges that self-glorification is to be discounted.

It means nothing.

But this doesn’t mean He goes without praise.

He does receive it from the Father.

Jesus has confidence about His relationship with the Father.

He has faith in the relationship, for He knows that the Father is with Him.

Jesus makes it clear that this is not true for the Jewish leaders.

They do not know the Father.

They have not known Him in the past.

They do not know Him now.

Jesus now brings back the subject of Abraham and He boldly states that He is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant.

For…

2. Abraham knew that “God would provide a lamb.”

What Abraham was asked to do, God has now done.

He has offered His only Son.

Abraham believed in the One God would send.