Reflecting on John 8:48-58“‘Very truly I tell you,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I AM!'” (John 8:58)
In this verse Jesus identifies Himself with the great Name of God: “I AM”.
He is claiming to be ‘God with us’, the incarnation of the God of Israel.
He is greater than Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, mere human witnesses.
He is the fullest and clearest revelation of God’s glory and goodness.
And that glory and goodness is compassion, grace, patience, love, etc. (Exodus 34:6-7)
I cannot explain how Jesus can be the I AM in the flesh.
But when I see and hear Jesus, I do sense the glory and goodness of God.
His character reflects what we were made for, and what we all long for.
As Jesus followers, our focus is on Jesus… not Abraham, Moses or others.
All those human witnesses were limited, flawed and finite.
This shapes how I read the bible, with Jesus as the center.
The bible is not a flat book, with every part being equal.
The Jesus stories stand above the rest of scripture, outshining them all.
Moses writes in shadows (Colossians 2:17); Paul only knows in part (1 Corinthians 13:9).
But Jesus is the great I AM, the clearest revelation of God’s glory and goodness.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, I don't want to know Abraham (or Moses, David, Isaiah, Peter, James or Paul) better, I want to know You better. You reflect the glory and goodness of God, and I can reflect that glory and goodness (like Moses) when I fix my eyes on You. I want to know You!
Who is it we want to be like? Who is our role model? Small children want to imitate their father/mother. As His child, being a kid of the kingdom, Ineed to imitate Jesus, my Lord and King, I need to be like Him.