Faith in I AM

John 8:48-59

Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?" Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word he shall never see death."

Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that 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 Abraham rejoiced to see my day! and he saw it and was glad."

Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I Am." 

Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.


More questions and answers, accusations and truth, unbelief and attempt to show. I didn't want to use the word show so I looked for a synonym. It turned out to be the right word! To show means: to cause or allow (something) to be seen; to give information that proves (something). (Webster's).

Jesus wanted these Jews to see and know who He was. Their spirits were not teachable. They had their minds set that this Man could not be who He said He was. He was trying to open their minds to His truth. He wanted them to understand about faith...in Him.

Jesus came only to honor His Father. He came to earth to live among men for this purpose, knowing He would be questioned, accused, condemned, persecuted and crucified. He came for the purpose of showing all mankind the way to salvation, Jesus, the Way. He knew the obstacles and the cost.

He truthfully told these men they could not know the Father because if they did they would believe and know Him. But, again, they could not understand. Their minds could not comprehend. And I think that's the issue with many. Our minds cannot comprehend fully; it has to come from our hearts. We have to be touched by God in our hearts to receive and have faith in His words.

Abraham knew God and, by faith, knew there would one day come a Messiah. Death will come to all men physically, but Jesus tells us we will never taste that death if we, like Abraham, put our faith in Him. Abraham had faith in God in the Old Testament. We have faith in Jesus in the New Testament.

Jesus is God. Jesus was in the beginning with God (John 1:1). "Before Abraham was, I Am." One and the same. It's a heart and faith issue. These men could not comprehend this. There was no childlike faith. We must know Jesus by this childlike faith in our hearts. We must seek Him for eternal life. We must know Him or like Jesus said: If I say, "I do not know Him [God, the Father]," I shall be a liar like you.

These are Jesus' words; if we believe them we will not see death.

There are still questions and answers, accusations and truth, unbelief and attempts to show. As Jesus did as His Father asked, so those who believe in Jesus are called to do. It's called evangelism or witnessing. It's about continuing as the disciples did. It's speaking of what we know and what we've experienced. It's about keeping alive the truth of Christ by passing down those words that will never die because they are truth. It's about sharing Christ through whatever manner God has given us, through words and works...but not first without true faith.

Believing must be the first thing we do. Belief comes from the heart, not the mind. God knows the difference between heart and mind. He also knows our motives when we share Christ.

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned." And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. (Mark 16:15, Galatians 6:9)