Before Abraham Was, I Am: Jesus the Son of God

Devotional

Day 1: Before Abraham Was, I AM

Jesus’ declaration “before Abraham was, I AM” shatters all categories. This isn’t a metaphor or exaggeration—it’s a direct claim to eternal divinity. By invoking God’s sacred name from Exodus, Jesus identifies himself as the unchanging, self-existent Creator. His listeners knew exactly what He meant: He claimed equality with Yahweh. This truth demands a response—either worship or rejection. To follow Jesus is to embrace Him as the eternal Son, not merely a moral guide. [54:13]

“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’”
(John 8:58, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been tempted to reduce Jesus to a teacher or helper rather than the eternal God? How does His “I AM” statement reshape your understanding of His authority?

Day 2: Abraham’s Joy at Seeing Christ’s Day

Abraham glimpsed the Messiah’s coming centuries before Bethlehem. Jesus reveals that the patriarch’s faith wasn’t rooted in land or lineage but in the promise of redemption through Christ. Abraham’s forward-looking joy mirrors the believer’s hope—not in avoiding hardship, but in the certainty of God’s salvation. Just as Abraham saw and rejoiced, we fix our eyes on the risen Savior who fulfills all promises. [53:53]

“Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.”
(John 8:56, ESV)

Reflection: What current struggle might shift in perspective if you viewed it through the lens of Christ’s ultimate victory? How does Abraham’s example challenge your patience in waiting for God’s promises?

Day 3: Stones of Rejection vs. Cornerstone of Life

The religious leaders clutched stones, unable to tolerate Jesus’ claims. Their rage exposed hearts unwilling to surrender control. Yet the stones meant for judgment became proof of His grace—He walked away, delaying the cross for His perfect timing. Every rejection of Christ’s lordship is a stone thrown at the only One who can give life. His patience invites repentance. [01:20:52]

“So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.”
(John 8:59, ESV)

Reflection: Are there areas where you’ve subtly “picked up stones” of resistance to Christ’s authority? What would it look like to lay them down today?

Day 4: The Second Death and the Unbreakable Promise

Jesus didn’t promise escape from graves but rescue from what follows. The “second death”—eternal separation from God—is the real enemy. His words “never see death” aren’t a health guarantee but a covenant oath: those united to Him will pass through physical death into resurrection. This assurance turns our final breath from a terror into a doorway. [01:22:13]

“Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”
(John 8:51, ESV)

Reflection: How does fear of mortality shape your daily choices? What would change if you lived convinced that Christ holds your eternity?

Day 5: Christless Christianity and the Powerless Cord

A faith stripped of Christ’s divinity is a lamp without oil. Like the mainline denominations clinging to moral teachings while denying miracles, we risk reducing Christianity to self-help. But a “nice Jesus” who demands nothing saves no one. True power flows only from the undiluted Christ—the God who died, rose, and reigns. [01:00:21]

“Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’”
(Matthew 16:16, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been tempted to treat Jesus as a mascot for your preferences rather than the Lord of your life? What step will you take to recenter Him as your non-negotiable foundation?

Sermon Summary

John 8:48-59 brings the long fight between Jesus and the Jewish rulers to its breaking point. The rulers ask the question that sits at the center of the whole thing: “Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus does not back away from it. Jesus says that anyone who keeps his word will never see death, and that claim means his words carry the power to save.

Jesus refuses to be placed on the Mount Rushmore of religious teachers. Jesus is not one more prophet, rabbi, guru, or enlightened person who can be admired when convenient and ignored when inconvenient. Christless Christianity is an oxymoron, like an extension cord that is not plugged in. Christ is the power of God, and a Christianity that keeps a few moral sayings while rejecting the Son of God has no power to give life.

Abraham becomes the key contrast. Abraham was great, faithful, and central to the promises of God, but Abraham died. Jesus says Abraham rejoiced to see his day, saw it, and was glad. Jesus stands not merely after Abraham as the fulfillment of Abraham’s hope, but before Abraham as the preexistent One.

Jesus then speaks the words that make the rulers pick up stones: “Before Abraham was, I am.” The name “I am” reaches back to the burning bush and the God who depends on no one, derives his being from nothing, and has eternally existed. Jesus does not say that he came into existence before Abraham. Jesus says that before Abraham came to be, “I am.” The Father glorifies this Son, and the rulers understand exactly what Jesus is claiming. Their stones are not a misunderstanding. They recognize that an ordinary man saying this would be guilty of blasphemy.

The rulers respond with bad logic, insults, and murder in their hearts. Their accusation that Jesus is a Samaritan with a demon shows what happens when people cannot answer Christ but refuse to receive him. Jesus cannot be turned into a mascot who conveniently shares every political opinion, cultural cause, or personal preference. Jesus is who he is, and that is better than who sinners want him to be.

Jesus’ promise about death reaches beyond the grave. Physical death still comes for believers, just as it came for Abraham, the prophets, Lazarus, and eventually the disciples. Jesus promises deliverance from spiritual death, judgment, and the second death. Death exposes the fiction that human beings are strong, in control, and able to save themselves. Christ, raised from the dead, gives the promise that goes through death: eternal life with God.

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Key Takeaways

1. Jesus cannot be selectively admired [58:25] Jesus does not leave room for casual admiration that accepts his comforting words while rejecting his authority. His claims force a decision because he speaks not merely as a wise man but as God in the flesh. A Jesus remade according to personal taste cannot save anyone. The real Christ must be received as he reveals himself. [58:25]
2. Before Abraham was, Jesus is [01:10:21] Jesus does not claim to be merely older than Abraham or even the first created being. The words “I am” identify him with the eternal God who has life in himself and depends on no one. Every created thing receives existence; Christ possesses eternal being. This means the One who saves is not fragile, temporary, or limited by time. [70:21]
3. Insults often hide spiritual resistance [01:15:24] The rulers answer Jesus with racial slurs and accusations of demon possession because they will not face his words honestly. Hostility toward Christ is not always an intellectual problem. Sometimes Jesus says things that sinners simply do not want to hear. Refusing his identity can become a way of protecting personal autonomy from his rightful rule. [75:24]
4. Jesus promises life beyond death [01:23:21] Physical death remains unavoidable, no matter how much money, wisdom, health, or control a person appears to have. Jesus speaks of a deeper danger, the second death and final judgment. His promise is not that believers avoid funerals, but that they belong to the risen Christ through death and beyond it. His resurrection makes eternal life more than wishful thinking.

## [83:21]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:32] - John 8:48-59
[54:36] - The Most Important Question: Who Is Jesus?
[55:31] - Jesus as Teacher or Prophet
[57:31] - The Death of Christless Christianity
[60:21] - Peter’s Confession of Christ
[61:29] - Who Does Jesus Say He Is?
[61:59] - Jesus’ Word Conquers Death
[63:44] - Abraham Rejoiced to See Christ
[67:26] - Jesus Is in a Category of His Own
[69:11] - Before Abraham Was, I Am
[73:37] - The Hostile Responses to Jesus
[78:45] - Jesus Is Not a Mascot
[82:13] - The Promise Beyond Physical Death
[85:19] - Death Exposes Human Pride
[88:53] - Christ Gives Comfort in Death

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

John 8:48-59
“The Jews answered him, "Are we not right in saying 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. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death." 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.' Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?" 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.' 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. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad." So the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.” [54:36]

Exodus 3:14
“God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel: 'I AM has sent me to you.” [01:11:40]

John 5:28-29
“Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” [01:24:03]

Observation questions

What accusations do the Jewish rulers make against Jesus, and how does Jesus respond to their insults?
What reasons do the rulers give for questioning Jesus’ promise that those who keep his word will not see death? [01:02:54]
What does Jesus say about Abraham’s relationship to his day, and why do the rulers find this difficult to accept? [01:03:44]
What happens immediately after Jesus identifies himself as existing before Abraham, and what does that response reveal about how his listeners understood his claim? [01:12:29]

Interpretation questions

Why does Jesus’ promise of life beyond death require that he be more than a wise teacher, prophet, or religious leader? [01:01:53]
In light of Exodus 3:14, what is Jesus claiming by using the words “I am,” and why would that claim be blasphemy if it came from an ordinary man? [01:11:40]
The rulers focus on Abraham’s physical death, while Jesus speaks of a deeper death and judgment. How does John 5:28–29 help clarify the kind of life Jesus promises? [01:23:21]
Why might people respond to Jesus with dismissal, mockery, or anger instead of honestly considering his words? What does the passage suggest is happening beneath their objections? [01:18:16]

Application questions

It is easy to admire Jesus’ comforting words while resisting his authority. Are there teachings of Jesus that are easier for you to receive, and others you are tempted to explain away or avoid? [58:25]
Jesus cannot be made into a mascot who simply agrees with personal preferences, politics, or cultural causes. What are some signs that a person may be reshaping Jesus into his or her own image? [01:19:04]
When Jesus’ words expose sin or challenge deeply held desires, what kind of response tends to rise up in your heart: humility, defensiveness, distraction, anger, or something else? What would repentance look like in that moment? [01:18:23]
Jesus’ identity as the eternal Son means that his promises are not fragile or temporary. How does his being the great “I am” strengthen trust when circumstances feel uncertain or out of control? [01:12:01]
Physical death reminds every person that strength, wealth, health, and planning cannot ultimately save us. Where are you most tempted to place confidence in your own control rather than in Christ? [01:26:34]
Jesus does not promise that believers will avoid physical death, but that they will be kept from final judgment and raised to eternal life with him. How could this promise shape the way you face grief, illness, aging, or fear about the future? [01:28:42]

Sermon Clips

37s

#HopeBeyondDeath

“This is why we don't need to avoid facing death or talking about death or the reality of it because we have a promise that goes through death. We have a promise that is that is our comfort in life and in death, even when death is hard, even when death is inevitable, even when death is lonely. We have the promise of Jesus that he will be with us and ultimately protect us from that second death, from that spiritual death. Through our physical death, because he was raised from the dead, he will raise us from the dead, and we will be with him. And that is good news.”

30s

#ChristIsThePower

“If you try to have Christianity without Christ, it will lead to death. It will just lead to the death of your church, the death of your denomination, the death of your cultural influence. Because there is no power without Christ. Christless Christianity is an oxymoron. It it is like it is it is like having a a an extension cord that's not plugged in. Christ is the power of God, and the gospel of Christ is the power of God.”

47s

#JesusIsWhoHeIs

“This is what we do. There's actually a book by a church historian called Jesus made in America by Stephen Nichols, and he traces this out, how there have been groups throughout history that basically want to turn Jesus into a mascot or into someone to endorse whatever the cause of the day is. So during prohibition, what do you think Jesus is? He's a crusader against alcohol. During the westward expansion, what do you think he is? He is a rugged frontiersman. And today, if you're really... If you're a Christian and you're really into MMA, you know what you want Jesus to be? A a yoked guy who works out who knows how to handle himself. We want to reinterpret Jesus according to our own preferences. But you know what? Jesus is who he is.”

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