Study 93 - John 8:58

58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you,

before Abraham was born, I am.”

How can Jesus claim to be the great I am? Was he in fact claiming to be God or was it just a simple and
common way to respond 'to them'?

How old was Jesus at this time and why did they misunderstand his response to them? If we are careful
to read the whole context of his discussion with the religious leaders we will find that only a few
verses back in v.56 is a clue to his answer! How can Trinitarianism claim that there was any physical
existence of Jesus prior to him being born? In fact there is not one passage that indicates he existed
bodily with God....the God who Himself is non-corporeal as mentioned before. So, tell me, how did
Jesus exist with God in heaven...was he a spirit as the JW's claim? Hebrews say NO! Once again
Genesis tells us of a plan that God had to send a Messiah that will bruise the head of the serpent.

So, I have a notion of how Jesus had existed before Abraham.

The overall context of John 8 points to preeminence of Jesus over Abraham in the plan of God. Two
verses before we read of Jesus saying: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and
was glad.” Those who heard this from Christ misunderstood what he was saying much like the
supporters of the Trinity doctrine. Abraham 'saw', meaning he understood, what God was going to do in
the future. Abraham rejoiced to see My day. Abraham did not think that Jesus was in existence at that
time but only knew it to be a future event which will be come about at the fullness of time.

Jesus did not claim to have seen Abraham but Abraham had seen and
rejoiced at knowing of a future redeemer - 'My day'- will come for Israel.

The new testament tells us that “the Gospel was preached beforehand to Abraham” and then notes that
he looked forward to that day when all will be set back to the original state before Adam and Eve. The
Messiah will set up the Kingdom of God on earth with Jerusalem as its centre.
It was with this understanding that the context of John 8 is God's plan regarding the Gospel, and in this
sense Christ was preeminent. Christ existed in the thoughts and intentions of God to be the one sent to
Israel and ultimately the nations of the world as promised to Abraham (Gal 3:8).

Other people such as King Cyrus were spoken to by God while he only existed in God's unrealized
purpose (Isa 45:1-13), and David and Isaiah also spoke of Christ as if they actually saw the future
sufferings of Jesus. (Ps 22 and Isa 53).

In the NT we read of Peter relating the same idea of the preeminence of Jesus (1 Peter 1:17-21).
Paul writes to Timothy about this very issue (2 Tim 1:9).