We are continuing to look at this section in the middle of John where Jesus is very zealous to declare His identity and mission. This is John 8:48 through 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 you have 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.
You have to let yourself consider the radical nature of what Jesus is saying here. The doubters in the crowd are looking for a natural explanation for what Jesus was doing and saying, and they said, "There's only one explanation for what you're saying and doing, you are a Samaritan with a demon. You are an outcast who has been possessed by the devil." This is what unbelievers do. They look at the supernatural and attempt to give it a natural explanation.
Now, think about this. Again, we're confronted, in this passage, that you really only have two positions. You can take Jesus at his word and worship him as Messiah, Savior, King, or you think he's a delusional or a liar. There is no neutral ground to say, "Well, he was a good man and a good teacher." Jesus doesn't leave you that room. Notice that the more that Jesus taught, the more these people became convinced that he had a demon.
This reminds us that faith in the radical truths of the gospel and the radical identity of Jesus is simply not natural for us. Doubt is natural. Skepticism is natural. Fear is natural. Worry is natural. Anxiety is natural. Trying to find natural explanations for what is divine is natural, but faith isn't natural for us. This is why Paul says in Ephesians 2 that faith is a "gift from God." That means God has to work on us before we are able to respond to him.
Let me read again verses 56 through 59.
"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 you have seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."
None of what Jesus says makes sense unless he's at the center of God's covenant promises to Abraham, unless it's through Jesus that all the nations on the earth are blessed. By faith, Abraham actually looked forward to the coming of Jesus. Jesus is the seed of Abraham. But Jesus says more than, "I am just the one who came before Abraham." He says these words, "Before Abraham was born," you would expect him to say. "I was." That's not what he says. He says, "Before Abraham was born, I am." In saying those words, he is taking one of the names of God. He said, "Don't you know, I am the I AM. I'm the preexistent one. I am the changeless one. I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I am the one who spoke to Moses at the burning bush; I AM. I AM and have always been the hope of God's people. I AM, and have always been God Almighty, God eternal, the Creator, the sovereign One, the Savior; the hope of humanity rests on my shoulders. I AM!"
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
1. Why is "being uncomfortable" a bad reason to not have children? Have you ever used the reasons of finances, health, energy, and time to explain why you don't think you should have children? How is having children a tremendous blessing in the midst of living life uncomfortable because of those children??
2. In what ways is God a father to you? How have you learned more about parenting by discovering how God is a father to his children? What kinds of spiritual blessings have you discovered by being a parent (if you are one)? How have you learned more and experienced God's grace through parenting children?
3. How have your personal limits of strength, wisdom, love, and righteousness factored into your parenting choices?
4. How has God interrupted your plans when it comes to building a family of a certain size? How have his interruptions been for your good? How has he shown you his grace through things like your limitations and human decision making? How have you gotten to know God more through parenting? How have you felt his presence in your life of being a parent?.
Conversation Prompts to Use with Children
For Younger Children:
• How many kids do you think you want to have when you're grown up and married? What made you choose that number?
• Do you think it's wrong to NOT have children? Why or why not? How do you think God can work through being a parent to kids?
For Older Children:
• Why is parenting a common thing God uses to make parents more godly and refined? How does he use the discomfort of parenting to teach parents to rely on him instead of themselves?
• What would you say has been the most difficult part of parenting for me? What do you think has been the most rewarding part of being a parent for me? What do you think has helped me in my relationship with God through parenting?
• How have you seen God change me for the better because of being your parent?
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