Be Glad in Jesus Today

It is fitting and proper to read the Bible with a seeking, inquisitive heart.  While it is true many of our questions can spring from doubt and unbelief, this does not mean asking questions reveals a lack of faith.  Our faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the truth of His word is according to knowledge gained by questioning, wondering and reasoning.  A product of caring and consideration of new concepts and ideas is asking questions, and this simple act acknowledges our lack of understanding and desire to learn and grow.

I was recently asked a great question about the meaning of Jesus' words to Jews who were skeptical of His identity and doctrine in John 8:56:  "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."  The context of the conversation was Jesus claimed not only to be of God to be God made flesh, much to the confusion of His hearers due to unbelief.  These were people who revered Moses and Abraham, and were incredulous Jesus would imagine himself equal or superior to them.  When we reflect on a time past we might say something like, "Back in the day we used to write letters by hand with paper, pen and ink."  Jesus said father Abraham rejoiced to see His day, meaning Jesus was living and present at that time.  His hearers were gobsmacked by this claim because they did not believe Jesus is God in human form and thus eternal.  The surface meaning is clear, that when Abraham lived it was Jesus' day.  The inescapable conclusion is Jesus is greater than Abraham.

Like many passages of scripture, one verse or statement can have multiple correct interpretations, like when prophecies have multiple fulfillments.  It is unnecessary to strictly limit the words of Jesus to only one possible interpretation or application when there is scriptural support for complementary views.  For instance, Abraham and Sarah are mentioned of having eyes of faith in Hebrews 11:13:  "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."  Thus Abraham, having believed the promise of God Who revealed Himself to him, the day of which Jesus spoke was a day present for Abraham and also a future day.  The sacrifice God provided instead of Isaac pointed to the day and hour when Jesus would be offered as a sacrifice for sinners.  God was glorified in the judgment of sinners in the plain of Sodom and in Abraham's victory over the kings of the north.  Abraham rejoiced in the almighty, living God who promised, Who guides, provides and lives.

It is possible for us to be so taken with obscure connections and implications we can miss the plain, simple meaning of the text:  Abraham rejoiced in Jesus' day, and he saw it and was glad.  The people Jesus talked to had a very different attitude towards Jesus.  Though they witnessed His miraculous power they heard Him and were mad.  They hated and rejected Jesus rather than simply believing Him as Abraham did.  This confirmed the truth of what Jesus claimed, that they were children of the devil because they wanted to kill him.  They may have been physical descendants of Abraham but were estranged from God spiritually due to unbelief.  The genuine children of God will hear and rejoice in the words of Jesus, for He speaks to us the words of life.  Instead of picking up stones to destroy Him we rejoice to hear Jesus proclaim in John 8:58, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."