Lessons From a Confrontation – Part 5, Comparisons with ‘I Am’
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In past devotions, we have reviewed the use of contrast and comparison in the Bible: common literary devices employed to help communicate and make points clearer. Proper use of contrast and comparison can magnify what we are trying to say and help to paint a picture for the reader or person with which we are communicating. Today we’ll be looking at some of the comparisons in John 8 to see what they reveal to us; in the upcoming devotions, we will review the contrasts in John 8.

One of the first things that we can see is that Jesus asserts publicly that He had a relationship with God the Father that was extraordinary. He states, "…I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. (John 8:42 NASB) Jesus tells those arguing with Him that He was sent by God to do God’s will. In fact, He asserts, He has been doing the will of God perfectly.

He challenges his accusers publicly to prove otherwise, "Which one of you convicts Me of sin?” (John 8:46 NASB) Jesus challenges his accusers: ‘Offer evidence for all to hear it. Tell everyone what sins I have committed. What I have done that is contrary to the word of God’? Jesus does not ask for a trial in private where His foes could assert that His sins had been hidden from the world. Instead, He demands a transparent public trial so that all could see the evidence. No one is able to step forth to say a word against Him, because, like God, Jesus was without sin.

This point was also made by no less an authority then the Roman Governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate. Before he is crucified, Pilate questions Jesus, and Pilate declares him guiltless in public:

	4 Pilate came out again and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.
	John 19:4 NASB

This is an amazing declaration for a man like Pilate to have made. We have touched on this before, and it’s a phenomena commonly found in detective novels and on many TV programs or movies that involve the police. The basic premise is that the police, in order to catch the criminals, must think like the criminals so that they can understand the criminal mind. When the police officer or detective thinks like a criminal, it’s easier to apprehend them. Pilate had tried criminals. He had understood how they thought, and he had learned to judge them. How many murderous eyes had he gazed upon during trials? How many lying answers had he pondered, in order to determine guilt? How many times had he seen people beg for forgiveness for rebelling against Rome? He now stands before Jesus Christ, accused of so much by so many powerful men, but Pilate reviews the evidence listens to Jesus and pronounces his verdict, ‘I find no guilt in Him.’

Thus far, Jesus has made several controversial public statements wherein He draws comparisons between Himself and God:

He proceeded forth and was sent from God

He did not come of His own will but came to fulfill the Father’s will

He was without sin, like God the Father.

These statements were controversial, and we can see from the text that His accusers burn in anger towards Jesus, but they had not heard all that Jesus had to say on this matter.

Jesus was about to draw a distinction between Himself and any other human that has ever walked on the planet. He continues to reveal Himself in this exchange, and it culminates in John 8:58 when Jesus states, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am. (NASB) Jesus is asserting that the name of God, revealed to Moses, is applicable to Him,

	14 “God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, `I AM has sent me to you.’
	Exodus 3:14 NASB

This is a public assertion by Jesus Christ that He is fully Man and fully God. ‘I am’ said Jesus; asserting that there has never been a time without Him and there never will be. ‘I am’ said Jesus. ‘I have always been in the present tense throughout eternity past, and I will be throughout eternity future’. No matter what point in time, prior to time or after time that you pick to look at, Jesus will still be present. Matthew Henry, in his Commentary sums these passages up as follows,

Our Saviour gives an effectual answer to this cavil, by a solemn assertion of his own seniority even to Abraham himself (v. 58): "Verily, verily, I say unto you; I do not only say it in private to my own disciples, who will be sure to say as I say, but to you my enemies and persecutors; I say it to your faces, take it how you will: Before Abraham was, I am;" prin Abraam genesthai, ego eimi, Before Abraham was made or born, I am… Before Abraham he was, First, As God. I am, is the name of God (Exod. iii. 14); it denotes his self-existence; he does not say, I was, but I am, for he is the first and the last, immutably the same (Rev. i. 8); thus he was not only before Abraham, but before all worlds, ch. i. 1; Prov. viii. 23. (Matthew Henry’s, Commentary on the Whole Bible, Volume V, Matthew to John)

Nothing has changed for creation; Jesus Christ continues to be the, ‘I am’. Even in the face of all who try to destroy the words of the Bible and His Deity, Jesus Christ continues to proclaim, ‘I am’ over all creation. As the Apostle Paul explained it so beautifully in Hebrews, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (13:8 NASB) And while we have learned that Satan’s desire is to be like God, we have also learned that Jesus Christ can say, ‘I am’, for He is God.

May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you today and always…

*** Words of Jesus Christ appear in red

*** Note - Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible is considered to be public domain.  An electronic version of his works can be found at www.ccel.org



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