Before ever Abraham was, I AM!
I once read from a book entitled “You”, in which the author, commented on the words from today’s gospel: “I tell you solemnly, before Abraham ever was, I am!”. This author said that this statement from Jesus should have sent the Jews down on their knees in adoration. Instead, they took up stones to stone him. Jesus revealed his identity to them in a no less spectacular way than when God revealed his name to Moses and said “I AM WHO I AM.” Yet the listeners, who recognized the similarity in revelation, took Jesus’ words for blasphemy.
The problem was that Jesus and his adversaries who did not believe in his divinity, were speaking from different perspectives. He was speaking from the perspective of truth; of who he really is eternally present. They were perceiving reality from the narrow perspective of earthly life. That is why it sounded blasphemous that one who was not yet 50 years could claim that he had seen Abraham who had lived 1,767 years before, or that he whose death they were planning could claim that those who kept his words would never know death.
For any two parties to understand each other in communication, it is important that they see the matter from the same perspective. This is the same with communication with God. For us to understand God who is truth, we need to move from the narrow and limited vision of our earthly existence and see reality against the background of eternity for which we were created. From that viewpoint, the promises made to Abraham make sense: a man of 80 years who was childless is promised to become the father of nations. It takes centuries for a nation to be born, thousands of years for one nation to become a multitude of nations. That would sound like mockery if Abraham saw things from the limited perspective of earthly life. Yet seen from God’s perspective, the promise of a covenant in perpetuity makes perfect sense.
In today’s gospel, Jesus does not only reveal who is; I AM, but also makes a new covenant with us who believe in him: "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death." By keeping his word, we gain everlasting life with God.
