John 8:58 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."

NIV: "Very truly I tell you," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"

NASB: Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.'

CSB: Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am."

NLT: Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM! '

KJV: Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

NKJV: Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

In the gospel of John, there are seven instances where Jesus makes a statement alluding to His own divinity. These are known as the seven "I AM" statements. When Moses asked God how He should be identified to Israel, God said "I AM WHO I AM…Say this to the people of Israel: 'I AM has sent me to you'" (Exodus 3:14). This phrase implies the simplest expression of God's nature: He just is, He must be. When Jesus uses this phrasing, He is deliberately invoking that same essence. Earlier in this very debate, Jesus made the second of these statements, claiming "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12).

Now, Jesus is responding to disbelief from His critics. Jesus talked about knowing God, and His word choices, in the original Greek, implied a kind of knowledge which is inborn, innate, and natural (John 8:55). He indicated that Abraham looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, and "rejoiced" to see Jesus' day finally arrive (John 8:56). This led His critics to jeer: "you're not even fifty, how can you have seen Abraham?" (John 8:57).

Jesus answers with what some refer to as the "hidden 'I AM'" statement, since it's not typically counted among the others. This is perhaps the most direct of all of Jesus' uses of this phrase. The meaning is certainly not lost on His critics. When Jesus claims the title of "I AM," everyone listening knows exactly what He means: that He is God (John 10:33). Those who suggest that Jesus never actually claimed to be God should consider the reaction of the religious leaders to His words, shown in the next verse. They are so enraged that they attempt to stone Jesus right then and there (John 8:59).

John 8:31–59 dovetails with John 2:13–22. There, Jesus drove corrupt businessmen from the temple. These Scriptures disprove any myths that Jesus was weak, timid, passive, or soft. In this exchange with the Pharisees, Jesus pulls no punches. Jerusalem's religious leaders, and their followers, continue to resist Jesus' preaching. They rely on arrogance and insults, to which Jesus responds with blunt, unfiltered condemnation. This culminates in Jesus making an overt statement of His own divinity, punctuating the debate by declaring ''before Abraham was, I am!''

This begins with the story of the adulterous woman, a well-known but controversial passage. Most scholars believe this story is authentic, but not originally found in this exact spot in Scripture. The rest of chapter 8 continues Jesus' preaching during the Feast of Booths, where He once again comes into conflict with local religious leaders. Here, Christ will make His second ''I am" statement, using the analogy of light, which is a common theme in Hebrew theology. This conversation will become more and more heated. Jesus' opponents become so enraged that they attempt to kill Him right then and there.

Jesus is attending the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem. There He once again conflicts with local religious authorities. Previously, Jesus referred to Himself as a source of living water (John 7:37–38). That built on the festival's ritual pouring of water in the temple. In this chapter, Jesus will do something similar with the imagery of lights also related to festival traditions. This demonstrates Jesus' willingness to be direct, even aggressive, with His critics. The next few chapters will complete Jesus' public ministry, as He prepares for His impending death.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.