Abraham’s Day of Rejoicing
John’s gospel was written “…that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). He begins by presenting Jesus as the eternal Word (John 1:1-14). In fact he writes, “In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God. And the Word was God” (John 1:1). In the Greek the verb “was” is in the imperfect tense, so that the first verse literally reads this way – “In the beginning the Word always was, and the Word always was with God. And the Word always was God.” John wants the reader to know that Jesus has always been and He has always been divine. He did not attain deity. In every way the Father and the Holy Spirit have always been God, so Jesus has always been God (Phil. 2:6; Col. 2:9).
Later on in the gospel, John includes some connecting information in a conversation between Jesus and the Jews. They were rejecting Him. They said Abraham was their father, and they refused to accept the identity of Jesus. Jesus responded that they really had Satan as a father, because they were untruthful and they were following the devil and doing his works (John 8:44). In reference to Abraham our Lord simply said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad” (John 8:56). They scornfully replied, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” (John 8:57). “Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM’” (John 8:58).
To what was Jesus referring? How did Abraham see the day of Jesus and rejoice? When did they meet? What happened? The Jews thought it laughable that Jesus could say He had been with Abraham. They thought it was so blasphemous they picked up stones to throw at Him. But a little examination of the Biblical record gives us the answer to the day Abraham saw “My day” and rejoiced.
Travel back to Genesis chapter 22. Abraham had been commanded by God to offer up Isaac, the promised seed. Isaac was the one through whom Christ was to come into the world. God demanded that Abraham prove his total allegiance through the sacrifice of his son. As Abraham drew back the knife to slay Isaac, God stopped him. Specifically the text says that the voice that called was, “…the angel of the Lord” (Genesis 22:11-12). In the Old Testament, angels are often referenced when God is showing His activity in the affairs of men. But only on a few occasions does the Bible say that it was not just an angel, but rather, “the angel of the Lord.” Why?
Another example of the angel of the Lord speaking to someone is found in Exodus 3:2. In the burning bush episode where Moses is called, it was “the angel of the Lord” who spoke. On this occasion when Moses had a conversation with God about his mission, at one point Moses asked God what he should say to this Israelites when he attempted to tell them he had been sent by God to lead them. The angel of the Lord replied, “I AM WHO I AM. Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you’ ” (Exodus 3:14). In John 8, Jesus in effect said exactly the same thing. The original language for Exodus 3:14 is identical to that of John 8:58 – when Jesus replied, “…before Abraham was, I AM.” When Jesus told the Jews He was the “I AM,” it was not the first time He had said this to someone.
If there was a specific day in Abraham’s life when he rejoiced to see the day of Jesus, it was when our Lord said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad!” (Gen. 22:12). In that moment God provided the sacrifice through a ram caught in a thicket. Years later God provided the sacrifice again, but this time a Lamb was caught in Jerusalem. This Lamb was the great “I AM.” He has always been. He is now. He always will be.
The Bible is full of exciting truths to be discovered about the great and glorious God of heaven! For those who believe, a time is coming again when they will rejoice to see His day – and they will see it, and be glad.
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” – Revelation 5:12
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