¶ … Jesus' Testimony to the Pharisees in John 8:58
The Gospel of John reveals a number of "I AM" assertions made by Jesus Christ. They are bold declarations through which Christ makes a powerful point, namely that he IS divine. However, the language that Jesus uses also conveys a message about the mystery of His Person. He uses words and formulas that are deeply meaningful for the Hebrews to whom He speaks. "I AM" after all is more than a mere subject followed by a predicate. It is the name of God as He called Himself when He spoke it to Moses in the Old Testament. Therefore when Jesus says to the Jews, "Before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58), he is deliberately equating Himself with the God of the Old Testament by using the language of that God.
At its most basic level, Jesus' "I AM" assertion in John 8:58 is meaningful because it lays the groundwork for the overall message, which, as John Frey shows, "is stated in 20, 21: '…that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name."
When Jesus said to the Jesus, "Before Abraham was, I AM," many things were happening. Jesus has just defended himself against the accusations of the Pharisees, who have accused him of being a liar and of having a devil. Jesus has ruined their plans to stone a woman and they are angry with Him. They demand to know Who He is. But He does not answer immediately. Instead He writes on the ground -- in the dust. Some go away, others stay, and Jesus returns to teaching in the temple. Still, the Pharisees demand to know Who He is. Knowing that their hearts are turned away from God Who is the Truth, Jesus begins to define Himself first by defining who they are -- "slaves of sin" (John 8:34). He, Jesus, is the Son who shall make them free (John 8:36). The reference to the family and to the father draws another outburst from the Pharisees: they declare that Abraham is their father. Jesus knows better: Satan is their father because they reject the truth, which is Christ. Jesus...
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