51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death.”
Jesus is speaking to a mixed crowd of both believers and dissenters, it also includes the Jewish leadership. He begins this section with “Amen amen” sometimes translated as “Truly truly” or other variations but the Greek rendering of “Amen amen” adds a layer of authenticity because the word is actually Aramaic in origin, the language Jesus actually spoke, it is just transliterated in Greek.
Jesus is repeating an aspect of something he has recently previously said, keeping his “word” which entails his way of life and commandments but he now supplements it with the reward of not seeing death. The Second Temple period held a mixed view on death, some held to a shadowy passive existence in Sheol prior to the resurrection, this was the typical Pharisaic view and was inspired by the revelations of the Prophets, The Qumran community also known as The Essenes generally believed in something similar but also believed in a much more active afterlife in Sheol before the Resurrection and groups like the Sadducees believed in neither an afterlife or resurrection, when you’re dead you’re dead and that’s it. Considering Jesus’ location (the Temple) and the responses of his audience we can assume these are most likely Sadducees who were the most dominant group of the Sanhedrin.
52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophets; and you say, ‘If any one keeps my word, he will never taste death.’
53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you claim to be?”
The Jew’s are so perturbed by Jesus’ stance against death being conquerable that they immediately accuse him of being possessed by a demon. They use their material understanding of what has happened in the past to both Abraham and the Prophets as their basis for death not being conquerable. Basically if Abraham couldn’t do it and neither could the Prophets then how could Jesus? They probably do not believe that Jesus is actually possessed but are saying that he is crazy to believe that he is capable of offering something more than Abraham and God’s other messengers. This prompts them to ask Jesus if that is the case, “Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?” they also include the Prophets in the questioning but end it with the penultimate question they have.
“Who do you claim to be?”
54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God.
Jesus’ response here might sound disconnected from their question but it isn’t. Their question is inferring that Jesus’ claims are self made but Jesus has made it very clear that it is God the Father who is his witness and that he himself only does what the Father has shown him. This is why Jesus responds with ““If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God.” He is telling them quite clearly that God is the root of his claim, he is just saying it out loud. If they truly were believers of God they would believe everything he is saying. It’s basically a divine litmus test.
55 But you have not known him; I know him. If I said, I do not know him, I should be a liar like you; but I do know him and I keep his word.
Jesus displays the contrast between himself that is opponents. He knows him (God the Father) they do not. If he was to say otherwise he would be a liar, he can’t lie, it would be like the impossible question of “Can God made a square circle?” it contradicts truth itself, since Jesus cannot lie he has to say that he knows God, this obedience to the truth is an example of “keeping to the word” instead of it us keeping to Jesus’ word, this is Jesus keeping to his Fathers word. Same mechanism, different scale.
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad.”
Jesus now uses what his opponents think is their witness as his witness. Abraham rejoiced that he would see Jesus’ day, he did in fact see it and was glad. This relates most likely to Genesis 15 where God reveals to Abraham the future of his people. Some Jewish and Christian interpretations perceived Abraham to be told much more than the text tells us. This is most especially expressed in the Aramaic Targums, the Aramaic paraphrasing’s and commentaries of the Hebrew Bible. This was how Jesus’ human nature learned the Scriptures. In those expanded writings, Abraham is told about a future King Messiah and Jesus is saying “Hey, that’s me!”
Also in Jewish tradition, God’s “word” (davar) could be personified (cf. Memra in Targums). Some later Christian readings saw this as the pre-incarnate Christ speaking to Abraham.
57 The Jews then said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
Jesus is clearly claiming to transcend time in some way, the Jews are baffled by this and point out he isn’t even fifty years of age yet but claims he saw Abraham. This adds credence to the Christian interpretation of the Jewish personification of “davar” or “Memra” in Hebrew/Aramaic because they take what Jesus was saying as being present at the time of Abraham like the “davar” or Word of the Lord was in bestowal of future events.
Jesus gives another “Amen, amen” statement before saying what is probably his most famous divine claim outside of the Passion account. “Before Abraham was, I am”. He is not just claiming he was there at the time of Abraham, he is saying he was there before Abraham was even born. The gravity of “I am” is hard to encapsulate in English or even the Greek until you realise this is the name that God gives to Moses when Moses asks him who he should tell his people who sent him. This is how God defines himself to Moses. Yahweh. Literally “I am” but its meaning is more like “He Brings into Existence Whatever Exists” or “He Causes to Exist”. Jesus is claiming explicitly that he is that entity.
59 So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.
Some people try and cast away even this statement of Jesus as not being a divine claim because you could technically interpret it as him just saying “I am here” the issue is obviously that the context of that interpretation does not lead anyone to stone you. The Jew’s absolutely interpret this as a divine claim because they attempt to punish him with stoning, something you did to blasphemers and adulterers.
Jesus hid himself, this could be some supernatural hiding or he could simply of left the Temple with pure aura, I prefer the latter personally.
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