Read:

John 8:21-29

²¹ Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.  ²² Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.  ²³ And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.  ²⁴ I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.  ²⁵ Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.  ²⁶ I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.  ²⁷ They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.  ²⁸ Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.  ²⁹ And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

Isaiah 41:4  

⁴ Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.

Exhortation:

Christ had perfect knowledge as to what would happen and where He would be. Upon the completion of His work on earth, He would finally return to the Father. So He said, “I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.” By this Jesus alluded to His death, resurrection and ascension. He also alluded to the Jews’ murderous intent. In verse 28, He told them that they would kill Him — “ye have lifted up the Son of man.” In fact, He also revealed by these words how they would kill Him.

His claim was completely misunderstood and twisted by the Jews. So they made a counterclaim that He must be contemplating suicide. Jesus pointed out that their problem was the difference between their origin and His — “Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.” They were spiritually dead in sin, being worldly minded, and thus insensitive to spiritual truths. Jesus, on the other hand, having come from the Father would soon return to the Father.

Then Jesus said, “for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (The word “he” supplied by the translators as the predicate for “I am,” is not in the Greek text.) This claim, made in verse 24 was repeated in verses 28 and 58. This was an absolute assertion of His deity. By this assertion, He claimed that He is the God of Israel who had revealed Himself as “I  AM  THAT  I  AM” (cf. Exo 3:14; Deut 32:39; Isa 43:10).

The Jews responded by asking, “Who art thou?” They were insisting that Jesus should complete the statement by adding a predicate to His claim “I am.” This, He would not do, for He is the “I am.” Jesus then went on to say that His coming crucifixion (“when ye have lifted up the Son of man”) would vindicate His claim, for it would be followed by resurrection, exaltation, and the Spirit’s new ministry to the world.

Thought:

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord.”

PRAYER

O Christ, the eternal God, I yield myself in worship of You.