Question:
What is the meaning of John 8:59?
Answer: John 8:58-59 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. (NKJV) In verse 58, Jesus called Himself, “I AM”. Every person there knew EXACTLY what that meant: Jesus was claiming to be God. So much for all the claims today (sadly, even by some well-known ‘christian’ preachers) that “Jesus never claimed to be God”. This passage is not only indisputable proof to the contrary, it is only one of many. But that’s for another question. The religious leaders of that day were self righteous and hypocritical so they used Jesus’ “I AM” proclamation as a reason to stir up the crowd to kill Him. As they picked up stones to murder Jesus, an extraordinary thing happens, though the Bible just simply mentions it matter-of-factly. Jesus just walked right past them, and through them as if they weren’t there, and as if they never saw Him. Can you imagine an angry mob with sticks, knives and guns ready to kill you, and you just calmly walk right through the middle of them as if they were of no concern? Of course Jesus could do this because He was God as He claimed, but even more important, and applicable to us, He did it because God’s plan had not yet been fulfilled and they were NOT going to interrupt God’s plan. Same for us today. Don’t fear what God has you do. You will be safe in God’s arms NO MATTER WHAT THE THREAT OR DANGER until God’s plans for your life are fulfilled and He decides to call you home. Yes, you might face an unpleasant death for His sake some day, but your life will preserved until the SECOND that God’s will for your life is complete. I believe this so firmly that I’m quite sure this type of event can and does still occur today, especially out on the front lines of the missions work and in countries where Christians are horribly persecuted. Did you know that hundreds of thousands of Christians are imprisoned, beaten, robbed and killed every year simply for their faith in Christ? Christians in the “free” parts of the world would do well to be aware of this and realize that it is only a matter of time before persecution comes to us. In that day, do you believe God will let you “walk through the murderous crowd” if it is His will for you to live on? I’m not asking if you believe this will ALWAYS happen… I’m asking if you believe it COULD still happen today? Share your thoughts or experiences on the message boards so other readers can enjoy them. Go here…