Word to the Wise
Thursday, March 21, 2024 - 5th Week of Lent - Thurs
[Gen 17:3-9 and John 8:51-59]"Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad." So the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM!"
This is one of the most dramatic moments in a gospel filled with dramatic moments! Abraham was and is revered by Christianity, Judaism and Islam as a "father in faith." Scripture scholars date his lifetime around 2500 BCE. So, Jesus' claim to have existed before Abraham seemed preposterous to the Jewish authorities. But the Prologue to the Gospel According to John tells us that Christ is eternal. So, Jesus was simply stating a fact with tremendous consequences both temporal and eternal. It is temporal because God has intervened in human history by becoming human in the person of Jesus Christ. It is eternal because Jesus promises at the beginning of today's gospel: "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death!" But he can make this promise because HE is eternal: "Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM." When God spoke His name to Moses at the burning bush, he gave the name I AM! [Exodus 3:14]. To the audience, Jesus' statement seemed blasphemous! For us today who believe in Jesus, it is the promise of eternal life.
As a preparation for Holy Week, I could not think of a better way than to read the Gospel According to John, bearing in mind the Prologue as the "big picture." We have been hearing gospel scriptures from John the past week or so. On Good Friday, we will hear the passion account from John. We are invited into every scene with every character. The washing of the feet on Holy Thursday reminds us of Jesus' charge to all disciples and the Last Supper discourse reminds us of his command to love one another. There is so much to fill our understanding of this holy time. Eternal life is on offer. Are we ready to accept it? AMEN