So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.” (John 8:59).
Christ told us who He was while He was on the Earth.
He said “before Abrahm was, I Am”. This was not a slip of the tongue or a mistake or careless speaking, or speaking out of turn. This was a legitimate and serious and considered response to the objections of the Jews. He told them – using the words which they were familiar with that I AM – in other words, He identified Himself as Yahweh in the same way that God identified Himself to Moses thousands of years earlier on the Top of Mount Sinai when Moses asked Him who He was and what He required of Moses in his life…
“God spoke further to Moses and said to him, ‘I am Yahweh; and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as El Shaddai, but by my name, Yahweh, I did not make myself known to them.’ (Exodus 6:2-3).
And in that passage, God did not just identify Himself to Moses, He explained Himself too. He told Moses that He had always been Yahweh, but it was ONLY at this time that God was choosing to reveal Himself to Moses…
And later – Christ did the same thing with the Jews…
“Jesus said to the Jews: ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death.’ 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.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you claim to be?’...Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’ So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.” (John 8:51-59).
When God identified Himself to Moses, Moses accepted Him – exactly as He was. But later, when God identified Himself to the Jews, they rejected Him and took up stones to stone Him…
And look at the different outcomes. When Moses accepted Yahweh, and the words that God said, He was able to ensure that the Israelites were freed from their captivity under the Egyptians. This impossible thing happened because Moses believed in what God said. But for the Jews, there was no belief, and nothing changed for the better – in fact things just got worse!
And I have been reflecting on how I listen to what God said. Because He speaks to me in my life too. He speaks to me when my life is easy and He speaks to me when my life is hard. When things are problematic, He tells me where to go and what to do. When times are difficult that is when God SAID – NO. Not this way.
And now, it pray for the Grace to be able to listen and reflect on everything that my God ever said…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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