John 8:51-59

Genesis 17:3-9

Psalm 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

John 8:51-59

Jesus said to the Jews:

“Amen, amen, I say to you,

whoever keeps my word will never see death.”

So the Jews said to him,

“Now we are sure that you are possessed.

Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say,

‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’

Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?

Or the prophets, who died?

Who do you make yourself out to be?”

Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing;

but it is my Father who glorifies me,

of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’

You do not know him, but I know him.

And if I should say that I do not know him,

I would be like you a liar.

But I do know him and I keep his word.

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.”

So they picked up stones to throw at him;

but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.

Encountering the Word of God

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I praise you for your marvelous works and the covenant you have made with us. Even though we acted like rebellious children and abandoned you, you did not abandon us. You are faithful forever.

1. Jesus, the Light of God: In John 8, Jesus continues his long discussion with the Judeans in the Temple (John 8:2-58). The chapter began by narrating Jesus’ encounter with the scribes and Pharisees, who tested him and wanted him to contradict either his doctrine of mercy by allowing the stoning of the adulteress or to contradict the Law of Moses by prohibiting it (John 8:3-11). Jesus successfully avoided the trap, revealed their hypocrisy, and restored the adulteress to life. Jesus then proclaimed that he is the light of the world and that those who follow him will have the light of life. He also introduced the theme of his divine sonship, referring to God as his Father (John 8:12-20). Just as he is the Light and bestows the light of life on us, so also he is the Son and can bestow divine sonship on us.

2. Jesus, the Son of God: When Jesus is lifted up on the Cross, lifted from the grave, and lifted into heaven, the people will know that he is equal to God because he is the eternal Son of God (John 8:21-30). To those who believe in him, Jesus reveals that true freedom is achieved not by physical descent from Abraham, but through sharing in the faith of Abraham (8:31-41). The people are challenged by Jesus’ teaching and signs and can no longer remain indifferent to him: they either reject him and belong to the devil (8:44-47) or accept him and share in his divine sonship. The children of the devil are slaves to sin; the children of the Father enjoy the freedom of the Spirit. Those who remain in the Word of God will never see death.

3. Abraham Saw Jesus’ Day: In today’s Gospel, Jesus once again takes up the story of Abraham and says “Abraham rejoiced to see my day.” The Judeans do not know how to understand this saying. Jesus is less than fifty years old and Abraham died long before his appearance. How, then, did Abraham see this day of Jesus? We first need to understand that Jesus’ day is the day of the coming of the Messiah, the day of the Lord, the day when the promises made to Abraham are fulfilled (Genesis 12:2). The First Reading today recalls the second of the three covenant promises made to Abraham: the promise of a great name and royal descendants. There are several possible ways to understand Abraham “seeing” the day of Jesus. The first way Abraham saw this day is by faith. Abraham believed in and trusted God and saw the fulfillment of God’s promises through the gift of faith. He saw Jesus’ day with the eyes of faith. In response to his act of faith, God rewarded Abraham with a covenant that promised that one of his descendants would arise to bless all nations (Genesis 22:16-18). The second way Abraham saw the day of Jesus is at the manifestation of Mamre (Genesis 18:1-8). This happened when three men approach the tent of Abraham, share a meal, and promise that Sarah will give birth to a son. There is an ancient tradition that the central figure is none other than the Son of God. The third and most probably way is Abraham saw the day of Jesus at the binding of Isaac on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22:1-18). Abraham’s son Isaac was spared that day and Abraham foresees the future day when God himself will provide the Lamb of sacrifice. Just as Isaac, the son of the promise, carried the wood up the hill and was placed on the altar of sacrifice, so, one day, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, will carry the wood of the Cross up the same mountain and be sacrificed for our sins. Abraham received his son Isaac back alive and thus “sees a preview of the Father surrendering his Son to death and receiving him back in the Resurrection” (see Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The New Testament, 179).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I embrace in faith the mysteries of your life but recognize that I can never fully comprehend or exhaust them. I welcome this and will seek to share more deeply in the mysteries of your life through the liturgy and the service of charity.

Living the Word of God: Like Abraham, we too should rejoice as we experience the day of Jesus. Having been baptized into Christ, we walk by faith and know that we will receive the inheritance of the children of God. Second, Jesus comes to us today in the Eucharist. We receive his Body and Blood, a foretaste of the heavenly banquet. Third, we see the victory over sin and death when we contemplate Jesus on the Cross. We rejoice because we contemplate God’s love for us. We deserved death but were instead given new life in Christ. How can I rejoice in Jesus today?