Before Abraham was, I AM

     In Saint John, Chapter 1verse 30, John the Baptist says that Jesus was before him. Yet, since Jesus, John's cousin, was born after John, how is that so?
     Well, if Jesus is God, it only makes sense that he was around from the beginning of the creation. In Genesis, chapter 1,verse 26, God said,
     "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." One might ask who he was talking to.
     Now, this opens the great debate about the plurality of God. Yes, there is only one God. But, apparently, he comes in at least three parts: the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Does that mean that the Holy Ghost is God's wife, since Jesus is his son?
     Well, we were created in God's image and we were created male and female. Could it be that there is some form of spiritual intercourse? I say,
     "Why not?"
     It stands to reason that since human beings are social creatures and created in God's image that God would also be a social Being who enjoys the company of others. But, let's leave that for another discussion.
     In John 8:57,  the Jews said to Jesus, "You're not even fifty years old and you say you've seen Abraham?"
     What blasphemy! How dare anyone talk about our precious father Abraham as his equal! Now, for sure they knew Jesus was an imposter. AND he was a Samaritan (insult of insults!) AND he had a devil!
     So, what was Jesus' reply to all these accusations? He calmly retorted,
     "Verily, verily (truly, truly) I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."
     Just try, try, try to wrap your brain around that one! He is not making a grammar mistake here. Jesus is putting Abraham decidedly in the past and himself in the present, past and future with one single word, "am".
     Praise God! We should get excited about that!
     Did the Jews there that day rejoice? Just the opposite. The amazing power of God spoken to those without faith resulted in an explosion of hatred! They wanted to kill him, just as he had predicted. They took up stones to cast at him!
     Someone said that what we don't understand, we destroy.
     Please don't feel we are picking on the Jews. There are people of every nation who are prone to a lack of faith. It just so happens that at this point in history, the Jews were the bearers of the Light, strictly adhering to the laws of God, and so it was that the Messiah went first to the House of Israel to proclaim his message.
     Let's carry on in John 1:
     35. Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
     36. And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
     (Why is he calling Jesus a lamb? According to the law, the Jews were required to sacrifice a lamb once a year to pay for the sins of their people. That means killing the innocent lamb, shedding its blood as a payment for sin. It may not make sense, but that was the requirement.)
     37. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
     38. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? (Where do you live?)
     39. He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.
     40. One of the two which heard John speak and follwed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
     41. He first findeth his own brother Simon and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
     42. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
     43. The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
     44. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
     45. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
     46. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
   
     (Hmmm... it seems Nathanael is type-casting here. How could anything good come out of Nazareth?)

     47. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
     48. Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou was under the fig tree, I saw thee.
     49. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
     50. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
     51. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.