. Thursday 5th week of Lent
"Jn 8:51-59"
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.
Jesus didn't say, 'before Abraham was, I was', but "I AM". Moses had heard God refer to Himself as 'I AM' – and Jews, out of reverence, would thereafter never pronounce that Name. But Jesus not only said it, He said it of Himself! They had heard Him say, "I am the Bread of Life, the Light of the world, the Door, the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and the Life, the Way, the Truth and the Life, the true Vine..." but never before had they heard anyone say 'I AM' except God Himself. No wonder they took up stones!
Some people think that Jesus was a good man, a teacher, a prophet, but that He never said He was God. However, it is clear that the Jews understood He did claim to be God. Next Sunday we will revisit His trial before the Sanhedrin. When the High Priest asked Jesus if He was indeed the Son of the Living God, Jesus answered again, "I AM". That was the end of the dialogue. Jesus was sentenced to death for blasphemy, for claiming to be God.
The first Christians understood well that Jesus was God and faced martyrdom for it. St Justin (A.D. 100-165) was a pagan philosopher who converted to Christianity. After his conversion he wrote several books arguing for the divinity of Christ. He was arrested along with four others during the persecution under Marcus Aurelius. When Rusticus - prefect of Rome - asked them to sacrifice to idols, they refused. "If you do not obey," the Prefect said, "you will be tortured without mercy." Justin replied, "That is our desire, to be tortured for Our Lord, Jesus Christ." When asked about his beliefs, Justin proclaimed that Jesus was God and the Son of God. They were all beheaded for their fidelity to these beliefs. Mary, Queen of Martyrs, may I be a true witness to the divinity of your Son.
