by Ptr. Art Calaguas
Shalom.
Before we continue with the next “I AM” in John 8:24, I would like to point out that there is a missing statement after I wrote “…Greek word order is meant to emphasize certain words, here it seems the Apostle John has deliberately set up the last word of the verse, πατήρ (“Father”) as an equal counterweight to the first two (2) words spoken by the Lord Jesus, εγώ εἰμι (“I AM”).” I had seen it but failed to put in this statement:
“Maybe the Lord and/or the Apostle John was teasing his listeners and/or readers to consciously equate “I AM” with πατήρ (“Father”) and grasp the theological implications emanating from this.”
What follows the above is what is found in the submitted manuscript.
Now we can we continue with the highly-charged situation in the Temple’s treasury area (γαζοφυλάκιον) after the εγώ εἰμι (“I AM”) declaration of our Lord Jesus regarding himself as a credible and authoritative witness to what he was claiming because the Father was with him and had sent him. The Ἰουδαῖοι were truly opposing him but they could not do anything at that time. This background context is narrated in John 8:19-20.
In the next verses, the mood changes quite a bit as the Lord now starts to warn the Ἰουδαῖοι and the people listening of the consequences of not really listening to what he was saying to them. The Lord tells them all in John 8:21-23 that he would be going away; they would die in their sins; and where he was going, they could not come. The Ἰουδαῖοι were even asking each other if the Lord intended to commit suicide! Then the Lord said that they were from below (ἐκ τῶν κάτω ἐστέ), and of this world (ἐκ τούτου τοῦ κόσμου ἐστέ); while he was from above (ἐγὼ ἐκ τῶν ἄνω εἰμί) and not of this world (ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου). Notice the οὐκ (“ouk” meaning no/not) separating the ἐγὼ (“I”) and the εἰμὶ (“I am”). The presence of the ἐγὼ (“I”) signals quite an emphatic negation. So, to his audience the Lord Jesus was claiming that he was not of this world!
Then in John 8:24 the Lord says:
εἶπον οὖν ὑμῖν ὅτι ἀποθανεῖσθε ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ πιστεύσητε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ἀποθανεῖσθε ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν
Formally/literally translated, this would be rendered:
Therefore I said to you that “you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I AM (HE), you will die in your sins.”
The phrase εγώ εἰμι as an emphatic expression would have the English equivalent of saying: “I am truly He!” The “you” and “your” are all 2nd person plural pronouns in line with the verbs used, so the Lord Jesus was addressing the Ἰουδαῖοι (Jewish authorities opposed to him) and all the people there.
Again, the Lord alludes to Old Testament (OT) Scriptures to bring home his point. Deuteronomy 32:39 (The Song of Moses) may have been in the Lord’s mind:
“See now that [אֲנִ֤י אֲנִי֙ ה֔וּא] I, I AM HE, And there is no god besides Me; … ” Here, it is the LORD God emphatically identifying himself to the Israelites through Moses, as the only God. This “I AM HE” emphatic identification can also be seen in Isaiah 43:10 (and parallel in Isaiah 41:4):
“You are my witnesses,” says Yahweh…and understand [כִי־אֲנִ֣י ה֔וּא]
that I AM HE.” Again, the immediate context is about the LORD God’s self-identification as the only God. Recall the Lord Jesus’ words about witnesses in John 8:18. In Isaiah, the LORD calls all the people his witnesses about his identity.
As the Lord says in John 8:24, the consequence of disbelief is death. And yet the Lord’s words did not seem to strike fear in the hearts of the Ἰουδαῖοι and all those opposed to him.
But here I am reminded of another aspect in the OT Scriptures which may have caused some in the audience to pause and consider. When the Lord Jesus said earlier in John 8:18 that he was the one witnessing to himself with the Father and now gives his stark warning to them now in John 8:24, the people immediately ask: “who are you?” (John 8:25). I am reminded about the nature of a watcher on the walls who is responsible for warning the people of impending danger.
Recall that in Ezekiel 3:19 and 33:9 in its immediate context, the LORD God appointed the prophet to be a watchman of Israel and says that if he warns the wicked and they do not turn from their wickedness, they will surely die because of their sins but the watchman lives. Now, the one who is speaking before the Ἰουδαῖοι and the people was no mere prophet, nor a mere watchman. It is HE, the “I AM” himself who is speaking! But as the succeeding verses 26-27 tell us, the Ἰουδαῖοι could not get it. What then?
We will continue next week with the εγώ εἰμι in John 8:28.
God bless us all.