In St. John’s 8th chapter, we read, “Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I AM.’ So they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.” In St. John’s 18th chapter, during the Passion account, we read, “Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to Him, went out and said to them, ‘Whom are you looking for?’ They answered Him, ‘Jesus the Nazorean.’ He said to them, “I AM.” Judas His betrayer was also with them. When he said to them, ‘I AM,’ they turned away and fell to the ground.”
Why these powerful and dramatic responses to Jesus’ words? He is identifying himself with God, Yahweh. This is the name for God, it is very special and sacred to Israel, and it means in the Hebrew language “He who is always there.”
In St. John’s message, Jesus is more than the fulfillment of Israel’s faith and hope. Jesus is one with God, who planned for the day of salvation before the universe was even created. God directed world history so that Abraham (“our father in the faith”) would be the single hope of all people. God, in fact, led Israel’s history forward until the eternal Word became incarnate in Jesus, son of Mary.
As “the great I AM,” Jesus is the Lord of our history. But His hopes and plans will remain at least partially unfulfilled until all men and women are one. We are reminded of St. Paul’s famous statement: “All of you who have been baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with him. There is no longer among you Jew or Greek, slave or free person, male or female. All are one in Christ Jesus. Furthermore, if you belong to Christ, you are the descendants of Abraham, which means you inherit all that was promised.” (Galatians 3, 27-29).
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Nuestra comunión con Dios, nuestra salvación, depende de la fe. Dios ofrece una Alianza y nosotros tenemos que fiarnos de la palabra de Dios. Abrahán creyó en la palabra de Dios y su fe cambió su propio destino y el de su pueblo. Muchos judíos no creyeron y se desconectaron de sus antepasados y del nuevo pueblo de Dios.
Dios nos habla a nosotros por medio de su Palabra Viva, que es una persona: Jesucristo. Si creemos en Él, por el Bautismo nos convertimos en el nuevo pueblo de la nueva Alianza, y la Tierra Prometida será nuestra. Ojalá sepamos guardar la Palabra del Señor no sólo en nuestras mentes, sino también en nuestras obras, para que un día gocemos de la promesa de Dios – la vida eterna.
