I AM - Jn 8:21-30
What a fascinating scene! Seemingly not much is going on here. Jesus speaks in his own style about the death-sin connection and about His calling. He speaks of His relationship with God and of unity with Him. Let us pay attention to an extremely important detail. In other Gospel scenes, Jesus performed many miracles and signs that caused people to follow Him and believe. What is happening today? Jesus stands, talks about God, does nothing extraordinary and amazing - and yet: “as he spoke this way, many came to believe in him”! Let us see what power these words must have had! Where does this power come from?
An essential part of today's Gospel is the repeated several times: "I Am". In ancient biblical languages, "I Am" is a direct reference to the name of Yahweh - the name by which God introduced Himself when Moses asked forHis name. Moses said to God, ““But,” said Moses to God, “if I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what do I tell them?” God replied to Moses: I am who I am. Then he added: This is what you will tell the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you." (cf. Ex 3: 13-14)
As we know, the name in antiquity meant much more than it does today. Today we come up with names that are nice, pleasant to the ear, or we associate with someone from the family, someone we know. We sometimes forget that the names originally have their own meaning. In the past, a name was given to emphasize and, as it were, to denote a person's identity.
In this context, it is worth considering the name "I AM." When God was asked about his name, He says "I AM", that is, in this way he emphasizes his identity towards man. God IS - he is close to us, he is present, he is real, he is personal. Moreover, all of this is not by accident! This presence and this being determines God's identity to us. This is how God himself wants to be understood.
Probably everyone has such moments that they wonder if God is… if he is with me or if he is not abandoning me. Meeting our need to be sure that He really IS, God introduces Himself to us by this name: "I AM!" As if he wanted to shout at the very beginning to each of us, including me: "Yes George, I really AM with you!"
His Son - Jesus is inscribed in this identity of God Present. In Jesus, God wants to be present with man even more - to emphasize this I AM even more. People ask Jesus today, "Who are you?" - as Moses asked God in the desert. And just like then, so also today Jesus - God replies that at the appropriate moment, when they " lift up the Son of Man", they will know God in Him - they will know that He IS.
Name, as we said, defined identity. But the name had power too! It was enough for Jesus to mention this Divine Name, and many believed by then! By the power of God's name. God who IS. In this name of God, we and our faith can also be saved.
It is worth adding that these prophetic words of Jesus - "when they will lift up the Son of man ..." were fulfilled on the Cross and many times later. Right after his death on the Cross, people standing nearby met God Seeing what was happening, the centurion gave God glory and said: "Indeed, this man was innocent." Also, all the crowds that had come to this spectacle, when they saw what was happening, they returned home beating their breasts. (cf. Lk 23, 47–48) And the centurion, who was standing there, seeing that he had thus given up his ghost, said: "Truly this man was the Son of God!”." (cf. Mk 15, 39)
“And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many. The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was happening, and they said, “Truly, this was the Son of God!” (cf. Mt 27, 51–54)
What about me? God IS but what about me? What is my identity? What is my nature? How would I present myself - to people, to people close to me, to God Himself? What determines the meaning of my life? Maybe because of the multitude of work, tasks, everyday worries ... I have gone longtime ago. Maybe I am not? By revealing his identity through us, God wants to include us again in His nature - that is, He wants us always really BE again!
To be fully ourselves is to be with God, to be in God.
Today's story reminds us of God who IS and who wants to be close to us. It teaches us that in Jesus this presence deepened even more. Moreover, Jesus - God shares with us His presence so that we can be truly and fully. Be with Him and be ourselves. I hope this is what today's story will help me with.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george