Based on John 8:48-59 (New King James Version)
“Then the Jews answered and said to Him, ‘Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?’ Jesus answered, ‘I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.’ Then the Jews said to Him, ‘Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.’ Then the Jews said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’ Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”
Some of the many things about the Lord that fill me with wonder are His extreme patience, His goodness, and His love. Yet, to understand these things more precisely and begin to grasp their worth (I say "begin" because, even with the revelation of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to fully comprehend them from a human perspective), it is absolutely essential to look at who the person of the Lord Jesus Christ was, is, and always will be. God uses the Apostle John—the one who shared the greatest intimacy with the Lord while He was on earth—to provide us with the most precise insights into His person. John tells us this: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” John 1:1-3. And the Lord, through John, conclusively clarifies for us the composition of the Trinity—or the Elohim—as it is written: “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” 1 John 5:7. The Elohim, or the Trinity, is clearly seen in the beginning, when God created man, just as Moses himself wrote: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” Genesis 1:26. That is why, although in our language the word "God" is used in the singular, “God”—or “Elohim”, as written in Hebrew—signifies a plural God; that is, multiple persons who are God, yet possess a unique oneness: the Father, the Word (the Lord Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, this Jesus who spoke with those religious men is God—the Eternal God, the I AM.
To clarify this matter further, the Apostle John—who, due to his physical closeness to the Lord, was a primary witness to His arrest—provides us with significant detail. Here is what the Word tells us: “Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, ‘Whom are you seeking?’ They answered Him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am He.’ And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.” John 18:3-6. In this moment, the Lord demonstrates—in a very restrained and understated manner—His nature as the "I AM." We must understand that this demonstration was severely limited; had He revealed even a fraction more, they all would have perished, for standing in the presence of God brings instant physical death. Yet, with the mere utterance "I AM," those who sought to arrest Him fell to the ground. He required neither the protection of angels nor, much less, that of His disciples. Had He revealed even a tiny bit more of His true identity, they all would have died instantly.
Now, viewing His actions with a clearer understanding of who He is, we can begin to better grasp His patience, His goodness, and His love. His patience is undoubtedly profound—vast enough, were it measurable, to span the universe itself. Imagine for a moment this Being—so powerful, so great, so limitless and eternal—tolerating these people, their extreme hardness of heart, and their blasphemies. They judged Him for speaking His Truth—a Truth that is neither subjective nor limited, but the single most important Truth in the entire universe—simply by speaking of His identity and His person. How would we react if faced with a group of people who denied our very existence and identity? People who, no matter how clearly, we demonstrated who we were, not only denied it but accused us of lying—claiming we were someone or something completely opposite to who we truly are? I strive to be a patient person, grounded in my faith in the Lord, but if I am honest, I believe I would—at the very least—lose all patience and perhaps even wish unpleasant things upon them. And now, consider that the One they were attacking, accusing of being the exact opposite of Himself, and whose very nature they denied, is the God of the universe. In other times, a person who merely disrespected a significant authority figure—simply by failing to observe the proper protocol, would have been immediately executed or imprisoned. In many cases, it meant certain and painful death. Yet the Lord—despite being Almighty God—did not react that way. Although He could have instantly consumed them completely and sent them to eternal hell with a mere thought, He did not do so. His patience is truly incredible.
We must also consider His goodness and love—qualities that can be discussed together because they work in tandem. The Lord displayed immense goodness; for despite their unbelief and hardness of heart—and indeed their foolishness—He was offering them an opportunity for repentance. Moreover, He continued to sustain their very lives through His own Person, just as it is written: “That you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:45. God gives to and sustains every human being through His own person—providing everything from the daily necessities for life to the opportunity to repent and turn to Him to avoid eternal punishment—yet only until their time is up (for there is indeed a limit). Ultimately, He has done, is doing, and continues to do all of this out of love, choosing to act this way despite rebellion and blasphemy (for God is under no obligation to us). Yet the greatest injustice is that the suffering He endured came upon Him simply for speaking the Truth. Even though we often dislike the Truth, it is absolutely necessary, because: “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32. No matter how much it hurts, confronts us, or even goes against what we like, the truth is the only thing that grants us eternal freedom. That is why the greatest injustice one can commit against the Lord is failing to accept His Truth and make it part of one’s life, for it is His greatest gift and what we need most. Therefore, we must accept His truth in time; while His love, goodness, and patience are immense, they do have limits. So, will you judge the Lord because of the Truth and thereby condemn yourself for all eternity? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!