Yeshua Son of Abraham, Son of David, Son of God, The Great I AM

Yeshua Son of Abraham, Son of David, Son of God, The Great I AM

Rabbi Yehudah ben Shomeyr

John 8:39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

What are the “works of Abraham”? What works was Yeshua referring to? Torah, God’s Word and His Expectations, His Law is eternal. So in one way Yeshua was speaking of the works of obeying the Torah. In Judaism and Islam Abraham is known for his legendary hospitality. Taking in strangers and travelers, giving them food, lodging and means to refresh themselves while he told them about the One True God.

Gen. 18:1-8 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, And said, My LORD, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

Abraham lived peaceably when he was a stranger himself in foreign lands among foreign peoples such as the Egyptians, the sons of Heth and so on.

He was brave and risked his life, limb and property in order to save his family (Gen. 14) even when they were living in a way that appeared as unrighteous. He even risks punishment of the Almighty in order to save innocent strangers (Gen. 18:16-33). He had love and compassion upon those who unfortunately got caught up in his own mistakes and failings (Gen. 21).

He was willing to do whatever it took to love, please and serve YHWH (Gen. 22). He didn’t look for fame, prestige or power.

Gen. 14:21-24 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

Abram was given life though the “hey” (h) added to his name to make Abraham; after which he was able to sire Isaac. So Abraham was all about life and the salvation and the sustaining of life and Yeshua pointed out that they (the Pharisees) were about the total opposite , which was death.

John 8:37-38, 40-41a, 42, 44 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father… But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father… Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me… Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Yeshua was speaking on the premise of the old adage, “Like father, like son,” or “He’s a chip off the old block.” Yeshua said to those particular Pharisees, that they in no way resembled their father Abraham but looked more like sons of Lucifer.

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.   

Yeshua gives a further description of the traits of the evil one.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Just like a husband noticing that his growing son looks more like the milkman than him, or better yet, a son due to his noticeably different characteristics asks his parents if he was adopted; Yeshua makes clear that these certain Pharisees looked nothing like Abraham who they proudly claimed was their father.

Yeshua later makes the contrast and imply that not only does he look more like Abraham than they do, but he resembles even more YHWH the Father of all Himself!

John 8:45a, 47-50 And because I tell you the truth… He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.

Yeshua points out the sin of their unfounded lashone hara (gossip/slander) which was being a half-breed son and being conceived in sin out of wedlock

John 8:41, 48 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God…Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

He basically tells them that He is the emanation, the son of YHWH by saying that when they slander him they are actually offending His Father YHEH and that they are in danger of His wrath! What Father wouldn’t get mad if others claimed his son was an illegitimate bastard and the spawn of the devil himself!?

John 8:49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.

Yeshua goes further to stress that He is the Divine Messiah, the emanation if YHWH and therefore being figuratively a son by saying He personally knew Abraham who had long been physically dead and that He was an emanation of YHWH Himself by using His Personal Title, THE “I AM.”

John 8:52-58 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

Ex. 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

How did Yeshua know Abraham personally before His birth on earth through Miriam (Mary)? As the Manifest Presence of YHWH Himself before Abraham (Gen. 18).

Gen. 18:1-3, 33 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, And said, My LORD, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant… And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

Yeshua is a true son of Abraham, a true Jew and the Divine Messiah, the Son of the Living God of Israel. There is no way around it. As C.S. Lewis once said; “He (Jesus/Yeshua) is either a liar, a lunatic or LORD.”