“Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!’ At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple.”
John 8:58–59 (NLT)
In this portion of Scripture, we see Jesus confronting the pride of the Jewish leaders. They insult Him, call Him demon-possessed, and dismiss His teaching as crazy. Their certainty that they knew everything about God blinded them from seeing their need for a Savior. Yet even after being dishonored, Jesus remained patient—still trying to help them receive the life God wanted to give.
When Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I Am,” He revealed His eternal identity as the same God who spoke from the burning bush. That truth infuriated the Jewish leaders so much that they picked up stones to kill Him on the spot. But Scripture says Jesus was hidden from them and walked right out of the Temple. This was a supernatural exit—a demonstration of God’s protection.
Jesus shows us that anyone who cherishes His words will never experience death. I believe this applies both to eternal life and to the protection of God here on earth. When we obey His teaching, we don’t have to fear what obedience might cost. Jesus was protected when sharing eternal truth, and we can trust the same supernatural protection when we follow His ways.
In a world where speaking truth can get us labeled, canceled, hated, or worse, this story reminds us that obedience doesn’t leave us exposed—obedience places us under His covering. If we follow Jesus, speak truth in love, remain patient with people, and stay faithful to His teaching, He will protect us just as God did in the Temple that day.