John 8:56 kjv
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
John 8:56 nkjv
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."
John 8:56 niv
Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."
John 8:56 esv
Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad."
John 8:56 nlt
Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad."
John 8 56 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:3 | "I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." | Abraham's seed is source of blessing. |
| Gen 15:6 | "And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness." | Abraham's foundational faith. |
| Gen 22:18 | "and in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." | Promise to Abraham centered on an Offspring (Messiah). |
| Rom 4:3 | "For what does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.'" | Reinforces Abraham's faith as pivotal. |
| Gal 3:8 | "And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'In you shall all the nations be blessed.'" | Gospel message revealed to Abraham. |
| Gal 3:16 | "Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, 'And to offsprings,' referring to many, but referring to one, 'And to your offspring,' who is Christ." | Christ as the specific Seed of Abraham. |
| Heb 11:13 | "These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth." | Patriarchs foresaw promised salvation. |
| Heb 11:10 | "For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God." | Abraham's spiritual hope beyond earthly things. |
| Jn 1:1-2 | "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." | Jesus' eternal pre-existence. |
| Jn 8:58 | "Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.'" | Direct claim of pre-existence and deity. |
| Col 1:16-17 | "For in him all things were created... all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." | Christ's pre-eminence and creative role. |
| 1 Pet 1:10-11 | "Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time... pointing to the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories." | Old Testament prophets testified of Christ. |
| Lk 24:27 | "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." | All OT scriptures point to Christ. |
| Matt 13:17 | "For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." | Many yearned for Messianic era. |
| Lk 1:47 | "and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." | Example of spiritual rejoicing in God/salvation. |
| Ps 16:11 | "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." | Joy found in God's presence. |
| Isa 9:6 | "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given... and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." | Prophecy of Messiah's coming. |
| Heb 7:1-10 | Melchizedek, priest-king, met Abraham and received tithes, showing his superiority. | Pre-figurement of Christ's superior priesthood, witnessed by Abraham. |
| Matt 1:1 | "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." | Jesus' lineage links him directly to Abraham. |
| Eph 2:11-13 | Gentile inclusion (grafted into Abraham's blessings) only possible through Christ. | Abraham's blessing realized through Christ. |
John 8 verses
John 8 56 Meaning
John 8:56 conveys Jesus' profound assertion to the Jews that their esteemed ancestor, Abraham, longed to witness Jesus' "day" – referring to the time of Jesus' earthly manifestation and redemptive work – and through faith, he did see it and rejoiced. This statement underscores Jesus' pre-existence, divine identity, and role as the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises made to Abraham, radically reorienting their understanding of their patriarch's hope.
John 8 56 Context
This verse is part of an intense theological and polemical confrontation between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem, specifically recorded in John chapter 8. The discussion escalates from Jesus' teaching in the temple and their attempt to stone Him. The core of the conflict revolves around freedom, truth, and their spiritual parentage. The Jews boast of being "Abraham's offspring" and never having been enslaved, implying spiritual freedom (Jn 8:33). Jesus counters, asserting that those who practice sin are slaves to sin and that He, as the Son, grants true freedom (Jn 8:34-36). This leads to a discussion of spiritual paternity: Jesus denies they are truly children of Abraham (Jn 8:39) because they do not act like Abraham and seek to kill Him, thus showing their true father is the devil (Jn 8:44). Amidst these accusations and claims of authority, Jesus then pronounces this controversial statement, elevating His "day" above Abraham, setting the stage for His declaration of pre-existence in John 8:58. Historically, Abraham was the foundational patriarch for the Jewish identity, promises, and covenant, making any claim about him deeply significant and highly charged.
John 8 56 Word analysis
- Your father: Refers to Abraham, highlighting the Jews' claim to lineage and inheritance from him, which Jesus challenges throughout this chapter. It contrasts with Jesus' assertion of spiritual fatherhood.
- Abraham: The revered patriarch, central to Jewish identity and covenants (Gen 12, 15, 17, 22). Jesus here redefines Abraham's significance in relation to Himself.
- rejoiced: Greek: ēgalliasato (ἠγαλλιάσατο), from agalliaō (ἀγαλλιάω). This word signifies deep, exuberant, spiritual joy or exultation, often used in contexts of divine blessing or salvation (e.g., Lk 1:47, Mary's joy). It indicates Abraham had a profound, God-given sense of gladness.
- that he should see: Greek: hina idē (ἵνα ἴδῃ), a purpose clause ("in order that he might see"). This denotes Abraham's eager expectation and profound desire to witness "my day." It implies foreknowledge, either through direct revelation or prophetic insight.
- my day: Greek: tēn hēmeran tēn emēn (τὴν ἡμέραν τὴν ἐμήν). This is Jesus' pivotal self-reference, claiming His entire redemptive era—His incarnation, ministry, passion, resurrection, and the salvation He brings—as the fulfillment of Abraham's longing. It directly connects the fulfillment of Abrahamic promises to Jesus' person and work.
- and he saw it: Greek: kai eiden (καὶ εἶδεν). This is a strong affirmation in the past tense, indicating that Abraham definitively had a vision or understanding of Jesus' day. This seeing was not physical presence, but spiritual, prophetic, or through divine revelation and faith (Heb 11:13).
- and was glad: Greek: kai echarē (καὶ ἐχάρη). From chairō (χαίρω), denoting a more common, yet genuine, gladness or joy, often in response to an accomplished event or received blessing. It confirms Abraham's positive and fulfilled response to what he "saw."
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Your father Abraham rejoiced that he should see my day": This phrase links Abraham's profound spiritual longing directly to Jesus' Messianic advent. It reframes Abraham as one who looked forward to Christ, implying a deeper prophetic understanding than the Jews grasped. The joy suggests an active, divinely inspired anticipation rather than mere passive hope.
- "and he saw it and was glad": This climactic affirmation validates Abraham's hope. The past tense "saw" confirms Abraham's perception, not through physical eyes on earth during Jesus' ministry, but through faith, spiritual revelation, or prophetic visions granted by God. It establishes Jesus' day as the object and fulfillment of Abraham's faith, bringing him joy.
John 8 56 Bonus section
The statement in John 8:56 also touches upon the Jewish concept of "Messianic Woes" followed by "Messianic Joys," implying Abraham looked forward to this redemptive climax. Some ancient Jewish traditions (Midrash, Zohar) suggested Abraham was granted prophetic visions of future generations, including the giving of the Torah and even the messianic era. Jesus is not merely reinterpreting Abraham; He is stating a truth based on His own divine perspective. Abraham "seeing" Jesus' day through faith highlights the continuity of God's plan from the Old Testament covenants to their New Testament fulfillment in Christ. It shows that true "children of Abraham" are defined by their faith in the coming (and now present) Messiah, echoing Romans 4 and Galatians 3, rather than by mere physical descent. The specific timing of "my day" encompasses more than just the historical events of Jesus' earthly life; it also points to the overarching eschatological reality of Christ's kingdom, the fulfillment of all covenant promises, and the ultimate consummation of God's plan.
John 8 56 Commentary
John 8:56 reveals Jesus' staggering claim about His unique relationship with Abraham, undermining the Jews' exclusive claims to Abrahamic privilege. Jesus posits Abraham as a man of faith who transcended his earthly context, looking prophetically forward to "my day," which represents the unfolding of God's redemptive plan embodied in Christ. Abraham's "seeing" refers to his divinely granted foresight—perhaps glimpses in the covenant promises (Gen 12, 15, 22), particularly in the promise of an "offspring" through whom all nations would be blessed, which the New Testament explicitly identifies as Christ (Gal 3:16). This was a spiritual, revelatory sight, understood through the eyes of faith. When Jesus declares that Abraham "saw it and was glad," He affirms Abraham's deep satisfaction in this vision, implicitly highlighting that Jesus Himself is the ultimate answer to Abraham's life of faith and expectation. The verse thus demonstrates Jesus' profound authority over the past and His centrality to God's covenant history, indicating His pre-existence and identity as the object of all Israelite hope. This was a direct challenge to the Jewish audience, who presumed Abraham’s superiority and would subsequently question Jesus’ age (Jn 8:57).