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 |
|---|---|---|
| John 8:57 | "Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?" | Follow-up question |
| John 8:58 | "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." | Jesus' divine pre-existence |
| Genesis 12:3 | "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." | Abrahamic covenant |
| Genesis 15:6 | "And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." | Abraham's faith |
| Genesis 17:7 | "And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be thy God, and of thy seed after thee." | Covenant renewal |
| Genesis 18:18 | "Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?" | Nation and blessing prophesied |
| Genesis 22:18 | "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." | Seed of blessing |
| Isaiah 11:10 | "And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious." | Gentiles seeking Messiah |
| Isaiah 55:3-4 | "Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people." | Everlasting covenant, Messiah |
| Matthew 13:16-17 | "But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." | Prophets desiring to see |
| Luke 10:23-24 | "And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes, for they see what ye see: For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." | Kings desiring to see |
| Hebrews 11:13 | "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." | Seeing from afar |
| Hebrews 11:16 | "But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city." | Heavenly perspective |
| 1 Peter 1:10-11 | "Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." | Prophets searching Christ's coming |
| Psalm 105:41 | "He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river." | Water from rock provision |
| Psalm 107:35-36 | "And turned the wilderness into a pool of water, and the dry land into watersprings. And there he brought them out of their troubles." | Transformation |
| John 1:29 | "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." | Lamb of God |
| John 1:14 | "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." | Glory beheld |
| John 3:16 | "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." | God's love, everlasting life |
| Romans 4:3 | "For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." | Abraham's faith counted righteous |
| Galatians 3:16 | "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." | Christ as the Seed |
| Ephesians 2:11-13 | "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." | Being made nigh in Christ |
| 1 John 5:11-12 | "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." | Life in the Son |
John 8 verses
John 8 56 Meaning
Jesus states that Abraham rejoiced to see His day, and he saw it and was glad. This indicates Abraham's faith anticipated and found joy in the coming of the Messiah, which Jesus confirms He is.
John 8 56 Context
This statement by Jesus occurs in John chapter 8, following a vigorous debate with the Jews. Jesus has declared Himself to be the light of the world and offered spiritual freedom from sin to those who believe in Him. He is challenged by the Jews who, despite their lineage from Abraham, do not practice God's ways. Jesus asserts His authority and existence before Abraham, implying a pre-mortal existence. In verse 56, Jesus defends His claims by referencing Abraham's foresight and joy concerning the Messiah's arrival. This context is crucial as Jesus is directly countering the Jewish leaders' claims to be the true inheritors of Abraham's promises, while simultaneously establishing His own identity as the fulfillment of those promises, a divine figure existing prior to Abraham.
John 8 56 Word Analysis
Abraham (Ἀβραὰμ - Abraam): The patriarch of the Israelite nation, renowned for his faith and obedience to God. His significance is central to the Jewish identity and God's covenant.
rejoiced (ἠγαλλιάσατο - egalliato): A strong verb indicating great joy, exultation, or celebration. It's a far more intense joy than simply being happy.
to see (ἰδεῖν - idein): To perceive with the eyes, to witness. Here, it's not just a physical seeing, but a spiritual understanding and anticipation.
my day (τὴν ἐμὴν ἡμέραν - tēn emēn hemeran): Refers to the time of the Messiah's appearance and ministry, a pivotal moment in redemptive history. For Abraham, it was a future event.
and was glad (καὶ ἐχάρη - kai echare): Reinforces the emotion of joy, confirming that the anticipation of "my day" brought happiness.
Abraham's faith and the Messianic Hope: The verse connects Abraham's faith directly to the coming of Jesus. Abraham was promised a descendant through whom all nations would be blessed (Genesis 12:3; 22:18). This promise pointed towards the Messiah.
Spiritual sight versus physical sight: Jesus emphasizes Abraham's spiritual perception, contrasting it with the limited physical understanding of His current audience who could see Him but did not recognize His divine nature.
The Messianic era as a day of joy: Jesus presents the advent of the Messianic age as a source of profound rejoicing, a concept recognized by righteous individuals throughout Old Testament history.
John 8 56 Bonus Section
The Jewish leaders' resistance stemmed from their inability to spiritually perceive Jesus' identity. They were rooted in their physical lineage and a contemporary understanding of God's interaction with them, failing to grasp the prophetic significance Jesus represented. Abraham's joy underscores that faithfulness anticipates and celebrates divine revelation, even across millennia. The Old Testament prophets intensely "searched" and inquired about the salvation to come (1 Peter 1:10-11), illustrating this long-held, joyous expectation that Jesus claimed was realized in his presence and was the subject of Abraham's exultation.
John 8 56 Commentary
Jesus directly confronts the Jewish disbelief by declaring that Abraham, their celebrated ancestor, possessed a faith that transcended time. Abraham eagerly anticipated and found great joy in the advent of the Messianic age, which Jesus claimed was manifest in His own person. This was a profound spiritual insight by Abraham, born from God's covenant promises, seeing afar off the fulfillment that was embodied in Jesus. The "day" signifies the manifestation of God’s salvation plan through the Messiah. This contrasts sharply with the immediate, limited perspective of the Jews, who could see Jesus physically but failed to recognize His divine identity and the salvific significance of His presence. It highlights that true faith involves spiritual discernment, an anticipation of God's promises even before their full physical realization.