John 8:48-59

John 8:48-59 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Remember that when Moses asked God what name he should give the Israelites when they ask Moses who sent him, God told Moses the name is 'I am'.  So here we are, hundreds of years later, and Jesus is telling the Israelites that he is 'I am'.  Now, if you're us, thousands of years later, we're thinking about how awesome this is.  The God who showed up to deliver the Israelites out of the hands of the Egyptians is now showing up to deliver humanity out of the hands of sin and death.  God is keeping God's promises!!!!
  The Israelites... well, they thought they was less than awesome.  Blasphemous, actually, and they were ready to stone Jesus to death.  Note -- it looks really, really bad on the resume to throw stones at Jesus. 
  What's important here is that Jesus is linking back to the Old Testament.  It's common for people to talk about the God of the Old Testament as though God is different in the New Testament.  It's the same God with the same mission -- to rescue people from sin and call them back to faithfulness, so that we might experience true joy and peace in God.  Jesus and God are the same, and so the God who spoke in the Old Testament, who made promises to the people, is fulfilling them in Jesus Christ, who is the Yes to all of God's promises.  We stand in the same tradition!  God is faithful still, and still strong and mighty to save!