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The scripture I cited was Jesus claiming to be I AM, which according to Exodus was the name God told Moses to say he was. So perhaps you could give me your understanding of what Jesus meant by his statement to the Pharisees "before Abraham was born, I AM"?
Jesus' saying "before Abraham was I am". Is not saying that he was (God). This is easily demonstrated by the preceding verses to that one. Context.
John 8:54-58 "Jesus answered, If I honor myself then my honor is nothing: it is my FATHER that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God." 55-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.
56-Your father Abraham rejoiced to see MY DAY: and he saw it and was glad.
57-Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet 50 years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
58-Jesus said unto them Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am.
He tells them that his Father is the one they call their God, not him in 54.
He actually never answered their question in 57 did he? He never said yes or no, he just said I was before Abraham and he was before all the spirits of men as God his
Father had decided before the world was formed that all of his creation should be reconciled back to him through Jesus Christ his only begotten Son.
If you will notice he does not seek his own honor but his Fathers.
It was his Father that showed Abraham the days of the earthly life of Jesus and therefore Abraham was glad to see it.
God also showed this end result to David as David had said "the LORD said to my Lord .........." notice the all caps signifying the Father and the upper case L for Jesus.
This signifies a difference. Just as how could he(Jesus) deliver up the kingdom to his Father if he was the Father after all things have been reconciled?
Micah5:2 But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall HE come forth unto ME that is to be ruler in Israel
whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. (i.e. the days of eternity.)(Foreordained). Shall HE come forth unto ME? obviously Jesus coming on the scene
to do the will of the Father. As was forseen by Abraham and David as God had shown them before he was made manifest in his earthly body. (Prophetic visions)
1 Peter 1:19-21 "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish or without spot: Who verily was FOREORDAINED before the foundation of the
world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
Who BY HIM (Jesus) DO BELIEVE IN GOD, THAT RAISED HIM UP FROM THE DEAD, AND GAVE HIM GLORY; that your faith and hope might be in God."
As we see here it was God who raised Jesus from the dead AND gave him glory.
Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him (Jesus) from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
I'm sorry it is averting you but God cannot die, but Jesus as a man could and did, and it was God who raised Jesus from the dead as he should not be held by death for he
never sinned.
In your view God committed suicide for the sin of mankind if you consider what your saying. But like I said God cannot die and never did.