Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is subtly highlighting that Abraham's faith was seeing; he rejoiced in the promise of Christ's coming, which was as real to him as if he had already witnessed it. This contrasts sharply with the Jews, who rejected Jesus despite His present reality.
Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is in a heated debate with Jewish leaders who are questioning his authority and identity. They boast about their lineage, claiming Abraham as their father, but Jesus argues their actions prove they aren't truly Abraham's spiritual children. He then claims that Abraham rejoiced at the prospect of seeing Jesus' day, a statement that further enrages them and leads to his declaration of pre-existence.
Jesus contrasts Abraham's eager anticipation with the Jews' present rejection. What drove Abraham's deep desire to see 'my day,' and how does it challenge us today?
Jesus declares that Abraham 'rejoiced to see my day.' This wasn't a passive wish, but an active, eager anticipation. The original Greek word carries a sense of exultation, a fervent longing.
A Future Hope
Abraham's 'day' refers to the time of Christ's coming, the era of the Messiah's work. It was a pivotal moment in God's redemptive plan, the fulfillment of promises made to Abraham himself (Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 22:18).
Faith's Vision
How could Abraham 'see' this day long before Jesus was born? His seeing was an act of faith. Through divine revelation and promises, Abraham grasped the future reality of the Messiah, anticipating the blessings that would come through him. It was a deep, spiritual insight, not a physical sighting of Jesus in his earthly ministry.
Jesus declares, 'He saw it and was glad.' This wasn't just a spiritual glimpse; it was a profound encounter. How did Abraham truly 'see' Jesus, and what does this reveal about Christ's timeless existence?
Jesus doesn't just say Abraham longed to see His day; He states, 'He saw it and was glad.' This points to a direct spiritual perception that brought Abraham joy.
More Than a Promise
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While Abraham saw Christ through faith in promises and prophetic glimpses, the commentators suggest he also had direct encounters. Some point to appearances of God or His Angel to Abraham (as in Genesis 18) as pre-incarnate manifestations of Christ. This meant Abraham experienced Christ's presence in a tangible, albeit spiritual, way.
A Timeless Being
This 'seeing' is intrinsically linked to Jesus' claim, 'Before Abraham was, I am' (John 8:58). Abraham existed in time, but Jesus existed before time. Abraham's joy came from seeing the promised Redeemer, a Redeemer who existed eternally, whose 'day' was not merely a future event but an ongoing reality in the divine counsel.
The Jews claimed Abraham as their father, yet they rejected Jesus. How does Jesus use Abraham's joyful anticipation to expose the blindness of His listeners?
Jesus masterfully contrasts Abraham's deep spiritual joy with the spiritual deadness of the religious leaders and their followers.
Abraham's Affection
Abraham's great desire and subsequent joy signify his complete trust and devotion to God's promises. He valued the spiritual reality of the Messiah's coming above all else. His life was oriented toward this future hope.
Present Blindness
Jesus highlights this by saying, 'Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.' The implication is stark: Abraham, the patriarch they revered, ardently longed for what they were actively despising and rejecting. Their claim to be Abraham's spiritual heirs was hollow because they refused to see and embrace the very Christ whom Abraham rejoiced to anticipate.
A Call to True Heritage
This contrast serves as a powerful rebuke. True spiritual heritage isn't based on ancestry alone, but on faith and recognizing Christ when He is present. Abraham's joyful faith stands in direct opposition to the Jews' hostile unbelief.
Understand the original words
Abraam · Greek Proper Noun
Refers to the Jewish patriarch, the father of the faith, chosen by God to be the recipient of the covenant promises, including the promise that through his offspring all nations would be blessed.
hēmera · Greek Noun
Refers to the time of the Messiah's manifestation, His ministry, and the inauguration of the Kingdom of God, which was the focus of prophetic anticipation.
Jesus tells the Jewish leaders that Abraham longed to see His 'day' – the manifestation of the Messiah. Abraham's faith in God's promises, stretching across centuries, finds its ultimate joy in the presence of Jesus, whom these leaders are rejecting.
c. 2000 BC
God's Promise to Abraham
God promises Abraham that through his offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed. Abraham believes God, and it is credited to him as righteousness.
c. 1750 BC
Birth of Isaac
Abraham's son Isaac is born, a fulfillment of God's promise and a key figure in the lineage leading to the Messiah.
c. 1400 BC
The Exodus and the Law
Israel is delivered from slavery in Egypt and receives the Law through Moses, establishing a covenant nation with a future hope of a redeemer.
c. 1000 BC
Davidic Covenant
God promises King David that his royal line will endure forever, pointing forward to an everlasting king from his house – the Messiah.
c. 750 BC - 500 BC
Prophetic Visions
Prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah receive visions of the coming Messiah, His suffering, and His kingdom, deepening the anticipation.
c. 2 BC - AD 30— this verse
The Ministry of Jesus
Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, walks the earth, teaches, heals, and performs miracles, fulfilling the prophecies and promises made to Abraham.
c. AD 30 - AD 33
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
Jesus is crucified, atoning for the sins of humanity, and is resurrected, demonstrating His victory over death and confirming His divine identity.
This passage directly relates to Abraham's faith in God's promise, which Jesus points to as the 'day' Abraham rejoiced to see, emphasizing that his faith was credited as righteousness.
Hebrews 11:13This verse echoes John 8:56 by stating that Abraham and others 'died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them afar off,' directly supporting the idea of Abraham's prophetic vision of Christ's coming.
Luke 10:24Jesus contrasts Abraham's longing to see 'my day' with the disciples' present reality, highlighting that many righteous people throughout history desired to see what the disciples were experiencing.
John 1:14This verse speaks of the Word becoming flesh, which is the core of 'my day' that Abraham rejoiced to see and Jesus refers to, highlighting the Incarnation as the fulfillment of God's promise.
Isaiah 7:14This Old Testament prophecy of a virgin giving birth to Immanuel ('God with us') represents a specific foretelling of 'my day' that Abraham, through faith, would have anticipated.
jfbJohn 8:56: "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad."
- Abraham rejoiced to see my day, &c.—exulted, or exceedingly rejoiced that he should see, he exulted to see it, that is, by anticipation. Nay,he saw it, and was glad—he actually beheld it, to his joy. If this mean no more than that he had a prophetic foresight of the gospel-day—the second clause just repeating the first—how could the Jews understand our Lord to mean that He "had seen Abraham?" And if it mea…
calvinJohn 8:56-59: "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad."
Your father Abraham exulted to see my day; and he saw it and rejoiced. 57. The Jews then said to him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58. Jesus said to them, Verily, verily, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am. 59. Then they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus concealed himself, and went out of the temple.
Your father Abraham. He grants to them, in words only, w…
Jesus is subtly highlighting that Abraham's faith was seeing; he rejoiced in the promise of Christ's coming, which was as real to him as if he had already witnessed it. This contrasts sharply with the Jews, who rejected Jesus despite His present reality.
Jesus is in a heated debate with Jewish leaders who are questioning his authority and identity. They boast about their lineage, claiming Abraham as their father, but Jesus argues their actions prove they aren't truly Abraham's spiritual children. He then claims that Abraham rejoiced at the prospect of seeing Jesus' day, a statement that further enrages them and leads to his declaration of pre-existence.
Jesus is in a heated debate with Jewish leaders who are questioning his authority and identity. They boast about their lineage, claiming Abraham as their father, but Jesus argues their actions prove they aren't truly Abraham's spiritual children. He then claims that Abraham rejoiced at the prospect of seeing Jesus' day, a statement that further enrages them and leads to his declaration of pre-existence.
"Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.”" — Jesus is subtly highlighting that Abraham's faith was seeing; he rejoiced in the promise of Christ's coming, which was as real to him as if he had already witnessed it. This contrasts sharply wit…
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Last reviewed October 2026