“Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?” Day by day for three years Christ’s enemies had been trying to find some stain in His character. Satan had been looking for a way to overcome Him but had found nothing to take advantage of in Him. Even the devils were forced to confess, “You are—the Holy One of God!” Mark 1:24. Jesus lived the law in the sight of heaven, in the sight of unfallen worlds, and in the sight of sinful humanity. He had spoken, unchallenged, words that would have been blasphemy from any other lips: “I always do those things that please Him.”HH 218.3

The Jews did not recognize God’s voice in the message of His Son. They thought that they were passing judgment on Christ, but they were pronouncing sentence on themselves. “He who is of God,” said Jesus, “hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”HH 218.4

Many who love to quibble, to criticize, looking for something to question in the Word of God, think that this is evidence of independent thought and a sharp mind. But hunting for sticks and straws reveals a narrow and earthly nature, a heart that is quickly losing its ability to appreciate God. As a flower turns to the sun so that the bright rays may touch it with tints of beauty, the heart will turn to the Sun of Righteousness so that heaven’s light may beautify the character with the graces of Christ.HH 218.5

Jesus continued, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” Abraham offered up the most earnest prayer, asking to see the Messiah before he died. And God gave him a supernatural light, a view of the divine sacrifice for sin. He had an illustration of this sacrifice in his own experience. The command came to Him, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, ... and offer him there as a burnt offering.” Genesis 22:2. Upon the altar he laid the son of promise. Then, with the knife upraised to obey God, he heard a Voice from heaven saying, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Genesis 22:12. God imposed this terrible ordeal on Abraham so that he could see the day of Christ and realize God’s great love for the world, so great that He gave His only Son to raise the world from its degradation.HH 218.6

By making an entire surrender, Abraham saw that when God gave His only Son to save sinners from eternal ruin, He was making a greater and more wonderful sacrifice than any human could ever make.HH 219.1

When God provided a sacrifice instead of Isaac, He was declaring that no one could atone for his own guilt, that the pagan system of sacrifice was wholly unacceptable to God. No father was to offer up his son or daughter for a sin offering. The Son of God alone can bear the guilt of the world.HH 219.2

Christ’s words concerning Abraham did not seem deeply significant to His hearers. The Pharisees saw in them only fresh ground for arguing. They retorted with a sneer, as if they would prove Jesus to be a madman, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”HH 219.3

With solemn dignity Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”HH 219.4

Silence fell on the large gathering. This Galilean Rabbi had claimed the name of God, given to Moses to express the idea of the eternal presence. He had announced Himself to be the self-existent One, He “whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2.HH 219.5

Again the priests and rabbis cried out against Jesus as a blasphemer. Because He was, and proclaimed Himself to be, the Son of God, they were bent on destroying Him. Many of the people sided with the priests and rabbis and picked up stones to throw at Him. “But Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.”HH 219.6

The Question of Apostolic Succession

The Man Born Blind