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Gospel Reading - Jesus defends his claims

⁴⁸"You Samaritan! Foreigner! Devil!" the Jewish leaders snarled. "Didn't we say all along you were possessed by a demon?"

⁴⁹"No," Jesus said, "I have no demon in me. For I honor my Father - and you dishonour me. ⁵⁰ And though I have no wish to make myself great, God wants this for me and judges [those who reject me^a] ⁵¹ With all the earnestness I have I tell you this - no one who obeys me shall ever die!"

⁵²The leaders of the Jews said, "Now we know you are possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the mightiest prophets died, and yet you say that obeying you will keep a man from dying! ⁵³ So you are greater than our father Abraham, who died? Who do you think you are? ⁵⁴ Then Jesus told them this: "If I am merely boasting about myself, it doesn't count. But it is my Father - and you claim Him as your God - who is saying these glorious things about me. ⁵⁵But you do not even know him. I do. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But it is true - I know him and fully obey him. ⁵⁶ Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He knew I was coming and was glad."

⁵⁷THE JEWISH LEADERS: "You aren't even fifty years old - sure, you've seen Abraham!"

⁵⁸JESUS: "The absolute truth is that I was in existence before Abraham was ever born!"

1. Implied. Literally, "There is one who seeks and judges."