---
title: Abraham Rejoiced to See My Day
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/abraham-saw-my-day/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/abraham-saw-my-day.md
type: argument
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
topics: [Deity of Christ]
challenges: [Jesus Is a Created Being]
verses: [John 8:56, Genesis 18:1, Exodus 3:14, John 8:58]
strength: Moderate
tone: Good
attribution: Whoever Has The Son
added: '2026-04-05'
last_reviewed: '2026-04-05'
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# Abraham Rejoiced to See My Day

*John 8:56 — Jesus Claims Abraham Saw Him in the OT*

## Doorstep Question

> "In John 8:56, Jesus says "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad." The Jews reply, "You're not even fifty — have you seen Abraham?" Then Jesus says, "Before Abraham was, I AM." When did Abraham see Jesus? Could it have been when Yahweh appeared to Abraham in Genesis 18?"

## JW Claim

Abraham looked forward to the Messiah in faith. He didn't literally see
Jesus. Jesus existed before Abraham as Michael the Archangel, not as God.

## Strategy

Use John 8:56 as a bridge between the OT christophanies and the ego eimi claim. (1) Read John 8:56-59 together — Jesus says Abraham SAW his day. (2) Ask: when did Abraham see Jesus? Connect to Genesis 18:1 where Yahweh appeared to Abraham in human form. Jesus is claiming to be the one Abraham saw — Yahweh himself. (3) The Jews understood the implication — that's why they asked about his age, and that's why Jesus responded with "I AM" (the divine name from Exodus 3:14). (4) The Jews picked up stones for blasphemy — they understood he was claiming to be God.

## Key Insight

Jesus doesn't just claim pre-existence — he claims to be the Yahweh who appeared to Abraham. John 8:56 connects the OT theophanies directly to Jesus' identity.

## JW Responses & Counters

### Response 1

**JW says:** "Abraham saw Jesus' day prophetically, by faith"

**Counter:** Jesus says Abraham "saw it and was glad" — past tense, completed action. And the Jews' response about his age shows they understood Jesus was claiming a personal encounter, not just prophetic foresight. Jesus doesn't correct their understanding — he doubles down with "I AM."

### Response 2

**JW says:** "Jesus existed as Michael before Abraham — that's what he means"

**Counter:** If that were his point, why not say "Before Abraham was, Michael was"? Instead he used the divine name — "I AM" — from Exodus 3:14. And why would the Jews stone him for claiming to be an angel? Angels existing before humans isn't blasphemous. They picked up stones because they understood he was claiming to be the God who stood before Abraham in Genesis 18.

## What to Avoid

Don't get into a lengthy debate about Genesis 18 here — use this as a quick bridge to the ego eimi argument. If they want to discuss the Genesis 18 christophany in detail, pivot to the ot-christophany argument.

## Homework

Read John 8:56-59 in one sitting until you can walk through the exchange from memory: Abraham "saw it and was glad", the question about being not yet fifty, "before Abraham was, I AM", and the stones. Then read Genesis 18 from verse 1 and Exodus 3:14, so you can connect both without notes. Look up John 8:56-58 in the NWT on jw.org and note how the Witness's Bible renders verse 58 before you meet it at the door. Practise the doorstep question aloud, slowly. Rehearse the "by faith, prophetically" reply: "saw" is past and completed, and the listeners heard a claim to a personal encounter. Keep it short and use it as a bridge; save detailed discussion of Genesis 18 for another visit.

## Next Moves

- [Ego Eimi — 'I AM'](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/ego-eimi.md)
- [Who Appeared to Abraham?](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/ot-christophany.md)
- [The Word of the Lord — Yahweh's Visible Person](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/word-of-the-lord.md)