John 8:56

Verse 56. Your father Abraham. The testimony of Abraham is adduced by Jesus because the Jews considered it to be a signal honour to be his descendants, Joh 8:39. As they regarded the sayings and deeds of Abraham as peculiarly illustrious and worthy of their imitation, so they were bound, in consistency, to listen to what he had said of the Messiah. Rejoiced. This word includes the notion of desire as well as rejoicing. It denotes that act when, impelled with strong desire for an object, we leap forward toward its attainment with joy; and it expresses -- 1st. The fact that this was an object that filled the heart of Abraham with joy; and 2nd. That he earnestly desired to see it.