"Jesus, on
the Truth"...cont'd
In our last lesson we
began a study concerning Jesus' teaching on the truth concerning His
relationship with His Father, God, and He did-so using truth found in
their own Law, as reported in John 8.17,18. Now we see the
Pharisees' response, as recorded in vss. 19 & 20, and they
weren't buying any of it!
"Where is your
father?" And Jesus' answer is a real kick in the pants,
considering what we know about He and His Father, today. Now you've
got to remember that those Pharisees were pretty crooked! Pretty
unyielding! And there they stood, like a deer in the headlights;
frozen to the ground; their blood running cold! You see, what Jesus
had said needed no further explaination; He had defied their
egotistical logic, and there was nowhere else to go. To them, Jesus'
response was mind-bending; it took them to realms they never even
knew existed! That's the way it is, even today, when you're forced
to take Jesus seriously.
And as v. 20 tells us, of
course, "...no man laid hands on Him...". Those religious
leaders were pretty upset with the things that Jesus had to say, as
well as the way He said it, but true to His calling, Jesus spoke only
the truth..."I'm going on My way, and where I go you won't be
coming, and even though you will seek Me, you will die in your sins".
Those men were looking for their chance to put Jesus to death, when
in truth, they were dead themselves!
Do you realize that those
words are just as true today, whether for man, woman or child? You
see, until we find Jesus, we are, in truth, dead in our sin. That's
an astounding truth from the very Word of God! To reject His Son
means that we are unable to go where He has gone (v. 22). Just
think, a person can have religious feelings and even shed a tear at
the thought of the crucifiction of Jesus, and yet have no experience
of salvation. We all know-of, and some have experienced, sickness,
death, financial loss, or family breakdown, and have had much
religiousness sent our way as a result. Under a little pressure a
man will "say his prayers", read his bible, be active in
good works and even mend his ways and still never be a transformed
being by the very Spirit of God! That's when we see people, under
the pressure of temptation, or the burden of grief, or just the usual
passing of time, revert to their old habits and their old haunts.
Many will seek a way to salvation and will entirely miss the
way to salvation. You see, when salvation doesn't come from a
deep conviction, with a resulting conversion, all our religious activities are contemptible to God.
There are two problems
evident with those sorts of seekers, and Jesus deals with the first,
in v. 23...those who don't seek in the right spirit. Jeremiah 29.13
says, "...you shall search for Me and find Me, when you search
for Me with all your heart." Secondly, people too often search
in the wrong places. The Jesus life will not be found in church
attendance, or in the offering plate, or in the choir; He can only be
found by the word of God. As Jesus said Himself, "...search the
scriptures, for they are they which testify of Me"! And don't
be fooled, we need to seek, and find Jesus, or salvation, and eternal
life in His presence, will escape us!
Read vss. 25-32...You
know, I just love Jesus' own commentary on His own commentary. Can
you just imagine His patience when, not only dealing with those
Pharisees, but with us as well! Jesus was teaching those people the
truth..we read that word at least six times in this passage, and
still they ask, "...who are you?"
And Jesus' patient
response? "I am absolutely that which I have declared Myself to
be; I have spoken of light...I am the Light. I have spoken of
truth...I am the truth. I have spoken of Father God, and I am His
Son." No man, before or since, has ever been qualified to make
those claims, but Jesus was, as we read in 1 John 5.20..."We
know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding,
that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true,
even in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the True God, and eternal
life"!
But back to John 8, v.
26...Jesus has much to say, and many to judge and much of the
Father's truth to tell. This is where, for Jesus, the rubber hits
the road...the Jews had judged Him when He should have judged
them, but rather, He chose in His eternal wisdom to simply
confirm the very words of God; that's the example He has set for us.
Whenever the child of God is challenged on the basis of his
testimony, learn from Jesus, and lean on Jesus. But
you know, v. 27 describes us perfectly, "They understood
not...". Do you understand what I'm saying today? Do
you understand what it is that He's trying to tell you? Well
according to v.29, even though the things He said and did were
displeasing to the Jews, they were pleasing to the Father. Do your
sayings and doings please the Father as well, regardless of how
others here on this earth may feel toward you? Let me tell you, they
should! The day will come when you'll want to hear the words of
God..."This is My son, in whom I am well pleased!"
Well, according to v. 30,
many were concerned, enough that they decided to believe on Him...or
did they? True, they were apparently struck by Jesus' patient
handling of His tormenters, and speaking so calmly about His
impending crucifiction, and speaking so boldly about His relationship
with His Father...but just as they had asked back in 7.31..."when
Christ cometh, will He do more miracles that these?" "And
then said Jesus (in 8.31) if you continue in My word, then you are My
disciples indeed." Indeed! Here we have the Lord's own
commentary on one of the marks of a genuine disciple! Notice that
it's not a condition of discipleship, but it sure does mark the
difference between a true possessor and a mere professor..."if
you continue in My word...". Matthew 10.22 boldly states,
"...he that endures to the end shall be saved". That's the
truth, and as he tells us back in John, 8.32, "...the truth will
set you free"! It's far better to be acquainted with "The
Truth" than to know what is true. It's Him that gives us
freedom from the binding power of Satan, the prison-house of sin and
the darkness of spiritual death.
His is a truth worth
believing, and He is the Truth worth receiving. My prayer is that
even you, will be saved!
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