John 8:48-59 – The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not rightly say that You are a Samaritan, and You have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; on the contrary, I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 But I am not seeking My glory; there is One who seeks it, and judges. 51 Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone follows My word, he will never see death.” 52 The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets as well; and yet You say, ‘If anyone follows My word, he will never taste of death.’ 53 You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died, are You? The prophets died too. Whom do You make Yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; 55 and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him. And if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you; but I do know Him, and I follow His word. 56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day, and he saw it and rejoiced.” 57 So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” 59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and left the temple grounds.
“The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not rightly say that You are a Samaritan, and You have a demon?” Now these were religious people, but not true knowers and followers of God. Don’t be surprised, there are still plenty of knowledgeable, experienced, honored teacher and preachers around but who do not know God, and many would be surprised to find out that they do not. (Matthew 7:21-23) When this kind of religious person is confronted and exposed, how will they react? It is likely that they will tout their degrees, talk of how many followers they have, and show you’re their riches that must be blessings from God for their loyalty to Him. They will attack your lowly un-pedigreed position and your lack of official authority while missing the authority that comes from on high. They will cast aspersions on you, whether publicly or whispered behind your back. Jesus called them what they were and they were insulted by their exposure, so they attacked back
“Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; on the contrary, I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.” Jesus refuted their smear that He had a demon. He simply made the clear statement that He only says things that honor God and He said that these religionists reject Jesus for speaking truth that He has heard from God, they not only smear His family and Him but they, in rejecting the words of Jesus, defame God. They continue to heap sin upon sin upon themselves.
“50 But I am not seeking My glory; there is One who seeks it, and judges. 51 Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone follows My word, he will never see death.” Jesus replies to them that He is not seeking His own glory, but the glory of the Father. Then He says that if anyone follows His Word, if they follow Him, the will never see death. These heated souls heat up to the point of explosion. First Jesus said He is not after His own glory and then He follows it by saying that He is the one who can keep them from dying. To these who not only didn’t follow Him but detested Him, this was logs thrown on the fire. Yet to those who understood that Jesus was speaking the Truth, and was in fact trying to help them to have their sins forgiven and their souls restored to God, His words were life. (John 6:68) All this was incredible, but yet is still happening every day in every land and among every people. It is almost certain it is happening to your neighbors. Jesus was very much being the peacemaker but they refused even though He was continuously performing miraculous signs that the Messiah would do. In fact right after this confrontation with them Jesus moves past them and performs yet another miracle. Family and Friends, since people have rejected Jesus in their physical presence, so shall their spiritual progeny today reject Jesus when today the Truth in presented to them. These with calloused hearts refuse to entertain and or believe the Truth of the Gospel. They refuse what is best to choose what is disgusting.
“The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets as well; and yet You say, ‘If anyone follows My word, he will never taste of death.’ 53 You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died, are You? The prophets died too. Whom do You make Yourself out to be?” Doesn’t it exhaust you how Jesus keeps trying to save their eternal souls but they swat away the truth like men push away the medicine that saves them? Their response is merely argument against what they had predisposed themselves not to believe. They see Jesus as making Himself higher than the father of their faith, Abraham. Jesus, who was higher than Abraham, and worshiped by Abraham because Jesus was God, was seen by Abraham. For example, many people think Melchizedek was a Christophany. Then certainly Abraham saw Jesus. Or Jesus was given revelation about the coming of Messiah and so Abraham saw Jesus through divine revelation. These Jewish authorities reject the Truth as so many people do today. Pray for the Jews, and for all the unbelievers in the world today.
“Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; 55 and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him. And if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you; but I do know Him, and I follow His word.” Have you ever been in that awkward space where it is said, even in circles of confessing Christians, that it is okay to curse God if that is how you feel? They use the horrible reason that we are all only human after all. (Though believers have the Holy Spirit within and are much more than “only human.”) So if we do not go along with those who say such things then we are made out to be a more-holy-than-thou self-righteous person. Sometimes in our own small group study we are shy to admit our own faith. Jesus did not succumb to worrying what others thought of Him saying who He actually was. He boldly claimed that what He said was what His Father God had told them. If religionists didn’t believe Him, well that was them condemning themselves. For Jesus to not say who He was, would have made Him a liar which He was not. He never sinned. (Hebrews 4:15)
“Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day, and he saw it and rejoiced.” Jesus threw them a bone. He called Abraham their father. This was not a contraction as they were the physical descendants of Abraham. But what was not important was not their physical genealogy. Most important was to inherit Abraham’s humble spirit. It is the heart that God looks at. (1 Samuel 16:7)
“So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” 59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and left the temple grounds.” Since their hard hearts could not receive the Truth, their minds could not understand it. Jesus then reveals His divinity and what was their response, to try to kill Him.
Family and Friends, the Gospel is like a simple and beautiful garden home to live in peace with God. A place to live with God right now. To know Jesus right now. To sup with Him, to listen to Him and even to talk to Him. It is a place to dwell where His love is the very real surrounding of His love and grace for us. It is being loved by someone who knows absolutely everything about you. There is no better place than within the Truth of the Gospel. (Matthew 11:28-30) May it be so for all of us. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 – The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.