Today’s Reading: John 8:37-59; Psalm 135

“Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message.” – John 8:37

We are about to take a look at one of the more heated conversations between Jesus and the crowd of people, which included religious leaders. But first, let’s make sure we have room in our hearts for the message the Lord wants us to hear today. May God’s Spirit speak to each one of us individually, casting light on any erroneous thinking or false theology. May we be open to any area of our life or attitude that the Lord would like to work on this morning.

LET’S MAKE ROOM IN OUR HEARTS FOR THE MESSAGE GOD HAS FOR US TODAY.

“Our father is Abraham!” they declared.
“No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example. Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. No, you are imitating your real father.” – John 8:39-41a

The people saw themselves as having what you could call a religious pedigree. They took pride in being an ancestor of Abraham. Jesus pointed out to them that they took after their earthly fathers rather than Abraham, because Abraham would never have responded to the promised Messiah with threats and murderous strategies.

They replied, “We aren’t illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father.”
Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me.” – John 8:41b-42

They wanted to claim a spiritual pedigree by declaring that God was their true father. They were Jewish and therefore part of God’s holy anointed people. Not only were the religious leaders who were joining in this argument Abraham’s descendants, they were part of the spiritual elite. They were teachers of the Jewish law, experts in the holy scriptures, and leaders in the synagogue. But Jesus pointed out that they were all missing the heart of God, who loves Jesus and, in fact, sent Jesus to them to warn them of their sinful ways.

“Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.” – John 8:43-47

It’s as if Jesus was saying — Let me tell you about your father. It’s not Abraham, and it’s certainly not God. Your father must be the devil himself because you are acting just like him. You refuse to follow the truth, telling lie after lie, which is a reflection of your character. When you hear the truth, your natural reaction is disbelief. When I speak the truth, your first response is to accuse me of sin. I speak the truth; I am the truth. If you belonged to God, you would listen to the words of God that I am speaking.

The people retorted, “You Samaritan devil! Didn’t we say all along that you were possessed by a demon?”
“No,” Jesus said, “I have no demon in me. For I honor my Father—and you dishonor me. And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God is going to glorify me. He is the true judge. I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!” – John 8:49-51

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

This seems to be the heart of the argument between the people and Jesus. They saw themselves as God’s children because they were descendants of Abraham. Jesus was telling them that he was God’s son, but they refused to believe him. They were wrong about who they were and they were wrong about who Jesus was.

Jesus answered, “If I want glory for myself, it doesn’t count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, ‘He is our God,’ but you don’t even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I do know him and obey him. Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.” – John 8:54-56

The people identified as children of God, when in fact they did not know Him. If they knew God, that familial relationship would be evidenced in how they responded to the message of Jesus. They would have recognized the presence of God in every word Jesus spoke and every miracle he performed. They were so focused on the position they believed God owed them because of their spiritual heritage that they were missing the opportunity to authentically worship the Messiah himself.

WHO DO WE THINK WE ARE?

How often are we guilty of identifying as a Christian while neglecting our relationship with the Lord? Do we mistake our knowledge of the scripture for an understanding of God? Do we know him? I do not want to make the same mistake that the crowd made that day. I do not want to be wrong about who I am in Christ, and I do not want to be wrong about who Jesus is. And the best way I can protect myself from false assumptions and misinformation is to spend time every day getting to know my Lord — spending time in prayer, studying the bible and listening to His still small voice.

Lord, we believe you are who you say you are. We believe you are the Great I Am, and we humbly submit to who you are calling us to be. Thank you for the opportunity to enter into a relationship with you and get to know you more each day. Show us the ways we are trying to fit you into a mold we can be comfortable with, instead of genuinely seeking you. We know that we are not worthy to be called a child of God, but we thank you for the opportunity to be adopted into the family because of what you did for us on the cross and through your resurrection from the dead. Amen.

In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God. – Galatians 3:6-7