We finished our last week’s bible study with this statement from Christ, “Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” (John 8:47) Spend time pondering this, if you will. These words are from our Savior, Redeemer and King. If you go back to John 1: 1-5, you’ll find that this God-man created us. He was sent down to us by the Father, to redeem us from our sins. Something that which the law, given unto them through Moses, could never redeem them, only shows them what miserable sinners they actually were. Christ was sent to us as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) So when He tells these Jews who question how He got His knowledge and keep demanding that He show them a sign of who He really is, “you question Me this way because you are not of God.” Christ speaks with authority. Which all who heard him found to be the case.
So, how much authority does Christ have in your life? This book I am teaching from tells us that Christ has been given dominion over all, (Daniel 7:14, Matthew 8:27, Mark 1:27, John 3:35, Ephesians 1:22, 1 Peter 3:22) does He have dominion over you? I ask this because for the longest time, I did what was right in my own eyes. Just like Judges 17:6. Just like a majority of people you meet in your day to day life. Then I became accountable to Him. I was watching someone on the computer, somebody who claimed to be a healer, because that is how I entered into this whole “waking up and finding Jesus” thing. I had just found out that I had ALS and I wanted it cured. While this guy never claimed to be able to do that, I was interested in what he was doing. This particular time, he went through the scripture, I don’t even remember which scripture, but when he got done, he said to the camera, now that you know and understand that, you are now accountable. (Matthew 12:36, Romans 14:12, Acts 17:30, Romans 3:19)
It’s a funny thing about how God uses people and other things, to convey a personal message to YOU. Those words hit me like a ton of bricks. I truly became accountable at that point. These Jews heard words that should have caused them to be accountable, but their hearts had been hardened by their devotion to the Law of Moses and being of the line of Abraham. Neither of which did they follow, what those two individual men of God had taught. Head knowledge, not heart knowledge, and that is a real problem today, we all know a bit of something about the bible and church, but for most that as far as it goes. There are people out there that have read the whole bible and can quote it to you, but they still do not believe or submit to the one that redeems us. These Jews knew what they knew, what they had been taught in the temple, but their heritage and tradition and the hate they had in their heart for others not of the Jewish lineage, kept them from hearing what Christ said.
This was evidenced by how they responded to Christ: “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” They had seen countless signs and wonders from this Son of Man, yet it was not good enough. Also, here is seen the hate they have for those that are not of them. Samaritans, yet it was among the first of Christ converts, a Samaritan woman who happened to be a harlot and her village. (John 4:1-42) If they knew that He had chosen them first, instead of these Jews, that would be a deal killer.
Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” (vv. 49-51)
The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” (vv. 52-53) They were trying to use His words to convict Him. Many people do this today. Using scripture to validate their claims and you have to wonder, who are they serving here, themselves or Christ?
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.’ But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” (vv. 54-56) These Jews had all the proof they needed standing before them. Everything the Old Testament pointed to. We have the whole scripture, all of the Good News and there are still many in this nation who do not believe. Some even call themselves Christians, as I did, but until you are accountable and live in obedience to His word, that is not the case.
So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” (v.58) Matthew 13:14 quotes Isaiah 6:9, Seeing they will not Perceive, Hearing they shall Not Understand! As true now as it was back then. And there are those that think this dusty old book could not possibly have anything of use to them, when in fact you could predict their entire life with the information contained within. That is true for all of us.
When the people heard what Christ told them, they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. (v. 59)
From Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Concerning John 8:54-59 Christ and all that are his, depend upon God for honour. Men may be able to dispute about God, yet may not know him. Such as know not God, and obey not the gospel of Christ, are put together, 2 Thessalonians 1:8. All who rightly know anything of Christ, earnestly desire to know more of him. Those who discern the dawn of the light of the Sun of Righteousness, wish to see his rising. Before Abraham was, I AM. This speaks Abraham a creature, and our Lord the Creator; well, therefore, might he make himself greater than Abraham. I AM, is the name of God, Exodus 3:14; it speaks his self-existence; he is the First and the Last, ever the same, Revelation 1:8. Thus he was not only before Abraham, but before all worlds, Proverbs 8:23; John 1:1. As Mediator, he was the appointed Messiah, long before Abraham; the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, Revelation 13:8. The Lord Jesus was made of God Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption, to Adam, and Abel, and all that lived and died by faith in him, before Abraham. The Jews were about to stone Jesus for blasphemy, but he withdrew; by his miraculous power he passed through them unhurt. Let us steadfastly profess what we know and believe concerning God; and if heirs of Abraham’s faith, we shall rejoice in looking forward to that day when the Saviour shall appear in glory, to the confusion of his enemies, and to complete the salvation of all who believe in him.
As you’ve just witnessed, Matthew Henry was a much more eloquent writer than I, but he’s dead and I’m here, so you go with what you got. It was made clear to those malcontent Jews that by His claim, Jesus was Christ and all that that meant. To their dead ears and shriveled hearts that was blasphemy. When you think of yourself as righteous, anything that besmirches that will cause your indignation and anger. They, without even having a trial, picked up stones to stone Him with. I get the strong impression that in all areas of habitation, there were piles of stones placed about, on the off chance of someone suddenly needing to put down some heresie or such. They, the Jews were always demanding that He show a sign of who He said He was, and they got one. The scripture tells us: “but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.” (v.59) It does not say that Christ disappeared miraculously, but He was standing amongst them, about to be stoned and then He was gone. We are left to draw our own conclusions. Here we are at the end of John 8 and will start chapter 9 next week.
Notes of interest:
Feasts for which all Jewish males were required to travel to the temple in Jerusalem.
*Passover (One day) Leviticus 23:5
Nisan (March – A ru)
Reminder of deliverance from Egyptian bondage;
Need for lamb without blemish; OT (Exodus 12) NT Significance(1 Peter 1:18-19)
Unleavened Bread
(Seven days) Leviticus 23:6-8
Nisan (March April)
OT (Exodus 13:1-10) NT Significance (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)
Firstfruits
(One day) Leviticus 23:9-1 4
Nisan (March- April)
OT(Leviticus 23:10-11) NT Significance (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)
* Pentecost (Feast of Weeks) (One day) Leviticus 23:15-22
Sivan (May-June)
OT (Lev. 23:15-16 & Deut. 16:9-10) NT Significance (Acts 2:1-4 & 41b)
Trumpets
(Rosh Hashanah) (One day) Leviticus 23:23-25
Tishri (Sept. October)
OT (Lev. 23:24 & Num. 29:1-6) NT Significance (1 Thess. 4:16-17 & I Cor. 15:52)
Day of Atonement
(Yom Kippur) (One day) Leviticus 23:26-32
Tishri (Sept.- October)
OT (Leviticus 23:26-32 & 16:20-22) NT Significance (Hebrews 9:7 & 28 & Gal. 3:13)
* Tabernacles (Booths)
(Seven days) Leviticus 23:33-43
Tishri (Sept.- October)
OT (Leviticus 23:40-43) NT Significance (John 14:1-3 & Rev. 21:1-3)
Link to The Feast of Booths information: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/feast-booths/