We left off last time with Jesus preaching His salvation message to an unbelieving crowd, who, tell Him they don’t need saving because they are Abraham’s descendants (see Part 2).
Now, Christ begins to refute their idiocy and pride:
“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 heart for my message. I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.” Jn. 8:37, 38. NLT
The apostle Paul had the same problem with the Jews:
You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him…For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth…No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God…not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. Rm. 2:17, 20 & 29. NLT
Back to Christ. The crowd shouts out that Abraham is their father. Jesus rebukes them:
“No, Jesus replied, “for if you were really 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.” Jn. 8:39, 40. NLT
The people are getting angry, blasting back that they are not illegitimate and that their ultimate Father is God. Jesus pulls no punches:
“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. 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.” Jn. 8:42 – 47. NLT
What is the answer?
For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Gal. 3:26 NLT
However, the crowd is not having it. They call Jesus an enemy of Israel and its Temple; and they accuse Him of being demon-possessed. He retorts:
“I do not have a demon. On the contrary, I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. However, I am not seeking glory for Myself. There is One who seeks [glory for Me] and judges [those who dishonor Me]…if anyone keeps My word [by living in accordance with My message] he will indeed never, ever see and experience death.” Jn. 8:49 – 51. AMP
There it is. Simple. Walk with Jesus, live forever.
That ornery crowd isn’t willing to accept Him or His message. They are still accusing Him of demon possession; and then they say that the greatest men were Abraham and the prophets, but that they all died. So, they don’t get the ‘eternal life’ thing.
Finally, they challenge Him, asking Jesus if He thought He was better than Abraham. He responds:
“If I glorify Myself, My glory is [worth] nothing. It is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ Yet you do not know Him, but I know Him fully. If I said I did not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know Him and keep His word.
“Your father Abraham [greatly] rejoiced to see My day (My incarnation). He saw it and was delighted.” Jn. 8:54 – 56. AMP
Jesus is saying that the coming of the Messiah was revealed to Abraham. The crowd asked Him how that was possible because Abraham died some 1800 years ago. He answers them with a mighty BIG truth:
“I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM!” Jn. 8:58 NLT
Jesus is saying that He, like His Father, is eternal! Well, that sent the crowd over the edge, and they tried to stone Him; but He supernaturally disappears from the Temple…
Christ meets up with His apostles to leave Jerusalem. As they were walking, they see a man that was blind from birth. The apostles asked Jesus who it was that sinned – the blind man or His parents, that cost him his sight.
(Many Jews believed that all suffering was due to sin – not true. Moreover, looking at how the apostles framed their question, you can see that they also considered the possibility that the blind man may have sinned before he was born – no Scriptural basis for that!)
The Messiah answers:
“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins. This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” Jn. 9:3 – 5. NLT
He means that this blind man was set before Jesus at this very moment, to glorify God through a miraculous healing – one which would be recorded for all time. Christ is also addressing the urgency with which He and His apostles must complete their tasks in His short 3-year ministry.
So, Jesus spat on the ground and made mud, which He applied to the blind man’s eyes, and told him to wash his eyes in the pool of Siloam. Once he did so, he was given his sight!
Unfortunately, that troublemaker Jesus healed him on the Sabbath. The Pharisees called Him a sinner, and to shut up the once-blind man, they excommunicated him from the Temple. When Jesus got wind of this, He found the man and asked:
“Do you believe in the Son of God?” Jn. 9:35 NKJV
He answered that he did and worshiped Him immediately. A crowd gathers, including some of those nasty Pharisees. Jesus addresses them all – once more stepping out into the spotlight:
“I entered this world to render judgment – to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” Jn. 9:39 NLT
The Pharisees asked Jesus if He considered them blind. He answers:
“If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty. But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.” Jn. 9:40, 41. NLT
Jesus is admonishing them for their claim of knowing the Scriptures, even the Messianic prophecies, yet they cannot see who is standing right in front of them. They have no excuse for their sin.
Christ is not done with them:
“…anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.” Jn. 10:1, 2. NLT
“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and comes to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.” Jn. 10:3, 4. NLT
The meaning of Jesus’ metaphor sails right over the Pharisees’ learned heads, so He gives it to them again – more direct and simpler:
“…I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.” Jn. 10:7 – 11. NLT
“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. Jn. 10:14 – 16. NLT
(…do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God.
But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist…) 1 Jn. 4:1 – 3. NLT
Jesus wraps up His discourse:
“The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.” Jn. 10:17, 18. NLT
Our Savior has taught us quite a bit today:
- The ‘sheep’ are the children of God.
- Jesus is the only door to our Father in heaven.
- Christ came to give you an abundant life – filled with the light of God.
- Our Savior willingly gave up His life for our salvation because of the love of the Father and the Son for us.
- The Son of Man has the power of life within Him, that He used to resurrect Himself, so that God’s plan for our salvation would come to fruition.
- The Son of Righteousness came to save the Jews first, and then the rest of humanity (‘not of this fold’), who make the decision to follow Him.
Hallelujah!
Goodnight and God bless.