The Gospel of John Lesson 27(3-24-2013)

The Gospel of John Lesson 27(3-24-2013)

Lesson 27 – John 8:21-30

In v. 21 we pick up with the continued dialog and discussion between Jesus and the religious leaders. A good bit of the dialog so far in the Gospel of John centers around the religious leaders of Israel antagonizing Jesus in dialog and discussion attempting to discredit Him publically usually attempting to provoke Jesus into doing something that they might use against Him in order that they might take steps to prosecute  or injure Him. As we have seen earlier and will see again in this chapter that the religious leaders had in mind to put Him to death. In reading the record of these continued encounters one might find it hard to make sense of it all because encounters such as we find here in chapter 8 were apparently many and quite often may be read as just another encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees by us as readers.

But, it may help us to understand better what went on in dialogs such as this by putting ourselves in the place of being present at the time that these discussions went on placing ourselves in the crowd as if we were there when the confrontation actually occurred. Doing so, at least for me, helps to make the passage become more relevant and often times may give us, being a participant, a better sense of what actually went on.

In v. 21 if these religious leaders were not hot before they are now because Jesus tells them that of all people they will die in their sins. What a statement! In their mind, if anyone had a chance of making it to heaven they would have. How self-righteous! However, Jesus just had a showdown with them several verses before this, maybe just a few hours ago, where He might have pointed out some of their shortcomings, possibly writing their offenses in the sand, and they one by one left the scene not even being able to continue to point a finger at a woman caught in the very act of adultery. Their action of leaving, being convicted, not being able to stand their ground when faced with their offense as compared to the woman’s offense indicates that their offenses were no little matter.

In v. 21 He now makes it very clear where they stand being found no better than anyone else, them being in just as desperate need of a Savior as anyone else. But, they did not recognize their need and they did not recognize Him as their solution. He tells them that He was leaving, but also tells them that in their current condition they would not be allowed to follow Him even if they were curious and desired to learn more of Him. He implies that only those without sin could follow. In the verses that follow He will make it plain that those who serve sin have sin as their master and eventually lays it all out on the table that those who serve sin do not know God at all and are actually the servant of God’s enemy the devil even though they themselves may be blind to this fact.

In v. 23 Jesus explains some things to them plainly, usually not an approach to win friends and influence people, by telling them again that they are from below implying of earth (earthly) or not heavenly at all and states clearly that He indeed is heavenly or from God not being any part of the system that they operate from.

In v. 24 He again makes it clear the change in perspective that needs to take place if they are to have any hope telling them that the only answer for their present state is to give up and believe that He is the Savior the Son of God. In v. 25 they object to what He said in v. 24 and either have not been hearing a word that He has been saying, or refuse to believe His testimony which really has been the problem all along. We will see throughout this Gospel that most of these religious leaders had selective hearing, only hearing what they wanted to hear, in reality not seeking the truth at all, but only seeking justification for their ways.

However, that being said, I am confused at their response here in vs. 25 and 27. All along the confrontation between Jesus and these guys has been primarily over His clear claim to be One with the Father, or in other words claiming to be God. Here their dialog seems to be along the lines of explain your claim or position clearly to us. John tells us in v. 27 that they did not really understand that He was actually referring to the Father God when Jesus made His response in v. 26. It is not really clear if they were actually being antagonistic here or if they were in actuality truly wanting to understand what He was claiming.

However, in the beginning of v. 26 He in essence asks them to receive and build on this foundational truth as to who He is because He had much more to offer them and to make progress in this conversation and relationship with them that He needed to address some issues that were not right that needed to be cleared up.

He uses the word judge or condemn here being somewhat pointed with them. Remember in v. 24 He had just made reference to them that they would die in their sins if they did on receive Him as their Savior. In essence, here in v. 26, He tells them that He would like to get on with it and make some progress concerning the issues at hand here. In the end of v. 26 He restates that the basis for making such statements to them does not come from a personal agenda, but comes from the Source of Truth and that He was sent to speak the Truths that He had heard to this world which included them.

So, in vs. 28 and 29 Jesus goes on to explain these things more clearly to them. In the beginning of v. 28 He begins by sharing a concept with them that He has not shared too frequently to this point in John’s Gospel. We saw Him make reference to this earlier in Jn. 3:14 and we will see Him make reference to it again in Jn. 12:32.

He tells them an interesting thing. He refers to Himself as the Son of Man. He tells them that when they have lifted up the Son of Man then they will understand fully Who He was and what they have done to Him. He tells them that when this happens that they will understand and realize the words that He was speaking and what He was teaching them was not a contrived philosophy or a plan such as we have seen over the course of history by other men, religious founders, but they would realize at that time that He truly was sent for God the Father directly, and that what Jesus shared came directly for God the Father. Jesus kept directing them to evaluate what He was proclaiming to them asking them to make their judgments concerning Him on His actions, His works and what He said as compared to God’s Law, but they could not get past someone being familiar to them being the representative of God.

But, something happened when Jesus spoke these words. I am not sure if it was just the words that Jesus had spoken in the previous few verses or if it was the way that He spoke here, or if it was the way things happened during this encounter, or a combination of all of the above, but it says that for whatever reason when He spoke these words that many were convinced and believed what He was saying and believed on Him.

What He said in v. 28 was indeed something that they could identify with Him making reference to the time in their history when Moses was instructed to fashion a serpent on a pole and hold it up so that all who look on it may be healed from the venomous bite from a plague of snakes that was sent among Israel as a consequence of their sin. All who acted in faith at that time and looked on the serpent were healed. This reference got their attention. He presented Himself as the one to heal their infirmity. But, although what He said got their attention, it says they actually began to change their opinion of Him v. 30, we will see that in just a few verses that in reality even thought they began to change their opinion of Him that they did not as yet in reality see their true need for such an offer. In the verses to come we will see them reject the notion that they were and are indeed in bondage and in reality in need of a rescuer to be freed.